The Board for Branch Pilots 240th Anniversary

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

WHEREAS, branch pilots are responsible for the safe passage of ships in Virginia’s major shipping lanes and waterways and to Virginia’s numerous port facilities; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia House of Burgesses enacted the first law regulating branch pilots in 1660; and

WHEREAS, one of the first acts of the Virginia Assembly after it convened in Richmond in 1783 was to recognize the pilotage system; and

WHEREAS, the United States Congress delegated the regulation of pilotage to the states in the Lighthouse Act 1789; and

WHEREAS, the Board for Branch Pilots is celebrating its 240^th anniversary as a regulatory board in the Commonwealth of Virginia in 2023; and

WHEREAS, it is the oldest regulatory board in continuous existence in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the Board for Branch Pilots continues to serve the Commonwealth in regulating pilotage in Virginia and thereby plays a significant role in ensuring Virginia’s waterways remain safe for the public, commerce, and our national defense;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize the 240^th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOARD FOR BRANCH PILOTS in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.

Governor of Virginia

Proclamations