Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Privacy protected information is considered closed for 75 years after date of record creation. Types of records restricted include but are not limited to: Attorney-client privilege materials and social security numbers. Restricted information has been sealed, but has not been removed from the collection.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Records of the Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, 2002-2009 (bulk 2005-2009). Accession 44683, State government records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Transferred by the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, 1111 East Broad Street, Room 4082, Richmond, Virginia, 23219, 13 January, 2010.

Historical Information

Finally established in 2004, the eventual creation of the Agriculture and Forestry secretariat began with a 2001 gubernatorial campaign promise made by Governor Mark R. Warner to provide cabinet level representation for the agriculture and forestry industry. Further support for the creation of the secretariat came from the Governor's Agriculture Net Receipts Work Group, a task force created in 2003 by Governor Warner through the Secretary of Commerce and Trade. The goal of the task force was to determine strategies and recommendations for doubling the net profits of Virginia's agricultural sector between 2004 and 2014. Among the task force's recommendations was the creation of the, "Office of Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry to provide focus and emphasis in the development of the agriculture and forest industries." In 2004, the General Assembly of Virginia created the cabinet position of Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry with the passing of Senate Bill SB 543 and witnessed its codification through 2.2-203.3 of the Code of Virginia. Speaking at the appointment ceremony of the first Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, Governor Warner reiterated his commitment to, "support and expand our agriculture and forestry industries" and recalled his desire to, "make sure these very important sectors of Virginia's economy received a seat at my cabinet table."

The Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry is appointed by the Governor, confirmed by the General Assembly, and serves at the Governor's pleasure. It is the secretary's responsibility to oversee several agencies and other entities that formerly reported to the Office of the Secretary of Commerce and Trade. Among the agencies reporting to the Agriculture and Forestry secretariat are the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Department of Forestry, the Virginia Agricultural Council, and the Virginia Marine Products Board. The Governor may assign or reassign agencies to and from the Agriculture and Forestry secretariat through the use of executive orders. The secretary's role in leading agencies within the Agriculture and Forestry secretariat is to provide guidance and direction, "in the conservation, protection, and development of Virginia's agricultural and forest resources and in protecting the Virginia Consumer."

In December of 2004, Governor Warner appointed former Delegate Robert S. Bloxom (R-Accomack) to serve as the first Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry. Prior to his appointment, Bloxom served in the General Assembly from 1978 until his 2003 retirement and sat on the Agriculture, Labor and Commerce, and Chesapeake and its Tributaries committees. William P. Dickinson Jr., Assistant Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, was appointed to serve under Bloxom in the role of Deputy Secretary. On 29 December 2005, Governor-elect Timothy Kaine reappointed Bloxom as Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry.

Scope and Content

Records, 2002-2009 (bulk 2005-2009), created and maintained by Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, Robert S. Bloxom, during the administration of Governor Timothy M. Kaine (2006-2010). The records include agendas, correspondence, memorandum, newspaper clippings, presentations, programs, reports, speeches, studies, and other working papers. Also included are incoming and outgoing correspondence with constituents and subject files of Deputy Director, William P. Dickinson.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into the following series:

Related Material

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR-TIM KAINE

A Guide to the Governor Timothy M. Kaine Administration Electronic Files, Email, 2002-2010 (bulk 2006-2009). The Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Electronic Files series documents the electronic communication of the office during the Kaine administration. This series contains 1369 emails in three (3) subseries. Subseries have been designated for: A. Robert Bloxom Email; B. Charles Green Email; and C. Tracy Campbell Email. There are four privacy protected and confidential emails in this PST file that are restricted for 75 years per Code of Virginia 42.1-78. Types of restricted information includes attorney-client privilege and personnel records. The PST files for Bill Dickinson, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, and Shauna Chavis, Executive Assistant to the Secretary, were both empty. However email messages sent by Dickinson and Chavis may be found in the email files of other members of the administration. The Library of Virginia Email Project - Governor Tim Kaine Portal provides access to the Kaine email collection and includes guides to other Kaine administration records.

The Governor Tim Kaine Administration Web Archive Collection, 2006-2010 contains archived versions of websites for the Governor's Office, his initiative sites, and the sites of his cabinet secretaries. Also included are the related sites for the First Lady (Anne Holton), as well as the Lt. Governor (Bill Bolling), and Attorney General (Bob McDonnell and William C. Mims), two statewide officials elected in the same cycle as Governor Kaine.

The Timothy M. Kaine Administration (2006-2010) Cabinet Weekly Reports Digital Collection contains the weekly reports submitted to the Governor and Chief of Staff by the Governor's Cabinet, including the Secretaries of Administration (Viola Baskerville), Agriculture and Forestry (Robert S. Bloxom), Commerce and Trade (Patrick O. Gottschalk), Commonwealth (Daniel C. LeBlanc, Jan-Mar. 2006 and Katherine K. Hanley (Mar. 2006-2010), Education (Dr. Thomas R. Morris), Finance (Jody Wagner, 2006-2008 and Richard D. Brown, 2008-2010), Health and Human Resources (Marilyn Tavenner), Natural Resources (Preston Bryant), Public Safety (John W. Marshall), Technology (Aneesh Chopra, 2006-2009 and Leonard M. Pomata, 2009-2010), and Transportation (Pierce Homer). Also included are reports by the Assistant to the Governor for Commonwealth Preparedness (Robert Crouch), Office of Constituent Services (Marc Cheatham, 2006-2007 and Amber Amato, 2007-2010), Press Office, Policy Office and Virginia Liaison Office. Reports were submitted each Thursday and placed in a binder for the Governor that he took with him at the end of the day on Friday. A second copy of the report was made for the Chief of Staff. The level of detail varied for each cabinet officer and items of importance were highlighted by staff for the Governor. Each report contains information on legislation, Governor's initiatives/special projects, agency matters/operations, events/agency visits, audits/investigations/compliance, stakeholder issues and pending decisions. Governor Kaine wrote handwritten notes and/or marked-up some reports with post-it notes and requested follow up information from the person submitting the report. Those questions and answers are included in this series. This series provides a weekly account of the issues and policy decisions of the Kaine Administration.

The Executive Orders Digital Collection includes 110 executive orders and 9 executive directives issued by Governor Kaine.

A Guide to the Governor Timothy M. Kaine, Policy Office, Records, 2002-2010 (bulk 2006-2009). The Policy Office Records of Governor Timothy M. Kaine are housed in 174 boxes. The collection is arranged into five (5) series. Series have been designated for: I. Decision Briefs; II. Regulations; III. Legislative Files; IV. Executive Orders and Directives; and V. Policy Analyst Files. These records include agendas, decision briefs, correspondence, memorandums, legislative files, briefing books, meeting notes, subject files, reports, talking points and regulations. These records document the legislative and policy priorities of the Kaine administration (2006-2010). This collection also includes records from Governor Mark Warner's administration (2002-2006).