Every other year, DWR examines existing fishing, boating and nongame regulations to determine which regulations need to be added, changed, or eliminated to best meet the needs of Virginians. As part of this process, we solicit comments from the general public during our scoping period, which will run from January 15 - February 14.
DWR's Aquatics Division takes public input very seriously; any comments that you make will be considered in the process, summarized, and presented at our Wildlife and Boat Committee meeting on March 18. Each comment is reviewed and shared them with appropriate staff members for consideration.
We encourage you to participate in this process because, to be honest, we don't get as much feedback as we'd like from the general public. Are there issues that you see that need to be addressed? Do you think DWR's fisheries management program is going in the wrong direction? Are you satisfied with a particular fishery? Please, weigh in. In addition to informing this specific process, comments are vital for implementing and modifying management plans for fishes such as trout, walleye, musky, and catfish. Beyond that, comments about boating issues or nongame wildlife help shape the focus and direction of those programs. It's important to speak up and let your voice be heard.
Draft regulations are presented at the May 20 meeting of the Wildlife and Boat Committee, then potential regulatory changes will be drafted, discussed with the Committee, and released for public comment again.