The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) is committed to providing effective and high quality technology initiatives internally and externally. DGIF constituents are increasingly tech savvy and expect to find many services online. The department’s new customer centric and integrated Go Outdoors Virginia and boat registration solution is a major online initiative that is expected to reduce costs and increase exposure to, and efficiencies of, agency services to the public. Go Outdoors Virginia has reduced boat application and renewal processing times; allows customers to carry their hunting and angling licenses electronically; and has given the Agency a reference point for data that is an important driver for our R3 efforts, which was not readily available in years past.  

During FY 2019, DGIF continued upgrading its technology infrastructure to the most current platforms for servers and end user PCs, and while realizes efficiencies were able to remove two servers. 

The Commonwealth’s transition to a modern ERP system (Cardinal) also provides the agency with opportunities to revamp and revitalize its internal financial systems.  DGIF is analyzing the integration of enterprise shared services for procurement and human resource management along with budgeting and expenditure functionality found in Cardinal.

DGIF recognizes the need to constantly look for ways to enhance and expand agency services offered to constituents through online or mobile devices. 

The Agency continues to place considerable emphasis on training, career development and workforce transition.  The Team WILD is working on two major initiatives for employee development and mentorship. The Team WILD is working on two major initiatives for employee development and mentorship. The agency is also in formalizing a succession plan. 

DGIF continues to take advantage of leadership development opportunities and consistently nominates staff every year to attend the Commonwealth Management Institute and Virginia Executive Institute through Virginia Commonwealth University, the National Conservation Leadership Institute through the USFWS National Conservation Training Center, and the Virginia Natural Resource Leadership Institute through the University of Virginia. We are in progress of creating a formal nomination process for participation in these development courses.

Operational, education and safety training was conducted or approved in the areas of: prescribed burns, pesticide application, boating safety, Spanish, procurement, human resource management, recruitment and retention, marketing, cultural diversity, volunteer management,  aquaculture, nutrient management, animal diseases, Test & Evaluation species habitat management, vegetation management, law enforcement in service,  marine search and rescue, undercover/covert investigations, field sobriety testing, fish age and growth, stream restoration, habitat modeling, GIS, conservation leadership, species recovery, aquatic and terrestrial wildlife habitat development, supervisory skills and fundamentals, fish passage, floodplain management, bear attack response,  avian trapping and banding, , procurement, contract management, teambuilding, regulatory processes, information security, records management,  forensics, criminal justice, self-defense tactics, canine use and training,  excel, firearms, hunter and boating education instructor, hunting incident investigation, social media, reptile handling, wildlife capture and immobilization,  shooting range development and management, grants coordination, and numerous species specific wildlife management and habitat workshops .  These training opportunities were provided to over 400 department staff. 

The Department is charged to conserve Virginia’s game and inland fisheries resources and to provide opportunities for all to enjoy wildlife, inland fish, boating, watchable wildlife and related outdoor recreation. To address our mission, the Department owns and maintains 42 Wildlife Management Areas totaling over 208,907 acres, has 37 public fishing lakes, owns or partners on 226 public boating access sites and maintains a vast infrastructure system of roads, parking lots, bridges, trails, houses, work compounds, shooting ranges, fishing piers, boat ramps, 64 dams, a large vehicle/equipment fleet, and a variety of wildlife habitats. The Department’s support facilities includes a headquarters facility in Henrico County, 2 leased and 2 owned regional offices, 5 leased office/storage facilities, 4 warm water hatcheries, that hatch and rear warm water fish, amphibians and mollusk species. These stations provide 2-5 million fish for annual stocking in Virginia waters. The Department has 5 cold water hatcheries engaged entirely in trout production, from egg collection, to raising stocking sizes. Over a million trout are reared each year and stocked in the 2,800 miles of trout streams. As the Department begins its next 100 years of service, its aging infrastructure will require continuous maintenance and upgrades to keep facilities operable.  A priority, the Dam Safety Program, is addressing the current 38 regulated dams for public safety. The Department continues renovation and construction of facilities and program areas for accessibility by all Virginians.