Conservation

Forests clean the air we breathe and prevent erosion and runoff from contaminating streams and lakes. Educating the public about the benefits of forests is also an ongoing mission of the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF). You can learn how to support conservation in Virginia through our agency's activities and this Web site.

Land Conservation

Conserving forest land, either for themselves or future generations, is a major concern of Virginia landowners. The VDOF offers tools and resources to help landowners achieve these goals. Our forest land conservation Web page has all the information to get you started.

• Incentive programs offered by state and federal agencies help offset the costs of implementing a conservation activity
• Conservation easements allow you to protect your land from development while reducing the taxes you pay
• are just two examples of the many opportunities and programs available.

Water Conservation

The VDOF plays a significant role in maintaining water quality in Virginia. Our activities include:

• Inspecting timber harvest sites to ensure that sediment isn't eroding into streams and waterways
• Monitoring streams for sediment deposition, and conducting field audits
• Assisting citizens and landowners to create rain gardens and riparian forest buffers on their property

Inspect timber harvest sites

Did You Know? Loggers must notify us of their timber harvests using this online form.

Ensuring water quality is a major activity of the VDOF. Soil disturbed on a timber harvest site can add sediment to streams; our water quality inspections of logging sites assist loggers in following environmentally safe best management practices to keep streams free of these sediments. If loggers do not follow "best management practices" on harvest sites, sediment deposition may occur, and that can cause them to face civil penalties under the Silvicultural Water Quality Law.

Monitor streams and conduct audits

In Virginia, loggers are required to protect water quality, and the VDOF developed Best Management Practices (BMPs) as guidelines for proper timber harvesting for Virginia's loggers. To ensure voluntary compliance with these guidelines, the VDOF began conducting Best Management Practice Field Audits in 1993. Conducted four times a year, the field audits provide a useful tool in gauging the status of Virginia's water quality protection efforts.

Help landowners conserve water and ensure water quality

• Rain Gardens conserve rainwater and prevent erosion and you can create one where you live.
• Wooded buffer zones along streams, rivers, and the Bay can be classified as riparian forests.

Conservation Education

Educating Virginians of all ages and all walks of life is important to the VDOF. We have just what you're looking for when you want to learn about Virginia's forests and outdoor habitats.

Outdoor Activities

• Use pictures to learn to identify trees in Virginia.
• Forestry Camp - Do you know a child between the ages of 13 and 16 who enjoys the outdoors? Forestry Camp may be a great way for them to spend the summer!
• Go on a treasure hunt by visiting our geocache site on the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest.
• Trees 101: Learn how to plant, prune, and care for individual trees.

Are you a teacher looking for wildfire prevention information, and want to present it to 4^th and 5^th graders? Learn about the training program and accompanying CD from the Virginia Department of Forestry.

Help With School Assignments

Forestry words and terms: Glossary

Project Books, School Enrichment, Competition Aids and Multimedia Resources from Virginia Cooperative Extension.

• Forestry OutReach Site (FORSite) - a forestry educational site for Virginia schools
• Virtual Forest Tour
• Virginia Forestry Judging Program
• Virginia Big Tree Program

Last modified: Monday, 19-Oct-2009 16:07:18 EDT