From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The
Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
is a department of the government of the
U.S. state
of
Virginia
that regulates
wildlife conservation
.
[1]
History
[
edit
]
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
.
[2]
[3]
Conservation police officers
[
edit
]
The
law enforcement officers
of the department have the title
conservation police officer
.
[4]
Conservation police officers enforce Virginia laws relating to hunting, fishing, and boating; conduct patrols in cars, aircraft,
all-terrain vehicles
, and
boats
, and on foot; and investigate tips from the public. Virginia conservation police officers are also appointed as deputy
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
special agents
, which allows them to investigate (and cross state lines to investigate) suspected violations of federal wildlife laws.
[4]
Virginia game wardens were first appointed in 1903. The title was changed to "conservation police officer" in 2007.
[4]
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.
[5]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Va Code 29.1-109"
.
- ^
Jason Dunovant,
Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to get a new name
,
The News & Advance
(June 22, 2020).
- ^
Bryan McKenzie,
Local legislators see gun, mental health, insurance, voting bills become law
,
Daily Progress
(July 3, 2020).
- ^
a
b
c
Conservation Police
, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
- ^
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Virginia, Fallen Officers
External links
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]
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