Governor Younkin Approves Funding Oak Hill State Park

Del. Geary Higgins (R-30) arranged for Governor Gov. Glenn Youngkin to tour the historic 1,240-acre Oak Hill property last week with local leaders, the Conservation Fund and owners Tom and Gayle DeLashmutt, whose family has owned the estate for 70 years.

The Conservation Fund is the nonprofit organization leading the effort to preserve the estate and turn the site into a state park.

In November, Friends joined with many other environmental/conservation organizations including the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), The Land Trust of Virginia and The Conservation Fund in a letter to both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. The letter requested the General Assembly to authorize the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to acquire the property and create the necessary staff positions to begin operation of the park.

Up until several weeks ago it appeared that the State would allocate funds necessary to acquire the property for a State park. The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors have already committed $22 million to support the acquisition of the land and an endowment with more than $20 million in commitments is being established to support ongoing costs.

However, The Virginia Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee did not pass the bill. Some Senators objected because the park proposals they were backing were at the top of the queue to be established, and Oak Hill jumped in front of them in the queue; and some objected because they view state parks as a funding obligation in perpetuity.

The Conservation Fund and Delegate Higgins and dozens many organizations including Friends have been strongly urging Governor Youngkin to amend the State budget to support the park.

The House’s budget included $1.25 million from non-General Fund sources in fiscal year 2026 to support five positions in the Department of Conservation and Recreation to operate the state park, but the Senate’s budget package did not.

According to Loudoun Now Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Monday 3/24/2025 announced he would include funding to support the park through a budget amendment.

“In addition, after careful consideration and — I have to say, an enormous amount of arm twisting and a site visit with Del. Geary Higgins — our package of budget amendments includes language to authorize the consideration of establishing Oak Hill, the historic home of Virginia governor and fifth president of the United States James Monroe, as a state park,” Northern Virginia Magazine quotes Governor Youngkin’s announcement.

The General Assembly will consider the governor’s amendment on April 2 as part of a one-day reconvened session.