DOF Stewardship Plans

Managing Virginia’s Forests Since 1914!

Preparing A Management/Stewardship Plan

From the initial contact to the plan in hand

- what is the process???

Initial Field Visit

- Goals & objectives

- History & past management practices

- Property boundaries

- Unique land features

Items of Interest

Initial Field Visit

Address Concerns

- Non-native invasive species

- Pest & disease

- Access

- Illegal trespass

Initial Field Visit

Field Data Collection

- Vegetative & tree species inventory

- Wildlife habitat assessment

- Soil types & conditions

Initial Field Visit

General Discussion

- Timeline & planning

- Limitations & feasibility

Make a Map

Writing the Plan

Additional Soil Research

Wildlife Research

Relevant Topics

•Woodland Cattle Grazing

•Non-Native Invasive Species

•Riparian Buffers

Property Map

Summary of Recommendations

Suggested Schedule ofManagement RecommendationsYEAR 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.

Presentation to Landowner

Forestry Cost Share Options

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.

•Cost share rates shall not exceed 75% of the total cost of the project.

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.

Riparian Forest Buffer Tax Credit

Program Description and Requirements

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.

The amount of the credit is equal to 25 percent of the value of the timber retained as a buffer up to $17,500.

The buffer must be at least 35 feet wide and no more than 300 feet and be intact for 15 years.

The applicant must have a Stewardship Plan for the tract to qualify!

A separate application must be completed for each tract. Application fee of $150 each.

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)

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.

Tomorrow Woods ContinuedOpen 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

EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentive Program)

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

Fax: 540-948-5905

E-mail: erik.filep@dof.virginia.gov

Web: www.dof.virginia.gov