Action | Amendments to the Virginia State Park Regulations |
Stage | Fast-Track |
Comment Period | Ended on 10/2/2019 |
Please reconsider the ban on mushroom collection in State Parks. The portion of mushrooms collected in almost all cases is the fruiting body of the fungus, and picking does not have a detrimental effect on the life cycle. The critical main mass of the living fungus is safely underground. There are arguments, in fact, that picking a sporing mushroom can help spread spores over a greater range, increasing local populations. Mushrooming is an increasingly popular recreation and food source, similar to hunting or fishing or picking fruits, that attracts participants to parks.