Accessing the Virginia Coast
In the diverse Virginia coastal zone, only one percent of the shoreline is publicly owned. Providing residents and visitors with sufficient public access to natural resources is therefore challenging. It is important not only to offer access points through publicly owned land, but also to give the public meaningful coastal experiences incorporating Virginia’s maritime heritage and natural wonder.
The content on this website was developed in part by Virginia Sea Grant, Virginia Institute of Marine Science Marine Advisory Services and the Middle Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority (MP-PAA) in order to provide the public with information concerning public access to the tidal waters of Virginia.
Part of the service of our mission is to answer and research public access problems in the Middle Peninsula. Do you have an access problem or question? If so, read on in the sections below or contact us.
Disclaimer
This site is designed to help users understand how the law might apply to their needs. This site does NOT provide legal advice, which is the application of law to someone’s specific circumstances. We recommend you consult a lawyer if you want professional assurance that our information, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation.
With support from the National Sea Grant Law Center, partners from Maine Sea Grant, Maine Coastal Program, The Center for Law and Innovation of University of Maine School of Law, and Island Institute developed the prototype for the derivate site you are now using. The prototype has been translated by Virginia Sea Grant, Virginia Institute of Marine Science Marine Advisory Services, and the Middle Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority to provide content relevant to audiences in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Maine Sea Grant owns the copyright to the prototype site; the adaptations/derivations made here are owned by VIMS Marine Advisory Services and the Virginia Sea Grant program. Neither Maine Sea Grant nor its collaborators are responsible for the content of this derivative site, including the accuracy of any of the legal information contained in this derivative site.