Gov. Terry McAuliffe

Governor Signs Bill Allowing Alternate Names for Buggs Island Lake

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe has now signed Senate Bill 972 into law, which allows state and local agencies to refer to Buggs Island Lake as “Kerr Lake” or the “John H. Kerr Reservoir.”

Legislation passed in 1952 required state and local agencies to refer to the reservoir only as “Buggs Island Lake,” which was declared to be the reservoir’s “true and proper name.” Congress had originally given it the name of “Buggs Island Reservoir” in 1944 but abruptly changed the name to the “John H. Kerr Reservoir” in 1951 to honor a North Carolina congressman, angering Virginia lawmakers at the time. The majority of Buggs Island Lake is located in Virginia. Continue reading Governor Signs Bill Allowing Alternate Names for Buggs Island Lake

General Assembly Places Limits on Land Preservation Tax Credit

With the usual budget troubles brewing in Richmond, the land preservation tax credit (LPTC)—a transferable credit that results usually from either a donation of land or a donation of a conservation easement—has once again become the target of much scrutiny by lawmakers. Of the several bills that were introduced to limit the land preservation tax credit, two of these bills have now passed the full General Assembly. These bills, Senate Bill 1019 and House Bill 1828, were both finally approved by the General Assembly on Wednesday, February 18, 2015 and are now en route to the Governor for signature. Let’s examine Senate Bill 1019 and House Bill 1828 and how they will likely change land preservation efforts in Virginia. Continue reading General Assembly Places Limits on Land Preservation Tax Credit

Virginia House Votes to Allow Alternate Names for Buggs Island Lake

The Virginia House of Delegates voted today, February 13, 2015 to approve Senate Bill 972, which would allow state and local agencies to refer to Buggs Island Lake as “Kerr Lake” or the “John H. Kerr Reservoir.” Previous legislation required state and local agencies to refer to the reservoir only as “Buggs Island Lake.” Continue reading Virginia House Votes to Allow Alternate Names for Buggs Island Lake

Governor McAuliffe Announces Funding for Farmland Preservation Grants in Six Localities

On Monday, January 12, 2015, Governor Terry McAuliffe announced that six Virginia localities had been awarded a total of more than $1,581,000 in funding to preserve working farmland through the localities’ purchase of development rights (PDR) programs. The named localities include Albemarle County, Fauquier County, James City County, Stafford County, Clarke County, and the City of Virginia Beach. PDR programs provide funding for the purchase of perpetual conservation easements from landowners, as opposed to many conservation easement programs which rely on landowners to donate easements. Continue reading Governor McAuliffe Announces Funding for Farmland Preservation Grants in Six Localities