Virginia Birders,
Just in case this slipped under folks radar - below is a press release
that pertains to an ongoing effort by VDGIF to evaluate the management
and use of our Wildlife Management Areas. A large part of this effort
are the public meetings detailed below - a couple of meetings have taken
place already but there is still plenty of time for Virginia's birders
to add their input. Contact information is included in the press
release.
Thanks,
Steve
Stephen Living
Watchable Wildlife Biologist
Virginia Dept. of Game & Inland Fisheries
Contact
David Norris, VDGIF, 804-829-6580
Amy Carrozzino, Virginia Tech, 540-231-0961
Do you use Wildlife Management Areas for your outdoor recreation? If so,
VDGIF wants to talk with you.
Wildlife Management Area User Study to include workshop meetings in
March
The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) owns more
than 201,000 acres on 39 Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) located across
the Commonwealth. The land was acquired primarily to conserve wildlife
habitat and to provide wildlife-related recreational opportunities for
the public. These areas were purchased and are maintained using Wildlife
and Sport Fish Restoration Funds derived from excise taxes assessed on
hunting and fishing equipment and supplies; hunting, trapping and
fishing license revenues; and a variety of other funding sources
including grants from partner organizations.
While WMAs were initially purchased by the agency to be used by hunters
and anglers (many WMAs contain public lakes or have access to public
waters), these largely undeveloped lands are also used by bird watchers,
boaters, hikers, horseback riders, participants in field dog trials, and
others. That's a lot of people who have an interest in Virginia's
Wildlife Management Areas.
To gain stakeholder input regarding recreational use and land management
of WMAs, VDGIF Bureau of Wildlife Resources staffs and researchers from
Virginia Tech's Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences will hold
public workshop meetings on five evenings in March. At the request of
VDGIF, Virginia Tech researchers completed a year-long study in
September 2010 that examined recreational use on WMAs in Virginia. The
March workshops are the next step in a multi-year process of assessing
use of and developing a statewide management plan for Virginia's WMAs.
Five workshop meetings will be held on weeknight evenings in mid-March.
The dates, times, and locations of workshop meetings are as follows:
Tuesday, March 8 (7:00-9:00 PM): John Barton Payne Community Room, 2
Courthouse Square, Warrenton (former Fauquier County Library Building)
Wednesday, March 9 (6:30-8:30 PM): Virgil I. Grissom Library, 366
DeShazor Drive, Newport News
Thursday, March 10 (7:00-9:00 PM): DGIF Richmond Office, 4010 W. Broad
Street, Richmond
Wednesday, March 16 (7:00-9:00 PM): Augusta Co. Government Center (South
Board Room), 18 Government Center Lane, Verona
Thursday, March 17 (7:00-9:00 PM): Wytheville Community College (122
Smyth Hall), 1000 East Main Street, Wytheville
The public is invited to attend and to discuss goals and concerns
regarding recreational use and land management on the WMAs. To help
VDGIF plan, please call or email Amy Carrozzino at Virginia Tech
(acarroz@xxxxxx, 540-231-0961) if you plan to attend one of the
meetings.
It is the mission of the VDGIF to maintain optimum populations of all
species to serve the needs of the Commonwealth; to provide opportunity
for all to enjoy wildlife, inland fish, boating and related outdoor
recreation and to work diligently to safeguard the rights of the people
to hunt, fish and harvest game as provided for in the Constitution of
Virginia; to promote safety for persons and property in connection with
boating, hunting and fishing; to provide educational outreach programs
and materials that foster an awareness of and appreciation for
Virginia's fish and wildlife resources, their habitats, and hunting,
fishing, and boating opportunities. To learn more about the Department's
wildlife management areas, visit the agency's website
www.dgif.virginia.gov.
