Assistance For Forest Improvement
Most of Rockbridge is covered with trees. Our stewardship of these trees impacts our local economy and ecology. The Virginia Department of Forestry has a new program designed to help defray some of the costs of making forests healthier and improving both economic value and ecological function.
Cost share is available starting at 5 acres of forestland up to a maximum of 100 acres per tract, per year, and up to 100 acres per landowner, per year. Cost-share is 90% of the total project cost, not to exceed the established per acre rate for each practice. Invasive plant control may be cost-shared on as little as 1 acre, although the tract must contain at least 5 acres of forest. This cost share program cannot be combined with another federal or state cost share to complete the same practice on the same acre. Practices must be completed by May 31, 2027, so they can be verified and payments processed before the end of Virginia’s fiscal year June 30, 2027.
The practices include crop tree release, pre-commercial thinning, midstory management, cull tree control, and other timber stand improvement including prescribed burning, establishment and maintenance of fire lines, invasive plant control, and stand marking by qualified foresters. C rop t ree release, pre-commercial thinning, midstory management, and cull tree control are all practices where undesirable biomass is removed, making space for healthier more desirable trees. This work is labor intensive and is rarely undertaken because of its expense. T he m otivation t o conduct such work is to grow healthier more valuable native timber that grows faster, captures more carbon, and enhances ecological function.
I have had the opportunity to walk a number of local forest tracts with professional foresters and loggers who have pointed out biomass removal work that would enhance timber growth and value over time. This work is almost never done because it is so labor intensive and expensive. Landowners often choose a “selective timber harvest” and the opposite of timber improvement is accomplished: the really good desirable native trees are removed and the inferior and even invasive trees are left. This leaves the appearance of a forest but it is functionally much less valuable from an economic and ecological standpoint. This new cost share program can help accomplish the difficult work of removing and suppressing the accumulation of undesirable biomass.
Any private forest landowner may apply, including individuals, corporations, limited liability corporations (LLCs) and non-profit organizations. Before applying, applicants must meet with a forestry professional, either from the Department of Forestry (DOF) or a trained consulting forester, to establish objectives, conduct a site assessment and create a management plan that includes recommendations for eligible management practices. ..
To apply and learn whether any of these practices are right for your forest, contact Department of Forestry’s area forester for Rockbridge, Mitchel Kim, at (540) 6820242.
