Virginia Land Conservation Foundation Grant 2026

The Virginia Land Conservation Foundation (VLCF), administered by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, supports projects that protect Virginia’s diverse landscapes. For over 25 years, the VLCF has played a key role in conserving farmland, forestland, historic areas, natural areas, and open spaces across the state. The Foundation aims to promote the preservation of valuable land resources through competitive grants awarded annually. For Fiscal Year 2026, the VLCF has announced a new round of funding totaling $15,316,881, distributed across five conservation categories. These include $2,550,000 for Farmland Preservation, $3,929,536 for Forestland Preservation, $2,555,363 for Historic Area Preservation, $2,838,235 for Natural Area Preservation, and $3,443,747 for Open Spaces and Parks. Each category has a separate application process and specific evaluation criteria. The application period for the FY26 VLCF grant round is open, with a submission deadline of Tuesday, August 12, 2025, by 5:00 p.m. Applications must be submitted through the WebGrants Management Portal at https://vadcr.webgrantscloud.com/index.do. Applicants can preview the application format for each category via linked PDFs available on the VLCF website. A virtual grant workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, June 17, 2025, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. via Microsoft Teams. This session will explain the grant process and help potential applicants understand the unique aspects of each funding category. The workshop can be accessed with Meeting ID: 249 794 979 949 5 and Passcode: yy2cm3W3. Additional dial-in and video conferencing options are also available. Grant applicants are expected to follow guidelines outlined in the FY26 VLCF Grant Manual, which details application requirements, scoring methods, and grant management policies. While specific evaluation criteria are not provided in the summary, these can be found in the full manual linked on the VLCF site. Interested parties are encouraged to read the manual thoroughly before applying. For further assistance or general inquiries, applicants may contact the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation at 804-786-6124 or email pcmo@dcr.virginia.gov. Website-related questions should be directed to web@dcr.virginia.gov. The department’s office is located at 600 East Main Street, 24th floor, Richmond, VA 23219-2094.

Attend the virtual workshop for insights into category requirements and scoring. Review the FY26 Grant Manual thoroughly before submission.