| Contact Information | Date |
|---|---|
| For Immediate Release Contact: John Campbell 434.220.9070 |
November 14, 2011 VDOF 11052 |
Three Virginians Earn National Award
Three employees of the Commonwealth of Virginia have earned national acclaim for their work in the area of land conservation.
Michael Santucci of the Virginia Department of Forestry and Adam Downing and Michael LaChance of Virginia Cooperative Extension were honored by the U.S. Forest Service and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay for developing, along with a team of partners, “Generation Next” – a family forest transition short course that provides forest landowners with the information and tools they need to ensure a smooth intergenerational transfer of their property while keeping critical forests intact.
The team earned the “Most Innovative” award in the inaugural Chesapeake Forest Champion contest created as part of the United Nations’ International Year of Forests.
Most of the 15.8 Million acres of forestland in Virginia is owned by private individuals and families, many of whom are age 65 or older. Over the next few years, hundreds of thousands of acres of private land will have to change hands as elderly owners pass the land on to their heirs. Generation Next has already ensured that at least 21,000 acres of Virginia forestland will remain sustainable, family owned and intact.
Santucci, an 11-year-employee of the VDOF whose office is in Charlottesville but who serves 37 counties, said, “Generation Next has been as true to a collaborative partnership as you can get. It blends well the skills and expertise of professionals from the private, public and non-profit sectors to deliver vital information to private landowners who are faced with a number of tough decisions. I feel so privileged to be able to work with such dedicated and enthusiastic people to deliver information that positively impacts family forest landowners.”
Downing, who has been with the VCE as an extension agent for 10 years, works out of the Madison County office and serves the 28-county Northern District. He said, “The issue of an aging landowner population and the complexity of intergenerational transfer of forestland has been the ‘elephant in the room’ for many years. It’s been an honor to be a member of this team that works tirelessly to help landowners prepare for such important and far-reaching changes.”
Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore said, “I’m very proud of the team’s work. Ensuring working forests remain working forests is vital to our economy. I trust that this award will bring even greater attention to this important effort to assist landowners hoping to pass on their land and serve as a model for other partners seeking to help meet this need across the Commonwealth.”
The sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests are both an economic and environmental imperative. Forests in Virginia not only provide clean air and filter our water, they also support the second largest industry in Virginia and the livelihood of thousands of Virginians.
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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.
