Issue Position: Conservation

Issue Position

Shelly is deeply committed to conservation issues in Virginia. She has been a Legislative Contact Team member for the Virginia League of Conservation Voters for almost a decade advocating for our agenda in the General Assembly.

Reduce and prevent pollution into our waterways and the Bay. Towering flames from the oil spill in Lynchburg should be a wake-up call about the toxins being transported by rail. This very train rumbles past our water supply and schools in Newport News. We need to inspect our rail lines more frequently and demand action from the federal government on railcar upgrades. The state of Virginia also needs to do a better job regulating chemical and coal ash storage sites along the James River. Shelly will also request that DEQ study what is in the industrial sludge being used on farm land. The public has the right to know the chemical and bacterial content of these waste products.

Conserve our land, farms and historic battlefields. Lawmakers have a duty under the constitution to conserve our land for future generations. We need to fully fund the Land Preservation Tax Credit program, the most successful land preservation program in our state history, to protect our farm land, natural habitats, and prevent runoff into our Bay from overdevelopment. Shelly also supports the Civil War Sites Preservation Fund which permanently protects our historic sites from suburban sprawl.

Help local governments adjust to sea level rise. We need leaders in Richmond who understand the serious implications of climate change in Hampton Roads, and who will partner with local governments to adapt infrastructure and emergency management to new patterns of recurrent flooding. We also need to prioritize renewable energy projects in Virginia, like solar and offshore wind, and be mindful that our land use and transportation policies have an impact on climate for future generations.

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