| Agency overview | |
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| Jurisdiction | Government of Virginia |
| Headquarters | 600 East Main Street, 24th Floor, Richmond, Virginia 23219 37°32′24″N77°26′20″W / 37.54003°N 77.43899°W |
| Minister responsible | |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | www |
The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation is a department of the government of Virginia, United States; it oversees all Virginia state parks and Natural Area Preserves. [1]
The Virginia State Commission of Conservation and Development was created in 1926 under Governor Harry F. Byrd to consolidate and coordinate several conservation agencies: the Water Power and Development Commission, the State Geological Commission, the State Geological Survey, Office of the State Geologist, Office of the State Forester, and the Division of Parks. William E. Carson (1870–1942) was the commission's first (unpaid) chairman and served until resigning pending a reorganization that became effective in late December 1934 and which authorized a full-time state employee to head the agency. Carson consolidated what under his successor Wilbur C. Hall (1935–1939), became Shenandoah National Park, as well as coordinated with the federal Department of the Interior and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which created a $5 million system of state parks (in exchange for Virginia appropriations of $100,000 which some called "the biggest bargain of the New Deal"). [2] Also during Carson's chairmanship, Governor John Garland Pollard in 1932 accepted several land parcels in and surrounding Richmond, Virginia, which in March 1936 became Richmond National Battlefield Park after being given to the National Park Service because during the Great Depression the Commonwealth lacked funds to develop and maintain those lands and structures. [3] Carson also created a Division of History and Archaeology within the State Commission of Conservation and Development and started a historical marker program. [4]
Virginia's first six state parks were created in June 1936 despite the opposition of Virginia's senators Carter Glass and Harry F. Byrd to many other aspects of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's administration. The first state parks were: Westmoreland State Park, Seashore State Park (which later became First Landing State Park), Fairy Stone State Park, Staunton River State Park, Douthat State Park and Hungry Mother State Park. CCC labor also built Prince William Recreational Development Area (now Prince William Forest Park operated by the National Park Service) and Swift Run Recreational Demonstration Areas (now Pocahontas State Park) as group camping areas, which were later converted into parks. [5] In these and other projects, the CCC employed 107,210 in Virginia at one time or another, including 64,762 young Virginians who planted 15.2 million trees, built 986 bridges, reduced fire hazards over 152,000 acres, strung 2,128 miles of telephone line and stocked 1.3 million fish. Virginia received the fifth largest state expenditure in the country, totaling $109 million during the agency's nine-year existence. [3]
The agency's name changed in 1938 to the Virginia Conservation Commission, which was led by N. Clarence Smith (1939–1942), and William A. Wright (1942–1948). In 1948 the Virginia General Assembly again reorganized state government and created the Department of Conservation and Development, which consolidated the functions of the Conservation Commission, State Port Authority and the State Planning Board. Governor William Tuck named Wright as director of the new Department of Conservation and Development. In 1985, another major governmental reorganization created the current Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal that supplied manual labor jobs related to the conservation and development of natural resources in rural lands owned by federal, state, and local governments. The CCC was designed to supply jobs for young men and to relieve families who had difficulty finding jobs during the Great Depression in the United States. There was eventually a smaller counterpart program for unemployed women called the She-She-She Camps, which were championed by Eleanor Roosevelt.
Harry Flood Byrd Sr. was an American newspaper publisher, politician, and leader of the Democratic Party in Virginia for four decades as head of a political faction that became known as the Byrd Organization. Byrd served as Virginia's governor from 1926 until 1930, then represented the state as a U.S. senator from 1933 until 1965. He came to lead the conservative coalition in the Senate, and opposed President Franklin D. Roosevelt, largely blocking most liberal legislation after 1937. His son Harry Jr. succeeded him as U.S. senator, but ran as an Independent following the decline of the Byrd Organization.
John Garland Pollard was a Virginia lawyer and American Democratic politician, who served as the 21st Attorney General of Virginia (1914-1918) and as the 51st Governor of Virginia, as well as on the Federal Trade Commission (1919-1921) and as chairman of the Board of Veterans Appeals (1934-1937).
The California State Parks system is the public park system of California. The system is administered by the California Department of Parks and Recreation, a department of the California Natural Resources Agency. The California State Parks system is the largest state park system in the United States.
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is a state agency within the New York State Executive Department charged with the operation of state parks and historic sites within the U.S. state of New York. As of 2014, the NYS OPRHP manages nearly 335,000 acres of public lands and facilities, including 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, that are visited by over 78 million visitors each year.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, situated in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It is best known for its parks and parkways. The DCR's mission is "To protect, promote and enhance our common wealth of natural, cultural and recreational resources for the well-being of all." The agency is the largest landowner in Massachusetts.
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) is a Cabinet-level agency first created in 1937 within the government of the U.S. state of Tennessee, headed by the Tennessee Commissioner of Environment and Conservation.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the agency of the state of Michigan founded in 1921, charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor and accepted by the Natural Resources Commission. Since 2023, the Director is Scott Bowen. The DNR has about 1,400 permanent employees, and over 1,600 seasonal employees.
The California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) is a state cabinet-level agency in the government of California. The institution and jurisdiction of the Natural Resources Agency is provided for in California Government Code sections 12800 and 12805, et seq. The agency has six departments, 10 conservancies, 17 boards and commissions, three councils, and one urban park in Los Angeles that consists of two museums, the California Science Center and the California African American museum. Through its 25 departments, conservancies and commissions, the Natural Resources Agency is responsible for protecting prehistory history, natural landscapes and cultural sites, monitoring and stewarding state lands and waterways, and regulating fish and game use, as well as private lands and the intersection with federal lands and waters.
Lake of the Ozarks State Park is a Missouri state park on the Grand Glaize Arm of the Lake of the Ozarks and is the largest state park in the state. This is also the most popular state park in Missouri, with over 2.5 million visitations in 2017.
Westmoreland State Park lies within Westmoreland County, Virginia. The park extends about one and a half miles along the Potomac River and covers 1,321 acres. The Horsehead Cliffs provide visitors with a panoramic view of the Potomac River, and lower levels feature fossils and beach access. The park offers hiking, camping, cabins, fishing, boating and swimming, although mechanical issues have kept the swimming pool closed since 2021. Located on the Northern Neck Peninsula, the park is close to historical sites featuring earlier eras: George Washington's birthplace and Stratford Hall, the birthplace of Robert E. Lee.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is a government agency in the state of Maryland charged with maintaining natural resources including state parks, public lands, state forests, state waterways, wildlife, and recreation areas. Its headquarters are in Annapolis.
Pocahontas State Park is a state park located in Chesterfield, Virginia, United States, not far from the state capitol of Richmond. The park was laid out by the Civilian Conservation Corps along the Swift Creek, and at 7,919 acres (32.05 km2) is Virginia's largest state park. In 2015, the park welcomed 1,142,601 visitors.
The Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation is a department of the government of Oklahoma within the Tourism and Branding Cabinet. The Department is responsible for regulating Oklahoma's tourism industry and for promoting Oklahoma as a tourist destination. It is the Department which established regional designations for the various parts of the state which are in common use today: Red Carpet Country, Green Country (Northeast), Frontier Country (Central), Choctaw Country (Southeast), Chickasaw Country, and Great Plains Country (Southwest).
Shenandoah National Park is a national park in the Eastern United States that encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The park is long and narrow, with the Shenandoah River and its broad valley to the west, and the rolling hills of the Virginia Piedmont to the east. Skyline Drive is the main park road, generally traversing along the ridgeline of the mountains. Almost 40% of the park's land—79,579 acres —has been designated as wilderness areas and is protected as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The highest peak is Hawksbill Mountain at 4,051 feet (1,235 m).
Since 1872 the United States National Park System has grown from a single, public reservation called Yellowstone National Park to include 430 natural, historical, recreational, and cultural areas throughout the United States, its territories, and island possessions. These areas include National Parks, National Monuments, National Memorials, National Military Parks, National Historic Sites, National Parkways, National Recreation Areas, National Seashores, National Scenic Riverways, and National Scenic Trails.
Spencer State Forest is a Massachusetts state forest and recreation reserve located in the town of Spencer, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The 92 mile (148 km) Midstate Trail passes through the state forest. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts also conducts logging in some parts of the property.
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) is a government agency in the executive branch state of Montana in the United States with responsibility for protecting sustainable fish, wildlife, and state-owned park resources in Montana for the purpose of providing recreational activities. The agency engages in law enforcement activities to enforce laws and regulations regarding fish, wildlife, and state parks, and encourages safe recreational use of these resources.
Killahevlin is an historic home located at Front Royal, Warren County, Virginia. It is a large 2+1⁄2-story, Queen Anne-style brick dwelling, built about 1905 for William E. Carson, president of the Riverton Lime Company.
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