- How do I print a report without the menu and header?
Follow normal methods to display a report on your screen.
- Click "Show This Page as Printer Friendly" line at the bottom of the gray menu area.
- Use your browser feature "Page Preview" found under the browser "File" drop-down menu.
- Set the preview "Scale: Shrink to Fit".
- Print.
- Go back by clicking the browser "Back" arrow.
- In my own web site, may I include a link to a BOVA species booklet?
Yes, but this method may change without notice:
First you need to determine the code number for your species of interest.
As an example, 050049 can be found as the Species Code for red fox (Vulpes vulpes fulva)
by using "Species Information By Name", searching "fox",
and finding the row where common name is "Fox, red".
Construct your URL as
- Why use the Virginia Fish and Wildlife Information Service (VaFWIS)?
VaFWIS is designed to meet needs of DWR's Environmental Services Section to formulate initial impact assessments
on wildlife resources for project sites.
Planners can perform preliminary site assessments to discover potential occurrence of wildlife
for which DWR requires that project activities meet regulatory requirements.
VaFWIS is used to provide information about Virginia's wildlife to educators,
other state agencies, Federal agencies, landowners, wildlife enthusiasts, school children, non-profit groups,
private industry, private engineering and private consulting firms.
Information in VaFWIS includes
species' distributions across Virginia,
inland waters where DWR may regulate certain activities,
areas of predicted habitat for some species,
and other geographical information about the Commonwealth.
There are over twenty databases and map sources used by VaFWIS
to provide users with current information about Virginia's fish and wildlife.
- Why does the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (VDWR) manage this system?
The VDWR is mandated to protect Virginia's wildlife.
One of the ways we have chosen to do that is by making information about these species
available to those who need it through VaFWIS.
- What is the definition of "wildlife"?
The Code of Virginia states that wildlife includes any species in the animal kingdom.
So, this means that the VDWR has jurisdiction over fish,
birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, mollusks, other terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates.
VDWR has jurisdiction over all insects
except those listed as threatened, endangered or candidate.
- Who protects threatened, endangered and candidate listed insects?
The
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS).
- Who protects plants?
Threatened and endangered plants are managed by VDACS.
All other plants are responsibility of the
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
- Are plant and insect data available through VaFWIS?
Data regarding insects that are not designated threatened, endangered, or candidate are maintained by DWR.
Any Data available in VaFWIS concerning insects that are designated threatened, endangered, or candidate
and any plant data
originate from the VDACS or VDCR and are restricted for use in VaFWIS to DWR agency biologists.
Please contact
VDACS
and DCR .
- Are there species booklets for plants and threatened and endangered insect species?
Some T&E insects; No plants.
- What are the differences between the access levels?
- Visitor: These users have limited access to the data.
They are able to view species information and perform geographic searches and map identified resources,
but are not able to view species locations on a map or perform database queries.
When performing searches, they are limited within a 3-10 mile search radius.
These users do not log in to the system.
-
Login access is restricted to VDWR Clients
designated by the Deputy Director of Statewide Resources, Bureau of Wildlife Resources.
- Institution: These users have much greater access to the data.
They are able to access species information, perform geographic searches,
and perform database queries.
When performing geographic searches, these users are limited within a 2-15 mile search radius,
they see buffered (800 meter, offset) threatened and endangered species locations,
and they cannot view species comments located in observation records.
Institution clients cannot view data provided by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
- Biologist: These users have high access to the data.
They are able to perform every VaFWIS search function and view all records
except those data provided by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
They are able to see exact species location information and perform more specific queries.
- PBRWind: These users register for access
relevant to small wind energy projects under "Permit By Rule" restrictions
coordinated with the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
When performing small wind energy project searches, they have high access to the data.
They are able to perform VaFWIS Geographic Search functions and view all records
except those data provided by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
- DWR Biologist: These users have the highest access to the data.
They are able to perform every VaFWIS data search function and view all records.
They are able to see exact species location information and perform more specific queries.
This access level is used by Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources biologists.
- Administrator: These users have the highest access to the data.
Administrators are able to perform every VaFWIS data search function and view all records.
Administrators are able to see exact species location information and perform more specific queries.
Administrators are able to register logins and see reports concerning the use of VaFWIS.
Administrators are able to initiate editing of BOVA Booklets.
- Where do the data come from?
There are multiple sources for the data associated with VaFWIS.
Some databases are from internal sources such as the Scientific Collections database
and the Anadromous Fish Use Areas.
Bald Eagle Nest data is provided with cooperation between DWR and the Center for Conservation Biology.
Whereas others such as the USGS Geographic Names and topographic maps
are subsets of data collected and compiled nationally.
The information contained in the Biota of Virginia (BOVA) booklets for each species
is compiled from numerous literary references.
References for each chapter are listed at the end of the chapter.
For specific information about each database,
please refer to the "database descriptions" located in the Appendix of the user manual located in
the "Help" section and under "Data Descriptions and Metadata".
- Biota of Virginia (BOVA) - Aquatic and Terrestrial biologists, Fish and Wildlife Information Services Section, Statewide Resources, Bureau of Wildlife Resources, DWR
- Species Observations ( SppObs, Colonial Waterbirds, Bald Eagle Nests ) - GIS group, Fish and Wildlife Information Services Section, Statewide Resources, Bureau of Wildlife Resources, DWR
- Bat Colonies - Terrestrial biologist and GIS group, Fish and Wildlife Information Services Section, Statewide Resources, Bureau of Wildlife Resources, DWR
- Anadromous Fish Use Streams - Aquatic biologist and GIS group, Fish and Wildlife Information Services Section, Statewide Resources, Bureau of Wildlife Resources, DWR
- Impediments to Anadromous Fish Streams - Aquatic biologist and GIS group, Fish and Wildlife Information Services Section, Statewide Resources, Bureau of Wildlife Resources, DWR
- Trout Streams - Aquatic biologist and GIS group, Fish and Wildlife Information Services Section, Statewide Resources, Bureau of Wildlife Resources, DWR
- Threatened and Endangered Species Waters - Aquatic biologist and GIS group, Fish and Wildlife Information Services Section, Statewide Resources, Bureau of Wildlife Resources, DWR
- Bald Eagle Concentration Areas and Roosts - Terrestrial biologist and GIS group, Fish and Wildlife Information Services Section, Statewide Resources, Bureau of Wildlife Resources, DWR
- Predicted Habitat for Aquatic species Tier I & II - Aquatic biologist and GIS group, Fish and Wildlife Information Services Section, Statewide Resources, Bureau of Wildlife Resources, DWR
- Predicted Habitat for Terrestrial species Tier I & II - Terrestrial biologist and GIS group, Fish and Wildlife Information Services Section, Statewide Resources, Bureau of Wildlife Resources, DWR
- Breeding Bird Atlas (Virginia Society of Ornithology-BBA) - GIS group, Fish and Wildlife Information Services Section, Statewide Resources, Bureau of Wildlife Resources, DWR
- Dept. Conservation and Recreation Natural Heritage (DCRNH) - Va. Dept. Conservation and Recreation, Natural Heritage Information Manager
- Public Land Holdings - Virginia Geographic Information Network
- Watersheds - U.S. Geologic Survey
- Geographic Names - U.S. Geologic Survey
- Road Center Line - Va. Dept. Transportation
- Topographic maps - U.S. Geologic Survey - http://terraserver-usa.com
- Topographic maps - TOPO! National Geographic
- Topographic Index map - U.S. Geologic Survey
- River Reach map - U.S. Geologic Survey
- Aerial Photography - Virginia Geographic Information Network
- HydroUnit Map - GIS group, Fish and Wildlife Information Services Section, Statewide Resources, Bureau of Wildlife Resources, DWR
- HydroDrain Map - GIS group, Fish and Wildlife Information Services Section, Statewide Resources, Bureau of Wildlife Resources, DWR
- GAP habitat map - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Conservation Management Institute at Virginia Tech, and VaFWIS, Fish and Wildlife Information Services Section, Statewide Resources, Bureau of Wildlife Resources, DWR
BBS (North American Breeding Bird Survey) is no longer available on VaFWIS but may be found at
http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs.
CBC (Audubon Christmas Bird Count) is no longer available on VaFWIS but may be found at
http://birds.audubon.org/christmas-bird-count.
- How often are the data updated?
The Scientific Collections and BOVA databases are updated monthly.
Staff at VDWR is continuously entering collections records
and updating the information contained in the species booklets.
The other databases, such as Threatened and Endangered Species Waters, are updated as new data are made available.
Some of the surveys are performed annually,
others bi-annually, and so on.
Data from these surveys are therefore made available at different times and rates during the year.
VDWR keeps the data as current as possible.
- Who do I contact if I get a "hit" in my project area for a threatened or endangered species?
For wildlife species including invertebrates, you need to contact VDWR's Environmental Services Section, at 804-367-6913.
For insects, you need to contact VDACS's Plant Protection Biologist, Keith Tignor at 804-786-3515.
Please view our
How do I get a copy of the user manual and appendix?
Documents are available online through VaFWIS from the "help" link
in the navigation menu on the left side of the screen.
There is a link "All VaFWIS Help Pages Combined" that is the current "manual".
An appendix "Database Descriptions and Field Definitions" is provided in .PDF format for easy downloading and printing.
- How often is the manual updated?
Changes and enhancements will continue to be made to VaFWIS as new GIS layers and data sets become available.
Help pages are updated when changes are made to the system and when clients suggest or provide enhancements.
- What web browsers are supported?
This website requires your browser to have JavaScript enabled.
This website does not require your browser to accept cookies for "Visitor" access.
This website requires your browser to accept cookies from this website for "Login" privileged access.
This website can be viewed using the latest version browsers:
- Chrome from Google
- Firefox from Mozilla
- Internet Explorer* from Microsoft
- Opera from Opera Software
- Safari from Apple
* - mapping (JavaScript) functions perform slowly in IE browsers, IE version 8 is better than 7 or 6.
- What do I do if I have comments, my login doesn't work, I want to get a login or have questions about the data?
Contact by email at vafwis_support@dwr.virginia.gov.