Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) staff collects and analyzes biological and sociological data relevant to regulatory issues, to include constituent satisfaction survey results, meetings with constituents in groups and individually, and other results of continuous, ongoing feedback from the public.

In early to mid September the DGIF Wildlife Division holds a series of Hunting and Trapping Regulatory Issues Meetings statewide to discuss hunting and trapping issues and solicit the views of the public.

From the data collected and analyzed during the Regulatory Issues Scoping Period, staff develops Hunting and Trapping Regulatory Issues.

Staff may develop Hunting and Trapping Regulatory Issues in either broad terms, or specific terms, as warranted by the issue. Regulatory Issues are a framework to facilitate public discussion of regulatory matters; as such they are open and susceptible to change, not fixed and conclusive. They may be added to, amended, or removed from consideration at any point as deemed appropriate.

Staff mails Hunting and Trapping Regulatory Issues to the Board October 9, 2008.

The first Board meeting in the 2008-2009 Periodic Regulation Review and Amendment Process opens public discussion of the Hunting and Trapping Regulatory Issues developed by staff.

1. Staff presents Hunting and Trapping Regulatory Issues.
2. The Board solicits and receives public comments on the Regulatory Issues.
3. The public may request, and the Board may direct, that Hunting and Trapping Regulatory Issues be added to, amended, or removed for the Public Discussion Period. However, the Board is not asked to take any formal action, such as to approve or endorse, the Hunting and Trapping Regulatory Issues.

A week plus three work days after the initial Board meeting, the Hunting and Trapping Regulatory Issues Public Discussion Period opens, running through January 5, 2009. Regulatory Issues are disseminated by the various means available, including posting on the DGIF website in a format soliciting public comments and discussion.

The channels for submitting public discussion to DGIF are:

1. Public comment at Board meetings. At any intervening Board meetings during the 2008 - 2009 Hunting and Trapping Periodic Regulation Review and Amendment Process, public comments on regulatory matters will be accepted.
2. Staff will meet with constituent groups, local government officials, or other groups to address single or multiple regulatory issues, when such meetings are requested by those parties and staff is available.
3. Mailed letters.
4. Online through the agency website. Comments submitted via the DGIF website will be "transparent," meaning they will be readable online by other users of the website. The comments will be displayed with the citizen's first initial and city and state of residence; not displayed online will be the remainder of the citizen's first name, middle or last name, street address, telephone number, or email address. Citizen comments submitted will be displayed online promptly, but they will be subject to forum rules and may be removed from view online for violation of the rules. Citizens may also submit recommendations for additional issues to be posted on the website for comment from other parties, but such submissions will first be evaluated by staff for their appropriateness as separate regulatory issues. Submissions that are accepted as additional regulatory issues will appear on the website after a delay.
5. Email sent or forwarded to regcomments@dgif.virginia.gov.

The Regulatory Issues may be revised at any time in the Public Discussion Period, as deemed appropriate, whether as a result of comments received or for other reasons.

Staff analyzes and considers the public discussion received on the Hunting and Trapping Regulatory Issues, and develops Staff Proposal-Stage Recommendations for regulation amendments.

Staff mails Proposal-Stage Recommendations to the Board on February 13, 2009.

In the second Board meeting in the periodic regulation review and amendment process:

1. Staff presents its resulting Proposal-Stage Recommendations.
2. The Board solicits and receives public comments on the Proposal-Stage Recommendations.
3. The Board deliberates and votes to propose regulation amendments.

A Public Comment Period in which the department solicits and receives comment on the Board-Proposed Hunting and Trapping Regulation Amendments commences 12 days after the February 27, 2009 "Regulation Proposal" Board meeting, and ends 22 days before the June 2, 2009 "Final Action" Board meeting.

The channels for submitting public comments on Proposed Regulations are the same as those listed for the November 4, 2008 - January 5, 2009 Regulatory Issues Public Discussion Period, except for the following differences:

• In late March to early April 2009, DGIF Wildlife Division holds a series of Hunting and Trapping Proposed Regulation Public Input Meetings statewide to present the proposed regulation amendments and solicit public comments.
• The DGIF website online comment system will solicit, accept, and transparently display citizens' comments on the Board-proposed regulation amendments, but will not be structured to solicit and display citizens' recommendations for additional regulatory actions other than those proposed by the Board.

Staff analyzes and considers the public comments received on the Board-Proposed Regulation Amendments, and develops its Final Recommendations to the Board for regulation amendments.

Staff mails Final Recommendations to the Board on May 19, 2009.

This is the third and final Board meeting in the 2008 - 2009 Hunting and Trapping Periodic Regulation Review and Amendment Process.

1. Staff presents its Final Recommendations to the Board for regulation amendments.
2. The Board solicits and hears public comments on the Proposed Regulations and on Staff's Final Recommendations.
3. The Board deliberates and adopts Final Regulation Amendments.

Final hunting and trapping regulation amendments are submitted to the Registrar of Regulations and disseminated, and the "Hunting and Trapping In Virginia, August 2009 - July 2010 Regulations and Information" booklet is developed, printed, published, and distributed.

The Final Regulation Amendments adopted by the Board on June 2, 2009 become effective. (Changes to the effective dates of hunting and trapping licenses mean that making hunting and trapping regulation amendments effective July 1 is no longer needed or a concern.)

The last date on which the regulation amendments take effect that are adopted in final by the Board of Game and Inland Fisheries on June 2, 2009, ends the 2008-2009 Hunting and Trapping Periodic Regulation Review and Amendment Process.