Riparian Working Group

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Riparian Buffer Initiatives

Primary goal is to ensure that an adequate buffer protects all streams and shorelines in the Commonwealth.

Agencies of the Commonwealth work with organizations, businesses, and private landowners to establish, enhance, and maintain riparian buffers. Six main goals:

1. Restore 610 miles of missing or inadequate forest buffers in the state of Virginia by the year 2010.
   • To be counted for the initiative each forest buffer should be:
     • at least 35 ft wide (from the streambank)
     • contain at least three different tree or shrub species
     • regrowth from natural regeneration resulting from fencing farm animals out of streams will also be counted towards the final 610 mile goal
2. Conserve existing forest buffers.
3. Enhance program coordination and accountability.
4. Enhance incentives.
5. Promote education and outreach.
6. To target, track, and conduct research.

The Initiative's first three years:

1. The Riparian Working Group members, chaired by the State Forester, have worked together to restore 135 miles of buffer in the Chesapeake Bay with a total of 157 statewide.
2. Governor Gilmore issued Executive Order #48 titled "Preserving Water Quality in the Chesapeake Bay Through the Establishment of Riparian Buffers Along Streams in the Commonwealth"
3. The Virginia Department of Forestry has begun the "tracking and monitoring" phase of the riparian buffer intiative.
   • purpose of this phase is to monitor and document buffer plantings throughout the state of Virgina.
   • progress monitored with the assistance of all state agencies in the Riparian Buffer Inventory Database.
4. Riparian Buffers were the central theme at the 1999 State Fair.
   • This year, the Riparian Working Group will focus on state-owned land and begin identifying those lands in need of restoration.
   • The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, a cost-share program for wetlands and riparian areas, should be online and enabling the partnership to garner more restoration miles.

Read the Riparian Buffer Initiative Documents and Reports.

Last modified: Thursday, 13-Mar-2008 16:33:18 EDT