photo of a water body that could be protected by the Clean Water Act
April 1, 2022

CWA50: Cooperative Federalism, Section 401, and the MVP

Wild Virginia’s ongoing fight to stop the Mountain Valley Pipeline has showcased a key feature of the Clean Water Act: cooperative federalism. This legal principle supports the statute’s regulatory and enforcement structure, establishing a framework founded on “collaboration between the federal and state governments to achieve a common goal.” Specifically, to restore and maintain the… Read more


February 22, 2022

Eyes on the Prize

Tune in to this podcast episode of Wild Virginia Virtual Coffee Talk, where BJ Lark, activist and talented vocalist, talks about her work in the environmental justice movement and what inspires her to keep fighting for equity through art. Bernadette “BJ” Lark is an activist with over 35 years of experience as an artist, vocalist,… Read more


Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) vixen walking in the grass near the fox den on a spring morning in Hampton, Virginia.
January 28, 2022

Wildlife Rescue Director Discusses Importance of Crossings for Orphaned Virginia Species

Tune in to this podcast episode of Wild Virginia Virtual Coffee Talk, where Brie Hashem, Director of Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary, talks about wildlife rescue work and the importance of crossings for wildlife in Virginia. The Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to rescue, rehabilitate, and release native wildlife in Central Virginia. The… Read more


Photo of water to give an example of water body potentially protected by Clean Water Act
January 18, 2022

CWA50: Help Protect Virginia’s Waters!

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act (“CWA” or “the Act”), the key federal law protecting water quality throughout the United States. Our CWA50 blog series celebrates this milestone by offering opportunities to learn about the CWA as well as highlighting occasions to participate in environmental action. Excitingly, you have an… Read more


December 16, 2021

Mountain Valley Pipeline Fight: More Determined than Ever

A Water Control Board Approval on MVP is Not the End of the Story! Many of you will have heard the unfortunate news that the Virginia State Water Control Board voted 3 to 2 to approve a proposal for Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) to cut and blast through hundreds of our valuable waters. MVP still… Read more


Red fox vixen and pup nose to nose at sunset in Hampton, Virginia.
November 10, 2021

NEW LEGISLATION ALLOCATES $350 MILLION TO REDUCE WILDLIFE-VEHICLE COLLISIONS

Wildlife crossing structures help to connect habitats, providing animals with safe passages they can use to avoid heavily trafficked roads and highways. On November 5th, 2021, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which contains $350 million in federal funding for a “Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program” to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions. The new legislation creates… Read more


camera lens canva
November 4, 2021

Conservation Photographer, Steven David Johnson: Vernal Pools and Salamanders

Tune in to this podcast episode of Wild Virginia Virtual Coffee Talk, where conservation photographer Steven David Johnson talks about his work photographing vernal pools, salamanders, jumping spiders, and other fun projects he’s working on. He also reiterates the importance of ethical wildlife photography, an important initiative within the conservation community. Vernal pools are bodies… Read more


Sunrise on a calm fall morning at the Harwood's Mill Reservoir in York County, Virginia.
October 18, 2021

CWA50: A Year of Clean Water Action to Celebrate the Clean Water Act

The Clean Water Act (CWA) marks its 50th anniversary next year, an important milestone for an ambitious statute. Wild Virginia invites its members, as well as members of the public, to celebrate this occasion by getting their feet wet in protecting Virginia’s water resources. From October 2021 to October 2022, Wild Virginia will undertake a… Read more


August 16, 2021

Recently Released Conservation Briefing Highlights Environmental Policy Goals

Every year, the Virginia Conservation Network (VCN) publishes a briefing called Our Common Agenda, and this publication takes the policy goals of over 100 organizations across Virginia and compiles them into a single agenda of conservation goals. VCN is a collaborative network of over 150 conservation partners across the Commonwealth. The VCN was created to… Read more