The 2024 General Assembly Session has concluded. With unprecedented turnover, nearly a third of 2024 General Assembly members were new in their roles this year. This in combination with the thousands of bills proposed made this 2024 session a historical one. Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy was closely involved in advocating for state policy that will affect our wildlife here in Loudoun by participating in legislative initiatives. We worked in conjunction with our partners at the Virginia Conservation Network (VCN), including tracking bills and speaking with legislators at Conservation Lobby Day.

VCN’s Our Common Agenda provides an overview of the issues. This online publication outlines prominent environmental issue areas of concern for environmental organizations in Virginia. It contains white papers that include policy goals and suggestions that have corresponding bills in the 2024 General Assembly.  View Loudoun Wildlife’s Policy Suggestion Priorities.

Conservation Lobby Day was on January 31st, 2024. Hosted by VCN, this event allowed us to meet with our Loudoun legislators in person in Richmond to advocate for the bills and issue areas that protect and support wildlife statewide.  Loudoun Wildlife’s Conservation Advocacy Specialist and Executive Director met alongside conservation partners across the state with our Loudoun Delegates and Senators to lobby for important wildlife-relevant bills in the 2024 General Assembly. We spoke with elected officials on our bills of interest concerning topics such as data centers, invasive species, tree conservation and more.

We were happy to see familiar Loudoun faces at this year’s Lobby Day to speak on the many Loudoun-relevant bills. We are also excited to share the wins we’ve had this General Assembly Session. All bills of opposition were defeated! Thank you to those that attended Conservation Lobby Day and contacted their legislators about the bills that impact wildlife in Loudoun.

The Governor’s Action deadline of bills which passed the legislature was midnight on April 8, 2024. Governor Youngkin amended a record 233 budget items and vetoed a record 153 bills this session. In light of this, it was decided late April that the General Assembly would reconvene to rewrite the budget. The new budget was passed May 13th after a special session. In the rewrite of the budget, most of our budget amendments of support were moved, excluded, or significantly changed. To find information about budget amendments of environmental significance, see VCN’s budget tracker.

A select few of our priority bills were signed into law and funded, including HB309 to develop a Forest Conservation Plan. Thank you to all of our members, partner organizations and all environmentally concerned Loudouners who wrote and called their state senators and representatives to advocate for these measures. You helped make a difference!

To learn more about specific environmental bills relevant to wildlife protection in Loudoun this past session, see Loudoun Wildlife’s list of tracked bills in the 2024 General Assembly. This is the full bill list of legislative items tracked throughout session, updated as of Crossover on February 13th. For post-session updates, see the updated list of bills that passed through both the Senate and the House, indicating bills that have become law upon receiving Governor Youngkin’s signature.

For bills and policy issue areas you’re passionate about, don’t hesitate to contact your legislator via phone or email to share your views ahead of next year’s General Assembly session. You can use the Who’s My Legislator? online tool to find out who your state legislator is and access their contact information.

Contact Conservation Advocacy Specialist Trinity Mills at tmills@loudounwildlife.org for more information on how to get involved to protect wildlife at the state level for the next General Assembly Session.

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