State officials announce launch of ConserveVirginia

Virginia has officially launched ConserveVirginia, Virginia’s first-in-the-nation, statewide, data-driven land conservation strategy that identifies high value lands and conservation sites across the Commonwealth of Virginia.

ConserveVirginia identifies 6.3 million acres of high priority conservation areas across the Commonwealth representing the best of each category. These mapped acres will help guide a long-term land conservation strategy for Virginia by serving as a “menu” to guide and inform state land acquisitions, environmental mitigation projects, and Virginia Land Conservation Foundation Grants.

ConserveVirginia’s living “smart map” is the synthesis of 19 mapped data inputs, divided into six categories, each representing a different overarching conservation value. The categories are: Agriculture & Forestry; Natural Habitat & Ecosystem Diversity; Floodplains & Flooding Resilience; Cultural & Historic Preservation; Scenic Preservation; and Protected Landscapes Resilience. The categories contain more than five million acres of agricultural and forest lands. Outdoor recreation, including access for underserved communities, is a critical component of the strategy and will be a key focus across categories.

The ConserveVirginia map is designed to be updated regularly as new data becomes available and additional resources and protection tools emerge. Similarly, the administration will work to add new data models to the ConserveVirginia map as data and technology allow. For example, future maps will identify high nutrient and sediment load areas in need of conservation and restoration to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay water quality.

To explore the ConserveVirginia map and online tool, visit vanhde.org/content/map.