The Virginia Land Conservation Foundation board of trustees will meet on June 5 at 10:30 a.m. to announce the FY25 grant round to fund land conservation projects. More information will be posted here as it becomes available.
The board of trustees last met on Nov. 13, 2023, to award the FY24 grant round. See the FY24 VLCF Grant Round press release and list of awarded projects.
Download the FY24 VLCF Grant Manual, meeting materials and project descriptions and recommendations of the Interagency Task Force. See the list of VLCF Stewardship Fund payments.
A total of $14,824,097 was available for grant funding as follows in the following five categories:
Farmland Preservation | $2,978,750 |
Forestland Preservation | $2,400,000 |
Historic Area Preservation | $2,711,245 |
Natural Area Preservation | $4,334,102 |
Open Spaces and Parks | $2,400,000 |
To get a preview of the application for each of the five categories on the WebGrants Management Portal, view the PDFs below:
A virtual Grant Workshop was held on June 8, 2023, to explain the grant process and different categories. The workshop was recorded and can be viewed here. If you have any questions, please contact Suzan Bulbulkaya at Suzan.Bulbulkaya@dcr.virginia.gov.
In 1999, the General Assembly and governor restructured the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation to fund protection of:
State agencies, local governments, other public bodies, state and federally-recognized Indian Tribes and nonprofit land trusts are eligible to receive matching grants from the foundation to purchase land or conservation easements.
The Virginia Land Conservation Fund receives funding from the state’s annual budget. The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation provides staff and administrative support. An interagency taskforce reviews and recommends grant applications to the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation. Grant awards are based on applications for 50% or less of total project costs (state agencies may receive 100%) pursuant to specific criteria defined in each category.
The VLCF Board and DCR submit a biennial report of the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation to the governor and General Assembly. This report summarizes VLCF Board activities for the two-year window, provides information on funded projects, describes how funds are allocated, and tracks the amount of land conserved in the commonwealth. The last report was issued in December 2022.
Since the beginning of the program in 2000, VLCF has awarded 287 grants totaling more than $72 million to protect more than 100,000 acres across the commonwealth. To learn about the projects that have been funded, search the interactive map below.
The board met on Nov. 14, 2022, to award a record amount of funding, almost $15 million, to 40 projects across Virginia. See the FY23 VLCF Grant Round press release. Download the meeting materials and project descriptions and recommendations of the Interagency Task Force.
Here are the FY23 Grant Manual and application. Applications were due by Sept. 6, 2022.
In the grant manual we recommend using the VIMS Social Vulnerability Index to identify underserved communities in Virginia. Here are a few more models recommended by others that may help you with your project’s application:
If you have any questions, please contact Suzan Bulbulkaya at Suzan.Bulbulkaya@dcr.virginia.gov.
Visit our State and Federal Grants page to learn more about other land conservation grant opportunities.
A subcommittee of the VLCF Board met virtually on March 26, 2021.
At its Oct. 27, 2015, meeting, the VLCF Board of Trustees adopted guidance for resolving disputes related to the interpretation or administration of conservation easements in accordance with ss10.1-1021.2 of the Code of Virginia. This is the final guidance document.
In 2009, the VLCF Board amended the Land Preservation Tax Credit (LPTC) Conservation Value Review Criteria to verify the conservation value of donated land or conservation easements that result in tax credit applications of $1 million or more.
Board members can find information regarding FOIA, travel regulations, open meetings, and more on the Resources for VLCF board members page.
If you have questions, email Suzan Bulbulkaya, Land Conservation Manager, at suzan.bulbulkaya@dcr.virginia.gov or call 804-371-5218.