Public Policy Development

❖ Public Policy Development

Public policy is the broad arena of laws, programs and actions that our government takes to support our collective quality of life. It works at local, state and national levels. Developing new or changing existing public policy takes a deliberate, measured approach.

Services include drafting legislation, coalition building, public education and outreach programs, public official education and lobbying.

Virginia Agricultural Vitality Program

Commonwealth of Virginia

Initiator and project leader in partnership with the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, Virginia Conservation Network, Virginia Agribusiness Council and others. Adopted legislation created the Office of Farmland Preservation (2001) that administers state-level block grants to localities for purchase of development rights, established a FarmLink database program (2001) to assist in farm transition, increased state eligibility for federal matching grants (2003) and initiated an agricultural enterprise district program (2005) to provide assistance in business planning and implementation grants.

Office of Farmland Preservation - Commonwealth of Virginia

Designation of Important Soils - Commonwealth of Virginia

Agricultural Enterprise Act of 2005 - Commonwealth of Virginia

Virginia Beach Agricultural Reserve Program

Delmarva Conservation Corridor Project