The Virginia Land Conservation Foundation Board is pleased to announce the 2026 Virginia Land Conservation Foundation Grant round.
Donor Name: Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
State: Virginia
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/12/2025
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The grant funds can be used for the costs associated with permanently conserving land throughout the Commonwealth, including the purchase of development rights. VLCF grants are awarded only for acquiring interests in property that have not yet been permanently protected.
Funding information
A total of $15,316,881 is available for grant funding as allocated in the following five categories:
- Farmland Preservation: $2,550,000
- Forestland Preservation: $3,929,536
- Historic Area Preservation: $2,555,363
- Natural Area Preservation: $2,838,235
- Open Spaces and Parks: $3,443,747.
Eligible Projects
- Eligible projects must be for acquiring fee simple title or conservation and open-space easements for the perpetual protection of ecological, cultural or historical resources, lands for recreational purposes, and lands for threatened or endangered species, fish and wildlife habitat, natural areas, agricultural and forestal lands and open space. Projects must protect land in perpetuity through recordation of a conservation easement and/or an open-space easement, or dedication under the Open-Space Land Act.
- If the proposed project seeks reimbursement for the fee acquisition of a property, then the fee acquisition cannot occur prior to the application deadline for this grant cycle.
- No application relying on eminent domain shall be considered, as Va. Code § 10.1-1023 prohibits the use of VLCF funds to acquire any property interest through eminent domain.
- Projects must be for a minimum of $20,000 in total expense or a grant request of no less than $10,000.
- Applicants must demonstrate that the landowners have been notified and are receptive to the proposed project. Applicants must submit, as part of their application, a signed letter from all of the landowners indicating their willingness to conserve the property.
- Only one application may be submitted for a specific property in each grant round.
- Applications for the acquisition of easements on lands currently permanently protected for conservation purposes are not eligible for a VLCF grant unless the project proposes to further protect the property by a more restrictive easement.
Eligibility Criteria
Applications may be submitted by state agencies, localities, other public bodies, state recognized and federally recognized Virginia Indian Tribes and registered (tax-exempt) nonprofit organizations that qualify as a holder under Va. Code § 10.1-1009.
For more information, visit VDCR.
