| Contact Information | Date |
|---|---|
| For Immediate Release Contact: John Campbell 434.220.9070 434.989.0665 |
Sept. 26, 2006 VDOF06031 |
State to Dedicate Matthews State Forest and New Grayson & Carroll Counties Office
Secretary of Agriculture & Forestry Robert Bloxom and State Forester Carl E. Garrison III will lead ceremonies Thursday, Sept. 28th, to dedicate the Matthews State Forest as well as a new building that will serve as the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) office for Grayson & Carroll counties.
The event will begin at 11 a.m. at the Matthews State Forest, located just outside the City of Galax on Route 58. More than 100 local government, business and community leaders will take part in the event.
The dedication of the Matthews State Forest coincides with the gift of a 401-acre parcel from the Jack M. Matthews Foundation bringing total acreage to 560 for the Matthews State Forest.
“This donation is the fourth the Commonwealth has received from the late Judge Jack and Clare Matthews,” said State Forester Garrison. “The first gift – 77 acres – came in 1993. The couple wanted to create a place that would ‘provide for scientific, educational and research needs for Southwest Virginia’s children and the public, and to continue the work to enhance and bring back indigenous species, such as the American chestnut.’ By dedicating the Matthews State Forest, we are fulfilling one family’s dream for the benefit of all Virginians.”
Secretary Bloxom said, “Jack and Clare Matthews had tremendous foresight and vision. They loved this land that they worked for more than 50 years. And their legacy – in terms of science, education, research, recreation and wildlife – means so very much to the Commonwealth.”
The ceremony will begin with a ribbon cutting to dedicate the new VDOF office building that will serve the citizens of Grayson and Carroll counties. Once the ribbon is cut, the dedication of the Matthews State Forest will commence. That portion of the ceremony will include the planting of a tree in honor of Judge Jack and Clare Matthews.
Members of the news media are invited to the event.
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The Virginia Department of Forestry protects and develops healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians. Headquartered in Charlottesville, there are Forestry staff members assigned to every county to provide service to citizens of the Commonwealth. VDOF is an equal opportunity provider.
With nearly 16 million acres of forest land and more than 248,000 Virginians employed in the forest products industry, Virginia forests provide more than $30 billion annually in benefits to the Commonwealth.
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