Homeowner Assistance for Urban and Community Forestry

The Virginia Department of Forestry Urban and Community Forestry program supports homeowners across the Commonwealth as they establish and maintain their trees. The benefits of trees to the environment and quality of life are clear – even yard trees contribute to human health, improved water quality, energy savings, and reducing heat.

Managing trees in the yard, and in urban and suburban environments can sometimes be overwhelming. The DOF provides professional forestry assistance to help homeowners manage their tree resources through education, advice, and connecting homeowners with appropriate resources.


Additional Resources

ImageTitleIDDescriptionContent TypeViewhf:tax:document-categoryhf:tax:Media
Hardwood Planting Guide
Hardwood Planting GuideP00137

Brochure illustrates and explains proper planting techniques for planting bare-root hardwood seedlings. Printed copies available.

Viewnurseriespublication
Pine Planting Guide
Pine Planting GuideP00117

Brochure illustrates and explains proper planting techniques for planting bare-root pine seedlings. Printed copies available.

Viewnurseriespublication
Planting Instructions for Your Loblolly Pine Seedling Plug - Tips for Success
Planting Instructions for Your Loblolly Pine Seedling Plug – Tips for SuccessFT0030

Forestry topic information sheet provides instructions for proper planting of a loblolly pine seedling plug.

Viewnurseriespublication
Rain Gardens
Rain GardensP00124

Brochure educates landowners on options available to resolve issues with excess drainage from roofs, gutters, sidewalks, and roads, eliminating soil erosion, improving the quality of water, and how to put nature to work for you. Printed copies available.

Viewurban-and-community-forestry water-qualitypublication
Rain Gardens: Technical Guide
Rain Gardens: Technical GuideP00127

Technical guide provides detailed instruction for homeowners, teachers, community leaders, gardeners and landscape architects on the planning and development of rain gardens to create a landscape feature that will solve drainage problems, address erosion problems, improve water quality, create wildlife habitat and create a garden focal point. Printed copies available.

Viewurban-and-community-forestry water-qualitypublication
Seedling Price Guide
Seedling Price GuideP00139

Brochure provides a listing of seedling species available for sale at our state Nurseries and current pricing. For more detailed species information and to order online, visit our Web Store. Printed copies available.

Viewnurseriespublication
The Woods in Your Backyard - A Practitioner’s Guide for Creating, Enhancing, and Maintaining Natural Areas
The Woods in Your Backyard – A Practitioner’s Guide for Creating, Enhancing, and Maintaining Natural Areas

This 108-page guide, including more than 100 color photos, was developed by University of Maryland Extension, Penn State Extension and Virginia Cooperative Extension. It guides small-acreage owners through the process of implementing proper forestry and wildlife habitat improvement practices to enhance a property’s natural resources. Available for purchase.

Viewforest-management urban-and-community-forestrypublication
The Woods in Your Backyard Program - Resources
The Woods in Your Backyard Program – Resources

This resource list provides descriptions and links to a number of valuable resources available for small-acreage landowners in managing their woods. Provided by The Woods in Your Backyard Program Partnership, Virginia Department of Forestry and Virginia Cooperative Extension.

Viewforest-management urban-and-community-forestrydocument
Tree Owner's Manual for the Northeastern and Midwestern United States
Tree Owner’s Manual for the Northeastern and Midwestern United StatesNA-FR-04-07

Manual provides guidance about proper tree care from planting a tree to maintenance and care through the life of the tree.

Viewurban-and-community-forestrypublication
Tree Owner's Manual for the Northeastern and Midwestern United States
Tree Owner’s Manual for the Northeastern and Midwestern United StatesFT0218

Manual provides guidance about proper tree care from planting a tree to maintenance and care through the life of the tree. Manual produced by USDA Forest Service, cover created by DOF. Limited printed copies available.

Viewurban-and-community-forestrypublication
Woodland Health Assessment - Checklist and Management Actions
Woodland Health Assessment – Checklist and Management Actions

This assessment is part of the Woodland Health Practices Handbook: A Practitioner’s Guide to Creating, Enhancing, and Maintaining Natural Areas but also available separately to assist green industry professionals and do-it-yourselfers in assessing a variety of conditions on the site and recommending management actions.

Viewforest-management urban-and-community-forestrypublication
Woodland Health Practices - A Field Guide
Woodland Health Practices – A Field Guide

This pocket-sized quick-reference guide assists managers in the field with implementing land-care practices. This 68-page, full-color resource is a distillation of the Woodland Health Practices Handbook: A Practitioner’s Guide to Creating, Enhancing, and Maintaining Natural Areas. Available for purchase.

Viewforest-management urban-and-community-forestrypublication
Woodland Health Practices Handbook - A Practitioner’s Guide for Creating, Enhancing, and Maintaining Natural Areas
Woodland Health Practices Handbook – A Practitioner’s Guide for Creating, Enhancing, and Maintaining Natural Areas

This 85-page guide, including more than 60 color photos, provides an overview of land management techniques, checklist and management action tables, glossary and index. Available for purchase.

Viewforest-management urban-and-community-forestrypublication
Woodland Health Practices Handbook Webinar Series Recordings
Woodland Health Practices Handbook Webinar Series Recordings

A four-part webinar series covering the information in the Woodland Health Practices Handbook was held in fall 2020 and an eight-part series in spring 2021. Webinar recordings of this series is available here.

Viewforest-management urban-and-community-forestrypublication

Contact Us

For more information or questions, e-mail us or use our contact form.