Enabled by legislation passed during the 2002 Virginia General Assembly session, the Middle Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority officially began on June 13, 2003 upon the signing of the Operating Agreement by the member jurisdictions: the Counties of Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen, King William, and Mathews; and the Towns of Tappahannock and West Point (Authority by-laws and minutes of the June 13, 2003 meeting).
The Authority members recognize that shorelines are high priority natural areas and that, as population density increases, it is critical that they set aside recreational access sites for all types of recreational activities, such as birding, hunting, fishing, boating, picnicking and sight seeing. These activities are important to our economy and to the citizens of the Commonwealth.
The Authority is charged with the following duties:
1. Identify land, either owned by the Commonwealth or private holdings, that
can be secured for use by the general public as a public access site;
2. Research and determine ownership of all identified sites;
3. Determine appropriate public use levels of identified access sites;
4. Develop appropriate mechanisms for transferring title of Commonwealth or
private holdings to the Authority;
5. Develop appropriate acquisition and site management plans for public access
usage;
6. Determining which holdings should be sold to advance the mission of the Authority;
and
7. Perform other duties required to fulfill the mission of the Middle Peninsula
Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority.