The senators and delegates of the 2026 General Assembly and our newly elected governor are already hard at work, and so is the conservation and environmental advocacy community! The Virginia Conservation Network released its annual environmental briefing book, Our Common Agenda, to highlight the biggest issues for environmental policymaking in 2026. You can find links to the white papers of the issues most relevant to Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s mission and values here.

This year’s long session will see a new governor’s budget and a sizable number of bills as we undergo a transition in administration. The hot-button issue from last year is back in full force this session: data center reform bills are already making up a substantial portion of early filed bills. See all of the bills we’re tracking on our LWC Bill Tracker. We’ll also keep you posted here on relevant budget items as they become available.

BILLS TO WATCH FOR WILDLIFE 2026

This bill tracker identifies key bills to follow that will affect our wildlife in Loudoun. Now is the time to engage with your legislators on the issues you care about — tell your senator and delegate to vote in favor of your favorite bill from our list! To find your legislator and their contact information, use this Who’s My Legislator tool. 

You can also sign up to participate in Richmond lobby days — we’ll be there! These are opportunities to meet with your legislators in person in Richmond to advocate for the bills and issue areas you as an individual constituent care about most. LWC representatives will be taking part in 2 lobby days this year: VCN’s Conservation Lobby Day on February 4th, where environmental organizations from across the state will advocate for conservation-friendly policies. Then, Data Center Reform Lobby Day is on February 9th, and our Conservation Advocacy Coordinator Trinity Mills will be meeting with legislators on one of this session’s biggest topics: Data Center Reform.

Be sure to check out VCN’s bill tracker for all the environmental bills to watch. We will be regularly updating our list of bills to watch in the coming weeks, so please continue to check this page for more information. Reach out to your representatives — remember that your legislators serve you as a constituent! Contact us for more information on how to get involved to protect wildlife at the state level this General Assembly Session.

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