Richmond, VA – Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced today that his proposed budget for Virginia will include $10 million in funding to conserve historical and cultural sites important to Virginia’s racially and ethnically diverse communities, along with $12 million in funding that will specifically help Virginia’s Tribal community to acquire land.

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Chesapeake Conservancy’s President and CEO commended the announcement by Governor Northam, stating:

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“I applaud Governor Northam and his administration for including conservation funding in his proposed budget that will directly support the protection of places and resources important to Virginia’s racially and ethnically diverse communities and that will enable Virginia’s Tribes to return to their historic lands.“We need to empower Virginia communities to protect important cultural and historical sites and to share diverse stories that have long been overlooked. This proposed budget funding will fuel those efforts, and it will help to elevate and preserve these vital places for this and for future generations.

“I also applaud Governor Northam for including $12 million in his proposed budget to help Virginia Tribes acquire and protect their ancestral and historic lands.

“The terrible legacy of forced migration and discriminatory policies against Indigenous peoples in the United States, where Native Americans were forcibly removed from the landscapes which they had inhabited for thousands of years, literally began in Virginia with the Jamestown settlement of 1607.

“This is a small but very significant step forward in addressing that legacy. With this funding, Virginia can be a model for other states across the country seeking to empower Indigenous-led conservation efforts.

“Thank you to Governor Northam for including these important budget items, and I urge the support of Virginia’s legislature for these budget provisions in the upcoming General Assembly.”

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