Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Conservation and Recreation
 
Board
Department of Conservation and Recreation
 
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7/31/24  3:43 pm
Commenter: Hali Plourde-Rogers, VES Land Trust

VOP Comments
 
  • The story map should be a supplement and not the sole "document." It's challenging to explore and navigate to specific sections. 
  • Facilitate review and understanding by adding a page with all recommendations in one place and an executive summary.
  • Update economic data to 2022.
  • Include a list of the Technical Advisory Committee members and an outline of the process for the VOP including a timeline.
  • Reference and incorporate the priorities of DWR’s State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) as well as DOF’s Forest Action Plan including corridors and connectivity.  For example, the SWAP identifies species and habitats in need of conservation.  It also identifies threats to them, one of which is human disturbance (including recreation). Address those priorities in a meaningful way. 
  • Update NALCC 2007 to more current and accurate data, e.g. DWR GIS, instead of just providing a link to go to that site, use it to identify sensitive natural resources and planning.
  • Acknowledge and address the role of outdoor recreation in the spread of invasive species and disease (a consequence and artifact of human disturbance/recreation) which, for a decade has been cited as one of the top 5 threats to fish and wildlife across the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest US.
CommentID: 227232