Virginia Beach Reusable Bag Survey

We are doing research regarding the use of reusable bags in Virginia Beach.  Community feedback is important to us, and we want to hear from you.  Please take this anonymous 5-Question Reusable Bag Survey.  Taking the survey does not subscribe you to an email list and does not collect your contact information.  Thank you for your time. 

TAKE SURVEY

Advocacy Program 
LRNow works with our elected officials and community leaders to advocate for good environmental policy at the local, state, and federal levels.  We work with multiple partner organizations to educate and raise awareness about environmental issues that impact Virginia Beach waterways.

For more information about our current issues and campaigns go to our Voters page.

Join our advocacy team! Click HERE

Our Work at the Local, State and Federal Level

Every Vote Counts. Whether it is on our own City Council or the General Assembly in Richmond, who represents you is very important. And all of those who aspire to represent us need to know what issues are important to you. Watch our recorded virtual Candidates Forums from September and October and find out where your potential representatives stand on the issues that are important to you. Remember, everyone votes for every office on the ballot in Virginia Beach, not just your district.

Take action. Learn “How To: Virtual Civic Engagement How to Advocate from a Distance”

Federal Level

We have worked to prevent action to weaken the protections for our local waters under the Clean Water Act and advocated for funding for Chesapeake Bay restoration, but preventing seismic testing and drilling for gas and oil in the Atlantic Ocean off of our coast is our most important federal issue. We continue to work with our Representatives and our Senators to pass legislation which permanently prohibits new seismic testing permits and the sale of gas and oil leases in the Atlantic.

Read more HERE

State Level
Each year, our Board of Directors adopts a list of priorities for the General Assembly session. In the 2020 session, we have worked on and will continue to work on issues related to flooding resilience; funding for stormwater improvements; a study of the Albemarle-Pamlico watershed; actions to prevent offshore drilling; and controls on single-use plastics. On all of these issues, we join with partners from across the state through the Virginia Conservation Network.

Local Level
At the local level we engage with our City Council members and other local leaders to understand our local challenges and opportunities, our budget choices and the best policy decisions for all of the watersheds and residents of Virginia Beach.

Our way of life in Virginia Beach is tied to our natural resources. We love our beaches, our beautiful waterways and our extensive parks. We are very fortunate to live in such a beautiful place that offers year round opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. Our work is to restore and protect those natural resources. With 450,000 people in our city and all of the development that comes with that population, our waterways and natural areas have all been impacted. But with good policy choices we can protect our natural resources, develop smartly and deal with our biggest challenge: climate change and sea level rise.

SEE YOUR LOCAL AND STATE REPRESENTATIVES

Partners

Virginia Conservation Network

The Virginia Conservation Network is a coalition of over 100 conservation organizations across the state.  LRNow is proud to be a partner organization.  The coalition offers network partner organizations the opportunity to work together on issues of mutual interest and have a stronger voice in the General Assembly and beyond.  VCN tackles issues related to Clean Energy, Healthy Waters, and Smart Communities.

LRNow staff and volunteers participate on the Water Workgroup and in the three primary events sponsored by VCN each year: Environmental Forum in the fall, General Assembly Preview Day in December, and Lobby Day at the General Assembly in January.   All who are interested are invited to participate in these events.  Please watch our E-News for dates, locations, and registration information.  Karen Forget currently serves as the Vice-President of the Board of Directors of VCN.

For more information, visit www.vcnva.org

Choose Clean Water Coalition

Choose Clean Water is a coalition of groups throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed who are working on water quality issues.  This group supported by the National Wildlife Federation brings together voices from Virginia Beach to New York to learn about and common issues, work together on solutions, and have a collective strong voice in Washington, DC on water quality issues that are a part of the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

LRNow staff participate on monthly workgroup calls, the annual conference and lobby day on Capital Hill.

For more information, visit https://www.choosecleanwater.org/

Virginia Coastal Alliance

The Virginia Coastal Alliance (VACA)  is a coalition of environmental organizations working together on issues that affect the coastal area of Virginia.  Our primary focus up to this point has been offshore drilling and seismic testing, but we are exploring other areas where we can work together.

For information on General Assembly bills or access information for our representatives, go to the Virginia Public Access Project, Richmond Sunlight, or the Virginia General Assembly.