Where is the Dragon Run SAMP?

The Special Area Management Plan (SAMP) spans the entire 140 square mile (90,000 acres) Dragon Run Watershed on the Middle Peninsula of Virginia, including portions of the counties of Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen, and Middlesex.

Watershed map

Who is participating in the Dragon Run SAMP?

The Dragon Run SAMP Director, a watershed planner at the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission in Saluda, is coordinating SAMP activities. Project co-sponsor, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, along with other state agencies and representatives from diverse interests in each of the four counties in the watershed, Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen, and Middlesex, are actively participating in the planning. The process is open and anyone who wishes to participate is welcomed and encourage to join the group.

List of participants

Why is the Dragon Run SAMP being undertaken?

The Dragon Run Steering Committee, composed of elected officials and landowners from each county, asked the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission staff to pursue funding to focus and coordinate efforts within the watershed to protect the Dragon Run. In partnership with the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission officially began the Special Area Management Plan (SAMP) in January 2002. The project's mission, as defined by the SAMP Advisory Group, is to support and promote community-based efforts to preserve the cultural, historic, and natural character of the Dragon Run, while preserving property rights and the traditional uses within its watershed.

Project Goals

When will the Dragon Run SAMP be completed?

The SAMP is slated for 5 years starting in January 2002. However, it will be the responsibility of the local governments and community members to implement the principles and components of the SAMP.

How does the Dragon Run SAMP work?

The Special Area Management Plan began with planning forums in December 2001 and January 2002 for stakeholders in the watershed. Their purpose was to raise many different issues and perspectives about the future of the Dragon Run Watershed. Currently, the Dragon Run Steering Committee and its Advisory Group, consisting of local government, landowners, non-profits, industry and business, educators, and state agencies, has developed goals and is working on action plans to achieve those goals. The goals form the basis of a Memorandum of Agreement that has been signed by the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission and the counties of Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen, and Middlesex. The signatories agree to participate in the Dragon Run SAMP and to consider the Steering Committee's recommendations to achieve the project's goals.

Meeting minutes

Memorandum of Agreement