Internet Privacy Policy Statement

The following information explains the Internet Privacy Policy and practice for the DCR website but shall not be interpreted as a contract of any nature, either stated or implied. We may amend our Internet Privacy Policy statement at any time without notice.

Note that this policy only applies to pages on the www.virginia.gov website. The website has links to sites operated by other government agencies, nonprofit organizations and private businesses. This policy does not apply to those entities’ sites.

Virginia law

DCR protects records in accordance with applicable Virginia statutes, including but not limited to the "Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act," Chapter 38 of Title 2.2 of the Code of Virginia (§ 2.2-3800 and 2.2-3803), "Administration of systems including personal information; Internet privacy policy; exceptions" Code of Virginia, § 2.2-3803, the "Virginia Freedom of Information Act" § 2.2-3700, et seq., and by any applicable U.S. federal laws. Any personal information collected and retained is done so in compliance with statute.

Information we collect

DCR endeavors to collect the minimum amount of information needed to provide services. If you do nothing during your visit to the DCR website but browse or download information, DCR automatically collects and stores:

The Internet domain and IP address from which you accessed our site.
The type of browser and operating system you used.
The date and time of your visit.
Pages visited.
If you arrived from another website, the address of that website.

The site also:

Does not require you to provide any personal information to download files or reports.
Asks you to provide enough information (mailing address, email address) to allow us to mail requested information.
If you choose not to provide us personal information, we will be unable to provide you with the information requested.
Unless specified, personal information collected by the agency will not be maintained by the agency once the requested transaction has been completed therefore no personal record will be available for review.

The information in our web logs is not personally identifiable and no attempt is made to link it with individuals who browse our website.

If, during your visit, you send us an e-mail message, we will collect the email address and contents of the message, including audio, video and graphic information formats you send us. This may be to respond to you, to address issues you identify, to further improve our website or to forward your message to another agency for appropriate action.

We do collect personal information directly from those who volunteer to complete forms or participate in surveys, in order to deliver the services requested. We collect, retain and use personal information only where we believe it is essential to administer business and provide products and services requested by customers.

How collected information is used

Usage information is used to improve the content of our web services and to help us understand how people are using our pages. We analyze website logs to improve the value of materials on our site. Routing information is used to send requested web pages to your computer for viewing. Transaction routing information is used primarily in a statistical summary format to assess content performance. We may share this summary information with our business partners when needed.

Optional information is retained in accordance with Library of Virginia records retention schedules.

Under the "Virginia Freedom of Information Act" (FOIA), any records in our possession at the time of a "Freedom of Information Request" might be subject to inspection by or disclosure to members of the public. However, identifiable personal information will be removed prior to such release in accordance with FOIA.

Restrictions on the disclosure of customer information

We do not sell or rent subscriber information to any outside company or organization. We do not reveal specific information about users or other personally identifiable data to unaffiliated third parties for their independent use, except if required to do so by FOIA or other law. Copyright The copyright to DCR’s website is owned by the Commonwealth of Virginia and pages are marked with the notice “Copyright ©, All rights reserved." Permission is granted to website visitors to make fair use of the contents, as per http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html. If you are in doubt about whether your use constitutes fair use, please send a request for explicit permission to copy contents by emailing web@dcr.virginia.gov.

Cookies

"Cookies" are small files either stored on a server or sent back to a visiting computer. In certain applications user information is stored as "cookies," which are then sent back to and stored on the user's computer. Some sections of the website use cookies to customize the information presented to you. Cookies are also used to aggregate site usage information to improve user experience.

To make Virginia State Park cabin, camping or other amenity reservations online, the privately owned and operated ReserveAmerica website requires the use of a "cookie." By contract, the information will not be shared with others. Nonetheless, those choosing not to accept the private site's "cookie" can opt to reserve these amenities otherwise by calling 1-800-933-PARK, in Richmond, 804-225-3867. If you have concerns regarding this privately owned site's use of a "cookie," please email reservations@ReserveAmerica.com or call 1-800-695-4636.
A cookie is used to introduce content intended for display on mobile devices. The content was added on July 15, 2012, to better serve a growing number of DCR website users who use mobile devices. The cookie offers users the choices of downloading a state parks app, continuing to the mobile site or opting for the full DCR state parks website. Information used by the cookie is not stored by the agency or shared with others. Those with concerns should visit www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/ instead of using the mobile website.
Google Analytics and advertising features may use a cookie to gather basic user information as stated in the “Information we collect” section above. No personally identifiable information is gathered. Users may opt out of Google Analytics here and opt out using the National Advertising Initiative’s (NAI) form.

Customer comments or review

Those with questions about this statement or practices of this website may email web@dcr.virginia.gov.

Web Policy

Disclaimer

Neither the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation(DCR) nor any employee of the department warrants the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information published by this system, nor endorses any content, viewpoints, products or services linked from this system, and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or outdated. Any person or entity relying on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.

Reference herein to any specific commercial products, processes or services by trade name, trademark, manufacturer or other mark does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation or favoring by the Commonwealth of Virginia. The information and statements contained on this site shall not be used for the purposes of advertising, nor to imply the endorsement or recommendation of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Unauthorized attempts to modify any information stored on this system, to defeat or circumvent security features or to utilize this system for other than its intended purposes are prohibited and may result in criminal prosecution.

For our patrons' convenience, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) provides links to many websites not controlled, maintained or regulated by DCR or any organization affiliated with DCR, and, as such, DCR is not responsible for the content of those websites. Use of information from those websites is voluntary, and reliance on that information should be undertaken only after an independent review of its accuracy. Reference at those websites to any specific commercial product, process or service by trade name, trademark or otherwise does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation or favor by DCR. The information and statements contained on this server shall not be used for the purposes of advertising, nor to imply the endorsement or recommendation of DCR or the Commonwealth of Virginia. When you link to another website, you are subject to the privacy policy of that site.

Links Criteria

External websites are checked against the following criteria before a link is placed on DCR’s website. All requests are gauged against the criteria.

Links are placed on DCR’s website for the benefit and convenience of its users, not the owner of the target website.
External links under state park pages’ nearby attractions section must be approved by the given park’s manager prior to placement.
The website’s information must be accurate and current. The site must be established, reputable and dependable.
The website must be well-organized and easily navigated.
The linked content must pertain to its associated DCR website content as well as the needs and interests of its users.
The website’s ownership must be clearly evident on the linked page.
We do not link to external sites that require an access fee, and we do not charge to place external links on our site.

If a hypertext link on the website is not working, please email web@dcr.virginia.gov to let us know.

Plug-ins

Some of the content on this site requires plug-ins, or separate browser components, to properly view. All required plug-ins are free to use. If your browser or assistive technology cannot view the content using the plug-in, please contact us at web@dcr.virginia.gov for an alternate version of the content.

Freedom of Information Act

Rights of Requesters and the Responsibilities of the Department of Conservation and Recreation (Department) under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act:

The Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), located § 2.2-3700 et. seq. of the Code of Virginia, guarantees citizens of the Commonwealth and representatives of the media access to public records held by public bodies, public officials, and public employees.

A public record is any writing or recording -- regardless of whether it is a paper record, an electronic file, an audio or video recording, or any other format -- that is prepared or owned by, or in the possession of a public body or its officers, employees or agents in the transaction of public business. All public records are presumed to be open, and may only be withheld if a specific, statutory exemption applies.

The types of records maintained by the Department include records relating to: dam safety and floodplain protection; water quality, nutrient management and soil and water conservation districts; the operation and maintenance of Virginia State Parks and Natural Area Preserves; and planning activities for Virginia State Parks, Virginia Scenic Rivers, and trails.

The purpose of FOIA is to promote an increased awareness by all persons of governmental activities. In furthering this purpose, FOIA requires that the law be interpreted liberally, in favor of access, and that any exemption allowing public records to be withheld must be interpreted narrowly.

Your FOIA Rights

You have the right to request to inspect or receive copies of public records, or both.
You have the right to request that any charges for the requested records be estimated in advance.
If you believe that your FOIA rights have been violated, you may file a petition in district or circuit court to compel compliance with FOIA.

Making a Request for records from the Department

You may request records by U.S. Mail, fax, e-mail, in person, or over the phone. FOIA does not require that your request be in writing, nor do you need to specifically state that you are requesting records under FOIA.
- While not required, it may be helpful to both you and the person receiving your request to put your request in writing. This allows you to create a record of your request. It also gives us a clear statement of what records you are requesting, so that there is no misunderstanding over a verbal request.
Your request must identify the records you are seeking with "reasonable specificity." This is a common-sense standard. It does not refer to or limit the volume or number of records that you are requesting; instead, it requires that you be specific enough so that we can identify and locate the records that you are seeking.
Your request must ask for existing records or documents. FOIA gives you a right to inspect or copy records; it does not apply to a situation where you are asking general questions about the work of the Department, nor does it require the Department to create a record that does not exist.
You may choose to receive electronic records in any format used by the Department in the regular course of business.
- For example, if you are requesting records maintained in an Excel database, you may elect to receive those records electronically, via e-mail or on a computer disk, or to receive a printed copy of those records
If we have questions about your request, please cooperate with staff's efforts to clarify the type of records that you are seeking, or to attempt to reach a reasonable agreement about a response to a large request. Making a FOIA request is not an adversarial process, but we may need to discuss your request with you to ensure that we understand what records you are seeking.

To request records from the Department, direct your request to the Department's FOIA Officer, Lisa McGee. She can be reached at 600 E. Main St., 24^th Floor, Richmond, VA 23219, phone 804-786-4378, email Lisa.McGee@dcr.virginia.gov. You may also contact her with questions you have concerning requesting records from the Department. In addition, the Freedom of Information Advisory Council is available to answer any questions you may have about FOIA. The Council may be contacted by email at foiacouncil@leg.state.va.us, or by phone at 804-225-3056 or [toll-free] 1-866-448-4100.

The Department's Responsibilities in Responding to Your Request

The Department must respond to your request within five working days of receiving it. "Day One" is considered the day after your request is received. The five-day period does not include weekends or holidays.
You are not required to state the purpose of your request but FOIA allows the Department to ask you to provide your name and legal address.
FOIA requires that the Department make one of the following responses to your request within the five-day time period:
1. We provide you with the records that you have requested in their entirety.
2. We withhold all of the records that you have requested, because all of the records are subject to a specific statutory exemption. If all of the records are being withheld, we must send you a response in writing. That writing must identify the volume and subject matter of the records being withheld, and state the specific section of the Code of Virginia that allows us to withhold the records.
3. We provide some of the records that you have requested, but withhold other records. We cannot withhold an entire record if only a portion of it is subject to an exemption. In that instance, we may redact the portion of the record that may be withheld, and must provide you with the remainder of the record. We must provide you with a written response stating the specific section of the Code of Virginia that allows portions of the requested records to be withheld.
4. If it is practically impossible for the Department to respond to your request within the five-day period, we must state this in writing, explaining the conditions that make the response impossible. This will allow us seven additional working days to respond to your request, giving us a total of 12 working days to respond to your request.
If you make a request for a very large number of records, and we feel that we cannot provide the records to you within 12 days without disrupting our other organizational responsibilities, we may petition the court for additional time to respond to your request. However, FOIA requires that we make a reasonable effort to reach an agreement with you concerning the production or the records before we go to court to ask for more time.

Costs

The Code of Virginia specifies that a public body may make reasonable charges not to exceed its actual cost incurred in accessing, duplicating, supplying, or searching for the requested records. No public body shall impose an extraneous, intermediary, or surplus fees or expenses to recoup the general costs associated with creating or maintaining records or transacting the general business of the public body. Any duplicating fee charged by a public body shall not exceed the actual cost of duplication. All charges for the supplying of requested records shall be estimated in advance at the request of the citizen as set forth in subsection F of § 2.2-3704 of the Code of Virginia.

If we estimate that it will cost more than $200 to respond to your request, we may require you to pay a deposit, not to exceed the amount of the estimate, before proceeding with your request. The five days that we have to respond to your request does not include the time between when we ask for a deposit and when you respond.
You may request that we estimate in advance the charges for supplying the records that you have requested. This will allow you to know about any costs upfront, or give you the opportunity to modify your request in an attempt to lower the estimated costs.
If you owe us money from a previous FOIA request that has remained unpaid for more than 30 days, the Department may require payment of the past-due bill before it will respond to your new FOIA request.

Commonly used exemptions

The Code of Virginia allows any public body to withhold certain records from public disclosure. the Department commonly withholds records subject to the following exemptions:

Personnel records (§ 2.2-3705.1 (1) of the Code of Virginia).
Records subject to attorney-client privilege (§ 2.2-3705.1 (2)) or attorney work product (§ 2.2-3705.1 (3)).
Vendor proprietary information (§ 2.2-3705.1 (6)).
Records relating to the negotiation and award of a contract, prior to a contract being awarded (§ 2.2-3705.1 (12)).

There are other agency-specific exemptions as well that would be cited in a written response, stating the specific, pertinent section of the Code of Virginia.

Social Media Policy

DCR uses social media to engage with the public and present matters of interest to the specific clients, businesses and the public at large. Here is DCR's social media disclaimer.