State now charging fee to use previously free boat launch sites

by Larry Chowning – 

Three Middlesex County boat landings managed by the Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR), will now require purchasing “Access Permit” licenses to launch a canoe, kayak, sailboard or access to the property. DWR managed facilities had previously been accessible to the public at no charge.

The new law requires those using any DWR “owned or managed” facilities, including boat ramps, to be permitted to obtain an access permit. The permit can be a valid hunting, trapping, or fishing license, a valid Virginia boater registration, a current Restore the Wild membership, or a daily annual access permit. Passengers with a permitted boat operator license or those 16 or younger do not require a permit.

The bill reads: “No person shall make use of, gain admittance to, or attempt to use or gain admittance to any department-owned or department-managed facility or boat ramp where the department charges a fee established by the Board, unless the person pays a fee.”

Using a facility without a permit could result in a court summons…