Believe it or not, winter is a very busy time for the Aquatic Wildlife Resource Division. Trout are being stocked throughout the state, weather permitting, and our anglers have reported good catches. Of note, we have begun to pre-announce stockings in our urban waters, and based off customer feedback, this change has been well received.
Speaking of urban fishing, we are getting ready to launch the FishLocalVA initiative, which will highlight the fishing opportunities available in more developed areas of the state. Each region has a designated point person, and at this moment, the list of program waters is being developed. A press release detailing DGIF’s approach will go out in February.
We are also excited about an upcoming meeting – the Virginia Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, which will occur in early February. And lastly, we are excited to get our Strategic Planning exercise underway. Headquarters staff met with Regional Managers to outline Mission, Vision and Values, and will be meeting with field staff in the near future to begin the next steps.