Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
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The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources is a department of the government of the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
that regulates
wildlife conservation Wildlife conservation refers to the practice of protecting wild species and their habitats in order to maintain healthy wildlife species or populations and to restore, protect or enhance natural ecosystems. Major threats to wildlife include habita ...
.


History

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries was created on June 17, 1916, under the Commission of Fisheries with M.D. "Mac" Hart appointed as Secretary of the Department. A Virginia hunting license was established as one of the primary sources of funding as the agency is fully self-sufficient and receiving no financial support from the state treasury. From 1903 until this point the Game Wardens had been administered by each locality. In 1920, the first Virginia State Game Farm of 1200 acres was established at Windsor Shades in New Kent County. In 1923, Mrs B. M. Miller and Mrs. C. E. Sykes are recognized among Virginia's first women game wardens. In 1926, the Department was separated from the Commission of Fisheries and reorganized into the Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries chaired by A. Willis Robertson. In 1928 the Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries was given sole authority to shorten hunting seasons, removing the privilege from the localities to adjust their own season. In 1982, Virginia Game Wardens were given full law enforcement authority. In 1987, the commission's name returns to become the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. On July 1, 2020, the Department's name was changed to Department of Wildlife Resources.Jason Dunovant
Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to get a new name
''The News & Advance'' (June 22, 2020).


Conservation police officers

The
law enforcement officer A law enforcement officer (LEO), or peace officer in North American English, is a public-sector employee whose duties primarily involve the enforcement of laws. The phrase can include campaign disclosure specialists, local police officers, ...
s of the department have the title conservation police officer.Conservation Police
Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Conservation police officers enforce Virginia laws relating to hunting, fishing, and boating; conduct patrols in cars, aircraft,
all-terrain vehicle An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike, or simply a quad, as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI); is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, with a seat that is stra ...
s, and
boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically found on inl ...
s, and on foot; and investigate tips from the public. Virginia conservation police officers are also appointed as deputy
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...
special agents, which allows them to investigate (and cross state lines to investigate) suspected violations of federal wildlife laws. Virginia game wardens were first appointed in 1903. The title was changed to "conservation police officer" in 2007. Since the establishment of the department, eleven officers have died while on duty. In the 1920s and 1930s, five game wardens died from gunfire, and two game wardens died from drowning/pneumonia. Two additional officers were fatally shot in 1952 and 1960. On December 19, 1972, two game wardens died in an aircraft accident.Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Virginia, Fallen Officers
/ref>


See also

* List of law enforcement agencies in Virginia *
Virginia Wildlife Management Areas Virginia Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) are state-managed protected areas that exist primarily for the benefit of wildlife. Within the Commonwealth of Virginia, 44 tracts of land have been protected as WMAs, covering a total of over . They are ma ...
*
List of state and territorial fish and wildlife management agencies in the United States This article is a list of state and territorial fish and wildlife management agencies in the United States, by U.S. state or territory. These agencies are typically within the State Executive Branch. In most states these agencies manage hunting a ...


References


External links


Official websiteRelevant part
of the
Code of Virginia The Code of Virginia is the statutory law of the U.S. state of Virginia, and consists of the codified legislation of the Virginia General Assembly. The 1950 Code of Virginia is the revision currently in force. The previous official versions we ...
{{authority control Wildlife Resources, Department of State environmental protection agencies of the United States Wildlife Resources, Department of 1916 establishments in Virginia