2012 PRESS RELEASES

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January 9, 2012
HORSE OWNERS NOW NEED PERMITS TO RIDE IN WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS
Contact: Elaine J. Lidholm, 804.786.7686

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) is advising horse owners that they may need a permit to ride in certain Wildlife Management Areas and other property owned by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF). DGIF owns more than 201,000 acres of land on 39 Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) located across the Commonwealth, as well as 35 public fishing lakes statewide. Through the end of 2011, most of the land and lakes were maintained using revenue from the sale of hunting licenses, freshwater fishing licenses and trapping licenses.

As of January 1, 2012, visitors to WMAs and public fishing lakes owned by DGIF who are age 17 and older need to have an Access Permit unless they possess a valid Virginia hunting, freshwater fishing or trapping license or a current Virginia boat Registration. Cost for the Daily Access Permit is $4 and the cost for the Annual Access Permit is $23. The Access Permit can be used to access any WMA and any DGIF-owned public fishing lake statewide. Permits for WMAs and department-owned public fishing lakes are available for purchase at www.dgif.virginia.gov, by calling 1.866.721.6911 during business hours or at any of 700 license agents statewide. The list of DGIF’s license agents is available at www3.dgif.virginia.gov/web/licenseagents/.

More information about the Access Permit as well as lists of WMAs and DGIF-owned public fishing lakes can be found on the DGIF website www.dgif.virginia.gov.