The mission of the Department of Forestry is to protect and develop healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) envisions a healthy, abundant forest resource providing economic and environmental benefits to the Commonwealth on a sustained basis. We see a resource whose scenic beauty enhances natural surroundings and whose protected environment supports clean water and wildlife. We further see a diverse forest resource as a part of natural ecosystems.

We envision the economic benefits of forest industry to be in balance with the environmental values of the resource.

We envision the Department as the most effective forestry agency in the nation and as a leader in managing and protecting the resource. We see an agency built on solid technology backed by strong ethics, one that is able to stay ahead of change and is quick to respond to citizens’ needs, and one that is a leader in providing forest resource information. We see the Department responding to its employees’ needs through leadership characterized by open communication.

We envision a focused, well-trained, creative workforce that is adaptive to change and that has the time and tools to provide exceptional forestry services to landowners, citizens and organizations. We see employees who are knowledgeable, motivated, proactive, and enabled to make decisions. Finally, we envision a workforce whose professional, unbiased recommendations positively impact an informed public and whose efforts result in complete customer satisfaction.

In working with our customers we believe in:

• Exceeding customer expectations by delivering quality products and services in a responsive, professional manner.


• Treating customers courteously, honestly and respectfully.


• Actively listening, appreciating, understanding and responding to customer needs.


• Being trustworthy professionals who seek to ensure the integrity of the forest resource.

In working together, we believe in:

• Providing a well-trained, well-equipped, technologically-advanced and responsive workforce.


• Communicating in an open, honest, effective manner.


• Being helpful and supportive to one another, demonstrating the spirit of cooperation, teamwork and mutual trust and respect for each other.


• Providing a working environment that fosters quality and creativity, rewards team performance, and is challenging and enjoyable.


• Clearly defining, communicating and understanding our vision, goals, objectives, strategies, roles and responsibilities.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) was established in 1914 to prevent and suppress forest fires and reforest bare lands. Since our inception, we have grown and evolved to encompass other duties including managing the forest resource, protecting Virginia’s waters, conserving Virginia’s forests, administering the state lands program, managing two nurseries, and administering incentive programs for forest landowners.

Today, trees and forests are being recognized as cost-effective solutions to address a myriad of environmental; challenges. “Trees Are the Answer” – has never been more true. We all need healthy trees and forests for clean water, clean air, carbon sequestration, climate resiliency, renewable raw materials, critical habitat, shade, recreation, and refuge. VDOF has the expertise to plant, grow, restore and protect the trees and forests that are increasingly important and increasingly threatened. VDOF personnel are the experts at growing and planting trees. They are the Commonwealth’s expert first responders for wildland fires and natural disasters and their training and coordination has been invaluable to the state’s response to the pandemic. VDOF’s work supports Virginia’s third leading industry by identifying new and emerging forest product markets, ensuring a sustainable forest resource, protecting water quality and Chesapeake Bay health and improving human health in urban and community settings.

Our first one hundred years was marked by forest fires and suppression, forest harvesting and reforestation, and the building of a strong forest products industry ranked third in Virginia's economy.  These core services are just as critical today as we see increasing opportunities for trees and forests to provide for the environmental, social and economic health of the Commonwealth.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) works with forest landowners and forest product producers to ensure the forest resource is healthy and sufficient to meet demand… today and in the future. We work with landowners and localities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to plant forested buffers adjacent to the waterways that feed into the Bay improving water quality and enhanced benefits. We identify communities at risk of wildland fire and work with them to create Firewise communities to mitigate risk. In 2022, VDOF will accept our 200th conservation easement. Together, we can ensure our working forests stay that way in perpetuity. We monitor the spread of invasive pests, exotic diseases and invasive plants and help landowners to protect and grow healthy forests. We take great care and perform preventative maintenance and training to keep our staff, trucks, engines and fire plows/dozers mission ready.

VDOF must continue to develop a trained cadre of public safety professionals ready to answer the call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Whether the call goes out to suppress a wildfire or to assist in the removal of trees following a hurricane or ice storm, VDOF’s 155 emergency responders stand ready to assist.

In addition to the expanding traditional forest products industry, new demands are being placed on our utilization and marketing effort. Emerging markets for biomass energy, carbon sequestration, specialty and non-timber products, and agro-forestry require that we become more adaptive, creative and flexible in our advice to landowners as they contemplate replanting after a harvest.

VDOF is committed to using technology in the most effective/efficient manner to support evolving business needs. For customers, access to professional guidance provided by VDOF staff continues as a cornerstone. A majority of staff support field operations through assistance to landowners, on-site harvest inspections, land conservation activities, forestry education and research, and maintenance of forestlands. Field personnel are organized in 22 service areas and many work out of small local offices. Challenges exist for communication and network connectivity due to wireless voice and data service limitations in less-populated rural areas of Virginia. Customers expect information to be available as needed in a variety of channels. The agency has an internet presence through a newly designed state of the art site that provides variety of forestry and staff related information. The agency completed the project in 2021 to upgrade the website into a more comprehensive and interactive business tool to provide better information, resources and timely service to our customers, agency and business partners, and staff. The agency has embraced social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter, to engage our various constituencies and communities.

VDOF supports existing infrastructure and systems while implementing new projects to move the agency forward as necessitated by technology and business changes. Agency technology infrastructure (i.e., network hardware, personal computers, servers, and telecommunications) is managed through Virginia Information Technology Agency (VITA). The Integrated Forest Resource Information System (IFRIS), a customized application built and managed by VDOF, maintains records and reporting metrics on agency-specific programs. IFRIS development began in 2004 with business modules added over time. An upgrade completed in 2015 addressed an end-of-life GIS server and updated the database management, web and operating systems. In 2017, Forestland Conservation Easement Monitoring module was completed. A project to integrate cost-share programs (Reforestation of Timberlands) was completed during the fall of 2018. Along with IFRIS, agency-specific information is stored on network file shares. IFRIS is critical to our ability to carry out our core mission and a dedicated source of funding for system maintenance and upgrades is needed. The agency received funds for IFRIS analysis in the last fiscal cycle that has been completed. The analysis projected current deficiencies in IFRIS and the agency is partnering with a VITA contracted vendor ESRI to build a prototype of the Water Quality module to gauge project complexity. An upgrade to the rest of the IFRIS modules will be planned after the prototype project is completed by December 2022.

Improving workflows by upgrading agency forms to include electronic signatures and fillable data is a first step, with a move in the future to a document management system. The FiResponse project resulted in the development of a web application for dispatch purposes and a corresponding mobile application for installation on responders’ smart phones to review status and resources available. In addition, the agency maintains an online store to sell tree seedlings. Maintaining an efficient and secure online presence is critical to our business and essential to support our efforts to make trees available to landowners for planting.

VDOF's Maximum Employment Level (MEL) is 279 but only 233 classified Full-Time Employee (FTE) positions are currently filled. The operations of the agency are also supplemented by seasonal, long-term, part-time employees. Almost 80 percent of VDOF’s employees are considered part of the mobile workforce. More than half of VDOF’s workforce are sworn law enforcement officers and are also qualified as first responders to suppress forest fires and support local, state or federal emergencies. In addition, the state code requires that our forester positions are specialized professionals with a four-year degree with a specific accreditation.

The biggest challenges in workforce development that VDOF faces are the development of a diverse workforce, succession planning and competitive compensation to attract highly-qualified applicants. In an effort to address some of the gaps, our executive leadership championed a plan towards increasing opportunities via the recommended and approved change to the Forester title criteria within the Virginia Code, which now provides an alternative credentialing path into a forestry career. An agency apprenticeship program is sought in order to attract veterans and minorities to enter the field of forestry with no prior experience. Positively, by leveraging retirements, VDOF was able to restructure vacancies into entry-level and developmental positions that support succession plans for information technology, human resources and public information careers.

Nonetheless, continual work is needed to sustain operations across the Commonwealth. Presently, 22 percent of VDOF’s workforce is eligible to retire with unreduced retirement benefits. Within five years, this number increases to more than 35 percent. Alarmingly, if those eligible to retire with reduced retirement benefits desire to do so within the next five years, this number increases to more than 50 percent of the workforce. Within these figures are the most experienced maintenance staff, forest technicians and a significant number of department heads/directors. Succession planning is necessary to sustain successful programs, operations and emergency response that support the agency’s mission. VDOF has been creative in seeking external partners for training and is fortunate to have the Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute as a resource, yet budget constraints have limited our ability to make these resources available to more than a few employees each year. VDOF is also fortunate to have a federal grant cover training expenditures for wildland firefighters each year. However, the most efficient way to transfer VDOF institutional knowledge from its most experienced employees lies in an apprenticeship program that pairs the apprentice credentialing process with mentors that are within two to three years from an unreduced retirement.

VDOF strives to retain and attract the best talent to join VDOF and has maintained an average attrition rate of 7 percent for the last three years, which is significantly less than the statewide average of 14.5 percent. We suspect that this rate will increase as we encounter more employees eligible for retirement. Hence, our ability to be an employer of choice hinges on leveraging flexible or alternative schedules, and telework opportunities – but such programs ought to be complementary to competitive salaries. Competitive salaries for employees in the natural resource manager and specialist positions in the private and federal sector continues to be the main reason for attrition of employees with less than five years of state service. 

VDOF owns approximately 137 buildings located throughout Virginia supporting agency programs and services. They include offices, mechanic shops, warehouse and storage buildings, greenhouses, quarters (sleeping rooms for emergency responders), and assorted sheds for fire bulldozer and transport storage, fuel and paint, tree seedlings, cone drying, etc. In addition, VDOF has access and land easements for 20 fire towers (some up to 75 years old) that have been decommissioned and need to be safely removed. Most of the office buildings were constructed more than 40 years ago and have had additions and renovations over the years. Many systems in the buildings are deteriorating: including plumbing, HVAC systems, foundation slabs, doors and windows original to the buildings, and electrical wiring that is outdated and incapable of delivering technology required for a modern facility. The agency has bulldozers used in firefighting operations. These pieces of heavy equipment need to be maintained under cover in secure staging areas throughout Virginia. While VDOF received funding to build tractor garages, the agency has struggled to get commitments from other agencies to house these sheds on their property.

Capital investments and maintenance reserve funds allow VDOF the flexibility to mold our activities to reflect public priorities as we strive to protect and develop healthy forest resources. Demands on our forest resources grow with increasing population and VDOF must meet the needs to educate the public on both the economic and ecological benefits of forest management.

• Lack of or Potential Loss of Markets: Robust markets for wood products are critical to provide the financial incentive for landowners to invest in and manage their woodlands.  Loss of markets contributes to a lack of management and increased risk that forestland will be converted to more developed uses, thereby depriving society of the many benefits that forests provide.  Challenges in numerous wood products markets continue to present challenges for the agency and forest landowners across the Commonwealth. There remains a general lack of markets for low-grade material, which greatly impacts the ability to effectively manage for higher-quality hardwood stands.


• Forest Restoration would benefit from Woody Biomass as a Renewable Energy Source: The Virginia Clean Economy Act currently requires the retirement of biomass energy plants. Private landowners own over eighty percent of the forest in Virginia. These forest landowners depend on robust markets for forest products to provide financial incentive to retain, manage and protect their forests. The health of our forests is increasingly under threat from wildfire, destructive insects and diseases, invasive plants, extreme weather events, past mismanagement, too many deer and many other factors. It is critical that we enable landowners to implement sound forest management practices such as thinning less-desirable trees to restore forests and wildlife habitats. Utilizing woody biomass as a renewable, carbon-neutral feedstock for energy production would provide a market for low-quality trees and encourage forest restoration as envisioned in Virginia’s Hardwood Forest Habitat Initiative. Revising the Virginia Clean Economy Act legislation to encourage and allow the use of carbon neutral woody biomass is necessary to keep Virginia in forests. This is an urgent issue because biomass energy plants are already closing and large areas of Virginia lack markets for low-quality wood making it extremely difficult to implement habitat and forest restoration projects.


• Deforestation Due to Solar Facilities: Over 14,000 acres of forest and agricultural land has been lost to generate approximately 1500 MW of power. It is estimated that to achieve the goal of 16,100 MW, an additional 120,000 acres of conversion is required. The construction of solar energy facilities to meet state goals could lead to as much as 100,000 acres of forestland conversion unless better siting alternatives are practiced. Deforestation has become an unintended negative consequence of the drive to develop renewable energy, undermining the gains of that pursuit. Approval of solar facilities is a local land use decision and localities lack the tools to adequately assess the appropriateness of individual projects. The farm and forestry community is also very sensitive to the private property rights of landowners looking to sell or lease land for solar projects. Local governments and landowners need help to evaluate the appropriateness of sites for solar projects and energy consumers and the public want assurance that renewable energy is not causing unintended consequences.


• There is a need for Additional Tree Planting for Riparian Buffers: The Commonwealth is not on track to meet its 2025 goals under the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Improvement Plan (CB WIP III). The CB WIP III includes ambitious goals for creating new riparian forest buffers on streams and increasing urban tree planting as cost-effective solutions for improving water quality in streams and eventually the Bay. These practices also provide multiple ecological and human health benefits in rural and urban areas. Unfortunately, these practices are not being implemented fast enough to meet state commitments in the WIP, This is significant because lack of accomplishments in this area threatens the entire bay restoration effort. More outreach and incentives will be needed to convince landowners to convert open land to forest. More resources will be needed to get more planting done in urban areas. More nursery production will be needed to supply seedlings for planting. To help mitigate this issue, VDOF is reopening a nursery in FY23 with funding allocated by the general assembly but there will be a time lag before the seedlings grown and sold in the nursery will be planted along streambanks to filter contaminants from entering the streams.


• Invasive Pests and Species: Multiple invasive insects are currently impacting or have the potential to significantly impact Virginia’s forests. The emerald ash borer is an aggressive insect that attacks and kills ash trees and is expected to nearly remove ash trees as a component of our forest. The spotted lanternfly is Virginia’s newest invasive insect, first found in Winchester in 2018. This pest will feed on 70 different host plants including walnut and poplar as well as orchards and vineyards. This will certainly be an agricultural pest and a nuisance to landowners, but research is still ongoing to determine how much of an impact this pest will have on forestry. The Asian longhorn beetle has not yet been found in Virginia, but has been found in other parts of eastern North America in New York, Massachusetts and Ohio. It feeds on maple, as well as a handful of other hardwoods and costs of eradication efforts can be extremely high.

The Department of Forestry has a budget for Fiscal Year 2023 of $44.6 million. Approximately 64 percent of our funding is from the state general fund, and the remaining 36 percent is from special revenue funds, trust funds and federal grant funds. This funding supports 252 agency personnel deployed throughout Virginia to carry-out the agency’s many responsibilities. These responsibilities include: protecting the forest from wildfire and assisting in disaster response, assisting forest landowners in forest management, ensuring a healthy and robust forest resource, monitoring every timber harvest to protect water quality, encouraging forestland conservation, promoting Virginia forest products throughout the world, and providing research to support Virginia’s forests.

Special revenue funds are generated through the sale of tree seedlings, timber, fire suppression services, professional forestry services and forest products taxes. More than half of the special revenue funds come from two sources: VDOF nursery seedling sales and the forest products tax. Sixty percent of agency funding supports staff salary and personal service expenses, the majority of which are full-time salaried employees. The agency is also awarded federal grant funds to carry out specific programming in support of forest management efforts. A portion of these funds are used to support staff directly involved in managing the programs supported by the grant. We have seen a steady reduction of these funds over the past few years. This has caused us to shift staff funding from federal grant funds to state general funds adding additional pressure on our limited general funds.



VDOF staff are assigned to every locality in Virginia to carry out and support agency programs and responsibilities. Agency programming is administered through three geographic regions. Each region is a “one-stop shop” for agency customers, providing access to all agency programs and services. The agency’s fleet of fire response vehicles is funded by the Master Equipment Lease Program, MELP; it has been working well to provide the agency with a reliable source of equipment replacement.

VDOF revenue collections are received from a variety of federal and non-federal sources. Cooperative Forestry Assistance at $2.4 million is a federal source of funding from the United States Forest Service. The non-federal sources of revenue earned by VDOF are just as sensitive to the economy. Forest Products Tax at $2.5 million is a state tax paid by the forest products industry.  This forest products industry drives seedling sales; VDOF seedling sales are at $2.5 million. VDOF seedlings are of exceptional quality grown from seed from state-owned tree orchards for reforestation purposes. State Forest lands and tree seedling nurseries are considered special revenue operations that occasionally receive general fund support for special needs. VDOF supports all management of State Forest and Nursery properties through revenues generated from timber harvests, forest use permits, and the sales of seedlings.

A summary of Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) accomplishments are listed in the table below. Some of the results are cumulative and others are expressed as annual accomplishments - either on a calendar year or on the state fiscal year which is July 1 - June 30.

The Virginia Department of Forestry serves an increased number of customers due to fragmentation of forestland into small parcels. In fact, Virginia expects to see more development in the next 40 years than during the last 400 years. Additionally, the state's rapidly growing population is pushing development of homes into formerly forested areas, resulting in increased fire risks and greater challenges for protecting citizens and homes. As more Virginians move into woodland home communities, fighting wildfire becomes more complex. Our workforce is highly trained in all aspects of forestry including managing the rapid spread of invasive weeds and newly-introduced pests that threaten the health of Virginia's trees as well as the ever-important role forests have in keeping our drinking water clean.

Current data on the value of Virginia forest products supports its’ importance to Virginia’s economy. For 2018, Virginia’s forest industry employed nearly 108,000 Virginians with an annual impact of $21.5 billion to the state’s economy, making it the third largest economic sector – behind agriculture and tourism – in the state. In Fiscal Year 2021, through fire prevention and fire suppression efforts, VDOF protected 841 homes with a total estimated value of $66 million. This was accomplished with a fleet of 14 specially-equipped wildland brush trucks, 89 dozer/transport units and 160 fire-equipped pickup trucks located across the Commonwealth.

For Fiscal Year 2021, 44,461 forested acres in Virginia were funded by the Reforestation of Timberlands (RT) Program. These funds go to Virginia landowners after a timber harvest to support their efforts to replant and grow the forests of tomorrow. This ensures a sustainable forest resource for Virginia and that the ecosystem services, including water quality, carbon sequestration, recreation and air quality, provided by forests are available to all Virginians.

In 2021, the Virginia Department of Forestry monitored 3,742 timber harvests to ensure voluntary best management practices are working for the benefit of all. The inspections conducted by VDOF water quality specialists demonstrate a very high compliance rate among harvesting professionals. New and refocused assistance programs are emphasizing the critical role forests play in the health of the Chesapeake Bay and all those who rely on or use this treasured place. By providing valuable, unbiased, third-party, scientifically-based technical assessments and recommendations, VDOF directly impacts the success of Virginia landowners who strive to sustainably manage their forest resources for the greatest possible economic gain.

In addition to emergency response, forest management and water quality, VDOF has a number of other products and services that contribute to the agency’s successful efforts to protect and serve all Virginians. These include 26 state forests, which provide abundant recreational opportunities, demonstrate the benefits of good forest management and financially support the communities in which they are located by returning up to 25 percent of the gross proceeds from timber sales and other profitable activities. Another valuable program includes our land conservation efforts, which aim to ensure working forestland remains intact and in the family that owns the property. In addition, our work in the forest health realm, identifying harmful insects and diseases as well as invasive species, strives to prevent forest loss and economic harm. VDOF is devoted to recognizing the importance of our community forests within the built environment. Cities and towns are complex ecosystems that link interacting human and natural components. Emphasizing these important linkages, we are able to convey the societal benefits these forests provide by helping to manage storm water, conserve energy, reduce heat island effect, improve quality of life of residents and enhance resiliency of our communities. Striving to accentuate the connectivity between green infrastructure planning, management and maintenance of these forests, and their importance to our future development are essential to creating dynamic cities with economic, environmental and social benefits.

Performance Highlights

• The Department of Forestry (VDOF) is a recognized national leader in the delivery of wildfire suppression services, incident management and personnel development training for emergency responders. The agency’s emergency response expertise is not just restricted to wildfires.  VDOF’s Incident Management Team (IMT) provided over 7,000 hours of planning and logistics support for the Commonwealth COVID response and mass vaccination efforts.


• State Forest Certification: All of VDOF’s state forest lands received both Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and American Tree Farm System certification. Following a week-long audit, no major or minor non-conformances with certification standards were found. In addition, three areas were identified as exceeding the standards: (1) Providing recreational opportunities for the public; (2) Support of research on state forests; and (3) Providing educational opportunities promoting sustainable forestry.


• VDOF established the Hardwood Forest Habitats Initiative to tackle the complex task of improving hardwood forest management.  The centerpiece of this effort is the Commonwealth’s new Hardwood Incentive Program cost share assistance for landowners to implement improvement practices.  The hardwood initiative includes multiple elements including professional education, landowner outreach, contractor recruitment and market development.  This effort was augmented by creation of the Beneficial Hardwood Management Tax Credit.


• In 2022, the General Assembly also created the Forest Sustainability Fund as a means to help localities offset the tax revenue they forego due to forest land use tax assessments.  Forest use-value tax programs provide critical property tax assessment reductions to forest landowners who bare annual expenses for their land for decades between timber harvests.  Localities struggle with the absence of the foregone tax revenue.  The Forest Sustainability Fund recognizes the societal benefits that our privately held forests provide and dedicates statewide funding to offset the tax burden to landowners and localities.


• The VDOF added Virginia’s 26th state forest with the acquisition of the Charlotte State Forest, the first publicly-accessible recreation property in Charlotte County.  This state forest was made possible in 2019 when The Conservation Fund purchased the Stanley Land and Lumber Corporation property with the intent of transferring the core of the property to the state.  VDOF is currently in the third phase of the acquisition and the state forest acreage continues to grow.


• In 2020, the agency launched a new website focused on improving user access to information.  The homepage includes one-click access to some of the agency’s most requested information. 


• Improved Quality of Life for Urban Communities: VDOF developed an important program to determine a community's Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) (the layer of leaves, branches and stems of trees that cover the ground when viewed from above). UTC provides many benefits to communities including improved water quality, conserving energy, lowering temperatures in urban areas, reducing air pollution, enhancing property values, providing wildlife habitat, facilitating social and educational opportunities, and providing aesthetic benefits.

Objectives and Key Results:

1. Be an effective partner in growing economic opportunities, jobs, and investments in communities to advance the agriculture and forestry industries.
   
   
   
   • Key Result: 10,000 new agriculture and forestry related jobs will be created
   
   
   
   


2. Increase marketability and value of Virginia agricultural and forest products locally, domestically and internationally.
   
   
   
   • Key result: Virginia’s small and medium sized agricultural businesses (under 500 employees) will generate 15 new international sales contracts annually while large agricultural businesses will generate five new international contracts.
   
   
   
   


3. Work to eliminate unnecessary regulations and impediments in the agriculture and forestry sector while enhancing the environmental sustainability of working lands.
   
   
   
   • Key Result: Reduce, clarify and /or streamline regulations by 15%; 
   
   
   • Key Result: Bolster awareness for sustainable farming and forestry practices to meet Watershed Improvement Plan (WIP) III goals
   
   
   
   

Healthy forests are essential to the economic and environmental health of the Commonwealth and its citizens. Protecting our current healthy forest resource is the most basic duty of the agency. The range of threats facing the forest will require action by all elements of the agency.

The Virginia Department of Forestry is the premier wildfire prevention and wildfire fighting agency in the Commonwealth. It will maintain this role while building partnerships that expand its ability to meet the challenges of emergency response across the state.

• Capitalize on the Virginia Interagency Coordination Center to increase VDOF readiness, situational awareness and personnel safety in emergency response situations across the Commonwealth.

• Distribute state and federal grant funding to fire departments across the Commonwealth to increase the wildfire response capacity of Virginia’s fire service.

Interconnected and intact forests provide the Commonwealth with the greatest range of economic, environmental, and social benefits. The agency will reinforce its position as the leading forestland conservation agency in the Commonwealth to ensure a sustained flow of natural goods and services for current and future generations.

• Promote high conservation value (HCV) forestland retention through landowner programming and incentives and locality engagement.

• Protect large blocks of connected forestland with multiple conservation values using a variety of approaches.

• Emphasize and negotiate the avoidance or mitigation of forest fragmentation and loss as a result of proposed large-scale infrastructure projects.

• Effect intergenerational land transfer planning by landowners that keeps family forestland intact and in forest.

• Integrate forest management planning during the annual easement monitoring process to increase accomplishment of landowner and resource goals.

The Virginia Department of Forestry will be the lead agency in protecting forests from wildfire. In addition, we will serve the Commonwealth as a member of the Virginia Emergency Response Team (VERT).

• Enhance landscape-level emphasis on wildfire prevention and mitigation.

• Implement programs and projects to monitor and protect forests from damage caused by insects, diseases, and non-native invasive plants and work with partners to disseminate forest health risk information.

• Work with the forestry community to support legislation to address timber theft.

• Establish a timber theft response program that includes an internal reporting component, an investigatory process, and an educational outreach component targeting landowners, prosecutors, and law enforcement agencies.

• Expand efforts to increase acres of key diminished tree species within their historic range.

Our forests and the markets they support are essential to the economic well-being of all Virginians. Given the competing demands placed on our forests and the many factors impacting them, science-based management is the key to ensuring sustainable, healthy forest resources. While landowners have many reasons for owning and maintaining forestland, income from that land is critically important to support reforestation and management work and to keep forests from being converted to other uses.

In our ongoing efforts to provide the widest range of options for all forest landowners, it is imperative that the agency seek to provide forest management guidance well prior to harvesting and other management activities taking place.

• Identify and implement innovative ways to reach a broader group of forest landowners, especially prior to significant management decisions.

• Use forest health and wildlife management information and practices as a means to motivate landowners to plan and implement better forest management practices on their forestlands.

• Continue to increase the availability and productive potential of Department of Forestry pine seedlings.

• Increase collaboration with state and federal agency partners to increase the application of sound forest management on public lands.

• Establish a stakeholder group to guide implementation of the Hardwood Sustainability Strategy.

VDOF’s exemplary timber harvest inspection program assures the public that timber harvests support the sustainability of the forest industry in Virginia and have minimal impact on water quality. VDOF will look for innovative methods and technologies to make the monitoring of over 5,000 annual harvest sites more efficient and effective.

• Develop an ongoing water quality training program that enables the consistent application of and compliance with Virginia’s Silvicultural Water Quality Law.

• Incorporate new technologies in the harvest inspection and Best Management Practices monitoring process.

• Seek consistent, dedicated funding for the harvest Best Management Practices implementation program.

A strong, diverse forest economy supports healthy forests by providing an incentive for forest landowners to maintain and invest in their forests. The more options that landowners have for generating income from forestland, the more likely they are to maintain it. Virginia is part of a competitive global forest products economy. Therefore, we need dedicated, expert resources supporting existing producers and proactively seeking new markets for underutilized forest products.

• Provide technical expertise in support of state programs related to exports and increased economic development.

• Develop a forest industry roundtable to identify issues and opportunities and develop plans to grow and diversify Virginia’s forest products markets.

• Increase VDOF's capacity to analyze and report on forest resource and market information to support economic development.

Trees and forests are natural assets that build a sense of community character and place, while also providing ecosystem services such as climate mitigation, water resource protection, wildlife habitat and timber products. The extent of forest and tree cover established and maintained across the landscape directly relates to the level of benefits received from forests.

Prescribed fire is an important tool for the management of many forest ecosystems in Virginia, as well as a tool used to increase the economic potential of many forestlands. In many areas it has been greatly underutilized, to the general detriment of the resource. With the assistance of willing partners, VDOF will seek to expand its use in the appropriate ecosystems and locations.

• Work with cooperators to increase the number of trained personnel and other resources available to perform prescribed burning.

We will encourage and support sustainable community forestry programs that promote green space, tree canopy, and the awareness of the benefits of trees to human health and well-being.

• Support planning efforts to incorporate green space into communities.

• Support projects that expand urban tree canopies and improve their long-term maintenance and health.

• Promote the connection between community forests and human health.

• Increase life cycle management of trees to address urban wood utilization/waste.

We will support low-impact development practices, including tree planting and forestland conservation, to improve water quality and quantity in Virginia’s communities.

• Improve water quality from selected forested watersheds through collaborative partnerships.

• Develop new strategies and identify additional resources to increase riparian buffer plantings on high-priority sites.

• Continue to collaborate with partners to incorporate working forestland conservation in the Chesapeake Bay restoration strategies.

Recruit, retain and equip an inclusive professional workforce to succeed across all levels of governance amid 21st century challenges in an adaptive workplace environment.

Our ability to recruit and retain a talented workforce springs from employees' immediate involvement and engagement in all VDOF functions early in their careers. To ensure our employees support and engage with VDOF's mission, we will assure their occupational career paths are clearly intertwined with VDOF operations, and are contingent upon individual performance.

• Review and revise the New Employee Development Guide and program to effectively standardize onboarding.

• Implement occupational career paths contingent upon increased KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities), performance standards, and qualifications that align pay beyond state-driven salary adjustments.

• Implement a VDOF liaison team to support the Commonwealth's Talent Acquisition Strategy to attract a skilled and diverse workforce, with increased outreach efforts to veterans and minorities.

To increase VDOF's strength, we will deliver educational and training programs that not only allow each individual employee to maximize their technical expertise and professional development, but also instill a culture of safety across all VDOF functions.

• Implement a training and development program that centers on an occupational career path through attainment of competencies.

• Implement a formal safety program that empowers all employees to put safety first.

• Conduct a comprehensive review of VDOF’s law enforcement programs.

Commonwealth agencies are expected to experience an influx of retirements over the next five years. Currently, nearly 20% of workforce is eligible for retirement. By 2022, we anticipate this number will climb to above 34%. VDOF will address this by Implementing strategies that ensure institutional knowledge is shared across all levels.

• Pair new employees with mentors to navigate the new employee guide and program.

• Establish career and professional development advisory roles at regional headquarters.

• Implement a talent management process to foster upward mobility of VDOF employees.

Developing a system for continuous improvement will enable the agency to evaluate changing program needs, prioritize actions, assign and manage scarce agency resources, and allow for effective program integration in a manner that supports the agency’s strategic goals.

DOF’s unique mission requires the agency to maintain facilities in geographically dispersed and remote areas; to procure and maintain specialized equipment; and most importantly to support employees with the tools, resources, and communication and information systems that will enable them to effectively carry out that mission in a safe and professional manner.

• Establish an advisory group of knowledgeable vehicle operators and mechanics to help guide the procurement of agency vehicles.

• Determine acceptable levels of broadband capacity for satellite offices, survey existing broadband capacity and other connectivity issues at those offices, and prioritize upgrade work accordingly.

• Work proactively with VITA on all facets of Northrop Grumman disentanglement in order to minimize disruption to agency operations.

• Evaluate IFRIS modules and determine funding needs for modules that require critical upgrades or replacement with Commercial-Off-The-Shelf products where appropriate.

• Contact decision makers in other state and local agencies to secure long-term agreements for the construction of garages for our firefighting equipment.

• Develop a plan to prioritize and obtain funding the removal of all abandoned DOF fire towers over a ten-year span.

To increase agency effectiveness and employee involvement, VDOF will employ a standardized method for continuous improvement that incorporates input and feedback from all levels of the agency and includes routine reviews of decisions will increase agency effectiveness and employee involvement.

• Promote awareness and implementation of best internal procurement practices.

• Ensure internal communications effectively provide for input, feedback, and progress reporting.

• Build a knowledge base in a variety of formats to document frequently asked questions (FAQs) for technology and information systems used by the agency.

• Increase efficiencies in the processing of cost share transactions through the acceptance of digital signatures and the exchange of pertinent documents in electronic form.

To help VDOF adapt to ongoing changes, we will develop a protocol enabling agency leadership to evaluate potential new programs and activities that align with the agency’s mission, develop strategies to incorporate those programs and activities into the agency’s operations based on available resources, and evaluate the success and scale of existing programs. will help the agency adapt to ongoing changes.

• Develop a process to determine the desired scale and scope of all existing VDOF programs to effectively allocate resources.

• Develop a framework and implementation plans for the Forest Conservation, Community Forestry, and Marketing programs to effectively integrate these programs within regional operations.

• Establish a protocol to evaluate new opportunities, determine their desired scope and scale, and prioritize or develop the necessary resources for those adopted.

To be relevant to our audience and best serve the forest resource, we must communicate science-supported information that educates, inspires and motivates engagement.

To support VDOF's mission and help achieve its goals, we will strengthen and expand our position as a trusted voice of forestry information and valued resource for our diverse audiences.

• Develop strategies (e.g., conservation education, digital marketing) to reach target audiences and sustain engagement through relevant media platforms.

• Develop and implement a business plan for the website redesign.

VDOF will cultivate strong partnerships that enable us to balance the economic, environmental and social benefits of Virginia’s forest resources.

• Identify key partners and corresponding VDOF liaisons.

• Develop and implement mutually supportive plans of action.

The Reforestation Incentives to Private Forest Land Owners service area consists of administering the Reforestation of Timberlands Act by implementing a cost-share assistance program for private forest landowners. In 1970, the forestry community and state officials were concerned about overharvesting of pine and came together to establish the Reforestation of Timberlands (RT) Program. Funded by the Forest Products Tax and general funds, the community recognized a need to provide incentive to landowners to replant lands. Since inception in 1971, 52,346 landowners managing 2,013,312 acres participated in the RT Program and invested nearly $100 million to reforest their harvested timberlands. The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF), upon request of a landowner, examines timberland and makes recommendations concerning reforestation. Reforestation practices require an investment of financial resources by the landowner for land preparation, tree seedlings and tree planting. When these trees are eventually harvested, they will provide benefit not only to the landowner but the greater good of the Commonwealth through employment of loggers, truckers, mill workers and through manufacturing, marketing and sales of forest products.

The Code of Virginia established the Virginia Department of Forestry's Reforestation of Timberland Fund in Code Section 10.1-1174. In addition, the Code of Virginia sections specific to forest products tax begin with Code Section 58.1-1600.

This service area aligns directly with VDOF’s mission to protect and develop healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians. VDOF encourages greater reforestation in the Commonwealth through the authority to offer financial incentives to forest landowners to invest in trees for the long term.

The RT Program provides for partial reimbursement of the landowner's expenses for tree planting, site preparation and herbicide release.

The purpose of the funds collected from the RT program is to assist small timber owners with financial incentives to reforest their cutover land and is provided from two sources: (1) a self-imposed timber products tax paid by the forest products industry and (2) state general funds. The amount collected from the industry is by law to be matched by the general fund in a like amount and the total must be used to provide the establishment and improvement of the pine resource. This helps assure a pine resource will be available in the future. DOF is the lead state agency in implementing procedures, program oversight and accounting of the funds.

Through Forest Conservation, Wildfire Protection and Watershed Services, the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) protects and develops healthy, sustainable forest resources for all Virginians. Headquartered in Charlottesville, the agency has forestry staff members assigned to every county to provide citizen service and public safety protection across the Commonwealth. Their expertise includes forest management, incident management, heavy equipment operation and direct wildland firefighting experience.

Virginia’s forestland is a valuable asset to society, providing clean air and water, wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities and renewable wood resources for all Virginians. With nearly 16 million acres of forestland and more than 108,000 Virginians employed in forestry, forest products and related industries, Virginia forests provide an overall economic output of more than $21 billion annually.

Because almost two-thirds of Virginia’s woods are owned by private individuals, the decisions they make for their land can have far reaching impacts on the sustainability of Virginia’s forests. VDOF professional foresters and forest technicians are available statewide to provide unbiased professional advice to forest landowners.

The Code of Virginia sections specific to the Department of Forestry begin with Code Section 10.1-1100 with the appointment of the State Forester. This service area directly aligns with the VDOF’s mission to protect and develop healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians.

Forestland conservation, wildfire protection and watershed services receives funding from general fund appropriations (71%), special revenue funds (15%) and federal grants (14%). The majority of the funding in this service area is needed to fund salaries, which continue to increase; thus reducing our discretionary spending. In addition, the majority of our federal funding in this service area is from competitively-funded special projects dedicated for specific projects, thus further reducing our discretionary spending and placing these funds in jeopardy year to year.

Finding dedicated funding to consistently replace equipment is key in being able to provide a fleet of vehicles and dozers that are ready to meet the emergency response duties of the agency. In 2017, the Governor and the General Assembly came together to secure new funding for wildfire suppression vehicles. The new fire vehicles were desperately needed to replace some pieces of equipment that were as much as 30 years old. To date, 41 dozer/transport units, 75 fire-equipped pickup trucks and two brush trucks were replaced.

Through Tree Restoration and Improvement, Nurseries and State-Owned Forest Lands service areas, the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) produces tree seedlings, manages a system of state-owned forest lands and conducts tree improvement research. The VDOF nursery operations reached a milestone in 2017 of two billion seedlings produced, the Tree Improvement Program has more than 50 active studies at 82 locations across the Commonwealth and the state forest system is comprised of 26 state forests, totaling 74,286 acres, of which 74,152 acres are certified sustainable.

VDOF operates two nurseries to produce softwood and hardwood seedlings for reforestation needs in Virginia. The Sussex County nursery produces more than 30 million bare-root loblolly seedlings annually and roughly 500,000 shortleaf pine seedlings. With the addition of our containerized seedling operation VDOF is producing roughly 200,000 longleaf pine seedlings to support our ecosystem restoration efforts and contractually producing over 330,000 containerized loblolly seedlings. The Augusta County Nursery is located in Crimora, on the western side of the Shenandoah National Park and produces two million bare-root hardwood and conifer species annually. The nurseries operate from revenue they generate from the sale of tree seedlings. Additionally, the nursery program funds the agency’s Applied Forest Research Program and the Tree Improvement Program, which includes two seed orchards and one advanced progeny testing orchard.

The Applied Forest Research Program has been installing controlled scientific studies across Virginia since 1955 with the goal of providing new information to better protect and improve Virginia’s forests. By working closely with a broad array of partners and collaborators, we are able to leverage our modest resources to deliver practical solutions for forest owners across the Commonwealth. 

State forest lands have multiple objectives and are managed to provide the greatest range of benefits to the citizens of Virginia while protecting or improving the forest ecosystem. The state forests are well distributed around the Commonwealth and vary in size from 121 acres to 19,808 acres. The large state forests in central Virginia and southeastern Virginia are the core of the working forest concept and provide the majority of the income to fund the forest system. Recreational opportunities on these lands are focused on self-directed activities that are not available on many other state lands. These activities include hiking, bike riding, horseback riding, orienteering, hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing. The central Virginia state forests provide for a unique opportunity to enjoy the outdoors due to their large size, which provides for an outdoor experience far removed from many of the distractions found in more densely-populated areas. 

The State Lands Program also falls into this service area plan. VDOF is required by the Code of Virginia to assist other state agencies, with the exception of the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, with the management of their forestlands. VDOF staff assesses the condition and quality of Virginia's forest resources on lands of other state agencies and recommend management practices that fit the agency needs and benefit the forest. Expenses incurred in the State Lands Program are funded via timber sales from the state agency land.

This service area directly supports the agency mission of providing a sustained forest resource for Virginians by providing high-quality seedlings for private forest landowners, industry and organizations for forest regeneration. In addition, the state forests serve as role models for landowners, students of forestry and other organizations for the proper way to manage a forest. The self-supporting state forests provide opportunity to demonstrate the values of Virginia's forests. Most of these forests were denuded by clearing and abandoned farming operations in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In 2018, the state forests were third-party certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and to the Tree Farm System forestry management standards, which verifies these forests are managed sustainably now and for future generations. VDOF also practices sound management on other state agency forestland to help the agency meet its objectives and provide for healthy forests.

Forest tree seedlings are produced in the nurseries and sold to forest landowners, the forest industry and the general public. Seedlings are used in reforestation, conservation, erosion control, wildlife habitat and riparian buffer plantings. Many seedlings are the result of genetic tree improvement work. All seedlings produced are appropriate for Virginia's climate and soils. In addition, the state forest system sell permits to persons who wish to use the state forests, such as hunters, trappers, fishermen, bikers and horseback riders for a fee.

Funds received for the nurseries are derived through the sale of forest tree seedlings produced and sold by the nurseries. All operating expenses and capital expenses must be covered by the seedling sales; however, VDOF has received General Funds in FY23 to increase capacity at the Augusta Nursery and to reopen the mothballed New Kent County Nursery.  Additional one-time funding was approved by the general assembly for equipment including tree seedling coolers to meet the demand for hardwood seedlings.



Funds to operate the state forests must be derived from the sale of timber and user fees. The majority of the funding is from the sale of timber. The user fees currently available to the state forest system are generated from hunting, trapping, fishing, mountain bike and horseback riding, which amounts to approximately $170,000 annually. All funds are used to cover operating and capital expenses. In all cases of timber sales, VDOF gives a percentage of the gross proceeds from the timber sales to the local government. In FY2023, one-time state general funds were provided to help cover the cost of a swinging bridge on the Cumberland State Forest to provide recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts.

Financial Assistance for Forest Land Management provides financial assistance to help improve the livability of cities and communities through managing urban forest resources to promote a healthy ecosystem and to increase the fire protection capability in Virginia. Partners and cooperators accomplish the work in the localities and the Virginia Department of Forestry administers the programs to ensure success.

The Code of Virginia requires aid to localities be presented separately.  This service Area is exclusively federal pass-through payments to localities.

Federal financial assistance is contingent upon federal awards received primarily from the United States Forest Service for the Urban and Community Forestry Program and the Volunteer Fire Assistance Program.

This service area provides financial assistance to non-profits. VDOF administers federal pass-through grant programs to communities and non-profits to develop and maintain urban and community forests as well as to train wildland firefighters and purchase firefighting equipment for volunteer fire departments. VDOF provides technical information and advice, and oversees the federal grants to ensure funds are used appropriately. In the past, financial assistance for forest land management was entirely from federal sources; however, in FY2023 one-time Forest Sustainability Funds which are state general funds were appropriated to VDOF to provide localities that have forest land use taxation funds to offset forgone revenue due to forest use value assessment (vs. fair market value).