Recreational use of wildlife management areas in Virginia

Recreational use of wildlife
management areas in Virginia
Highlights:
• Interviews
conducted
with WMA
recreational
users from
September
2009 through
September
2010.
• Over 3,800
interviews
completed
with many
types of
recreational
users.
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech
Who’s using wildlife management areas
Researchers and volunteers conducted interviews with wildlife
management area (WMA) visitors on 10 WMAs to find out more about their
recreational activities, satisfaction, and opinions about land management
on WMAs. Almost 4,000 visitors were contacted between September 2009
and September 2010. Most of these visitors were very satisfied with their
visit to the WMA and participated in activities such as hunting, fishing,
hiking, wildlife watching, using the sight-in range, and many others.
Visitors were generally very supportive of most land management practices
and most believed that the WMA should remain available to all users at no
cost. Estimated annual use was over 90,000 recreational days for the 10
WMAs where interviews were conducted.
• Over 90,000
annual
recreational
use days
occurred on
10 WMAs in
Virginia.
Contents:
Research Methods 2
Study purpose
Background information 2
Demographics 2
Recreational activities 3
Satisfaction 3
Land management 4
Fee options 4
Annual use estimates 5
Agency Mission 5
Contact 5
The main purpose of this
study was to determine the
type and frequency of
recreational use on WMAs
in Virginia, the satisfaction
of visitors to the WMAs,
and opinions of WMA
users about land
management and possible
options for an annual WMA
use fee. This information
will provide an updated
snapshot of WMA use for
Virginia Department of
Game and Inland Fisheries
(VDGIF) managers,
particularly for nonconsumptive
activities that
occur on WMAs and may
not be recognized.
This study is part of a
larger effort to: (1) learn
more about what types of
uses occur on WMAs and
(2) involve the public in
the development of a
statewide, policy-level land
management plan for the
WMAs in Virginia. This
statewide plan will identify
goals and policies for the
WMAs and direct
management at the sitespecific
level.

Background information
Wildlife management areas Page 2 of 5
Most state wildlife
agencies own and
manage wildlife
management areas
(WMAs) primarily to
maintain and enhance
wildlife habitat and provide
public hunting and fishing
opportunities. These
lands provide opportunity
for both traditional wildlife
recreation as well as other
forms of outdoor
recreation (e.g., hiking,
horseback riding),
provided recreational uses
do not conflict with the
main goal of managing
wildlife habitat.
Participation in nonconsumptive
outdoor
recreation is perceived to
be increasing. Although
declining participation in
traditional wildlife
recreation is well
documented, little
information exists
regarding nonconsumptive
stakeholders
who recreate on public
hunting and fishing lands.
Hunters and anglers
support the management
and upkeep of WMAs
through license fees and
excise taxes on hunting
and fishing equipment, but
other non-licensed users
generally do not contribute
to the operational costs of
WMAs.
Research Methods
Interviews were
conducted on 10 WMAs
throughout the
Commonwealth selected
by VDGIF including:
Amelia, Big Survey,
Cavalier, Chickahominy,
Clinch Mountain, Dick
Cross, Goshen, Little
North Mountain, Phelps,
and Thompson. Virginia
Tech staff and students,
and VDGIF staff and
Complementary Work
Force volunteers
conducted brief 3-5
minute interviews with
WMA visitors from
September 5, 2009
through September 3,
2010, usually as they
were leaving the WMA.
Visitors were asked about
their recreational activity,
frequency of visits to the
WMA, satisfaction with
their visit, and their
opinions about land
management and
potential annual fee
options for the WMAs.
Sampling days at each
WMA were selected at
random while accounting
for weekdays and weekend
day use, as well as
seasons and hunting
seasons. Special opening
days or target days were
surveyed in addition to
regular days since use was
expected to be much higher
on those days compared to
regular survey days.
Demographics
Female
6%
The majority of
respondents were male
(94%). Over 25% of
respondents were
between 40 and 49 years
of age, making up the
largest proportion of
WMA users.
Male
94%
The average group size
at all 10 WMAs was
around 2 individuals.
WMA field survey respondents

Page 3 of 5
Wildlife management areas
Recreational activities
The majority of
participants (84%) held a
valid Virginia hunting
and/or fishing license,
ranging from a low of 56%
of respondents at
Thompson WMA in
Northern Virginia to a high
of 95% at Cavalier in the
southeast and Little North
Mountain in the west.
Recreational use varied
by WMA based on season
and recreational
opportunities available.
Hunting or fishing
license
16% no
84% yes
Hunting was the most
frequently reported activity
during open seasons, with
54% of survey
respondents (2,062
individuals) reporting
hunting participation
during their visit. Fishing
(22%), using the sight-in
range (13%), and hiking or
walking for purposes other
than hunting, fishing, and
wildlife watching (13%)
also were frequently
reported activities among
the WMAs sampled.
Other activities including
camping, wildlife
watching, boating, and
horseback riding were
fairly common. Some
activities occurred on all
10 WMAs surveyed (e.g.,
hunting), whereas other
uses (e.g., wildflower
watching) were
concentrated at a few or a
single WMA where such
recreational opportunities
existed.
Little North Mountain
Satisfaction ratings
Goshen
Thompson
Chickahominy
Amelia
Phelps
Clinch Mountain
Dick Cross
Big Survey
Cavalier
4.5
5.6
5.5
5.4
5.8
5.8
5.7
5.7
6.2
6.0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Very
Neutral
Very
dissatisfied
satisfied
Satisfaction
Overall, most WMA
users (82%) reported
that they were satisfied
to very satisfied with their
visit to the WMA.
Average ratings ranged
from 4.5 at Little North
Mountain to 6.2 at
Goshen. In most cases,
non-license holders rated
their satisfaction slightly
higher than license
holders.
Only 9% of WMA users
expressed dissatisfaction
with their visits. The
most common reasons
for dissatisfaction were:
hunting or fishing trip
was not successful, did
not see any game, or the
weather was poor. In
some cases, visitors
reported a conflict with
another recreational user
group or overcrowding
on opening days of
hunting seasons as
reasons for
dissatisfaction.

Land use and management
Wildlife management areas Page 4 of 5
Overall, WMA users were
very supportive of logging
(73%), prescribed burning
(77%), mechanical
techniques for managing
vegetation (87%) and
planting food plots for
wildlife (92%). However,
many WMA users
opposed the use of
herbicides to manage
vegetation (46%).
Hunting and fishing license
holders were slightly more
supportive than nonlicense
holders of the land
management practices,
although non-license
holders still were
supportive of most land
management techniques,
Annual fee options
Virginia’s WMAs usually
were acquired (at least in
part) with funds
generated by the sale of
hunting and fishing
licenses and from excise
taxes on the purchase of
outdoor recreational
equipment. Seventeen
percent of all
respondents believed all
users of Virginia’s
WMAs, including hunting
and fishing license
holders, should pay an
annual fee to use WMAs,
32% believed only those
who do not hold a valid
Virginia hunting and/or
fishing license should
have to pay an annual
fee, and 51% believed
Virginia’s WMAs should
but to a lesser degree.
However, use of
herbicides was opposed
by many hunting and
fishing license holders
(45%) and non-license
holders (53%).
remain available to
anyone who wants to
use them at no cost.
We asked participants
a second question, in
which we provided a
randomly selected
hypothetical annual fee
ranging from $5-25.
Over 90% of both
license holders and
non-license holders
were willing to pay an
annual fee of $5, which
declined to just over
60% as the annual fee
increased to $25. In
most cases, nonlicense
holders were
slightly more willing to
pay than license
holders.
Land management
practice
Oppose
(rated 1-3)
Neutral
(rated 4)
Support
(rated 5-7)
Logging 15% 13% 73%
Prescribed burning 11% 13% 77%
Use of herbicides 46% 20% 34%
Mechanical techniques 5% 8% 87%
Planting food plots for
wildlife
Percent willing to pay
100
80
60
40
20
0
51%
17%
4% 4% 92%
$5 $10 $15 $20 $25
License Holders
32%
All users should
pay
Only non‐license
holders should
pay
WMAs should
remain available
at no cost
Hypothetical annual use fee ($)
Non‐License Holders

Page 5 of 5
Wildlife management areas
Annual recreational use estimates
Estimates of all forms of
recreational use yielded
over 91,000 annual
recreation user days at
the 10 WMAs sampled. A
recreation user day is
defined as a visit to a
WMA by one individual to
participate in a single
activity.
Chickahominy, Amelia,
and Phelps WMAs had
the largest numbers of
annual recreation days,
together comprising over
half of the total for the 10
WMAs. Range use
contributed heavily to the
overall use estimates at
most of the WMAs with
ranges.
Estimated annual recreational use
Big Survey 1,013
Dick Cross 2,031
Cavalier 2,365
Little North Mountain
4,135
Thompson
9,975
Clinch Mountain
10,374
Goshen
11,206
Phelps
13,692
Amelia
14,197
Chickahominy
22,214
0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000
Estimated annual recreation days
Agency Mission
The wildlife populations that Virginians enjoy today exist because of
the protection and management provided by the Virginia
Department of Game and Inland Fisheries on behalf of the citizens
of the Commonwealth. All WMAs are managed consistently with
DGIF’s mission statement, which is:
• To manage Virginia's wildlife and inland fish to maintain
optimum populations of all species to serve the needs of
the Commonwealth;
• To provide opportunity for all to enjoy wildlife, inland fish,
boating and related outdoor recreation and to work
diligently to safeguard the rights of the people to hunt, fish
and harvest game as provided for in the Constitution of
Virginia;
• To promote safety for persons and property in connection
with boating, hunting and fishing;
• To provide educational outreach programs and materials
that fosters an awareness of and appreciation for Virginia's
fish and wildlife resources, their habitats, and hunting,
fishing, and boating opportunities.
For more information or to request
a copy of the full report, please
contact:
Amy Carrozzino, Research Associate
Department of Fish and Wildlife
Conservation
111 Cheatham Hall
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0321
PHONE:
(540) 231-0961
FAX:
(540) 231-7580
E-MAIL:
acarroz@vt.edu