Post Type: Notices

Notices

Beech Leaf Disease Confirmed in Virginia

August 18, 2021 - Beech leaf disease has now been confirmed in Prince William County – the first detection in Virginia. The disease affects American beech (Fagus grandifolia) )trees and is associated with a foliar nematode. Symptoms include dark stripes between leaf veins, thickening and curling of leaves, and canopy thinning. Contact VDOF’s forest health program if you see these symptoms. For more information, view this Beech Leaf Disease Pest Alert publication.

Notices

Registration Open for Virginia Certified Prescribed Burn Managers Course

July 6, 2021 - Prescribed burn professionals are encouraged to complete training and certification to become a Certified Prescribed Burn Manager. The VA Certified Prescribed Burn Managers Course will be offered virtually on September 21-24, 2021. Registration is open until September 9, 2021 for the Virginia Certified Prescribed Burn Managers Course. Prerequisite work is required. View more information in our Event Calendar.

Notices

Take Action! May is Wildfire Awareness Month

May 1, 2021 - May 1, 2021 is Wildfire Community Preparedness Day and the entire month of May is considered National Wildfire Awareness Month. The Virginia Department of Forestry is joining in to dedicate May to prevention and preparedness.  Prevention and suppression of wildfires is a key part of the Virginia Department of Forestry’s (VDOF) mission; the agency achieves this through education, as well as responding to and suppressing wildfires.  VDOF responders suppress more... Read More

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Fourth Edition of the Virginia Tree Steward Manual Now Available

December 8, 2020 - The Virginia Department of Forestry, Virginia Tech, and Trees Virginia are excited to announce the release of the newest edition of the Virginia Tree Steward Manual! The manual is available to view and download on the Trees Virginia website: https://treesvirginia.org/outreach/tree-stewards This manual serves as the main resource for Tree Steward groups working across the state. It was last updated in 2009, and a lot of the materials were outdated. The... Read More

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Bridges for Water Quality

October 6, 2020 - By Chris Thomsen, VDOF Western Regional Forester Loggers in the Lower Cowpasture River Watershed now have two sets of portable bridges available for their use, thanks to the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) and funding provided by a U. S. Forest Service Joint Chiefs Grant. This federal grant funds the Lower Cowpasture Restoration and Management Project and covers 117,500 acres of public and private lands in Alleghany, Bath, and Rockbridge... Read More

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Fired Up about Camp

February 28, 2020 - Did you know there’s a camp where teens get to fight fire? Not a scary western wildfire, but a well-behaved one that actually improves the environment? Last summer, a group of teenagers at Camp Woods & Wildlife learned firsthand how to manage a prescribed fire. These intrepid campers donned fire-retardant gear and set about preparing for a small understory burn. First, they raked a fire line down to bare soil... Read More

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National Invasive Species Awareness Week

February 26, 2019 - National Invasive Species Awareness Week kicked off this week.  A series of events and webinars offered throughout the week aim to raise awareness and identify solutions to invasive species issues at local, state, tribal, regional, international and national scales. Invasive species are plants, insects, pathogens or other animals intentionally or accidentally introduced into a region where they did not evolve. Their introduction causes, or is likely to cause, economic or... Read More

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Forestland Transfer Workshops Help Sustain Virginia’s Woodlands

July 14, 2018 - Virginia’s forestland is a valuable asset to society, providing clean air and water, wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities and renewable wood resources for all Virginians.  Because almost two-thirds of Virginia’s woods are owned by private individuals, the decisions they make for their land can have far reaching impacts on the sustainability of Virginia’s forests. One of the biggest challenges that Virginia’s landowners face is how to pass the family forest on... Read More

Notices

Virginia Department of Forestry Warns of Increased Fire Danger

April 11, 2018 - In response to weather forecasts for Thursday, April 12, the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) urges people to help prevent wildfires by postponing open-air fires until conditions improve. The combination of strong winds, increased temperatures and low humidity will create extremely dangerous fire weather conditions Thursday. Fire Weather Watches have already been posted by the National Weather Service (NWS) covering northern and western Virginia for Thursday afternoon. Temperatures are expected... Read More

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Trees and shrubs provide a buffer along the Nottoway River (Photo credit: Robby Batte)

Virginia Fall Foliage Report: UPDATE (Weekend of Nov. 11)

October 25, 2017 - Each week during the fall foliage season VDOF shares information about leaf color around the state. Tree color is influenced by precipitation and temperature, so there could be big differences in color and peaks from one region to another and from year to year. Below is our report for the weekend of Nov. 11 More information is available here. Although winter is fast approaching the higher mountains, most areas below 3000... Read More