Department of Conservation and Recreation
Conserve. Protect. Enjoy.
Department of Conservation and Recreation
As we ring in a new year, there is so much to celebrate from the past year, and I believe it is worthwhile to highlight our accomplishments. It is a great privilege to lead the dedicated and hardworking team here at the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Last year DCR realized numerous achievements that I am confident will provide great benefits for many years. Through these efforts, team members were proactive in meeting the needs of the commonwealth and the agency mission to conserve, protect and enjoy all that Virginia has to offer.
First Day Hikes: More than 13,000 people started 2019 off with a First Day Hike at Virginia State Parks.
First Day Hike at Hungry Mother State Park. Momma's on Molly's Knob by Abbigale Duncan.
State Parks Economic Impact: DCR released results of a Virginia Tech study that found Virginia State Parks stimulated more than $249 million in visitor spending in 2018. The report showed the parks supported 3,800 jobs and yielded $24 million in tax revenue.
Cutting Back on Plastic: Water-bottle filling stations were installed at 31 Virginia State Parks, which is expected to reduce the consumption of 200,000 plastic water bottles. The stations were funded through the Round Up for Parks program, which enables park guests to round up purchases to the next dollar for donation.
Tourism in Southwest Virginia: The Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Interpretive Center opened in Scott County, injecting a $5.3 million investment to the region’s tourism economy. The center is a project of DCR, the Scott County Economic Development Authority and the Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Association. It is operated as a satellite of Natural Tunnel State Park.
A Colorful New Bike Trail: The Hoover Mountain Bike Area opened at New River Trail State Park, offering 4 new miles of easy-to-moderate trails. The Hoover Color Corp., once mined the area for iron oxide to make more than 300 different shades of pigments.
The Hoover Mountain Bike Area opened at New River Trail State Park.
Marketing Virginia State Parks: A new Virginia State Parks marketing campaign, “Your Parks, Your Adventures,” launched in the summer of 2019.
Star-Gazing Opportunities: James River State Park was named an International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark Sky Association. The designation is meant to recognize areas and organizations working to maintain spaces where the public can see stars more easily.
Bee Surveys: Natural Heritage surveys turned up three new locations for the endangered Rusty-patched bumble bee in Rockingham and Augusta counties. One new location for the Yellow-banded bumble bee was also documented in Rockingham. Natural Heritage used funding from a small GoFundMe effort put together by a concerned citizen to conduct broader Virginia bee field inventories. Currently, there are 473 bee species known from Virginia, all included with conservation status rankings in the Natural Heritage Bees of Virginia List.
Natural area preserves: 545 acres were added to the Virginia Natural Area Preserve System, bringing the total to 57,656 acres.
Environmental Reviews: 2,548 projects were reviewed for environmental impacts on natural heritage resources. Eighty-six were related to the development of solar energy projects.
The World Underground: Virginia Cave Week in June offered field trips, tours and programs to promote the understanding of Virginia’s caves and the surrounding limestone habitats known as karst. Activities were held in honor of the late John Holsinger, a pioneering caver and cave biologist who dedicated his life to the exploration of caves and documenting cave-dwelling species.
Group visiting a cave.
Buffalo Mountain Trail Project: After five years of work and with critical help from volunteers, Natural Heritage staff completed work to expand the Buffalo Mountain Natural Area Preserve Ridge Trail.
Buffalo Mountain NAP Ridge Trail under development.
Chesapeake Bay Restoration: Governor Northam released the final restoration plan for the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers. Referred to as the Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan, it will guide local, state and federal actions through 2025 and is designed to meet the Virginia’s commitments to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution to the bay and its tributaries. DCR is the lead agency for numerous initiatives outlined in the plan.
Record Funds for Ag Best Management Practices: Governor Northam and the General Assembly appropriated a record $73 million for the Virginia Agricultural Best Management Practices Cost-Share Program. Administered by DCR in partnership with Virginia’s 47 soil and water conservation districts, the program helps agricultural producers implement practices that protect water quality and soil health, and can also improve the farm’s bottom line. Several modifications also were made to the program’s requirements to make it more flexible and easier to participate. The program is a centerpiece of the Chesapeake Bay restoration plan.
Water Quality in the James: The Virginia Environmental Endowment awarded DCR a $500,000 grant to help agricultural producers in the Upper and Middle James River watershed install facilities to store animal waste and keep excess nutrients from entering rivers and streams.
Partnership with Southern States: Southern States Cooperative partnered with DCR to promote nutrient management planning on Virginia farms. Nutrient management planning is a major focus of Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay restoration plan. The practice helps farmers maximize crop yields while minimizing the application and loss of nutrients from agricultural lands.
Virginia's Chesapeake Bay restoration plan will guide cleanup efforts through 2025.
Virginia Outdoors Plan: DCR published Virginia’s five-year plan for public outdoor recreation and land conservation, the Virginia Outdoors Plan. Staff used a variety of data and public feedback to develop the plan’s recommendations and goals. The theme is, “Bringing Virginians the Benefits of Outdoor Recreation.”
State Park Maintenance: $5.3 million in maintenance reserve projects were completed at Virginia State Parks.
Dam Safety and Flood Protection Grants: $1 million in grants was made available for dam safety and floodplain projects meant to protect people and property, and increase Virginia’s overall resilience to extreme weather.
Minimizing Flood Risk to State Property: Governor Northam launched the Virginia Flood Risk Management Standard, the strongest flood protection issued for state-owned buildings in the nation. An accompanying order directs that state development in sea-level rise inundation areas and flood hazard areas must be elevated to a point that minimizes flood risk from tidal flooding, whether it is caused by sea level rise, rain or both.
Flood Awareness: Governor Northam proclaimed the second week of March as the first Virginia Flood Awareness Week. DCR coordinated a public outreach campaign that included a tour of the Richmond Floodwall. The city of Richmond, the State Corporation Commission and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management participated in the week’s activities.
Dam Safety Awareness: DCR hosted public tours of state-owned dams and educational activities for Dam Safety Awareness Day on May 31. The day commemorates the nation’s worst dam-related disaster, which occurred during the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, flood of 1889.
Dam Safety Awareness day.
Data-Driven Conservation: Governor Northam launched ConserveVirginia, a new data-driven approach to land conservation that identifies 6.3 million acres of the highest priority conservation lands. DCR Natural Heritage was instrumental in developing the technology, which will be used to guide and inform state land acquisitions, environmental mitigation projects and Virginia Land Conservation Fund grants.
Land Conservation Grants: The Virginia Land Conservation Foundation awarded $5.89 million in grants to protect 17,000 acres throughout the commonwealth. The grants will be used by private land trusts, local governments and state agencies to acquire and protect significant lands in the following categories: farmland, forestry, historic resources, natural areas, and parks and open space. DCR provides staff support to the foundation.
Land Protected: DCR protected more than 1,000 acres in the first six months of 2019 through acquisitions and additions to state parks and natural area preserves. The projects expand access to public outdoor recreation and conserve habitat for rare species.
Ancestral Home for the Chickahominy: The Chickahominy Tribe received a grant from the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation to acquire and permanently protect a 105-acre site on the James River. The land will become a tribal center where Chickahominy culture, history and traditions will be celebrated.
The Chickahominy Tribe receiving a grant for the Ancestral Home for the Chickahominy.
Environmental Leadership: Deputy Director of Operations Tom Smith received the 2019 Environmental Leadership Award from the Virginia Military Institute's Center for Leadership and Ethics during the Environment Virginia Symposium.
State Park Director Award: Virginia State Parks Director Craig Seaver was named Director of the Year by the National Association of State Park Directors at its annual conference. Seaver retired in October after 34 years of public service.
Dam Safety Award: DCR Dam Safety received the Southeast Region Award of Merit from the Association of State Dam Safety Officials for making outstanding contributions to dam safety, including modernizing records management and conducting public outreach.
Dam Safety received the Southeast Region Award of Merit from the Association of State Dam Safety Officials.
Award-Winning Marketing: Marketing campaigns for the Virginia State Parks license plate and a prescribed fire at the Cypress Bridge Swamp Natural Area Preserve were recognized with Virginia Public Relations Awards presented by the Public Relations Society of America (Richmond, Virginia chapter).
Green Travel Awards: Virginia State Parks received three Virginia Green Travel Awards. Kiptopeke State Park was awarded for a plan to reduce fossil-fuel consumption, and Grayson Highlands State Park was awarded for water-saving measures. First Landing State Park Assistant Manager Perry Demay received the Green Team All Star Award for his work to increase alternative energy options at the park.
Website Traffic: Traffic to the DCR website increased by 11% from the previous year.
Economic Announcement: CNBC selected Shenandoah River State Park as the venue for a live broadcast to announce Virginia as the “Top State for Business.” The broadcast featured an interview with Governor Northam.
DCR, an equal employment opportunity agency, is committed to a diverse and inclusive environment for its staff and customers.
