July 16, 2021 -
By Lisa Deaton, DOF Area Forester; contributor: Rod Newlin, DOF Water Quality Engineer The Virginia Department of Forestry has many tools for prescribed burning, from bulldozers that pull fire plows, to UTVs with water tanks, to drip torches, fire rakes, shovels and more. The following two photos are from a dormant season burn of loblolly pine stands at Sandy Point State Forest, with a combined goal of wildlife habitat improvement and... Read More
July 6, 2021 -
Prescribed burn professionals are encouraged to complete training and certification to become a Certified Prescribed Burn Manager. The VA Certified Prescribed Burn Managers Course will be offered virtually on September 21-24, 2021. Registration is open until September 9, 2021 for the Virginia Certified Prescribed Burn Managers Course. Prerequisite work is required. View more information in our Event Calendar.
June 22, 2021 -
Prescribed burn professionals are encouraged to complete training and certification to become a Certified Prescribed Burn Manager. The Virginia Certified Prescribed Burn Managers Course will be offered virtually on September 21-24, 2021. There will be no registration fee. However, there will be requirements prior to the 21st so PLEASE read the info below. BEFORE REGISTERING – Read the following Each participant in this course is asked to adhere to the... Read More
April 19, 2021 -
By Ellen Powell, DOF Conservation Education Coordinator Pleasant Grove Park in Fluvanna County offers a nature-rich experience for visitors and a variety of habitats for wildlife. Behind the scenes, it’s also a model for collaboration between county government and a plethora of partners. DOF has been a part of several education and stewardship projects at the park, including establishment of a tree identification trail, providing trees for planting, and most... Read More
December 29, 2020 -
By Jim Schroering, DOF Longleaf Pine/Southern Pine Beetle Coordinator On a cold but sunny Saturday in December, the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) completed a longleaf pine planting project on their Big Woods State Forest (BWSF). Longleaf pine once covered more than 1,000,000 acres in Virginia, but it is now considered a diminished species. Until 25 years ago, only 200 mature longleaf pines were left in southeast Virginia. Longleaf pine... Read More
February 27, 2020 -
On January 22, the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) successfully conducted a burn on the first of two units (“the Field”) at Whitney State Forest scheduled for prescribed fire in the spring of 2020. (Read What’s Happening at Whitney State Forest? Part One for additional background information.) “A prescribed fire is like a wildfire that happens backwards – meaning, the fire practitioners are able to assess the site, plan for... Read More
January 28, 2020 -
Edited from a December 2019 notice from Whitney State Forest. You may have noticed that the trail along the Shortleaf stand (see map) has been reopened and the trail around the Meadow (see map) has been widened. This is in preparation for prescribed fire that the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) hopes to accomplish this winter or early spring. (Note: The first portion of the prescribed burn took place on... Read More
April 10, 2018 -
by DOF Forester Manij Upadhyay Wildfire is a serious environmental issue in The United States and may cause significant damage to communities and properties. On the other hand, prescribed fire is an essential tool for forest managers. Each year prescribed burns are carried out on thousands of acres of land. You could say fire has two sides. Fire has a bad side because each year large numbers of uncontrolled wildfires... Read More
