VDGIF buys 2,600 acres of land in New Kent for $9.3 million

Virginia’s Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) purchased 2,600 of acres in eastern New Kent for the establishment of a new wildlife management area.

A May 6 press release announced the acquisition of the area that includes two miles of frontage on the York River and five miles along the Ware and Philbates creeks for a total of $9.3 million dollars.

“Our partners play a very important role in the acquisition and future conservation of these valuable coastal wetlands,” said VDGIF executive director Bob Duncan in the release. “The support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Wildlife Foundation of Virginia, the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy in Virginia, Virginia State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, and private individuals in the Williamsburg area demonstrate a broad and significant community-level commitment to this acquisition. Their enthusiasm and interest in resource conservation and opportunities for increased public access for hunting, fishing and wildlife watching in coastal Virginia was pivotal in ensuring the success of this project.”

Funding for the acquisition of the property came from two National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grants and a Wildlife Restoration Grant provided through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“We’re adding over 2,600 acres of public land, conserving important habitat, and providing exciting, new recreational opportunities to this growing region of Virginia,” said Molly Ward, Virginia Secretary of the Natural Resources.

Details on usage, public access, permit requirements and land management strategies are currently under development. VDGIF hopes to open the area to public access in early June as part of the department’s 100th anniversary.