A spirited frenzy of legislative opinion has overtaken the outdoor world of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Normally a time for reflection on hunting and fishing seasons recently concluded, February has become an anything but boring month for the concerned angler, hiker, birdwatcher or hunter. Battle lines of support were drawn soon after word got out on the budget bashing raid proposed by the outgoing administration of Governor Jim Gilmore. One of the key targets for huge budget reductions, he proposed, was the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF). While no one can deny the serious fiduciary mess the Commonwealth is in, the manner in which Virginia’s budget woes were addressed by the past administration has created controversy. 

     A bright spot in these crucial times is the significant level of support which is developing on behalf of the VDGIF. Other state agencies in Virginia important to those who enjoy the outdoors include the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC). The VMRC could also be affected by pending financial shortfalls and be negatively impacted by budget decisions which cut into their law enforcement, regulatory duties and critical programs such as oyster replenishment. It is time for those who benefit from the services and resources which the VDGIF and VMRC provide, to be heard. We are in for some tough times. The budget cutting decisions to be made by Governor Warner’s Administration and the Virginia Legislature will require much thought. Take the opportunity to let your elected representatives know how important the VDGIF and VMRC are to those who enjoy the outdoors. 

     Moving millions of dollars of budget authority and resources away from a premier agency like the VDGIF must not occur without reviewing the consequences. The VDGIF is tasked with providing oversight, protection and access to diverse landscapes across the entire state via limited and unique funding sources. Removing an efficient and established means of fiduciary management away from the VDGIF is an easy and dangerous way out. In addition to losing millions of dollars vital to law enforcement and the many programs which the VDGIF supports, there is a dangerous precedent in the making. Taking funds from the VDGIF which are specific to their mission and providing it to another Virginia agency just because their budgets are in the red, will not provide any long term solutions. Soon after assuming his duties, Governor Warner informed the Commonwealth that he was ordering a “top to bottom” review of all state agencies to ensure that any duplication of duties and processes, were eliminated. He further stated that, “...the results of this report will not be put on a shelf to gather dust.” What Virginia needs is this top to bottom government-wide review so that required budget reductions allow agencies to adapt to lower funding levels, without jeopardizing the business and services of the Commonwealth.

     Reducing the number of Virginia State Game Wardens who enforce wildlife and fishery laws and coordinate or provide hunter safety education seems like the last thing the Commonwealth and its new Governor should allow to happen. As these sworn officers patrol isolated, rural areas across the state, they could at any time be the first response to an act of terror or destruction, against wildlife, property or innocent people. Many would be surprised to know the high priority security duties and covert operations which State Game Wardens in Virginia often perform. The results of some find their way into the media, while others continue quietly and out of sight. And yes, “wildlife terrorism” is an ongoing threat in the Commonwealth. Senseless, despicable slaughter and poaching of game animals and birds whose carcasses are left to rot, taking only antlers, feathers or other trophies is an affront to the ethics of law abiding hunters. Virginia’s State Game Wardens stand between us and the criminal element who commit these acts. Instead of cutting the VDGIF budget for law enforcement, the legislature should be looking into ways to provide laws and sentences which equal the acts committed by repeat poaching offenders and those who destroy numerous animals. 

     Other programs within the VDGIF are threatened by a multi million dollar budget raid proposed by the exited Gilmore Administration. Critical capital improvements required for facilities, dams, access roads and boat ramps for the public use, could fall victim to draconian cuts to the VDGIF budget. Reduced access to public hunting or wildlife management areas and significant decreased levels of trout stocking are among the many potential budget cut victims which could be affected. As the VDGIF does not benefit from Virginia’s General fund, raiding its budget sets a damaging precedent for the Commonwealth. Generating its revenue from hunting and fishing license sales, boat registration fees and, more recently, a portion of the sales tax on outdoor gear including hunting and fishing supplies, has allowed the VDGIF to develop as a self-supporting agency. Raiding funding sources which were established and earned, is an easy way out. 

    Governor Warner and the 2002 Legislature have inherited a budget nightmare brought on by the combination of the last Administration’s policies and a recession. Hopefully, Governor Warner, his Cabinet and the Commonwealth’s Legislature, instead of reducing the VDGIF budget, will use them as a model for change. Other state agencies should adopt a more self- supporting budgetary mechanism and depend less on the general revenue funds of Virginia.

     Registering your support for the VDGIF, VMRC or other Virginia state agencies whose level of service you consider valuable and in need of protection from budget cuts, is in order. While the next few months may result in some crucial budgetary decisions being made within the Commonwealth, communicating with your elected officials will remain important throughout the course of the next several years. Contact your local elected representatives and let them know your level of support for the VDGIF or VMRC activities in your area. Addresses for communicating with elected officials in Virginia’s General Assembly via letters, e-mail or phone are available at these website addresses. Some of these also provide updates as to the status of legislative actions and processes, ongoing in the Commonwealth.

http://legis.state.va.us/ - home page for the Virginia General Assembly
http://leg2.state.va.us/moneyweb.nsf/mtg?openform - website with address/contact info for House & Senate Appropriations Committees
http://legis.state.va.us/LIS/StateBudget.htm - Virginia State Budget website
http://www.dgif.state.va.us/ - VDGIF website page
http://www.dgif.state.va.us/2002Legislation.html - VDGIF link to VA General Assembly legislative activities

© 2002 Steve and Chelly Scala All Rights Reserved.