1995 Forest Resource Assessment: Executive Summary

Executive Summary

In 1992, the Virginia Department of Forestry began a long term assessment of Virginia's forest resources. This assessment differs from past assessments in its emphasis on population growth and land use changesand the implications of these land use changes to the forest resources. A report on theinitial phase, which focused on timber supply, was completed in 1995.

Geographic Information System (GIS) technology was used to overlay population density patterns with forest land cover and land use data. The expert opinions of local Department foresters were then used to choose threshold population densities that could be used to separate forestlands into two categories: "rural" forestland, which is likely to remain available for long term timber production; and "urban" forestland which is likely to become unavailable for timber production through residential or other development, at least by the time the existing forest reaches economic maturity. Hand draw revisions were made in a few instances where this approach misclassified significant areas of forest.

Estimates of timber volumes, growth, and removals for rural forestland were derived from the 1992 forest inventory of Virginia. Areas of rural forest unsuitable for harvest because of steep slopes, small acreage or distribution in narrow strips wereremoved from consideration to leave the "suitable rural forestland" that is expected to support future commercial timber production in Virginia.

This initial assessment shows that the Commonwealth has 15.4 million acres forestland, but that only 8.5 million acres, or 55%, is likely to remain available for timber production. About 3.1 million acres of forestlands was classified as "urban", and another 3.9 million acres were classified as unsuitable due to slope, small acreage, or spatial arrangement. Under present circumstances, this forestland is inadequate to support the current rate of harvest on a long term, suitable basis.

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Last modified 2007-07-12