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Note: Session titles beginning with an asterisk (*) have student presenters.
AUTHORS: John Kirk, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries; Dr. Faren R. Wolter, CWB®, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech
ABSTRACT: Virginia’s Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) owns or shares maintenance responsibilities for 230+ boating access (BA) facilities. The task of providing regular maintenance to these widely dispersed facilities is constrained by personnel and other resource limitations. These constraints, combined with an increasing popularity of water-based recreational activities and other uses of BA sites, bring additional, but different, management challenges. As a result, the ability of VDGIF to fulfill maintenance needs of existing facilities, while also trying to accommodate the changing demands and expectations of users, is being stretched. To address these challenges, VDGIF and the Virginia Tech Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation have been collaborating on a 3-year study to examine BA issues across the Commonwealth. Findings suggest that, although access for fishing and other boat-related activities currently predominate existing use, other activities, especially those that reflect changes occurring in user demographics, are increasing and placing new demands on the agency. Summary highlights from 3 phases of data collection (i.e., Phase I: 8 regional focus groups; Phase II: 4,895 on-site hourly “snap shot” observations and 2,679 face-to-face interviews at 20 selected BA study sites; Phase III: 286 completed mail surveys from BA users) are presented that illustrate current use of BA facilities, the expectations and satisfaction of BA users, and likely shifts occurring among BA users and the implications these changes may have on agency operations.
Tuesday October 31, 2017 11:20am - 11:40am EDT
French