Boaters and Fishers

The Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program (Virginia CZM) identifies marine debris as a high priority issue for enhanced funding during a Section 309 Coastal Needs Assessment & Strategies process. Marine debris work is included under Virginia CZM's FY2011-2025 Ocean Management Strategy.

The Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan (VMDRP) is released by Virginia and Clean Virginia Waterways (CVW). The VMDRP is the second state- level marine debris plan in the U.S. and first on the U.S. East Coast. ADVs are identified as a major source of debris and three (3) associated Actions to address them are included, albeit sometimes combined in references to derelict fishing gear (DFG).

Virginia CZM and CVW begin stakeholder outreach to update the VMDRP for 2021-2025. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginia CZM determines that stakeholder engagement on ADVs can proceed, possibly more efficiently via more frequent virtual meetings.

The Virginia Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Work Group (ADVWG) is established. Virginia CZM and CVW staff serve as co-chairs.

The ADVWG, comprised of over 30 organizations including Federal, Tribal, state, regional, local governments along with industry, environmental NGOs, marinas, and academia meets virtually 27 times. The ADVWG also includes four (4) Subcommittees: Laws & Policy, Funding, Removal & Disposal, and Prevention & Public Education. Virginia CZM and CVW also interview nine (9) other coastal states to learn more about their ADV programs. A law student at the College of William & Mary (W&M) concurrently develops a white paper documenting laws and regulations associated with ADVs in Virginia and other coastal states as well as offering policy recommendations.

Virginia CZM staff develop and maintain a statewide ADV inventory with reports coming from the U.S. Coast Guard, Virginia Marine Police, coastal planning district commissions (PDCs), localities, marinas, and the public. In July 2026, Virginia CZM will transfer the Virginia inventory over to BoatUS Foundation’s MyCoast nationwide ADV inventory, funded by a NOAA grant.

The 2021 - 2025 VMDRP is released. ADVs now account for eight (8) Actions, up from three (3) in the previous version of the VMDRP.

Virginia CZM and CVW share draft report and preview policy recommendations with ADVWG Members.

W&M’s Law School publishes the policy white paper Abandoned & Derelict Vessels in the Commonwealth: How to Improve Virginia’s ADV Program.

Draft ADVWG report is reviewed by state agency leadership and the Secretary of Natural & Historic Resources (SNHR). The final version is released in early July

The Virginia General Assembly (GA) passes the state budget after extended session to negotiate. A budget amendment directing $3 million to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) for ADV removal through state fiscal years 2023-2024 is included in House Bill 30. The funds are not dedicated to a specific VMRC program and are therefore revertible to the General Fund if not spent by June 30, 2024. VMRC is the only state agency with the authority to remove ADVs, with localities being able to do so if they have a specific ordinance in place to do so.

Old Dominion University (ODU) submits grant proposal From Learning to Willing to Doing: A Collaborative Approach to Implementing the Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan to NOAA for $300,000 in funding under the nationwide Marine Debris Community Coalitions Challenge to expand outreach related to ADVs and DFG in Norfolk and Portsmouth. Virginia CZM and CVW are included as advisory partners.

Lynnhaven River NOW (LRN) submits a proposal – Removing Abandoned & Derelict Vessels in Virginia & Building Capacity for a Statewide Removal & Disposal Program - to NOAA for funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) marine debris removal nationwide competition. Virginia CZM and CVW are included as advisory partners.

VMRC develops the Abandoned or Derelict Vessel Program, which allows coastal localities and Virginia Tribes to apply for upfront costs or reimbursements via grants from VMRC.

LRN secures $2,944,135 in NOAA funding (not including $356,875 in non-Federal match) for Removing Abandoned & Derelict Vessels in Virginia & Building Capacity for a Statewide Removal & Disposal Program project.

ODU secures $299,000 in NOAA funding for From Learning to Willing to Doing: A Collaborative Approach to Implementing the Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan project.

VMRC’s Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Program approves 17 grant applications to 11 different localities and one (1) Federally recognized Virginia Tribe for removal of approximately 95 ADVs.

The GA amends state statute to waive the requirement that localities must apply for a vessel’s title from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR). Localities still must attempt to contact the last known owner and advertise the vessel in a local newspaper. However, an ordinance is no longer required for a locality to have authority to remove vessels.

Unspent money in VMRC’s Abandoned or Derelict Vessel Program reverts to the Virginia General Fund.

VMRC reopens the Abandoned or Derelict Vessel Program using extra funds from the Waterway Improvement Fund. The City of Virginia Beach receives funding for removal of several ADVs, the 18 th and final grant application processed by VMRC. The Program then closes once more.

Virginia CZM leads the effort to draft ADV Actions and solicit stakeholder feedback for inclusion in the 2026-2030 VMDRP update. There are again eight (8) ADV Actions, but several previous Actions were combined and new Actions were added. The new Actions continue the focus on vessel removal but also revisit policy recommendations from the 2022 ADVWG report related to ADV prevention.

ODU’s From Learning to Willing to Doing: A Collaborative Approach to Implementing the Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan project concludes. In addition to extensive education and outreach, the foundation for this Marine Debris Hub is created as a Hampton Roads regional marine debris webpage.

LRN’s Removing Abandoned & Derelict Vessels in Virginia & Building Capacity for a Statewide Removal & Disposal Program project concludes, having removed nearly 100 vessels.