Managing Your Forestland: Common Recommendations by Virginia Department of Forestry
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This document provides common forest management recommendations for landowners in Virginia's NOVA work area. It outlines services from the Virginia Department of Forestry, such as technical assistance, prescribed burning and equipment rental. It then discusses general recommendations for all forestland owners, including having a management plan, controlling invasive species and deer, clearly marking boundaries, monitoring tree health and the forest, enhancing riparian areas, and considering pines or warm season grasses in open areas. The recommendations are designed to improve forest health and protect landowners.
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Managing Your Forestland: Common Recommendations by Virginia Department of Forestry
- 1. Managing Your Forestland: Common Recommendations Kyle D. Dingus Area Forester Virginia Department of Forestry NOVA Work Area 675 Frost Avenue Warrenton, VA 20186
- 2. Virginia Department of Forestry • Services • Technical assistance • Prescribed burning • Equipment rental • Planting Coordination • Management Plans – Stewardship Plan – Stand Plan – Pre-Harvest Plan – Planting Plans – Land-Use Plans – DOF Cost Share Programs • Reforestation of Timberlands • Riparian Forest Buffer Tax Credit • Assistance with others – EQIP – CREP – CRP – Ag BMP – Others
- 3. Law Enforcement 1. Wildfire Laws 2. Water Quality Laws 3. Seed Tree Laws
- 4. NOVA Work Area • Fauquier County • Loudoun County • Prince William County • Fairfax County • Arlington County – Cities of Arlington/Alexandria • Culpeper County • Rappahannock County • Madison County
- 5. Understanding the forest • What are the landowner’s objectives? – How can I make this forest work for them? • How did these trees get here? • What is the land use history of the property? • What will be the future species composition? • Are there any health concerns present now?
- 6. General Recommendations • The big 8 • These relate to every property that has forestland in the NOVA work area • Designed to improve the health of the forest and protect the landowner • All are recommendations, NOT mandatory
- 7. 1. Have a management plan for your property • Based upon your objectives • How do you want the forest to benefit you • Forestry takes time – Management Rotations • Hardwoods 40-125 years • Pines: 20-50 years
- 8. You can lose income opportunities
- 9. 2. Control and monitor invasive species • Common Invasives for NOVA Work Area: 1. Tree-of-heaven 2. Autumn olive 3. Mile-a-minute 4. Japanese barberry 5. Japanese honeysuckle 6. Oriental bittersweet 7. Multiflora rose 8. English ivy 9. Garlic mustard 10. Royal paulonia 11. Wineberry
- 12. 3. Control Deer • A MAJOR problem to regenerating forest • There are practically no natural predators • Assistance through VDGIF and local hunters – DMAP Program
- 13. Regenerating plants deer do not eat
- 14. The forest should NOT be park like
- 15. Deer and Invasive together • Deer eat natives and give the edge to invasives • Deer have less food over time and suffer • Native plants have to persevere against two formidable obstacles
- 16. They limit management Failed Plantings Low regeneration
- 17. Solutions Invasives • Give growing space to natives • Prioritize work areas and set goals • Systematically work your way through the forest • Repeat monitoring and control • Use integrated pest management and READ LABELS! Deer • Encourage harvesting of female deer • Encourage your neighbors to do the same • Extra meat can be donated to Hunters for the Hungry • There are a lot of people that need places to hunt
- 18. 4. Have you boundary lines clearly marked • Protects you and others • Use a licensed surveyor • Have them mark your lines not just your corners • Virginia Code § 55- 334.1
- 19. 5. Have a certified arborist periodically check the trees around your home • Preventative maintenance is typically cheaper than failure • www.goodtreecare.com – International Society of Arboriculture – American Society of Consulting Arborist
- 20. 6. Monitor the forest • There are more options when you catch disease or insect pests early • On the radar: – Emerald Ash Borer – Thousand Cankers Beetle – Jumping Oak Gall
- 21. 7. Enhance the riparian areas • Allow trees to establish along streams minimum of 35’, but 50’ preferred • Increases water quality • May be cost share for farmers
- 22. 8. Consider pines or warm season grasses in open areas Pines • Quickest way to grow timber • Loblolly or shortleaf • Cost share available through RT Warm Season Grasses • Not very common anymore • Can interplant with wildflowers • Will help quail and other bird populations multiply in the area
- 23. Do you really need to keep mowing?
- 24. A healthy forest: • Has a diversity of NATIVE species – Promotes resilience • Has a variety of layers – Over, mid, and under stories • Is something you benefit from every second of your life
- 26. Questions
Editor's Notes
- Our mission: We protect and develop healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians. protects 15.8 million acres of forest land from fire, insects and disease. manages 22 State Forest lands totaling 67,920 acres for timber, recreation, water, research, wildlife and biodiversity. More than 300,000 forest landowners in Virginia control 77% of forest land, which: Enhances the quality of life in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Supports the forest industry, a significant contributor to the state's economy.
- Shift from single county designation to multiple Agency has gone mobile NOVA Is very unique Combines challenges of urban sprawl, education, and urban/traditional forestry
- This is the process I use to assist a landowner on their options for management There is always a story being told
- If you have me come out to visit, then you will see these again. Is a summary of what I have learned over a year in the field. Forestry takes time and commitment. Because of invasives and deer, we cant just do nothing anymore! Owning forestland is cool and can provide years of enjoyment.
- Talk about general management, not our specific plans. Helps you make an informed decision The trees are not just doing nothing Get informed on what the values are!-Hire a consultant Avoid high grading. Read into the science behind the recommendations- clear cutting is scientific
- While these trees do have an ecological value, their financial value is drastically reduced. Why not have the forest benefit you and provide periodic income?
- One of the two biggest threats to forestland in N. VA. Are an issue because: Have not evolved with the ecosystem Seed prolifically Have no natural enemies Take away growing space from native plants Reduce habitat value and take food out of wildlife’s mouths This is a commitment to a long term process as long as you own the property. Instead of focusing on eradication, just work on areas where you can give the edge back to natives. There is hope!
- Very little can be established now in this part of the forest. Having ornamental plants has a price! Think about planting NOVA natives May have to consider the reset option of clear cutting and planting pine.
- Layers in the forest benefit wildlife and if they do not get established you are taking away habitat. The forest must regenerate otherwise we are NOT doing management.
- Second biggest threat to our forest. No natural predators. They are a browse animal and eat a LOT of different plants and can consume 6-8 lbs of browse a day? If you have a lot of invasives that can be attributed to deer because they have eaten the natives and invasives have come in If you control invasives and NOT deer then your going to get invasives again or plants deer don’t eat-spicebush, pappaw This is an integrative system.
- Pawpaw There should be little oaks, hickories and poplars Diversity is limited Invasives can come in too.
- Unless you are burning regularly like was mentioned in early colonial accounts. Where are the layers? That’s some nice timber, but now we have a block to regeneration.
- You really can not plant until you get the deer populations down or have means to control invasives. Low regeneration means that even if we do harvest, now we have to finesse into ensuring we have regeneration.
- Invest in controlling invasives Make sure you are protected from hunters. Might want to entertain allowing a hunting club to lease the hunting rights to your property.
- http://www.dof.virginia.gov/laws/timber-trespass-report.htm Know and talk to your neighbors. Its YOUR responsibility- do it and maintain it! Follow state code for marking because if timber trespass does occur then in the event of prosecution having crossed those marks is trespassing. Document! Some consultant foresters can remark your lines, but they are NOT licensed surveyors! Restitution for the lost timber includes three times the timber stumpage value, reforestation costs (not exceeding $450 per acre), and payment of legal fees and estimator costs. VCE 420-136
- Just like a doctor, urban trees benefit from a check up Keeping trees healthy is the key to help them ward of insect and disease Keeps your home beautiful Will protect you, your property and your guests. Foresters are not necessarily arborist Frequency of visits will depend on condition and health of the trees
- Periodically monitor your forest-can just be hiking and enjoying it You know how things look day to day and when something seems off Let us know about forest health concerns we track them