Making up approximately two thirds of the total land area in Virginia and a staggering one third of the total land area in the entire U.S., forests are an integral part of our world. Trees and forests filter our water, supply oxygen, clean our air, regulate temperature, provide habitats for a diverse array of animal and plant species, store atmospheric carbon, and are living settings for recreation and quiet retreats. Trees are critical to a healthy environment, a thriving nature-based economy, and to the health of Virginians everywhere, from the countryside to the inner city.

While there is increasing recognition of the benefits of trees and forests for our collective health, there are mounting threats to forests that put these benefits at risk.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) has been working with our partners and other stakeholders to address challenging issues such as deforestation resulting from the construction of industrial scale solar facilities. Virginia’s transition to solar and wind energy will continue, the goal is to limit the impact on farms and forestlands. Also on the energy front, we are concerned about how the phase out of woody biomass as a feedstock for electricity generation will impact landowners and the forest by eliminating a critical market for debris and low-value trees.

We are also collaborating with partners to increase tree planting in riparian forest buffers to meet the state’s 2025 commitments for Chesapeake Bay restoration. Other challenges we are working to address include the spread of invasive plants, introduced insects such as spotted lanternfly, loss of ash trees to the emerald ash borer, and increasing mortality of mature oak trees.

Given all the challenges facing the forest, we have been fortunate to see unprecedented support for trees and forestry at the federal, state and local level. The FY23 state budget included funding for additional VDOF field staff and firefighting equipment, reopening the New Kent seedling nursery, recreational opportunities and access on state forests, and greatly increased funding for tree planting and logger best management practices (BMPs).

Beneficial legislation passed this past year by the General Assembly included creation of the Forest Sustainability Fund and a tax credit for landowners who implement beneficial hardwood management practices. VDOF staff and our stakeholders have been hard at work this year to ensure that these innovative solutions are put into practice as soon as possible.

Every day, the men and women of VDOF work to support and raise awareness of these diverse benefits we all enjoy from our sustainably managed forests. We also do everything possible to protect and conserve our forest resource. At times, that protection extends to our partner states.

In 2022, while dealing with a busy fire season in southwest Virginia, we were able to mobilize multiple crews to Texas to provide much-needed wildland fire suppression assistance. Virginia crews totaled approximately 18,000 hours during four two-week rotations to lend a hand to the Texas Forest Service.

The purpose of this State of the Forest report is to encapsulate our work over the past year and help focus our efforts and priorities for the year ahead. As always, feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions, feedback or comments… or would just like to “talk forests."

/s/ Rob Farrell, State Forester