Virginia Law

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Chairman" means the chairman of a local wetlands board or his designee.

"Commission" or "VMRC" means the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.

"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Marine Resources or his designee.

"Dune and beach vegetation" means the vegetative species listed in § 28.2-1400 of the Code of Virginia.

"Fetch" means the distance along open water over which wind blows.

"Fiber log" means biodegradable fibrous material often composed of coconut fiber that is formed into rolls of various lengths and thicknesses used for erosion control and as a growing medium.

"Fiber mat" means a biodegradable fibrous material often composed of coconut fiber that is formed into mats of various sizes and thicknesses used for erosion control and as a growing medium.

"Filter cloth" means a geotextile fabric designed to allow water to pass through the membrane while retaining sediments. For purposes of this chapter, filter cloth is typically utilized under sills and marsh toe revetments to minimize settling and along the landward side of marsh toe revetments to minimize sediment loss from the adjacent marsh substrate.

"Grazing protection" means temporary structures consisting of wooden stakes, string lines, netting, and metal cages intended to protect planted wetland vegetation and introduced ribbed mussels from predation.

"Joint Permit Application" means the current Joint Permit Application utilized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Virginia Marine Resources Commission, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and local wetlands boards to evaluate projects involving submerged lands, wetlands, and coastal primary sand dunes and beaches for permit review and any abbreviated application developed specifically for this general permit.

"Living shoreline" means a shoreline management practice that provides erosion control and water quality benefits; protects, restores, or enhances shoreline habitat; and maintains coastal processes through the strategic placement of plants, stone, sand fill, and other structural and organic materials.

"Marsh toe revetment" means an erosion control structure constructed of riprap or shell bags placed immediately channelward of an eroding marsh. A marsh toe revetment is generally utilized to halt the erosion of an existing vegetated marsh that is currently wide enough to provide erosion control benefits.

"Ribbed mussels" means the Atlantic ribbed mussel (Geukensia demissa).

"Riprap" means heavy rock utilized to construct sills and revetments.

"Sand dunes and beaches" means the jurisdictional areas meeting the definitions of coastal primary sand dunes and beaches contained in § 28.2-1400 of the Code of Virginia.

"Sill" means a linear erosion control structure constructed of riprap, shell bags, or other approved material placed channelward of and generally parallel to an eroding shoreline. Sand is often placed landward of the sill to raise the elevation of the substrate and facilitate the establishment of wetlands vegetation.

"Shell bags" means net bags of various sizes filled with oyster or clam shells used for erosion control and as a substrate for other organisms.

"Tidal wetlands" or "wetlands" means the jurisdictional area meeting the definition contained in § 28.2-1300 of the Code of Virginia.

"Unaltered shoreline" means a shoreline segment that does not already have an erosion control structure in place.

"Wetlands board" or "board" means a local wetlands board created pursuant to § 28.2-1303 of the Code of Virginia.

"Wetlands vegetation" means the vegetative species listed in § 28.2-1300 of the Code of Virginia.

"Woven containment bag" means a biodegradable bag generally filled with a mixture of sand, gravel, mulch, and soil and planted with wetlands or beach and dune vegetation.