I would like to focus your attention on a project for the Governor that could have a major impact on how Virginia funds its natural resources programs in the future, and in determining what those funding priorities should be. The Commonwealth is currently ranked last, fiftieth out of fifty among the states in what it invests in natural resources protection and management. This includes investments in water quality programs to keep our waterways clean, preserve and protect open space for future generations, manage our parks and natural areas, maintain historical properties, police polluters and promote good conservation practices. The national average among states for these types of investment ranges from 1.4 - 2 percent of a state’s budget. Virginia currently invests approximately 0.06 percent of its budget on natural resource management and protection, or put another way, a little more than a half penny for every budget dollar. This level of investment is not enough to meet the environmental commitments Virginia has signed up to or to maintain the quality of life we have all come to expect and enjoy in Virginia.

The challenges facing Virginia in this arena are very difficult and expensive. The cost alone of improving the water quality in our streams, rivers, lakes and the Chesapeake Bay so that we meet federal and state commitments is staggering. To begin to address these mounting obligations while also recognizing the constrained budget situation that Virginia is currently in, a Virginia Natural Resources Leadership summit was held this past spring in Williamsburg that invited in leaders representing Virginia’s many stakeholder communities. It was the task of those of us who participated to identify key issues the Commonwealth should address. The Summit’s findings were then rolled up into a Natural Resources agenda that the Governor introduced this past spring. At the same time that he announced his agenda, the Governor also announced his intention to create a bi-partisan Commission to review the work of the Summit and make recommendations to him on natural resource budget priorities for the 2005 biennium budget.

I was asked by the Governor to serve on the Funding Commission and over the past several months we have evaluated what our Commonwealth’s natural resource funding priorities should be, recognizing our constrained state budget situation. I am including the initial budget recommendations that came out of the Natural Resources Leadership Summit as well as the Governor's announced natural resources agenda for your review. The Commission has recently completed its work and is now making its report to the Governor. I will make that report available as soon as it can be released.

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