Virginia Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) are state-managed protected areas that exist primarily for the benefit of wildlife. Within the Commonwealth of Virginia, 46 tracts of land have been protected as WMAs, covering a total of over 216,000 acres (338 sq mi; 870 km2). They are managed and maintained by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.[1]
WMAs in Virginia differ from other state-managed protected areas in that they are solely intended to preserve and improve wildlife habitat, with a particular focus on game animals, and to provide public space for hunting and fishing activities. Other protected areas in the state, such as state parks, state forests, and natural area preserves, may protect habitat but are also expressly managed to provide space for public recreation, research, timber production, and/or rare species conservation.[2]
Land acquisition and maintenance funds for WMAs are ultimately provided by hunters and anglers, through license fees and taxes levied on gear. These fees are collected on a national level through the Pittman–Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, and distributed proportionally to individual states. Some WMA lands were originally donated to the state for wildlife purposes, rather than purchased.[2]
Although maintained for the primary benefit of hunters and anglers, other recreational pursuits are permitted within Virginia's WMAs. Hiking, primitive camping, horseback riding, and bird-watching is allowed on many WMA properties. Prohibited activities include swimming, mountain biking, organized sports, and ATV use. Boats, when permitted, must typically be non-motorized.[2]
To utilize WMA land for any purpose, visitors ages 17 or older must possess a valid hunting or fishing permit, or a current Virginia boat registration. In the absence of these documents, visitors must obtain a daily or annual WMA Access Permit that allows entry to WMA lands.[3]
The following table lists Virginia's 46 WMAs as of 2023[update].[4]
| WMA name | City, county or counties[5] | Area[5] | Major waterbodies[5] | Notes[5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amelia | Amelia | 2,217 acres (8.97 km2) | Appomattox River | |
| Big Survey | Wythe | 7,564 acres (30.61 km2) | ||
| Big Woods | Sussex | 2,208 acres (8.94 km2)[6] | Contiguous with Big Woods State Forest. | |
| Briery Creek | Prince Edward | 3,164 acres (12.80 km2) | Briery Creek Lake | |
| Chester F. Phelps | Fauquier, Culpeper |
4,540 acres (18.4 km2) | Rappahannock River | |
| Cavalier | Chesapeake | 4,485 acres (18.15 km2) | Comprises two separate tracts, one of which is contiguous with Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. | |
| Chickahominy | Charles City | 5,218 acres (21.12 km2) | Chickahominy River | |
| Clinch Mountain | Smyth, Washington, Russell, Tazewell |
25,477 acres (103.10 km2) | Laurel Bed Lake | |
| Crooked Creek | Carroll | 1,882 acres (7.62 km2) | ||
| Dick Cross | Mecklenburg | 1,400 acres (5.7 km2) | Roanoke River | Formerly known as the Elm Hill Wildlife Management Area. |
| Doe Creek | Accomack | 637 acres (2.58 km2) | ||
| Fairystone Farms | Patrick, Henry |
5,414 acres (21.91 km2) | Philpott Reservoir | Contiguous with Fairy Stone State Park. |
| Featherfin | Prince Edward, Appomattox, Buckingham |
3,084 acres (12.48 km2) | Appomattox River | |
| Flippo-Gentry | Sussex | 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) | Located west of Big Woods WMA | |
| G. Richard Thompson | Fauquier | 3,963 acres (16.04 km2) | Lake Thompson[7] | |
| Game Farm Marsh | New Kent | 530 acres (2.1 km2) | Chickahominy Lake | |
| Goshen and Little North Mountain | Augusta, Rockbridge |
33,319 acres (134.84 km2) | Maury River | Contiguous with George Washington National Forest and Goshen Pass Natural Area Preserve. |
| Hardware River | Fluvanna | 1,175 acres (4.76 km2) | James River, Hardware River |
|
| Havens | Roanoke | 9,023 acres (36.51 km2) | The first VDGIF-managed property, initially purchased in 1930. | |
| Hidden Valley | Washington | 6,400 acres (26 km2) | Hidden Valley Lake | |
| Highland | Highland | 14,283 acres (57.80 km2) | Bullpasture River | |
| Hog Island | Surry, Isle of Wight |
3,908 acres (15.82 km2) | James River | |
| Horsepen Lake | Buckingham | 2,910 acres (11.8 km2) | Horsepen Lake | |
| James River | Nelson | 1,213 acres (4.91 km2) | James River | |
| Land's End | King George | 450 acres (1.8 km2) | Rappahannock River | Managed as a waterfowl refuge; hunting not permitted. |
| Mattaponi | Caroline | 2,542 acres (10.29 km2)[8] | Mattaponi River, South River |
|
| Mattaponi Bluffs | Caroline | 470 acres (1.9 km2) | Mattaponi River | |
| Merrimac Farm | Prince William | 301 acres (1.22 km2) | Adjacent to Marine Corps Base Quantico. | |
| Mockhorn Island | Northampton | 7,642 acres (30.93 km2) | Extent of the WMA's tidal marshland is greatly reduced at high tide. | |
| Oakley Forest | Spotsylvania | 4,459 acres (18.04 km2) | ||
| Pettigrew | Caroline | 934 acres (3.78 km2) | ||
| Powhatan | Powhatan | 4,463 acres (18.06 km2) | ||
| Princess Anne | Virginia Beach | 1,546 acres (6.26 km2) | Atlantic Ocean (Back Bay) | |
| Ragged Island | Isle of Wight | 1,537 acres (6.22 km2) | James River | |
| Rapidan | Madison Greene |
10,870 acres (44.0 km2) | Rapidan River, Conway River, South River |
Contiguous with Shenandoah National Park. |
| Robert W. Duncan | Caroline | 1,300 acres (5.3 km2) | Mattaponi River | |
| Saxis | Accomack | 5,574 acres (22.56 km2) | Atlantic Ocean | Primarily protects tidal marshland on Virginia's eastern shore. |
| Short Hills | Rockbridge, Botetourt |
4,232 acres (17.13 km2) | Includes examples of karst topography. | |
| Smith Mountain Cooperative | Bedford, Pittsylvania |
4,996 acres (20.22 km2) | Smith Mountain Lake | Owned by Appalachian Power and managed by VDWR.[9] |
| Stewarts Creek | Carroll | 1,138 acres (4.61 km2) | ||
| Turkeycock | Franklin, Henry |
2,678 acres (10.84 km2) | ||
| T. M. Gathright | Bath | 13,428 acres (54.34 km2) | Lake Moomaw | |
| Tye River | Nelson | 1,044 acres (4.22 km2) | Tye River | Received from Dominion Energy via The Conservation Fund as mitigation for allowing the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline to cross the James River WMA[10] |
| Ware Creek | New Kent | 2,600 acres (11 km2) | York River | |
| Weston | Fauquier | 271 acres (1.10 km2)[11] | ||
| White Oak Mountain | Pittsylvania | 2,748 acres (11.12 km2) | Banister River |
