| Contact Information | Date |
|---|---|
| For Immediate Release Contact: David Richert 276.228.2879 |
Nov. 2, 2009 VDOF 09034 |
Forest Landowner Program to Give Area Forests a Facelift
Galax, VA -- A variety of television shows document some dramatic improvement over a short period of time. Make-up artists and plastic surgeons “create” new “looks” for people; carpenters and interior decorators completely revamp old homes for deserving individuals, and auto mechanics push the envelope with shows like “Pimp my Ride” and “Trick my Truck.” This fall, the New River-Highlands RC&D Council and the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) hope to capture some of these sentiments of creativity and restoration with what officials are calling an innovative forest landowner program in the New River Valley.
A news conference, which will be held Nov. 19, 2009 at 11 a.m. at the Matthews State Forest office located on Route 58 just west of Galax, will introduce this “Extreme Forest Makeover” program.
Funded by a $111,000 Conservation Innovation Grant from the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, the grant will be matched by in-kind contributions from VDOF and other project partners. The “forest makeover” will occur as participating forest landowners in the New River Valley design and then implement a forest stewardship plan, with assistance from a variety of natural resource professionals.
David Richert, a forester with VDOF and the New River-Highlands RC&D Council, said, “Sustainably managed forests produce a variety of public benefits-clean air, water, wildlife habitat, recreation, aesthetics and timber. Private landowners can increase their forests' productivity to produce these benefits through forest stewardship planning and implementation.”
Project partners have begun recruiting New River Valley forest landowners to participate in this program. Program participants should have a minimum of 10 acres of forestland, and a strong interest in implementing sustainable forest management activities on their forestland.
Zach Olinger, VDOF's forestry education specialist, described the participation requirements. “Prior experience with forest management is helpful, but not necessary. Basically, we're looking for forest landowners who want to sustainably manage their forestland and who are willing to accept the guidance and support of the natural resources community.”
The program will kick off with a series of classroom programs that highlight the principles of forest management and the multiple benefits of sustainably managed forests.
“Not all of the learning will take place in the classroom,” Olinger said. “In addition to the classroom programs, participating landowners will use the Matthews Sate Forest as a field laboratory to gain valuable hands-on experience. Participating landowners will also implement forest stewardship management projects on their own land, using a combination of project funds; available cost-share funds, and in-kind contributions.”
This is a three-year project, and project partners are hoping the program will increase the acres of sustainably managed forestland in the New River Valley.
Richert said, “Although three years is a short time, relative to the life cycle of a forest, it should be long enough to give participants a glimpse of the increased forest productivity that results from sustainable forest management.”
Interested forest landowners can learn more about the program by contacting the New River-Highlands RC&D Council by phone: 276.228.2879 or by email: David Richert.
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The New River-Highlands RC&D Council prohibits discrimination in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)
The Virginia Department of Forestry protects and develops healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians. Headquartered in Charlottesville, the Agency has 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 forestland and more than 144,000 Virginians employed in forestry, forest products and related industries, Virginia forests provide more than $27.5 Billion annually in benefits to the Commonwealth.
