I write today to provide an update on the Virginia Treasures initiative: On Thursday, December 15, 2016, Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced in a press release that his goal of preserving 1,000 “Virginia Treasures” had been reached a full year ahead of schedule. This announcement has received limited press so far—I’ve only seen stories from WTKR (Channel 3 in Norfolk) and the Augusta Free Press, and these stories mostly just regurgitate the press release. Let’s take a closer look. Continue reading Seek and Ye Shall Find: An Update on the Virginia Treasures Initiative
Gov. Terry McAuliffe
Governor Terry McAuliffe is the current governor of Virginia. He is serving a four-year term from January 2014 to January 2018. Governors in Virginia are not eligible to serve consecutive terms.
The posts on this page focus mainly on (1) Gov. McAuliffe’s interactions with the Virginia General Assembly and (2) Gov. McAuliffe’s policy announcements, all focusing on land preservation, of course. You might also wish to visit the general “Politics” category page. The Wikipedia page for Gov. McAuliffe is also informative.
Werowocomoco to Become National Park
It’s official: Werowocomoco will become a national park. Specifically, it will become part of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail once it is opened to the public.
Werowocomoco was the capital of the Powhatan Chiefdom in the early 1600s during the time when the English were first colonizing what would later become Virginia. Many of you will remember the familiar story of Captain John Smith and Pocahontas, much of which took place in Werowocomoco. The ruins of the town are located on the bank of the York River in Gloucester County. Continue reading Werowocomoco to Become National Park
National Park Service Awards Nearly $2.7 Million to Protect Civil War Battlefields in Virginia
On Thursday, March 3, 2016, Governor Terry McAuliffe announced that the National Park Service has awarded nearly $2.7 million for projects to protect nine Civil War battlefields located in seven Virginia counties. Continue reading National Park Service Awards Nearly $2.7 Million to Protect Civil War Battlefields in Virginia
To Seek a Thousand Treasures
I have written several times about Governor Terry McAuliffe’s goal of preserving 400,000 acres during his term. (See here and here.) This goal has been quite tentative, to say the least, during the past year or so. But now we finally have a definite answer as to Governor McAuliffe’s conservation goal for his term:
Instead of preserving 400,000 acres, he wants to preserve 1,000 treasures.
Let’s take a look together at the new initiative and how it might impact conservation efforts in Virginia. Continue reading To Seek a Thousand Treasures
Governor Signs Legislation Placing Limits on Land Preservation Tax Credit
According to Virginia’s Legislative Information Service, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe has now signed House Bill 1828 into law. As reported previously, H.B. 1828 places new limits on the land preservation tax credit, which is a tax incentive designed to encourage donations of conservation easements as well as outright donations of land. Governor McAuliffe approved the bill on March 17, 2015. The bill is being published as Chapter 235 of the 2015 Virginia Acts of Assembly. Continue reading Governor Signs Legislation Placing Limits on Land Preservation Tax Credit