1. Managing Virginia’s Forests
Since 1914!

2. Preparing A Management/Stewardship Plan
From the initial contact to the plan in hand
- what is the process???

3. Initial Field Visit
- Goals & objectives
- History & past management practices
- Property boundaries
- Unique land features
Items of Interest

4. Initial Field Visit
Address Concerns
- Non-native invasive species
- Pest & disease
- Access
- Illegal trespass

5. Initial Field Visit
Field Data Collection
- Vegetative & tree species inventory
- Wildlife habitat assessment
- Soil types & conditions

6. Initial Field Visit
General Discussion
- Timeline & planning
- Limitations & feasibility

7. Make a Map

8. Writing the Plan

9. Additional Soil Research

10. Wildlife Research

14. Relevant Topics
•Woodland Cattle Grazing
•Non-Native Invasive Species
•Riparian Buffers

17. Property Map

20. Summary of
Recommendations
Suggested Schedule of
Management Recommendations
YEAR PARCEL ACTIVITY
2008 - 20018 A, B Monitor forest health (pest & disease)
2008- 2009 A Harvest Virginia Pine
2008 - 2018 A Perform Crop Tree Release
2008 - Stand
Lifespan
A Practice TSI on mature stand
2008 - 2018 A,B, C Monitor and control invasive species
2008 - 2018 A Develop and improve recreational trail system
2008 - 2009 C Plant wildlife food plots
2018 Have Forest Stewardship Plan Revised
This schedule may need to be adjusted depending on financial needs, timber markets,
timing of actual harvest, and availability of contractors.

21. Presentation to Landowner

22. Forestry Cost Share
Options

23. Reforestation of Timberlands (RT)
Effective May 1, 2012, the incentive payments to landowners for approved projects are:
•Practice 1: Planting loblolly or Virginia pine - $22 per acre.
•Practice 2: Site preparation and planting loblolly or Virginia pine - $60 per acre. Includes herbicide
spraying and planting open or abandoned fields.
•Practice 3: Planting shortleaf, white, pitch-loblolly, or longleaf pine - $48 per acre.
•Practice 4: Site preparation and planting shortleaf, white, pitch-loblolly, or longleaf pine - $85 per acre.
•Practice 5: Herbicide site preparation and planting (any species on cutover lands) - $90 per acre.
•Practice 6: Aerial Herbicide release application for all pines except white - $20 per acre.
•Practice 7: Herbicide release application for white pine - $43 per acre.
•Practice Ground release application - $43/acre.Signup is continuous and starts May 1 for the program year starting July 1. The practices must be maintained for 10 years. This program is funded by the forest industry in
Virginia with matching funds from the Virginia General Fund.

24. Riparian Forest Buffer Tax Credit
The 2000 Virginia General Assembly enacted the Riparian Buffer Tax Credit to provide a nonrefundable
tax credit to:
Individuals, S-Corporations or Partnerships;
Estates and Trusts are not eligible for this tax credit, but Family Partnerships and Limited Liability
Corporations are eligible.
owning land on which timber is harvested,
which abuts a waterway,
and who forbears timber harvesting on certain portions of the land for 15 consecutive years.

25. Forestry Quail Habitat Recovery
Program designed to enhance Bobwhite Quail habitat for private, non-industrial forest
landowners within the 15 county area: Bland, Wythe, Greensville, Southampton, Sussex,
Halifax, Augusta, Essex, King and Queen, King William, Culpeper, Greene, Madison,
Rappahannock, and Orange.
• Practice 1: Herbicide Application to Thinned Pine Stands 50% of cost not to
exceed $100/acre, pine stands must have been commercially thinned at least once
• Practice 2: Commercial Thinning in Small Acreage Stands Pine stands from 5-25
acres, one contiguous pine stand per tract, must be first commercial thinning, $100/acre
• Practice 3: Shortleaf Pine Planting 90% of costs not to exceed $200/acre, can include
site preparation costs, must eliminate existing ground cover, maximum of 434
trees per acre (10x10ft)
• Practice 4: Pre-Commercial Pine Thinning 90% of costs not to exceed $125/acre,
thinned to about 10x12 spacing
Total payment shall not exceed $10,000 per fiscal year per landowner (tax id entity)

26. Tomorrow Woods
•Available to private forest landowners, farmers, and non-profit organizations
•Availabe in: Albemarle, Amelia, Appomattox, Brunswick, Buckingham,
Chesterfield, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Fluvanna, Gloucester, Goochland,
Greensville, Isle of Wight, Louisa, Lunenburg, Mathews, Mecklenburg,
Middlesex, Nottoway, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Southampton,
Surry, Sussex, and York counties (except the Rivanna River basin in
Albemarle and Fluvanna
Requirements:
• Practices must be maintained for 20 years or the life of the practice.
• Harvesting is allowed but area must be kept in forest use.
• Areas must be available for future harvesting.
• Area must be at least 5 acres in size unless approved by VDOF forester
• Open lands planted under the program are eligible for forest enhancement
practices and replanting if necessary.

27. Tomorrow Woods Continued
Open Land Tree Planting
• Conserved/Stewardship Lands – 100% of project cost ($200/acre
max), plus $350/acre
• Other Open Land – 75% of project cost ($200/acre max), plus
$250/acre
Fencing to Protect Trees Planted on Open Land
• Conserved/Stewardship Lands - $2/linear foot, max of $2,000
• Other Open Land - $1.50/linear foot, max of $1,500
Forest Enhancement
• Conserved Lands – 90% of project cost, $100/acre max, 100 acre
maximum per year
• Stewardship Lands – 75% of project cost, $75 acre max, 100 acre
maximum per year

28. EQIP (Environmental Quality
Incentive Program)

29. Questions???
Erik P. Filep
Senior Area Forester
Virginia Department of Forestry
Greene, Rappahannock, Madison, Orange, Culpeper Counties
308 Thrift Road (Physical)
P.O. Box 148 (Mailing)
Madison, VA 22727
Office: 540-948-5341
Cell: 434-962-3017