Please forward this far and wide to anyone and everyone you know in Virginia and ask them to act today!  Share it! forward it! Make this action alert go viral – it’s that important! Please Email your Virginia State Senator and ask them to vote No on HB515

For those in Loudoun: Please Email Senators Herring (district33@senate.virginia.gov) and Vogel (district27@senate.virginia.gov) 

For those in other parts of Virginia look up your Senators’ info here: http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform 

Our Virginia Senate is about to vote on a bill that will cripple what little wetlands protection we have here in Virginia. This will have a seriously negative impact on our Virginia wildlife and the health of our environment.

Please take one minute to send an email – Please make your voice be heard!

There is going to be a vote on HB 515, Wetlands and Stream Mitigation. The bill summary as passed by the house is as follows:

Prohibits localities from regulating the location of wetlands and stream mitigation projects that are subject to a Virginia Water Protection Permit or a Corps of Engineer § 404 permit. However, a locality may continue to determine the allowed uses within its zoning classifications.

This bill would remove a locality’s ability to require, encourage or incentivize that wetlands or stream mitigation occur within the jurisdiction that is being impacted. In doing so, this bill would also eliminate a county’s ability to enforce a “no net loss” policy for wetlands. Loudoun County has had such a policy in place since 2001, and it is important to note that Loudoun’s policy DOES NOT conflict with State or Federal guidance/regulations on the mitigation of wetlands.

This is a push by wetland engineers to force landowners to either use their services or the wetland banks they have created and haven’t been able to sell. In fact some rural land is so cheap some developers will see this as a chance to push development in Loudoun County (and other areas) and mitigate in jurisdictions far away where the land is much cheaper. The negative impact on our wildlife will be dramatic, especially on the amphibians and invertebrates that depend on smaller wetlands.

Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy is opposed to HB 515 because: 

1) Allowing a locality to regulate the location of mitigation protects a major community value, water quality, and provides for mitigation in such a way that both the watershed (broad) and local water quality impacts from development are reduced.

2) This bill would hamper a locality’s ability to meet water quality standards, such as reducing pollution in streams to meet Federal standards.

3) “No net loss” policies, such as the one Loudoun County has in place, do not conflict with higher level regulation (State and Federal). As long as this is the case, the Commonwealth should respect local authority to protect local priorities such as clean water.

4) Wetlands in locations like Loudoun County help minimize the pollution and sediment that reaches the Chesapeake Bay.

5) Wetlands, even small ones, are invaluable wildlife resources and important nurseries for a wide variety of animals. This is especially true for a number of amphibians and invertebrates that depend on smaller wetlands.

This legislation was proposed because some in the wetland mitigation business dislike county wetland policies or regulations, and they would prefer not to have to compete with other wetland banking operations. They also argue that limitations on mitigation unfairly increase the cost of development and mitigation activities.

Please contact our State Senators and ask them to oppose HB 515:
Jill Vogel at 804-698-7527 or district27@senate.virginia.gov
Mark Herring at 804-698-7533 or district33@senate.virginia.gov

Wetlands are paramount to healthy habitats and drinking water for humans and wildlife – and are critical to amphibian and other animal lifecycles. Wetlands are one of our most valuable habitats.