Friends,
We’ve seen meaningful progress over the last few months, with support from the Northumberland County Board of Supervisors, continued coordination across the region, and NNPDC moving forward with the engineering and permit work. Your involvement has helped keep this effort moving.
The next major step is gaining state-level support in the 2026 Virginia General Assembly.
Delegate Hillary Pugh Kent has been actively engaged in discussions, and now is the moment for all of us to help make this a priority for our lawmakers.
📌 What We’re Asking You to Do
Please email your Virginia Delegate (and your Senator, if you wish) and ask them to support a General Assembly resolution recognizing the urgent need to dredge and repair the Little Wicomico River Jetty at Smith Point.
➡️ If you live in District 67 (Northumberland/NNK):
Write to Delegate Hillary Pugh Kent
Richard H. Stuart
VA Senator, District 25
Finance and Appropriations Committee
➡️ If you live in another district in Virginia-let your voice be heard! Support across the General Assembly matters to obtain the required funding for this project.
Write to your Delegate and share why this waterway matters to you — whether for boating, fishing, tourism, heritage, or local economic vitality.
Sample letters are included in the Advocacy Packet attached to this update--separate templates are provided for Property Owners, Smith Point Sea Rescue Volunteers (personal capacity), Commercial Oyster Growers and Watermen, Charter Captains, and Visitors and Recreational Users.
Please scroll through the letters and select the one you wish, copy and paste and send-either via paper letter or email--and send by December 20. We want to make sure they are in place to show our support for this project.
💡 Why This Matters
A General Assembly resolution is a key step that helps unlock funding opportunities during the February 2026 Virginia Waterway Maintenance Fund cycle and strengthens federal and state requests already underway. This support directly affects:
Safety at the Chesapeake Bay–Potomac confluence
Smith Point Sea Rescue’s ability to operate
Local charter captains, marinas, and watermen
Oyster growers and working waterfront businesses
Access for residents, visitors, and VA250 heritage tourism
Your voice is powerful — and your email could be what tips the scale.
📝 What’s Next
We will continue updating you as the permit work, design phase, and funding efforts move forward. The community’s unity and persistence are making a real difference.
Letter templates are located here:
Advocacy Letter Templates for VA General Assembly
Thank you for being part of this effort. Together, we are moving this project closer to reality.