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Welcome to the Virginia Department Of Forestry

Forestry in Powhatan County, Virginia

A map showing the geographic location of Powhatan County in Virginia.

David Schnake, Forester
Technician
Virginia Department of Forestry
3908 Old Buckingham Road
Suite 3
Powhatan, Virginia 23139



Click here for the Powhatan, Virginia forecast. Phone: 804.598.4728
FAX: 804.598.0631

Map and Directions to this office.

General Information

Powhatan County: Forestry in Powhatan County l Forest Resources of Powhatan County

Conservation

Fire

Forest Economics

Forest Management

Water Quality

Weather Information

Forest Resources

The Forest Resource of Powhatan County has a total land base of 174,081 acres of which 127,162 acres are classified as commercial forest land, which is land that is capable of producing a timber crop. After subtracting approximately 20,000 acres that are in cropland, the remaining acres in trees would be about 107,000 acres. Approximately 85% of this forest resource is owned by private non-industrial landowners and there are 37 parcels larger than 400 acres equaling 34,000 acres in the county.

There are also 265 parcels larger than 100 acres equaling 48,581 acres. These parcels give the county the rural nature that attracts many of our new residents. The forest resource is experiencing the pressure of development and this is evident by the fact that in 1985 there were 7,579 taxable parcels of land and in 1997 we have approximately 11,042 taxable parcels of land. Even with the pressures of development, the figures still indicate that Powhatan County is a rural nature county consisting of timbered parcels with about 1/2 of the county in private land ownership of larger than 100 acres tracts.

Forest Composition and management of the timber resource in Powhatan County can be generalized by saying that we have the typical species composition that is found in Piedmont Virginia. Approximately 5,000 acres of natural pine are found on abandoned agricultural land. This pine consists of Virginia pine and shortleaf pine and should be clear-cut whenever it is merchantable. Following the harvest the area can either be allowed to grow into natural hardwood or be replanted into loblolly pine.

Loblolly pine plantations in the county consist of approximately 28,000 acres and much of this acreage has either been thinned or is approaching an age that would entail a removal of a portion of the trees on each acre. This type of harvest should be done at the direction of a professional forester and will provide the landowner with a financial return. This partial harvest also improves the wildlife habitat and increases the growth on the remaining trees. Upland hardwood and bottomland hardwood are the predominant timber types in the county and consist of northern red oak, southern red oak, white oak, hickory, sweet gum, yellow poplar, and many other associated species.

The hardwood stands are emerging from decades of poorly planned partial harvests between 1940 and 1970. The hardwood harvests now are usually well planned partial cuts, recommended and conducted by professional foresters. Because of this attention by private landowners the entire forest resource in Powhatan County is improving in health and productivity.

It is suggested that no clear-cutting be done within 100 feet of the James and Appomattox Rivers and within 50 feet of any actively flowing creek or stream. Consequently cutting practices in the bottomland hardwood areas would be limited strictly to select or partial cuts.

The economic value of the forest to Powhatan landowners is great. In 1995 private landowners received approximately 2 million dollars for their harvested timber product. The 1985 publication Virginia’s Forest and It’s Common Wealth, describes how value is added to each dollar paid to a landowner through harvesting, processing, transportation, construction, and marketing. The publication illustrates how each dollar paid to a landowner for wood generates approximately $27.65 in final value to the state’s economy. Using this multiplier, the value of the harvested Powhatan County timber to the state’s economy is nearly sixty million dollars. It is relatively easy to see why timber which is the largest cash crop in the state is so important to landowners and the Commonwealth. There are presently 2 sawmills, 2 mill work plants, and 2 pulpwood yards in Powhatan that utilize harvested material. However, timber is also purchased by the forest products users that are not located in the county.

Landuse taxation, an assessment practice which help preserve farm land and timber land has been in effect since January 1, 1976. For forest land use any parcel with A) 20 acres, B) 400 woody merchantable stems to the acre and C) Access to logging will qualify for the landuse tax. In 1997 a parcel under the landuse tax is taxed at a value of $400.00 per acre rather than at the assessed value which is typically higher. Currently, open and forest landuse taxation is applied to 85% of the county’s land base.

In addition to landuse taxation, the county presently utilizes the agricultural and forestral legislation. There are presently approximately 12,000 acres in agricultural and forestral districts. These districts receive special zoning treatment because of their existence.

Besides being a simple cash crop, the county’s forest areas have many additional benefits. The thick foliage creates a sight and sound barrier which enhances many residential areas. The foliage reduces the torrential pounding of the soil by rain and tree roots hold the soil and prevent eventual erosion. Powhatan County forests, as a watershed for the James River, Appomattox River, and numerous small ponds and lakes, provide clean water for fishing, canoeing and residential use. Powhatan County forests are rich with wildlife and provide hunters, bird watchers, hikers and photographers a wonderful outdoor experience.

Fire can be devastating to both rural and urban areas; displacing wildlife, causing mortality and damage to timber, and even consuming woodland homes. Powhatan experiences the threat of wildfires during the spring and fall. The Virginia Department of Forestry is charged with the responsibility of suppressing wildfires and enforcing the state’s fire laws. The five volunteer fire departments assist the Department of Forestry in the suppression activities. Detection of fires is aided by concerned citizens, a fire tower, and daily detection flights during the fire season. The county averages about 15 fires per year, but the damaged areas remain small due to a continued prompt response by the five volunteer fire departments.

Powhatan County has developed a system for water availability which involves the use of fifty dry hydrants. These hydrants are placed in creeks, streams and ponds and allow trucks to attach their hoses quickly and provide an unlimited amount of water in the suppression of fires.

Forestry in Powhatan County

Around 1700 the first non-native people came up the James River to what is known today as Powhatan County. There were about 300 French men, women, and children who came from England. These Frenchmen left France in the late 1600's because they were brutally persecuted for there religious views. These people were known as French Huguenots, They were the elite society of France and were mainly craftsmen and artisans. When England was claiming land in America it was the desire of the King of England to send some people over to America to act as a buffer between the established population centers of Norfolk, Jamestown, and Williamsburg and the Indians to the west.

The French Huguenots went by way of the James River and proceeded above the fall line and encountered very friendly Monacan Indians. The Huguenots were able to use areas that the Monacan Indians had already cleared of trees and turned into fields. Because of this use of already cleared fields, the Huguenots were able to plant corn which helped them survive through the first winter. The Huguenots started a small town and built their church near the James River. This area later became Goochland County but in later years the line between Goochland and Powhatan became the James River. The area where the Huguenots settled is assumed to be in the area where Monacan Farm is now located.

When the Huguenots ventured into the countryside of Powhatan County they were greeted by vast expanses of large oak timber, many of these trees were four feet in diameter and presented a problem to the settlers because they were in the way. They wanted to have fields because without them they couldn't raise crops that were needed for survival.

Many acres were cleared of trees by girdling. using an axe, a groove was cut around the tree to kill it, then when the tree did not produce leaves and shade, they would plant under it. As the limbs eventually died and fell to the ground, the Huguenots would pile them around the base of the tree and burn them. Over many years the stump would rot and produce an acre of land that was more valuable than an acre that had massive oaks. This began the first removal of trees in Powhatan County.

Eventually saw mills were established along the water ways here in the county. Grist mills were built that used water power to grind corn and wheat as well as to saw logs into lumber. Along every creek in the county mills were found that backed up water into small ponds. Then the water was diverted into a race that directed the water over a wheel that eventually turned either a grinding wheel or a saw. These mills were found on creeks such as Dutoy, Deep. Salle, Norwood, Bernards and others.

Evidence of these mills can still be seen along creeks and in the woods today. The only two remaining structures are to be found on Fine Creek today. The trees to be taken to these mills had to be cut with cross cut saws and then mules were used to drag the logs out of the woods. There was a great amount of waste and areas that were cleared and fields that were abandoned quickly grew back with Virginia Pine.

Logging continued like this for almost 200 years, lumber was sent back to England and throughout the world. Tall pines were also shipped back to England to be used as masts for the tall ships. These pines had to be forty by forty, forty inches in diameter and forty yards long. Yes, Powhatan County had some magnificent forests with huge trees. We don't see trees like that today because all the trees in Powhatan County have been cut several times since 1700.

Along the James River the largest trees were to be found, called bottomland hardwoods, tremendous sycamore trees reaching a diameter of 20 feet were found. Sycamore is the largest diameter hardwood found in North America. There were also yellow poplar larger than six feet across The next big impact on the forests of Powhatan was the Civil War.

Richmond was under siege for four years between 1861 and 1865, during this period trees were cut by the North and the South to provide railroad crossties, firewood, lumber for homes, rails for fences and lumber for boxes. At this point in history most all of Powhatan's trees had been cut twice. In 1900, with the invention of the steam engine, the milling of lumber became a big business in Powhatan. Almost all of the jobs in the county were related to farming or to forestry. Houses were spread across the entire county and the population was increasing.

The mills went from being located along the creeks to being moved from tract to tract. These small woods mills were steam powered and used wood to provide the heat to make the steam. Around 1920 there were about 40 of these small mills that would be moved around.

Evidence of these mills can still be seen today in the woods. What is to be found are piles of rotten sawdust and a trough in the ground that is about three feet wide and fifteen feet long. This trough was created so that the drag chain could fit below the circular saw blade. The saw dust fell below the saw and then a chain with small buckets would go around in a circle and drag the saw dust out of the trough. At this time horses were used as well as mules. There were more horses being used in the woods than mules and a good drag horse was s available possession and was treated very well. These mules and horses listened to the man behind the reins and pulled to the left with a command of "Gee" and pulled to the right with the command of "Haw".

The logs were pulled up to the mill and rolled by hand onto the carriage which carried the log back and forth while the saw cut of boards. Lumber was cut like this for about twenty years and many thousands of board feet of lumber were cut and sent overseas to help the war effort during the First World War.

When the Huguenots encountered the forest, the trees were in the way and at that time cleared land was more valuable, in the 1920's, when trees were removed the land was not desirable to own because the taxes were more than what the land was worth. Because of this, often when the trees were cut, the land was given to the logger, many loggers became large landowners at this period in our history.

The next big change for forestry and logging was the diesel and gasoline engine. Now, vehicles which looked like tractors, and called skidders were used to pull the trees from the woods to the mills which were still located in the woods. With animals pulling the trees, very few trees were removed, now with skidders, many acres were practically clearcut. The mills had gone from water powered, to steam driven, and now they were powered with diesel engines.

The Second World War came about and the demand for lumber became greater than ever and once again Powhatan forests were called on to help. Many acres were clearcut and still none had been replanted, our forests were in trouble. At this time,with cutover conditions and a great deal of logging slash on the ground, many wildfires occurred which burned thousands of acres and would burn to the James River without being stopped with firefighting efforts.

In 1960 the Virginia Department of Forestry became active in Powhatan with fire fighting efforts and reforestation of clearcut land. Presently in Powhatan there are around 28,000 acres of replanted pine plantations. In the entire county there exist 128,00 acres of land capable of growing trees, therefore, we now have a good mix of healthy hardwoods and a very highly productive acreage of pines.

The County has five fire departments that assist the Department of Forestry with fire protection and the loss of timberland to wildfire is very low. Powhatan still supports a great deal of logging and around 70 areas are logged each year. Now these tracts of land have management plans completed by foresters indicating when and how the trees should be cut. Loggers are controlled by laws that prevent activities that could cause erosion and landowners care about the condition of there forests and replant those acres that are completely clearcut.

The forests of Powhatan County have provided forest products for the world and have played a big role in our history. Income from timber today returns about one million dollars of income each year to Powhatan citizens and produces raw material for Virginia's Forest Products Industry. This is the largest manufacturing industry in the Commonwealth and has more manufacturing sites than any other manufacturing industry. The forests of Powhatan are healthy and will provide forest products well into the 21st century.

Last modified: Wednesday, 21-Oct-2009 12:52:53 EDT