Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

The Board of Wildlife Resources meeting included various administrative and policy discussions. Key topics involved recognition of employees, the adoption of the Smallmouth Bass Management Plan, and approval of the 2026-2027 Migratory Game Bird Season and Bag Limit recommendations. Several committees provided updates, including reports on finance, law enforcement, and education outreach. The board also reviewed governance and committee charters. Additionally, the meeting included a closed session regarding personnel performance and real estate acquisition in the City of Suffolk, which was subsequently authorized. Public comments primarily addressed hound hunting issues.

The meeting featured a presentation on the Second Quarter Finance Report and a budget update. The committee also received a high-level review of procurement management and initiatives, as well as a status report on the agency's spending plan.

The meeting agenda and subsequent reports covered multiple topics related to the Law Enforcement Division. Key discussion items included the introduction of the 15th Basic Academy recruits, completion of the VCP Roadmap project, and a comprehensive update on recruitment and hiring processes. Additionally, the committee reviewed a detailed Law Enforcement Committee report on hound hunting-related data, which included complaint call statistics, incident classification codes, and reporting workflows for hunting dog complaints. Updates were also provided on security team deployments, organizational leadership workshops, and law enforcement accreditation.

The committee reviewed and updated the Governance Manual, Code of Ethics and Conduct, and Committee Charters. A presentation was provided regarding a cooperative effort between DCR and DWR to control deer populations on natural heritage sites. Additionally, the committee received an overview of the Explore the Wild 2.0 GIS-based property database portal. The Outreach Division provided updates on recent events, including the Archery Open and the Restore the Wild art contest, and discussed the availability of annual reports and wildlife calendars.

The board meeting addressed various administrative and regulatory matters, including employee and service recognitions, and the presentation of committee reports from the Wildlife and Boat, Finance, Audit and Compliance, Law Enforcement, and Education, Planning, and Outreach Committees. Key actions included the approval of the preliminary Migratory Game Bird Season and Bag Limit recommendations, the adoption of a Smallmouth Bass Management Plan, and updates to governance and ethics documents. The board also discussed land acquisition in the City of Suffolk, received reports from the Director and Chairman, and reviewed hunting season frameworks for multiple species including doves, rails, woodcock, snipe, teal, ducks, geese, brant, and tundra swans.