Rob Farrell State Forester

COMMONWEALTH of VIRGINIA

Department of Forestry

900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800  Charlottesville, Virginia 22903

(434) 977-6555  Fax: (434) 296-2369  www.dof.virginia.gov

*Date	Tract Number: DOF tract number

* Landowner Name

* Street Address or PO Box number

* City, State, Zip code

Dear * Landowner’s name:

Enclosed is your Land Use Forest Management Plan for your property located in * county name County. Thank you for your interest in the good management of your property.

The recommendations in this plan are for your consideration.

The primary emphasis that you should take in managing your forest is to * brief description of the action(s) the landowner should take to better manage their forestlands.

I hope you find this plan interesting and informative. The Department also offers a more comprehensive management planning service if you would like to receive more detailed management information and recommendations. This program is known as the Forest Stewardship program. If you are interested in this program or have any questions or comments about the enclosed plan please, feel free to contact me at any time.

Sincerely,

* Area Forester’s Name

* Office Address

* City, State ZIP

(*) * Phone

* user.name@dof.virginia.gov

FOREST MANAGEMENT

Land-Use Management Plan

TRACT #: * DOF tract number

LAND-USE PLAN on Timberlands of

* Landowner’s Name

* Street Address or PO Box number

*City, State, Zip code

Date:	*

Location:	* Location of property, route number and approximate distance to nearest town

Examined by:	* plan preparer, Forester.

Landowner’s

Objective:	* Landowner’s primary objectives for the property

Tax Map#:	* Tax map identification number

This report covers the examination of approximately * acres of forest land in * County. A sketch map (not a survey or plat) is included showing the tract location and estimated acres.

Forested Acres:	*

General Forest

Types on Property:	*

Tree Species

Present:	*

Age Range:	*

General Tree Size:	*

General Forest Health

and Quality:	*

Forest Stocking:	*

Forest Pest/Invasive

Plant Concerns:	*

General Soil

Information:	*

Historic Resources:	*

Forest Management

Recommendations:	*

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS:

General Conditions and Qualifications for Forest Land Use Taxation

Forest area must be at least 20 acres.

Area is devoted to forest use and is sufficiently stocked with commercially valuable trees of any size and is physically accessible for harvesting when mature.

Non-productive forest land may be eligible if adverse conditions such as excessive steepness, heavily eroded areas and other conditions prohibit the growth and harvesting of trees suitable for commercial uses.

The owner or operator must use Best Management Practices (BMP) to reduce or prevent soil erosion when any harvesting or silvicultural activities occur on the property.

The owner shall comply with the Virginia Seed Tree Law.

The owner understands that improper activities that degrade or devalue the woodland and that do not follow normally accepted good forest management practices may disqualify all or part of the forested area from forest land-use.

The logger or owner shall contact the Department of Forestry prior to conducting harvest activities on properties with forest land-use taxation.

If the Forestry use by which the Property qualified for assessment and taxation changes to non-qualifying use, or when the zoning for the Property changes to more intensive use, the Property, or portion shall be subject to roll-back taxes.

Fire

Protection of your property from wildfire is essential. Wildfire rapidly destroys valuable timber, wildlife, and property. From February 15 through April 30, open air fires are not permitted within 300 feet of woodland, brushland, or field containing dry grass or other inflammable material between midnight and 4:00 p.m. Any uncontrolled fire should be immediately reported to your local fire dispatch (911).

Forest Health and Protection

A healthy forest is a forest that possesses the ability to sustain the unique species composition and processes that exist within it. Active management of the forest helps to maintain and improve its productive capacity, taking into account all the factors that influence the resource elements addressed in the Forest Stewardship Plan. Silviculture harvest practices and the use of prescribed fire as a tool can reduce risk from wildfire, pests and invasive species, and ensure long-term forest health and vigor. Forest health protection issues are often directly related to the active management of insects and diseases, invasive plants and wildfire. Annual inspections for signs of insects, diseases or invasive plant infestations should be completed by the landowner.

*[No disease or insect problems were identified on the property.] Continued monitoring is the best preventative measure to ensuring forest health. If any unusual problems are found, please contact the Virginia Department of Forestry for an examination.

Best Management Practices

The major detriments to water quality in the forest environment are the sediments carried by precipitation runoff. This has generally been labeled non-point source pollution (NPS) due to its diffuse nature. Best Management Practices (BMPs) are an extensive set of physical practices that have been developed to prevent sediment pollution from forestry activities. Research has shown that BMPs are very effective at preventing sediment pollution from silvicultural practices when they are implemented properly. Landowner should contact their local Department of Forestry office prior to conducting harvesting activities or other sivilcultural practices.

Threatened or Endangered Species

*[No endangered or protected species were observed on the property. No such species are known to exist that would be found on your property.] Information in this plan concerning the presence of Threatened and Endangered (T&E) species has been determined through observation and/or review of T&E species maps. This information does not substitute for a through exam completed by trained T&E specialists. For more information regarding threatened and endangered species or any regulations involved with them, please contact your local Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries office or the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Natural Heritage office.

Cultural and Historic Resources

Cultural resources refer to landscapes, structures, archeological artifacts and vegetation that represent a culture or society of historic value. Federal and state laws protect some archeological, cultural and historic sites from disturbances, destruction or removal. It is critical to understand where such sites may be located prior to ground-disturbing forest management activities.

Historic and cultural resources are a vital link to past land-use practices in Virginia. *[While no sites were identified during my visits, old records for the area may exist.] The Department of Historic Resources offers programs which survey, catalog and encourage the preservation of historic resources. This Department maintains records of historic sites and these records are available to the general public. More information can be found at www.dhr.virginia.gov or by calling their office at (804) 367-2323.