To avoid double counting acres where multiple programs contributed to the acquisition of a single parcel, the parcel acreage is only aggregated under the program that provided the majority of funding. For example, if the chart displays a dollar amount greater than $0, but also shows 0 acres, it is because the program was not the primary contributor for any parcels in that year.
Local data coming soon.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation acquires land for state park's and state Natural Area Preserve lands. Funding is made available through annual legislative appropriations.
| Year | Acres | Dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4,815.9 | $8,968,657 |
| 2004 | 3,011.6 | $6,881,517 |
| 2003 | 9,157.2 | $469,332 |
| 2002 | 7,791.9 | $1,212,210 |
| 2001 | 3,465.3 | $4,722,517 |
| 2000 | 1,829.4 | $1,609,309 |
| 1999 | 2,854.8 | $3,301,420 |
| 1998 | 1,741.4 | $3,145,799 |
| Total | 34,667.5 | $30,310,764 |
Beginning on July 1, 2000, legislation passed by Virginia's General Assembly allocated the state's two percent share of the sales tax revenue generated from the sale of hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching equipment to the Game Protection Fund. The two categories (equipment and auxiliary equipment) in the survey generated $12.3 million in its first fiscal year for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.* Current funding is approximately $10.5 million. The legislation allowed DGIF's supervisory board to utilize up to 50% of the new funds for capital projects.
A major building block of Virginia’s conservation efforts is the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation (VLCF), established in 1999. VLCF manages the Virginia Land Conservation Fund, a non-lapsing fund in the state treasury. The Fund provides grants to state agencies, including the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, and matching grants to local governments and nonprofit organizations for land acquisition and purchase of development rights to protect open spaces and parks, natural areas, historic areas, farmlands, and forests. VLCF serves as the primary catalyst to foster state-local collaboration on behalf of land conservation.
| Year | Acres | Dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6,586.8 | $3,027,665 |
| 2004 | 763.5 | $1,242,675 |
| 2003 | 306.3 | $408,827 |
| 2002 | 887.0 | $777,617 |
| 2001 | 1,451.6 | $2,178,302 |
| 2000 | 326.0 | $72,800 |
| Total | 10,321.2 | $7,707,886 |
The state General Assembly created the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) in 1966 (Va. Code Section 10.1-1800). VOF’s mission is “to promote the preservation of open-space lands and to encourage private gifts of money, securities, land or other property to preserve the natural, scenic, historic, scientific, open-space and recreational areas of the Commonwealth.” A portion of VOF’s operating expenses are funded by annual appropriations from the General Assembly. Donations, interest income, and recordation fees fund the rest of the Foundation's work in localities where VOF has an open-space easement fund. The 1997 Virginia General Assembly created the Open Space Lands Preservation Trust Fund (Va. Code Sections 10.1 – 1801.1), to assist landowners with the costs of conveying open-space easements and the purchase of all or part of the value of the easements. The Preservation Trust Fund is administered by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, and the fund receives 25% of the Virginia Land Conservation Fund’s grant money. VOF holds most of the easements obtained under the Land Conservation Tax Incentives Program.
| Year | Acres | Dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 851.6 | $15,255 |
| 2004 | 1,511.0 | $22,781 |
| 2003 | 2,164.3 | $274,644 |
| 2002 | 1,071.7 | $142,454 |
| 2001 | 4,333.3 | $1,372,382 |
| 2000 | 1,814.0 | $391,901 |
| 1999 | 930.0 | $10,532 |
| Total | 12,676.0 | $2,229,951 |
The Virginia Land Conservation Incentives Act of 1999 significantly enhanced the tax benefits available to private landowners who donate land or conservation easements to the state. Under the tax credit program, a landowner can receive an income tax credit equal to 40 percent of the fair market value of the donated land or easement. If the total tax credit exceeds the maximum annual allotment, the excess value can be carried over for a total of ten years. The law changed in 2007 by reducing the credit from 50 percent to 40 percent and implementing a statewide cap of $100 million in the tax credits available. In addition, the Department of Conservation and Recreation is required to review applications for credits over $1 million and such properties must meet a set of criteria recently established by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.**
| Year | Acres | Dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 47,724.0 | $107,427,569 |
| 2004 | 52,413.0 | $81,138,247 |
| 2003 | 27,796.0 | $30,503,024 |
| 2002 | 32,336.0 | $4,985,817 |
| 2001 | 9,405.0 | $3,501,694 |
| 2000 | 17,331.0 | $2,216,991 |
| Total | 187,005.0 | $229,773,342 |
During the 2003 session, the Virginia General Assembly amended Chapter 22 of the Code of Virginia by adding §62.1-229.3. The new code section further expanded the activities of the Virginia Water Facilities Revolving Fund (the Fund) by allowing the State Water Control Board to authorize low interest loans from the fund for acquisition of title or other rights to real property, provided that the State Water Control Board is satisfied that the acquisition would protect or improve water quality and prevent pollution of state waters. According to the enabling legislation, the fund’s financing for land acquisition can only be available in fiscal years when there is a balance remaining after the fund has satisfied all eligible loan requests from local governments.**
Data is forthcoming.
*Va. Code, 1950, as amended, Sec. 58.1 - 638 5.E).
**http://www.deq.state.va.us/cap/lcguide.html