Our State of the Forest Annual Report details the activities and accomplishments of the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) – as well as the status of our forest resource – over the past fiscal year. Once again, this publication demonstrates that the work of DOF can vary as much as the species, benefits and challenges within the 16 million acres of forestland found across the Commonwealth.

It may seem like a distant memory for some, but the fall 2023 and spring 2024 fire seasons continue to serve as stark reminders of the critical importance of emergency response preparation and coordination. Following two of the most active periods of wildfire suppression in the last 20 years, I’m pleased to share that FY25 saw a return to average activity in terms of the number of wildfires in the Commonwealth, with a slightly higher than average number of acres burned. To demonstrate the Commonwealth’s commitment to effective coordination efforts, last October, Governor Glenn Youngkin signed Executive Order 40 to enhance Virginia’s wildfire preparedness and response capabilities. DOF partners with local, state and federal cooperators to ensure all of Virginia’s forests – and those who live in and near them – are protected.

Last September, Hurricane Helene hit multiple Virginia counties across DOF’s western region with relentless flooding, widespread power outages and thousands of downed trees. DOF quickly responded with 65 personnel clearing fallen trees from hundreds of miles of roads, providing access for other first responders. DOF has worked closely with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) to provide relief, through U.S. Department of Agriculture block grants, to Southwest Virginians who experienced farmland and timber loss due to Helene.

Speaking of funding opportunities, DOF remains in the fortunate position to provide assistance to partners, landowners and localities. In FY25, DOF awarded $2.5 million from the Forest Sustainability Fund to 70 Virginia localities. The Fund assists localities that provide forest land use taxation as an incentive for landowners to keep their land in forest. In Virginia, 76 localities have forest land use taxation, with an estimate of over 3,000,000 acres enrolled on more than 70,000 parcels. With an average forgone revenue of over $1.1 million per locality, the proportional distribution averaged $35,000 per locality.

The Commonwealth adds 7.3 million acres of farms to our 16 million acres of forests to provide Virginians with the food and fiber that sustain us. As you will read several times in this report, agriculture and forestry are key parts of our economy while also offering rustic views, clean air and water, and wildlife habitat. FY25 marked the inaugural year of the Office of Working Lands Preservation (OWL), created in the 2024 session of the General Assembly by merging the Office of Farmland Preservation – formerly housed within VDACS – with DOF’s Forestland Conservation program.

OWL focuses on the conservation of farms and forestland through federal, state and local partnerships, and outreach to landowners. I want to thank the land conservation community for supporting DOF over the first 20 years of the forestland conservation program. I am proud to share that DOF recently surpassed 100,000 acres protected under conservation easements. As of the end of FY25, the agency holds 234 easements in 64 localities. With the creation of OWL, DOF’s open-space easement program also seeks to conserve Virginia’s prime agricultural lands and the farm businesses they sustain.

DOF is honored to be charged with developing Virginia’s first Forestland and Urban Tree Canopy Conservation Plan mandated by the General Assembly's House Bill 309 (HB309). This isn't just another study, but a comprehensive effort to ensure that Virginians continue to receive the many benefits that trees and forests provide. This study will incorporate not only high-resolution imagery but also harvest data unique to DOF. This analysis will allow us to better understand where canopy is being gained and lost within the Chesapeake Bay region of Virginia, but also throughout the entire state. DOF began hosting Technical Advisory Committee meetings at our Charlottesville Headquarters this year to craft the first five-year plan. We look forward to sharing the final plan, scheduled for completion next fall.

One of our main goals at DOF will come as no surprise…getting more trees in the ground. This year, DOF once again expanded the successful Throwing Shade VA program, which incentivizes Virginians to plant native species that result in water quality benefits, and offer food and habitat for wildlife and pollinators. From March 1 to May 1, retail customers receive $25 discounts on select native trees and shrubs from participating nurseries. The program has grown every year since its launch in 2023, with plans to expand to more nurseries next year. You will read more about how we support communities and towns with various tree-planting efforts in the pages that follow.

Every day, DOF and our many partners across the Commonwealth offer a wide variety of resources to help landowners, agencies and organizations plant, grow and manage trees and forests. This is important to all Virginians who enjoy the benefits of forests, because conservation requires instruction, mentoring and planning to protect the working lands of the Commonwealth in perpetuity.

/s/ Rob Farrell
State Forester