Virginia wildlife department changes name

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland fisheries has changed its name to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Officials say the new name is meant to better encompass all wildlife and be more relevant to a wider range of constituents.

The department has already gone through a number of name changes, from the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries when it was formed in 1916 to the Game Commission in 1926, and then back again to its original name in 1987. The new name is intended to be more relevant to constituents who are not hunters or anglers, officials said, and it reflects a change from a focus on hunted species to all wildlife.

“This change in name does not mean less commitment to the hunters, anglers, and boaters whose contributions have made this Department what they are today,” the department wrote in announcing the change. “Instead, it better enables the Department to continue to serve them, while achieving name recognition with the public and attracting new customers.”

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