Environment

Marine Resources Commission; prohibition of commercial electrofishing in the Rappahannock River; report. Directs the Marine Resources Commission to temporarily prohibit commercial electrofishing in the portion of the Rappahannock River north of the Downing Bridge in Tappahannock until January 1, 2027, and to examine the practice of commercial electrofishing in the waters of the Commonwealth and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources no later than January 1, 2027.

Department of Environmental Quality; carbon market participation; coastal and marine resources. Allows the Department of Environmental Quality to participate in any carbon market for the preservation, restoration, and sustainable management of the Commonwealth's coastal and marine resources on state-owned bottomlands and property and enter into agreements necessary to facilitate such participation. The bill requires the Department to hold exclusive title to such credits until such credits are sold. Any revenues resulting from the sale of such credits are required to be distributed as follows: 75 percent to the Oyster Replenishment Fund and 25 percent to the qualifying leaseholder.

Study; Department of Conservation and Recreation; state park in Washington County; report. Requests the Department of Conservation and Recreation to study the feasibility of establishing a state park in Washington County at the Mendota Trail and Abrams Falls located within the Holston River watershed.

Virginia Fleet Modernization Advisory Council; established; report. Establishes the Virginia Fleet Modernization Advisory Council to coordinate cost-effective, resilient, and decarbonization-aligned strategies for public and private fleet modernization in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Council to report annually by the first day of each regular session of the General Assembly to the Governor and the General Assembly regarding its activities and recommendations. The Council has a sunset date of July 1, 2031.

Wildlife Corridor Action Plan; interagency implementation group; report. Directs the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources to, in coordination with the Secretary of Transportation, convene an Interagency Implementation Group to advance projects, policies, and priorities identified under the Wildlife Corridor Action Plan. The bill requires the Group to (i) facilitate the development of a statewide memorandum of understanding among participating state agencies to formalize roles, data-sharing practices, and collaborative processes; (ii) facilitate sharing of wildlife vehicle collision data; (iii) support local level connectivity planning; (iv) develop and offer training to state agencies, localities, and metropolitan planning organizations relating to wildlife crossings and habitat connectivity strategies; (v) coordinate and prioritize projects identified in the Plan; and (vi) assist state agencies and political subdivisions, and by request any federal agency, in considering and incorporating wildlife corridors and the recommendations of the Plan when developing any governmental strategic plan, map, or action. The bill requires the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources to jointly submit a report of the Group's progress in advancing the Plan to the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and Transportation and the House Committees on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Transportation by September 1 of each year.

Study; Department of Environmental Quality; groundwater supply in western Loudoun and Fauquier Counties; report. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality to study the threats and challenges to the groundwater supply in western Loudoun and Fauquier Counties, to complete its meetings by November 30, 2026, and to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources no later than December 31, 2026.

Waste to Energy Grant Program established; report. Establishes the Waste to Energy Grant Program to incentivize eligible localities, defined by the bill as counties, cities, and towns located in Planning District 23, to dispose of their waste through use of a qualifying waste to energy plant, as defined by the bill. The bill provides that, for any year in which at least one grant is awarded by the Program, the Department of Environmental Quality must submit a report to the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources, the House Committee on Appropriations, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations detailing information on the utilization of the Program and its impact on waste management in grant recipient localities.

Light pollution education and dark sky preservation. Provides that the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) shall serve as the lead agency for public education and outreach related to light pollution. The bill requires DEQ, in coordination with the Department of Energy, the Department of Wildlife Resources, and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), to develop and implement an education and outreach program to (i) inform the public about the impacts of light pollution on public health, safety, wildlife, and the environment; (ii) promote best practices for outdoor lighting, including energy-efficient and properly shielded outdoor lighting fixtures; and (iii) encourage voluntary adoption of lighting practices that reduce light pollution and energy waste. The bill further provides that DCR may designate qualifying areas within the Commonwealth as Dark Sky Preserves, as defined in the bill, and that a Dark Sky Preserve designation shall be voluntary and advisory and shall not create additional land use or lighting restrictions beyond those established by local ordinance. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.

Board of Wildlife Resources; prescribing seasons and bag limits for taking wild birds, animals, and fish. Provides that when an investigation of the Board of Wildlife Resources shows, for any species of wild bird, animal, or fish within the jurisdiction of the Board, that there is an unusual scarcity of such wild bird, animal, or fish or a risk that the population of such wild bird, animal, or fish in any city or county could be eliminated, the Board shall prescribe the seasons and bag limits for such wild bird, animal, or fish in such city or county accordingly to promote the recovery and stabilization of such wild bird, animal, or fish population.

Virginia Institute of Marine Science; duties; oyster stock assessment; report. Directs the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) to conduct, in collaboration with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC), a stock assessment of the oyster population in the waters of the Commonwealth beginning in calendar year 2026 and occurring no less frequently than every three years thereafter. The bill directs VIMS to report its findings and any recommendations to the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources, VMRC's Shellfish Management Division, and the Chairs of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources no later than December 1 of the calendar year in which such assessment has been conducted. The bill also directs VMRC to utilize the findings and recommendations of such assessment in its fisheries and restoration management decisions no later than July 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which such assessment has been conducted.