RICHMOND, VA- The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is seeking public review of the draft 2023–2032 Virginia Black Bear Management Plan through September 5, 2023. The first Bear Plan, completed in 2001, has been revised twice through the involvement of public stakeholders and managers of bears in Virginia. Because DWR's mission includes managing "wildlife populations and habitat for the benefit of present and future generations," it is important that the process used to develop and revise the Bear Plan incorporates both public values (e.g., economic, sociological, cultural) and biological considerations. 

The revised Bear Plan will guide bear management across the Commonwealth through 2032. This plan describes the history of black bear management, current status of bears and bear management programs, and the future of bear management in Virginia. The plan provides a framework of what needs to be done and how it should be done. 

Guided by the DWR mission, the Bear Plan includes a mission statement and six goals that address the areas of populations, habitat, recreation, human-bear conflicts, and bear health and welfare. Specific objectives help guide the attainment of each goal. Potential strategies then clarify how each objective could be achieved, but without delving into the operational details. This plan will provide clarity and direction on the goals of bear management in Virginia for the next decade to the DWR Board of Directors, DWR administrators and staff, agency partners, and the public. 

For more information on bears in Virginia, please visit: dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/bear/