
Virginia is fortunate to have abundant farms and forestland that sustain the Commonwealth’s economy, rural communities, and overall environmental health. From the mountains to the Bay, intact working farms and managed forests provide substantial benefits to Virginia’s people and natural communities.
Unfortunately, population growth and expansion put these working lands and their benefits at risk. Each year, significant portions of Virginia’s farms and forests are converted to other uses, primarily for development. Conversion of farm and forest acres, as well as the fragmentation of the remaining acres, reduces the potential of the agricultural and forestland base to provide economic, social, and ecological benefits.
The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) is committed to slowing the loss of valuable farm and forestland. Because forest conversion results from the choices of individual landowners, DOF works with landowners to preserve Virginia’s working landscape.
Landowner Options for Working Lands Conservation
Working lands conservation is a landscape-scale effort in collaboration with the individual landowners who steward most of Virginia’s agricultural and forested properties. Your property can be a critical part of conserving Virginia’s beautiful and valuable working farms and forestland, but each family or landowner has unique circumstances and visions for their land. You can find a path to farm and forest conservation that works for you. Conservation doesn’t happen by chance – it takes planning to protect working lands in perpetuity.
The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) Office of Working Lands Preservation (OWL) and our partners offer resources to help landowners take the first steps toward making long-term plans for their properties.
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- Office of Working Lands Preservation – working to preserve working farm and forestlands
- Legacy and Estate Planning – get started planning the future of your land
- Generation Next and Virginia Farm Link – programs to help planning for the next generation
- Century Farm and Forest Recognition – recognizing families for long-term ownership and management of working lands
- Conservation Easements – a tool for conservation of working lands
- Forest Legacy Program – federal funding for forestland conservation
- Virginia Security Corridor – balancing military operations with forest and agricultural lands
- Virginia’s Agriculture Vitality License Plate – support and promote working lands in Virginia
- Environmental Impact Review and Mitigation – balancing economic development with protecting natural resources
 
Get started, contact your local DOF forester for guidance.
Additional Resources
- Learn more about legacy planning for forest landowners.
- Learn more about Virginia’s state forests and how DOF manages state forests to provide conservation benefits.
- Virginia Farm Link
| Image | Title | ID | Description | Content Type | View | hf:tax:document-category | hf:tax:document-tags | hf:tax:Media | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  | An Overview of Forest Carbon Credit Programs in Virginia | VT-CNRE-177P | Woodland owners increasingly hear about opportunities to earn income by participating in emerging forest carbon markets. This Virginia Cooperative Extension publication provides an overview of these markets and introduces the carbon credit programs operating in Virginia. This information is intended to help Virginia’s woodland owners decide if taking part in a forest carbon credit program is a good fit for their management objectives. | Publication | View | forest-management forest | estate-planning forest-legacy | publication | 
|  | Century Forest Application | 10.03 | Application to apply for the recognition in the Century Forest Program. | Form | View | forest | century-forest-program conservation forest-planning land-planning | form | 
|  | Conservation Easements | P00203 | Brochure defines conservation easements and provides information about DOF conservation easements, such as easement requirements, property criteria, benefits of an easement and donating an easement. Printed copies available. | Publication | View | forest | conservation-easements | publication | 
|  | Forest Legacy Program | FT0080 | Forestry topic information sheet provides information regarding the Forest Legacy Program available to landowners for conserving their forestland, including program overview, public purposes, program methodology and application process. | Publication | View | forest | conservation forest-legacy forest-legacy-program | publication | 
|  | Forest Legacy Program Application – Conservation Easement | 10.04 | Application to apply to be considered for the Forest Legacy Program via conservation easement. | Form | View | forest | conservation conservation-easements forest-legacy forest-legacy-program forest-planning land-planning | form | 
|  | Forest Legacy Program Application – Fee Simple Purchase | 10.05 | Application to apply to be considered for the Forest Legacy Program via fee simple purchase. | Form | View | forest | conservation conservation-easements forest-legacy forest-legacy-program forest-planning land-planning | form | 
|  | Forest Legacy Program Application – Property Proposal | 10.06 | Application Property Proposal is to be submitted as a part of the submission package when applying to be considered for the Forest Legacy Program. | Form | View | forest | conservation conservation-easements forest-legacy forest-legacy-program forest-planning land-planning | form | 
|  | Forest Legacy Program Application – Property Proposal – Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Funding Supplement | 10.07 | Application Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Funding Supplement is to be submitted as a part of the submission package when applying to be considered for the Forest Legacy Program during IRA funding application cycles. | Form | View | forest | conservation conservation-easements forest-legacy forest-legacy-program forest-planning land-planning | form | 
|  | Forest Legacy Program Request for Proposals | The Forest Legacy Program assists in protecting important forested lands through conservation easements and fee simple land purchases. Conservation easements allow private individuals to retain ownership while conserving forested lands to protect forested lands, in perpetuity, for future generations. Applications are accepted via requests for proposals. | Document | View | forest | forest-legacy forest-legacy-program | document | |
|  | Forestland Conservation Review 2013-04 | P00210 | Report provides an update on current forest conservation topics in the Commonwealth, such as Forest Legacy Program, DOF conservation easements, Virginia Grown program and more. | Publication | View | forest | conservation conservation-easements generation-next | publication | 
|  | Forestland Conservation Review 2013-12 | P00210 | Report provides an update on current forest conservation topics in the Commonwealth, such as Forest Legacy Program, DOF conservation easements, Virginia Grown program and more. | Publication | View | forest | conservation conservation-easements generation-next | publication | 
|  | Forestland Conservation Review 2014-10 | P00210 | Report provides an update on current forest conservation topics in the Commonwealth, such as Forest Legacy Program, DOF conservation easements, Virginia Grown program and more. | Publication | View | forest | conservation conservation-easements generation-next | publication | 
|  | Forestland Conservation Review 2021-11 | P00210 | Report provides an update on current forest conservation topics in the Commonwealth, DOF conservation easements, Generation Next planning, and more. | Publication | View | forest | conservation conservation-easements generation-next | publication | 
|  | Forests: Providers of Ecosystem Services | P00142 | Brochure provides insight into the other ecosystem benefits that forests provide, such as carbon sequestration, water quality, wetland and species mitigation banking. | Publication | View | forest | conservation ecosystem-services tree-benefits | publication | 
|  | Landowner Options for Forestland Conservation | P00146 | Brochure provides information regarding options available to landowners for conserving their forestland, including use-value taxation, ag and forestal districts, riparian Buffer tax credit, cost-share assistance, conservation easements, purchase of development rights, grants for fee-simple acquisition and easements, and donations of property. Printed copies available. | Publication | View | forest | conservation conservation-easements estate-planning forest-planning | publication | 
|  | Legacy Planning Stories | Stories about how landowners “like me” are ensuring the future of their land. | Publication | View | forest | estate-planning forest-legacy generation-next | publication | |
|  | Legacy Planning… A Guide for Virginia Landowners | CNRE-121 | A comprehensive guide to successful legacy planning for your forestland. | Publication | View | forest | estate-planning forest-legacy generation-next | publication | 
|  | Local Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Program Matching Funds Claim for Reimbursement | 10.08 | Used to request reimbursement for local PDR programs upon the recordation of a deed evidencing the purchase of an agricultural conservation easement. | Form | View | forest | conservation conservation-easements forest-legacy forest-legacy-program forest-planning land-planning state-matching-purchase-of-development-rights | form | 
|  | Open-Space Easement Application | 10.01 | Form | View | forest | conservation conservation-easements easement-application forest-planning land-planning | form | |
|  | Open-Space Easement Landowner Checklist | 10.02 | Form | View | forest | conservation conservation-easements easement-application forest-planning land-planning | form | |
|  | Services for Landowners | P00112 | Brochure provides information about the services available to landowners from the Virginia Department of Forestry, including forest management and forest health, timber harvesting and water quality, land conservation, tree seedling production, and resource protection. Printed copies available. | Publication | View | fire-and-emergency-response forest-health forest-management forest nurseries urban-and-community-forestry water-quality | agency-services conservation forest-health-impacts forest-planning land-planning landowner-assistance seedling-nurseries timber-harvesting water-quality-laws land-water-protection wildfire-prevention wildfire-suppression | publication | 
|  | Tax Tips for Forest Landowners for the 2021 Tax Year | FS-1188 | This USDA Forest Service publication provides tax tips intended to assist forest landowners and their tax advisors in preparing 2021 Federal income tax returns. It can also help plan for future years. This material is for information and educational use only and is not intended as financial, tax, or legal advice. Please consult with your tax advisor concerning your particular tax situation. | Publication | View | financial-assistance-forest-management forest-management forest | estate-planning forest-planning land-planning tax-planning | publication | 
|  | Valuing Virginia’s Forests – Ecosystem Benefits Provided by Our Forests | FT0005 | Forestry topic information sheet provides a brief overview of the indirect benefits, such as ecosystem services, that we derive from our forests. Printed copies available. | Publication | View | forest | conservation ecosystem-services 456233 tree-benefits | publication | 
| Virginia Natural Heritage Data Explorer (DCR) | Interactive maps for conserved lands and forest conservation values. | Resource | View | forest | conservation-easements | resource | ||
|  | Virginia Century Forest Program – Celebrating and Recognizing Family Dedication to Forestry and Conservation | FT0029 | Forestry topic information sheet provides information about the Virginia Century Forest Program, which recognizes those individuals and families who have made a long-term commitment to enhancing the environment and protecting the quality of life for their fellow Virginians through forestry. The Program honors families whose property has been in the same family for 100 years or more and includes at least 20 contiguous acres of managed forest. | Publication | View | forest | century-forest-program 456233 | publication | 
|  | Virginia Forest Cover Map | Map shows the current forest cover in Virginia. Image file. | Map | View | forest-inventory-analysis forest-management forest resource-information | graphics | map | |
|  | Virginia Forest Land Assessment Map | Map shows seven of the most common land uses across Virginia. Image file. | Map | View | forest-inventory-analysis forest-management forest resource-information | graphics | map | |
|  | Virginia Forest Stewardship Management Plan for DOF Easement Property Template | Standard template to be used as a base document with individual information modified as needed and general format and structure to remain consistent. (Microsoft Word Template .dotx file format). | Template | View | forest-management forest | conservation-easements easement-application easement-stewardship forest-planning stewardship | template | |
|  | Woodland Owner Legacy Planning Benefits and Barriers | Summary report of research about the benefits and barriers for landowners in keeping their forestland in tact. | Publication | View | forest | estate-planning forest-legacy generation-next | publication | |
|  | Woodland Owners: The Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting Rule May Apply to YOU! | In September 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued the Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting Rule under the Corporate Transparency Act. This rule requires disclosing the identity of beneficial owners of small business entities beginning on January 1, 2024. | Document | View | forest-management forest | estate-planning forest-legacy | document | 
GIS Data Resources
DOF has made available various GIS data sets – one specifically related to forestland conservation (GIS software required.) The Forest Conservation Value (FCV) is a modeled raster layer (geo tiff format) that identifies high-value conservation forests across Virginia. The current version of the model was produced in 2020. It is meant as a tool to help drive strategic, informed, and targeted decisions about where to focus forest conservation efforts. The model is based on a weighted combination of six component layers (e.g., forest management potential, threat of conversion). A detailed description of the methods used to produce the layer is included in the materials for download.
Contact Us
If you’re unsure where to start, contact your local DOF forester for guidance.
For more information or questions, e-mail us or use our contact form.