Ban on activating Virginia WMAs

Activating
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Late last week word came out that the Commonwealth of Virgina’s Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and State Fishing Lakes have been marked inactive on pota.app and are no longer part of the POTA program. W4BKR’s Facebook announcement is reproduced below.

So far there’s only been speculation and accusations as to why, but the Commonwealth is now rejecting applications for special-use permits for non-sporting activities like ham radio. A permit is required to enter the areas.

I have mixed feelings about this. In Massachusetts, the size and condition of WMAs varies wildly – I’ve operated everything from one-acre cutouts on the side of a major road to large, well-maintained parcels that could easily be designated a state park. All of them had active hunting seasons. I’ve activated sites where there was live shotgun fire just one field over during pheasant season.

Should hams be in these places? My guess is that when the transition from National Parks On The Air (NPOTA) was made, the POTA organizers decided to try to level the playing field a bit by relaxing the NPOTA rule about what counts as a ‘park’. In NPOTA, it was just state and national parks. I think the result ended up being a bit of a mess, with individual map reps having a good amount of autonomy in deciding what is and isn’t a “park”. My Massachusetts map rep for some reason lives in the midwest, and I’m not sure they’ve actually seen any of the parks they manage. I don’t know why the MA map rep isn’t living in MA.

My ambivalence results from enjoying most of the WMAs that I visit. I think it’s really good for people to get out and experience the open public spaces that we have available to us, and some of the WMAs I’ve been in are really lovely. I hike. lot, but it wasn’t until I because active in POTA that I started to pay attention to the WMAs arounds me.

Anyway, here we are with a bit of mess in Virginia. I won’t be surprised if we see a few other states impose similar rules. It’ll be interesting to see if the story comes out of whatever the tipping point was down there.

Here is the text of W4BKR’s announcement on Facebook:

Hey POTA folks—your friendly Virginia Map Guy checking in.
Unfortunately, I’m here with some disappointing news. As of today, all Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and State Fishing Lakes in Virginia have been set to inactive in pota.app. These locations are no longer valid for activation. This decision was not taken lightly, nor was it made by me alone.

Why this happened

Over the past year, there has been a growing pattern of activators being approached by conservation officers at several WMAs—and nearly every State Fishing Lake—and told to leave due to not having a required Special Use Permit (SUP). After personally looking into the SUP process and attempting to obtain one for my own planned activation, the request was denied. The reason: amateur radio activity is considered outside the intended purpose of these areas.

Further conversations confirmed that future SUP requests for amateur radio would also be denied, making it clear that there was no viable path forward to keep these parks active. With no workable compromise and no indication this restriction will be temporary, the decision was made to deactivate them statewide.

Addressing the expected questions

Some WMAs never experienced issues. Some individual activators had entirely positive interactions. Unfortunately, we can’t selectively keep a few parks active while others are closed. Eventually, even the “quiet” WMAs would face the same SUP denials, and continuing activations could lead to fines and—more importantly—damage the reputation of amateur radio.
This change is meant to prevent that kind of fallout before it spreads further.

A few reminders for responsible activation elsewhere

These points aren’t new, but they’re worth keeping in mind to minimize our footprint and maintain good relationships with land managers:

  • Keep your footprint small. Avoid large antenna fields or big setups. Vehicle-based stations (hamsticks, mag-mounts, etc.) are ideal.

  • Be mindful of timing and impact. Consider seasons, sensitive habitats, and the primary purpose of the land you’re operating on.

  • Stay respectful during interactions. Most officials aren’t familiar with amateur radio. A positive encounter helps all of us.

  • If asked to pack up, don’t argue. Show any permits or documentation you have, but don’t escalate. A bad interaction can have long-term consequences.

  • Report issues to your state mapping representative. We rely on your feedback. If we don’t know about recurring problems at a park, we can’t work to address them.

I’ll keep comments open as long as the discussion remains constructive.

73,
W4BKR

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Actually we have no Autonomy in deciding what is and what is not a park. As a map rep we have to agree to a 13 page document detailing what can be and what can not be a park. We agree to follow the rules on that document or we take a hike. Plain and simple. Map reps have been removed for going rouge and the parks deactivated. The biggest reason for your map rep not living in MA. is no one in MA wanted it or volunteered. I live in Georgia and currently the rep for New Mexico…..Why…..because the previous rep agreed as a favor and never did anything with the state. I had to deactivate a park just last year and its not an easy decision to make. but based upon the totality of the circumstances and in the best interests of pota, it was deactivated.

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That’s so interesting, Wayne. I think most of us have no idea how any of the process works or what map reps even do. Clearly I don’t. I will say that I sent the MA rep a note offering help with boots in the ground, since he wasn’t even in New England, and got an ‘all good, thanks’ reply. Maybe he’s all good.

Any chance I could talk you into a short article for PN&R about how it all works? Or even just discuss it here, I think it’d be really helpful for folks to get an idea of what’s involved.

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If you want to discuss it here, I will answer what I can. As far as an article, I am not very good at that.

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Cool! I have zero idea of what a map rep does. Are you actively managing your map area, looking for new references and checking existing ones for changes, or is it more that you are responding to requests from folks in your map area?

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When I took over NM in 2024 I was actually planning a trip to that state to conduct a pota rove. When I was in the planning stage I found out that a lot of units were not in the database. Long story short and numerous emails later I am the rep.

As far as your question, After adding a bunch of new units I am now starting to go through the park list to update any info or pin locations as needed. So far, I believe I have located and added all their is with the exception of a few I am still deciding on. I am planning another pota rove to New Mexico in early 2026 and I will be able to determine if the areas are ok after seeing them.

I always encourage and have relied on info and requests from activators that actually live in the state. As an example……I added a couple of new units just recently and emailed the activators that were the first to activate those areas for any intel to add to the pota info page.

when I first took it over, I gathered all the webpages I could find for the different agencies and cross referenced ownership, management etc etc. along with google earth and maps to double check locations (pins). Once the database is undated its quite easy to maintain it. I also watch all the different social media pages related to anything pota which could indicate an issue.

It may sound like a lot, but once done, its easy to maintain.

Hope that answers some of your questions. N3CDF

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Plus I also manage a facebook page for New Mexico Pota. https://www.facebook.com/groups/792489406372136

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Is there a copy of the POTA management guideline document publicly available anywhere?

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Everything that is available is on the pota site..

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I did three activations at never before activated sites in Eastern Montana back in November; hunting season in WMA. (I stayed in my pull-me-over-red F-150). Both entrances to the areas had a sigh informing visitors that if you were hiking or doing other activities that were not hunting or fishing, you ha to get a conservation state permit. Did mine online, charged $8 for a day pass to the state’s WMA lands.

Was working contacts when I was accosted by the gane warden. He asked me what I was doing, informed, and got the puzzled look I’ve come to expect with people not used to Hams, especially outside their shacks. He did ask for my conservation permit, which I showed, and all was good; just be mindful of hunters. “No problem.”

Went to my second site to activate, and around nightfall, the sane warden appeared. We talked so more, explained further what I was doing and what POTA is.

Oddly enough, last month, Montana sent me my $8 back as a refund.

Why on earth can’t Virginia do the same? To consider that doing Radio isn’t a sport is outright based in ignorance when all one has to do is search YouTube for POTA operators that go on hikes to activate. If they’re worried about large vehicles or large vehicle gatherings, honestly they should be more concerned of teens and twenty-somethings with their bro-trucks recreating their favorite country music videos. (And the left-over spors I’ve come across of those while hunting or hiking has always made me shake my head—some people’s children).

If its the concern of bringing undo environmental pressures for managed wildlife, that still doesn’t pass muster considering that hiking is approved. If the concern lies with the footprint of equipment, the solution is in stating what is permissible to use and not. As hams, we have many tools on our tool boxes that activating can be done while leaving no trace. If hunters (bang-bang types, not POTA ones) or photographers can use tripods for their long guns or long lenses radio operators can to the same with their antennas. We just may be limited to verticals or shoppers.

In the current evolution of the matter, however, its has to be up to not onlyVirginian HAMs, but also POTA and the POTA community as a whole to counter this. The first order is to talk with the Virginia legislature delegates. Letters explaining what POTA is and what we do, and can do to be good shepards of the areas needs to be explained. Its how ignorance is reversed.

Trying to keep this apolitical as possible, I’m apprehensive to bring up point that involves the term “sporting” and how it is defined. By that, it cant be…the meaning and use is always subjected to change. Take it from me…I’m a gun guy. It is meant to subjugate rights and privileges to an arbitrary set of rules that change on the wind. I say this because HAM radio has become an outlet where I dont have to worry about such language/term being used to hamper an activity i enjoy. Its already taken the pleasure out of one already.

But, digressing back to what can, and frankly should be done: the POTA community and Virginians as a whole. I dont want to overstep in saying POTA isn’t on top of this, but I dont know where they stand as an advocacy group. If they are working in this capacity in Virginia, all the better. If they are new to it, again, take it from a gun guy, advocy and lobby can be crucial. Just having information for POTA members to send to their representatives can mean a big deal. If its a cost measure due to jacklegs—I mean needed lawyers—, or a lobbying campaign, placing a donation tab and goal can be easily achieved just from the large group of operators POTA has.

Its really a matter of standing-to and asserting an activity that is no more than hiking, or sitting in a vehicle and being outdoors. If its the aspect of voice and electronic noise, im sure a solution can be found. The last thing POTA as a whole should do is have an “Oh shucks” attitude, and just let the denial stand. First off, it has been unduly placed on us, and furthermore, with the sporting language used, it can be a more pervasive means to restrict other activities, and not just ours. Again, take it from…I’m a gun guy.

Nip it in the bud, Andy.