Reforestation and Cost-Share Assistance

   

Somewhere along the process of managing timber, a landowner is met with the responsibility to reforest a site that has been harvested.  This forestry practice actually begins before the harvest takes place.  An evaluation of the site and present tree species should be the basis of whether or not an area prescribed for harvesting will be reforested or allowed to regenerate naturally preceding the harvest.  If it is determined that the area should be reforested following the harvest, there are several questions that need to be answered in order to begin the project.  When will the prescribed harvest be completed?  What species will be used for reforestation?  How many seedlings are needed to evenly cover the site?  Where do the seedlings come from and how will I get them?  Does the site need to be prepared before planting?  If site preparation is needed, will it be dozed or prescribed burned?  Who will do the planting and who will ensure that the planting is done correctly?  How much will this project cost the landowner?

 

Virginia Forest Service and Land Care can provide a turn key reforestation project for landowners.  We are available to assist landowners throughout the entire tenure of a reforestation project.  We offer tree planting assistance for hardwood and riparian buffer planting as well as pine plantation establishment.  There are many cost-share assistance programs through local, state, and federal program sources.  We continually evaluate and monitor the various programs to be able to maximize landowner returns.  Current cost-share programs for reforestation include Virginia Reforestation of Timberlands (RT) Program, Virginia's Best Management Practices (VABMP) Program, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Environmental Quality Improvement Program (EQUIP).  Cost-share rates for each program vary and can change with each new fiscal year.  Rates typically range from 35-75% of the total reforestation cost.