Learn more about an often overlooked waterfront property benefit in Virginia, the ability of the waterfront property owner to erect a stationary blind on shore and in the public waters for the purpose of hunting ducks or other waterfowl.
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Environmental Laws & Regulations for Waterfront Properties in Virginia
Residential and commercial waterfront property owners in Virginia enjoy the ambiance and a fantastic view, in addition to a highly valuable set of riparian property rights. These benefits however come at a cost. Residential and commercial waterfront property owners must comply with a complicated web of federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations specifically applicable to waterfront property.
Whether it is the Clean Water Act, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, the Endangered Species Act, the State Water Control Law, the Tidal Wetlands Act, the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, the Coastal Primary Sand Dunes and Beaches Act, or the Submerged Lands Act, these requirements are administered by an arcane and sometimes demanding bureaucracy that uses confusing language and terms, has the power to order owners to make changes to their residential and commercial waterfront property at their own expense, and can impose fines as high as $25,000 per day per violation. In addition, the waterfront property owner caught in an awkward situation may become a media topic with their customers, friends and neighbors learning about it through local newspaper or television stories.
Whatever problem you are facing, Jim Lang and his team of environmental attorneys specialize in providing solutions to waterfront property owners. Whether dealing with public agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, a local government, or litigating matters in state or federal court, our environmental attorneys have the experience to help you.