Virginia Department
of Forestry

During this year’s fall fire season, which ran from Oct. 15 to Nov. 30, the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) responded to 156 wildfires that burned nearly 25,000 acres and damaged 13 structures.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) continues to respond to several wildfires across central and southwest Virginia. Since the start of Virginia’s fall
fire season (Oct. 15 – Nov. 30), DOF has responded to 113 wildfires that have burned more than 12,000 acres.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) is pleased to announce that the Throwing Shade VA program, which offers discounts on native trees and shrubs, is growing. In 2024, DOF will expand participation to 10 retail nurseries.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) continues to battle several wildfires in central and southwest Virginia. The largest fire remains in Madison County (Quaker Run Road) with several fires confirmed in the western region of the state.

Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency to assist firefighter response efforts on two wildfires around the state due to dry conditions and high winds, both of which are common during the ongoing fall fire season. These fires may continue to pose a threat to public health and safety. Specifically, two fires—the Quaker Run Fire in Madison County and the Tuggles Gap fire in Patrick County—broke containment lines over the weekend. Additional resources are required to contain these fires and respond to additional fires as necessary.

Executive Order 29 – The Commonwealth of Virginia is experiencing multiple wildfires around the state due to extremely dry conditions and high winds, both of which are common during the ongoing fall fire season. These fires have and may continue to pose a significant threat to public health and safety. Specifically, two fires – the Quaker Run Fire in Madison County and the Tuggles Gap Fire in Patrick County – broke containment lines in recent days.

Firefighters from the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) and partner departments continue containment efforts on the now 390-acre Quaker Run Fire that began Tuesday in Madison County near Syria.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) continues to respond to a wildfire that began Tuesday in Madison County near Syria. The 125-acre fire is located on private land that is steep and difficult to access, which has made containment efforts difficult.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) reminds everyone that the fall fire season has arrived. From now through November, be extra careful when burning yard debris, or enjoying a campfire or backyard fire pit. 

Governor Glenn Youngkin has proclaimed Oct. 16-20 Forest Products Week in Virginia. The proclamation recognizes the numerous products that come from our forests, the vital role they play in our lives, and the more than 100,000 men and women in Virginia who work in the forest industry. 

 Collect, label and drop acorns at any DOF office by Oct. 16. Each fall, acorns cover Virginia’s forests, yards, parking lots and sidewalks. However, most of these acorns won’t grow into trees. That’s where you and the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) come in. 

The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF), in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (USFS), announces the availability of grant funding for the 2023 installment of the Urban and Community Forestry (U&CF) Grant Assistance Program. This program is designed to encourage community projects that promote the protection and enhancement of urban and community forest ecosystems across the Commonwealth. Virginia received a total allocation of $6,600,000, distributed over a four-year period, grants may be awarded to civic groups, communities, local governments, tribal organizations, non-profit organizations, neighborhood associations, public educational institutions, and state agencies. 

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

The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) has announced the availability of approximately $500,000 in grant funding through the end of 2023 for 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.

Hardwood Initiative cost-share and tax credit programs now available. Virginia’s invaluable hardwood forests provide clean air and water, recreation, wildlife habitat, and raw materials used for a wide variety of products. To maximize these benefits and ensure a healthy, sustainable hardwood resource, the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) has established the Hardwood Initiative to promote quality management practices. 

During this annual academy, wildland firefighters and other emergency responders from many agencies and states learn how to respond to wildfires and other disasters. Students also build their field skills with courses such as bulldozer and chainsaw operation. Friday, May 26, 2023, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. RSVP by Tuesday, May 23

The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) is partnering with three Virginia nurseries to launch a new pilot program featuring discounts on native trees and shrubs. “Throwing Shade VA” helps nurseries promote native trees through customer discounts of $25 on eligible trees valued at $50 or more. 

Applications are now open for the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) Emerald Ash Borer Cost-Share Program, which offers cost reimbursement for treating ash trees to protect from the invasive emerald ash borer. Landowners and organizations (including municipalities, not-for-profits, educational institutions and homeowner associations) can apply until June 16. 

 With spring fully underway, the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) wishes to remind Virginians that the 4 p.m. burning law, which restricts open-air burning of any kind until after 4 p.m., remains in effect through April 30. 

Applications are now open for the 75th annual Camp Woods and Wildlife to be held June 19-23 at the Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center near Appomattox. This activity-packed camp is hosted by the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) with support and cooperation from natural resource agencies, organizations and businesses. 

 At approximately 8:30 p.m. on March 9, a Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) employee was killed while fighting a 15-acre wildfire along Lester’s Fork Road near the Roseann community in Buchanan County. 

The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) joins fire departments throughout the Commonwealth to raise awareness about fire safety this spring. Due to weather conditions, available “fuel,” and increased recreational activity, the possibility of wildfires surges this time of year. Last week, several wildfires were contained in western regions of the state.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) 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 (DOF) 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 (DOF) 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, DOF 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 (DOF) 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 (DOF) 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 (DOF) 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 (DOF) 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 DOF’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 (DOF) 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 (DOF) New Kent Conference Center near Providence Forge.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) 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 (DOF) 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 DOF and VCE, helps Virginia landowners make plans to keep forests intact, in forest, and in family.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) 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 (DOF) 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 (DOF) 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 (DOF) 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 DOF 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 (DOF) 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 (DOF) 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 (DOF). 

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 (DOF) are encouraging people to practice safe burning if and when they begin burning yard debris and blown down limbs and trees. The DOF 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 (DOF) 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 (DOF) 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. DOF 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 (DOF) 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 (DOF) 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. DOF 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 (DOF) 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 DOF 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 (DOF) 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 DOF 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.

DOF 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.

DOF in partnership with USDA Forest Service, VDACS, DOF, 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), DOF is offering financial assistance to remove dead or dying ash trees from the public properties.

DOF 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.