Legislative Contact Team Overview

In an effort to promote conservation advocacy throughout Virginia, VALCV and Virginia Conservation Network (VCN) are teaming up organize Conservation Legislative Contact Teams or LCTs. Our goal is to identify 3 to 4 activists in each Senate and House district to serve as the LCT for that legislator. No lobbying experience is needed - just a desire to influence public policy to benefit conservation.

What is a Legislative Contact Team (LCT)?

A group of citizen lobbyists in a Virginia Senate or House of Delegates district that specializes in advocacy for legislation that does a better job of caring for our communities and protecting our air, water, and land.  Now in its fifth year, our LCT program has organized over 300 volunteers throughout the state to make conservation a year-round priority for their legislators.

What Does the LCT Program Do for You?

Materials will be provided and opportunities to learn how to be an effective lobbyist will be offered throughout the next year. Each individual who registers to join an LCT is also invited to attend one of the Legislative Forums in the area to meet their legislators and the LCT program coordinators.

One of the benefits of strengthening personal contacts with your legislators is that as dialogue with constituents increases legislators become more knowledgeable, and hopefully more responsive, with respect to our conservation issues.

There are conservationists in hundreds of organizations throughout the state. Our goal is to try to organize activists in a manner that will help to coordinate the conservation message and take advantage of a vast, but until now, loose network of advocates. We hope to have active LCTs for every legislator in the Virginia House and Senate.

How Can You Get Involved?

Please consider registering for an LCT today and become part of our effort to bring the conservation message home to every legislator. If you can recommend some additional friends and conservationists who could be willing to serve on LCTs, please pass that information along to us as well.

You can call Lisa Guthrie or Suzanne Ankrum to learn more about the program or to join an LCT (contact information at the bottom of this page), or you can join online through the VCN website at: www.vcnva.org/lct.htm.

Important Links:

General Information about the LCT Program

The Role of the LCT as a Group &
Individual LCT Member Responsibilities

LCT Registration Online (VCN website)

Contact Matt Zogby or Suzanne Ankrum for more information about the program and to find out where your abilities and available time best match our LCT needs.


Matt Zogby, VALCV-EF Program Coordinator
mzogby@valcv.org or 804-225-1902

Suzanne Ankrum, VCN Program Coordinator
suzanne@vcnva.org or 804-644-0283

Not sure of your legislative districts? Find out on the General Assembly "Who Is My Legislator?" site.