Virginia Department
of Forestry

 The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) has announced the awardees for the 2022 Forest Sustainability Fund. One million dollars will be distributed proportionately to 68 Virginia localities to partially offset the reduced real estate tax revenue that results from forestland use taxation. The localities will be able to use these funds for public education, outdoor recreation, or forest conservation. 

 During the recent Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced the results of an economic impact study from the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. Concluding in October, the research found that in 2021, the total economic impact of Virginia agriculture and forestry industries was over $105 billion in total industry output. This total represents an estimated 11.2 percent of entire state’s output. In addition, the total employment influence for these two Virginia industries was 490,295 employees, representing 9.4 percent of total state employment. 

During this year’s fall fire season, wildfires burned more than 2,650 acres and damaged nine homes and structures across the Commonwealth. Suppression efforts by the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) and our firefighter partners are credited with saving more than 150 homes and other buildings, with an estimated protected value of more than $25 million. 

 The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) has announced the creation of its 200th conservation easement in the Commonwealth of Virginia. With the addition of the 1,428-acre property in Wise County known as Pine Mountain, VDOF has now protected 91,597 acres of land, 84,112 acres of forest and nearly 460 miles of streams and rivers. 

 As the days turn cooler and shorter, many Virginians are using firewood to keep warm and spend quality time with friends and family. While seemingly harmless, moving firewood can enable the easy movement of destructive forest and agricultural pests. When firewood is moved from one area to another, the invasive emerald ash borer, spongy moth, Asian longhorned beetle, and spotted lanternfly often “hitchhike” to destroy crops, infect more trees and sometimes even entire forests. 

 Virginia’s fall wildfire season begins Oct. 15. The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) reminds everyone to be extra careful when burning yard debris, or enjoying a campfire or backyard fire pit. 

 Every October the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) offers a wide variety of trees for purchase through its online seedling store. Bred specifically for Virginia’s soils and climate, seedlings are grown and sold directly from the agency’s self-supporting nurseries. 

Beginning this month, the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) will conduct intermittent closures of the Whitney State Forest in Fauquier County for ongoing logging operations. Timber harvest activities of mature loblolly pine, yellow-poplar and black walnut will be occurring across an 18-acre area of the forest over the next several months.

 Want to get out and enjoy Virginia’s fall foliage? To help you get started, the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) collects information on when and where to see the best of autumn’s vibrant colors across the Commonwealth. The agency recommends several driving tours with routes covering parts of northern, western and central Virginia. The fall foliage tours map can be found on VDOF’s website.

 Applications are now open for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG), a federal grant created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The grant is intended to help at-risk, local communities and tribes prepare and mitigate against the risk created by wildfire. 

As the temperatures finally start to drop and we begin our transition into fall, foresters and staff at the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) will soon be busy gathering and sorting this year’s acorn crop in preparation for growing the next generation of trees.

Eastern Virginia landowners new to forest land ownership or forest management are invited to the annual Beginning Woodland Owners’ Retreat, which will be held on September 9-10 at the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) New Kent Conference Center near Providence Forge.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) has announced the availability of approximately $900,000 in grant funding through the current cycle of the Virginia Trees for Clean Water (VTCW) Grant Program. Supported by the Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund, the VTCW Grant Program is designed to improve water quality across Virginia by encouraging tree-planting efforts where they are needed most and raise awareness of their benefits.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) and the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) encourage landowners to make plans – now – for passing on their land to the next generation. The Generation NEXT program, a collaboration between VDOF and VCE, helps Virginia landowners make plans to keep forests intact, in forest, and in family.

nr_The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) has confirmed the presence of the emerald ash borer (also known as EAB), an invasive tree-killing insect, in Gloucester County. Since it was first identified in Virginia in 2008, this destructive forest pest – one of the worst to ever invade the U.S. – has destroyed millions of ash trees. The EAB has now been documented in nearly every county across the Commonwealth.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) and fire departments throughout Virginia are reminding the public about the 4 p.m. burn ban, which begins Tuesday, February 15. The law prohibits burning before 4 p.m. if the fire is in or within 300 feet of woodlands, brush, or fields with dry grass and other flammable materials.

Conservation of longleaf pine, endangered woodpeckers, and the Commonwealth’s managed forests recently received a boost from the USDA Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program (FLP), with the acquisition of more than 640 acres in Sussex County. Through a partnership between the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) and The Nature Conservancy (a private, non-profit conservation organization), the Nottoway Pinelands FLP project expands land holdings critical to longleaf pine forest and red-cockaded woodpecker recovery in Virginia.

The Green Infrastructure Center (GIC) and the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) released a joint study of the benefits and threats facing Virginia’s coastal forests, “Resilient Coastal Forests of Virginia, Overcoming Challenges and Implementing Strategies for a Better Future.” Funded by the USDA Forest Service’s Southern Region, the GIC and VDOF assisted coastal counties and cities with mapping their coastal forests, modeling benefits and evaluating threats they face along with strategies to mitigate or reverse impacts.

 The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) is offering a cost-share program to support the treatment of ash trees. The emerald ash borer (EAB), one of the most destructive forest pests to ever invade North America, attacks ash trees and has already caused millions of dollars in damages as hundreds of millions of ash trees have perished. 

The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) is pleased to announce that the Charlotte State Forest (Charlotte SF), 5,005 acres located in Charlotte County, will open to the public for recreational use beginning April 1, 2022 – just in time for the beautiful spring recreation weather in Virginia.

 The “burn pile” is a common feature on many Virginia properties. Many people use fire as a means of getting rid of yard debris, especially after storms. However, debris burning without the proper precautions in place can lead to burn piles becoming wildfires. “We understand that burning leaves and sticks is a common way of cleaning up your yard. However, if you decide to burn your yard debris, there are certain precautions that should be taken,” said John Miller of the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF). 

Applications are open for Camp Woods & Wildlife, formerly known as Holiday Lake Forestry Camp. The 74th annual camp will be held June 20-24 at Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center near Appomattox. This action-packed camp is hosted by the Virginia Department of Forestry, with support and cooperation from other conservation agencies, organizations, businesses and individuals.

In the wake of recent storms that hit Virginia, officials with the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) are encouraging people to practice safe burning if and when they begin burning yard debris and blown down limbs and trees. The VDOF regulates open burning and there are several rules, regulations, and tips that residents need to follow to stay safe, stay legal, and avoid undesirable impacts from smoke. From February 15th through the end of April, it is illegal to burn BEFORE 4 p.m. if you’re within 300 feet of woods or dry grass leading to the woods.

Governor Ralph Northam, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Bettina Ring and State Forester Rob Farrell will dedicate the Commonwealth’s newest state forest, Charlotte State Forest, Thursday, November 4th, in Charlotte County. This dedication of Virginia’s 26th state forest demonstrates a cooperative effort that will benefit Virginia’s environment and communities. 

The Governor and federal officials signed an historic Shared Stewardship agreement between the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States Department of Agriculture to coordinate a response to the increasing ecological challenges and natural resource concerns throughout Virginia. The memorandum of understanding establishes a framework for state and federal agencies to improve collaboration as they strive toward their mutual goals of reducing wildfire risk and taking action against threats to forest and ecosystem health.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) is again seeking 12 species of acorns and nuts that can be planted at its Augusta Forestry Center [Crimora, Virginia] to grow into tree seedlings that will become the forests of tomorrow.

The Eastern Region of the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) will hold a “tractor-plow” training day for agency staff on Tuesday, September 28, 2021 at the New Kent Forestry Center, 11301 Pocahontas Trail, Providence Forge, VA 23140. VDOF tractor-plow units are bulldozers with fire-plows attached to the back that build firelines. This training will focus on basic elements of tractor-plow operations, to include learning to care for transport trucks and tractor-plows, driving the transport, unloading and loading the bulldozer, plowing and blading firelines, driving bulldozers through an obstacle course, and using a winch.

Governor Ralph Northam today announced the dedication of the Charlotte State Forest, opening the first publicly-accessible state land in Charlotte County. The 5,004 acre state forest is Virginia’s 26th state forest in the Commonwealth. The Virginia Department of Forestry will sustainably manage the forest under Sustainable Forestry Initiative and American Tree Farm Standards, conserving key habitat areas and providing new public access to outdoor recreation activities.

The 2021 Fire Season is upon us, and the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) is urging Virginians to learn about Wildfire Prevention and to take precautions if they are planning to burn debris this fall. 

As wildfire ravages many areas of the West this summer, Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) personnel from across the Commonwealth have accepted assignments to assist with fire suppression efforts. The Department has deployed thirty-nine people to serve as ground forces on fire line crews or as support staff in fire management roles throughout the west. VDOF personnel are joining other Virginia firefighters from the USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Southwest Virginia landowners can learn more about actively managing their forestland during the Beginning Forest Landowners’ Retreat, planned for August 27-28, 2021 at the Matthews State Forest in Galax.

For most people, selling timber is a once in a lifetime opportunity. People may choose to sell their timber for a variety reasons including financial/income, trees in poor health, providing access, among other reasons. For a forester, harvesting timber is only part of the equation. Having a plan for what will happen afterwards is the other, often missing, key component. Timber harvesting practices affect what grows back in the future, so plan your forest’s future before you cut.

The National Weather Service has elevated its forecast from a Wildfire Weather Watch to a Red Flag Warning in many places today. This increase is in reaction to a drop in humidity, warmer temperatures, dry fine fuels, and predicted winds and gusts in front of the approaching cold front. This cold front will bring relief in the form of moisture Friday going into the weekend; however, conditions today will be critical.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) and the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) encourage landowners to make plans for passing on their land to the next generation – right now. The Generation NEXT program is a collaboration between VDOF and VCE that helps Virginia landowners keep forests intact, in forest, and in family. Generation NEXT is hosting two low-cost virtual legacy planning series this year – in April and September – to help landowners take the first steps and clarify some of the misconceptions about the legacy planning process that might prevent people from getting started.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) and the Meadowview Biological Research Station (MBRS) recently acquired land that expands an existing conservation easement on the Joseph Pines Preserve in Sussex County. The 196-acre purchase by MBRS increases the preserve property to nearly 428 acres. The easement, donated to VDOF by MBRS, includes the entire preserve.

In Virginia, spring brings increased wildfire potential and a greater threat for escaped fires. Virginia’s spring wildland fire season and accompanying 4 PM Burning Law officially begin Monday, February 15. The law prohibits burning before 4 p.m. each day between February 15 and April 30 if the fire is in, or within 300 feet of woodland, brush or fields containing dry grass or other flammable materials.

In Virginia, spring brings increased wildfire potential and a greater threat for escaped fires. Virginia’s spring wildland fire season and accompanying 4 PM Burning Law officially begin Monday, February 15. The law prohibits burning before 4 p.m. each day between February 15 and April 30 if the fire is in, or within 300 feet of woodland, brush or fields containing dry grass or other flammable materials.

The Conservation Fund transfers more than 2,500 acres to the State, ensuring sustainable forest management, protecting wildlife habitat and water quality, and providing recreational access. This property will become the Charlotte State Forest.

VDOF is again seeking 12 species of acorns and nuts that can be planted at its Augusta Forestry Center to grow into tree seedlings that will become the forests of tomorrow.

VDOF in partnership with USDA Forest Service, VDACS, VDOF, and USDA-APHIS will deploy Urban Forest Strike Team members for rapid data collection of an invasive pest – spotted lanternfly.

In respose to statewide decline of ash trees due to the introduction of the emerald ash borer (EAB), VDOF is offering financial assistance to remove dead or dying ash trees from the public properties.

VDOF invites teens to learn in the great outdoors this summer! Nominations are now open for 2020 Camp Woods and Wildlife held in June at Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center near Appomattox, Virginia.

The Commonwealth’s 4 p.m. Burn Law goes into effect February 15. This law prohibits burning before 4 p.m. each day between February 15 and April 30 if the fire is in, or within 300 feet of, woodland, brush or fields containing dry grass or other flammable materials.