Board of Supervisors opposed to access fees to the James River
Botetourt County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution asking the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries) to remove a new boating access permit and fee that goes into effect January 1, 2021.
On that date, any person using a Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR)-owned or managed facility, including boating access sites, must have a valid Virginia hunting, trapping, or fishing permit, a Restore the Wild membership, an access permit, or current certificate of boat registration issued by DWR to use the facility. This does not apply to persons under the age of 17 or passengers with a permitted operator. The operator must have a permit.
A daily access permit costs $4 per person.
The new permit and fee would create difficulties for outfitters and the public who seek to enjoy the waterways in the state. In Botetourt, the James River is impacted by these fees, as well as businesses that cater to folks who want to enjoy the county’s Blueway Trail.
The Board’s resolution opposing the fees says the permit process and the fees would create an extra barrier for those who wish to enjoy Virginia’s rivers and waterways.
Additionally, local outfitters have expressed concerns about the fee, and that their needs were not taken into account when implementing the permits and fees for boating access sites.
The resolution also called the fees a detriment to tourism.
Additionally, the resolution noted that the fee could encourage people to use unauthorized boat access points on private property, which could create environmental damage, unsafe roadside parking, and person exposure to unexpected swift currents upon entry.
A copy of the resolution was forwarded to the county’s state legislative representatives and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
— Anita Firebaugh, Special to The Botetourt Bee, Photo Cathy benson
