First the good news—they are cheap, and they apply to only a few river landings that we Washington-area boaters use. But the not-so-good news for paddlers is that 2021 does bring a Virginia requirement for boating access permits.
Thanks to legislation passed last March, any person using a facility owned or managed by the Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR), including boating access sites, must have a permit. The cost is $4 a day or $23 per year. The requirement does apply to canoes and kayaks, but only for launching or landing, not for actual use of the river or lake. The permit is personal to the paddler, not the boat, and only one paddler per boat need have one. Paddlers under 17 are exempt.
For adults, a number of fishing, hunting, or other licenses satisfy the requirement, but the most favorable choice for us paddlers is the "Access Permit." It can be bought online—nothing to print out, but the conservation officers can look you up if need be. Or you can present it by way of an app for your phone (or for the annual option, for $5 more you can get a durable card). An annual freshwater fishing license also is $23 per year for Virginians, but it's $47 for out-of-staters. Buying a VA boating license for small craft like ours, another option, is $32/ year.
It’s most favorable for Virginia if you get the Fishing License, as the Commonwealth receives an extra $18 from the federal government for each one issued.
Why the charge? It’s for the parking at the put-ins, which during this COVID year has been heavily impacted by increased demand for the out-of-doors. The launch fee bill passed the Virginia House 77-21, and the Senate passed it 34-1.
A group called Friends of Virginia Rivers (HQ in Roanoke) has contacted CCA to oppose the fees, and that is under discussion in the Access Committee. We’ve checked with our sister clubs and the Coastals’ board is now discussing it by email, while the BRV has not addressed it. The Access Committee will report to the membership on any legislative changes and whether collection of the fee is postponed until July, as an amendment to that effect is a possibility that might or might not come to fruition.
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