Virginia Department
of Forestry

DOF reviews large development projects across the Commonwealth for potential impacts to forest resources. DOF will evaluate an individual project’s impacts and submit mitigation recommendations based on the impact a project is expected to have on the local forest resources.

If you have a project for DOF review, email us all materials necessary to understand the size and scope of the project, including maps and/or GIS shapefiles.

Amidst the increasing renewable energy projects, regulations are in place to offset these projects by protecting prime agricultural and forestal lands in Virginia. The Code of Virginia Chapter 60 Small Renewable Energy Projects (Solar) Permit by Rule regulations for solar energy projects require mitigation when the proposed projects have impacts to 10 acres or more of prime agricultural soils or 50 acres or more of contiguous forestland. The required mitigation is a conservation easement on property located in the same mitigation district and at the mitigation ratio established in the regulations. Developers have two options to accomplish the required mitigation:

• Identify a suitable mitigation property and eligible easement holder. These conservation easements shall be consistent with the DOF Guidelines for Forest and Agriculture Conservation (available in additional resources below). DOF will review the draft conservation easement, title report and commitment, and boundary survey should a survey be required.
• Alternatively, an applicant may pay an in-lieu fee. As trustee of the in-lieu fee, DOF will acquire an open-space easement interest meeting the acreage and location requirements of the permit by rule.