TERRA Program

The TERRA program was established by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation to administer funds resulting from legal and regulatory actions involving Virginia’s natural resources. It achieves this largely through grants. TERRA is subject to VOF’s high standards of transparency and accountability. All of our work is reported annually to the Virginia General Assembly and overseen by a seven-member board of trustees appointed by Virginia’s Governor.

A Tool for Mitigation

TERRA can receive funds from a variety of legal and regulatory actions, such as:

  • Mitigation plans
  • Court orders
  • Fines
  • Civil, criminal, and administrative settlements

As a public foundation, VOF is a natural fit for administering these types of funds. We have longstanding partnerships with state and federal conservation agencies, local governments, planning offices, and private nonprofits. Many of VOF’s policies and practices have been adopted by other conservation programs in Virginia and beyond.

Our decades of experience managing one of the largest and most diverse conservation portfolios in the nation demonstrates our results-oriented, highly efficient approach to getting good conservation done

Active Funds

Active funds are those that contain sufficient funds to award grants. Please check the fund’s page for whether there is a current request for proposals.

This fund was established in June 2018 using $15 million from a mitigation agreement between the Commonwealth of Virginia and Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC, which was signed in December 2017. Its purpose is to mitigate forest fragmentation caused by pipeline’s 303-mile right-of-way through Virginia. Grants are awarded for projects that preserve, connect, and enhance forest resources. A grant round for this fund will be opened in October 2024. Click here for more information about this fund.

Inactive Funds

Inactive funds are those that contain insufficient funds to award grants. Please check the fund’s page to learn more in case of future grant opportunities.

This fund was established in December 2019 using mitigation funds through an agreement between the Virginia Outdoors Foundation and the Virginia Department of Transportation. The Fund’s purpose is to mitigate for the loss of riparian trees on a VOF easement in Amelia County resulting from a bridge replacement project. Grants are awarded to projects that enhance water quality in the Appomattox River watershed. Click here for more information about this fund.

TERRA News

Help Center

A searchable, categorized database of information about VOF easements, programs, policies, and more.

Document Library

Applications, forms, templates, guidelines, newsletters, and other publications.

Contact Us

A staff directory, an interactive map to locate staff by zip code, and a form to contact board members.