Mark R. Warner

Senator Warner is supportive of conservation initiatives such as the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, which designated over 40,000 acres in the Jefferson National Forest as wilderness. 

Cleaning Up the Chesapeake Bay

The Commonwealth’s 3,300 miles of coastal resources provide significant economic contributions to tourism, recreation, commercial and sport fisheries, and wildlife enjoyment within our state. However, pollution, habitat loss, and other factors have taken their toll. A strong federal and state partnership is needed to more effectively tackle the critical issues facing our coastal, bay and ocean resources. Senator Warner believes that our federal and Bay state partners need to continue to work together to seek appropriate resources to preserve the Bay. 

Senator Warner intends to remain an active advocate for protecting the Bay, and has supported efforts to restore the Bay’s oyster population and commercial fisheries. In April of 2011, Senator Warner introduced legislation with Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) that would bring increased accountability measures and a more collaborative management approach to Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts. The Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act of 2011 (S. 760) requires the Office of Management and Budget to prepare a crosscut budget to better track the progress of Bay restoration efforts, comparing costs and the performance of restoration activities by the various federal agencies involved in the Bay preservation effort. In order to be successful in our efforts to improve the health of the Bay, Senator Warner believes that the different agencies and groups who share concerns about the Bay must do a better job of coordinating their efforts. By applying new performance-based measures, this legislation will help ensure that the federal dollars being spent on Bay restoration activities produce real results.

Preserving Virginia’s Historic Places

The Commonwealth of Virginia occupies a unique place in our nation’s history and Senator Warner remains an advocate on behalf of our shared historic sites.

Located where the Hampton Roads Harbor meets the Chesapeake Bay, Fort Monroe has a rich history that stretches back to 1609, when colonists built the first fortifications at the site, through the Civil War, when escape slaves were granted safety and sanctuary at the Union’s “Freedom Fort,” and up through the present day. An active Army installation until September 2011, Fort Monroe was included as part of Army’s the Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) process.

On June 29, 2011, Sens. Warner and Webb introduced The Fort Monroe National Historical Park Establishment Act of 2011, which would create a National Park Service unit at Fort Monroe. In addition, Senator Warner spoke from the Senate floor on September 14, 2011 to urge President Obama to use the Antiquities Act to designate Fort Monroe as a national monument, which would make it an official part of the National Park Service. On November 1, 2011, President Obama used his authority under the Antiquities Act to preserve the Fort by designating it a part of the National Park Service.

In March of 2011, Senator Warner joined Senator Webb in re-introducing the Petersburg National Boundary Modification Act (S. 713) to protect an additional 7,200 acres of historic battlefields surrounding Petersburg National Battlefield. The expansion would make Petersburg National Battlefield the largest military park in the United States. Senator Warner believes that heritage tourism is an important component of Virginia’s economy and the expansion of the Petersburg Battlefield will spur new tourism and jobs in the region.

In the summer of 2009, Senator Warner worked with his colleagues and successfully urged the U.S. Department of the Interior to study the feasibility of incorporating the National D-Day Memorial into the National Park Service.  The Memorial, which is located in Bedford, Va., and honors the sacrifice made by Americans on the beaches of Normandy during World War II, faces significant financial challenges and is in danger of closing.  

During Senator Warner’s term as Governor, Virginia was able to increase funding for protecting and preserving our natural resources by 34 percent and set new records for open space protection.