Who We Are
Born out of a need for mitigation alternatives for the coastal Virginia region, Coastal Virginia Conservancy is dedicated to conserving water and land for life.
About Coastal Virginia Conservancy
Formerly known as the Living River Trust, Coastal Virginia Conservancy began when The Elizabeth River Project recognized a need for more mitigation alternatives to offset impacts to the Elizabeth River bottom.
The original Trust was established in 2004 (as the Elizabeth River Restoration Trust) when the Norfolk District of the Corps of Engineers and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, along with the Trust’s independent board, reached an agreement on operating guidelines. The Elizabeth River Project helped set up the Trust and is providing contracted support, as needed, for start-up projects.
In 2010, the Trust added a second focus, becoming the only locally based land trust in the Elizabeth River watershed. Our niche concentrates on smaller urban parcels that may not be of value to state and national land trusts. In our urban watershed, open space is rare and important!
The original Trust was governed by its own Board of Trustees and had a long-term goal of establishing its own support services.
In 2023, the Trust took a major step towards that goal, as The Living River Trust rebranded into Coastal Virginia Conservancy, a name that establishes itself as a self-sufficient organization and embodies the mission to conserve land and water for life in coastal Virginia.
Contact us to discuss benefits that may be available for long-term conservation of your natural area.
Our Work
We work hard each day to protect and preserve the land and water of the Elizabeth River. We’ve protected environmentally valuable land in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, and Portsmouth — forever. Not to mention our active work cleaning up the water where we remove pollutants and clean the river bottom with our Paradise Creek project in Portsmouth.
In 2021, Coastal Virginia Conservancy, then known as The Living River Trust, was awarded a “Giving Back” Award by Coastal Virginia Magazine in recognition of the Trust’s outstanding efforts in improving our communities and environment.
YOUR support
makes an impact!
Your donation is leveraged against grant and mitigation funds to maximize our efforts in protecting and preserving the Elizabeth River. Your donation is tax deductible. Pledge your Support or donate online.
