Forestry Committee:

Updated:  3/10/08

Joan Comanor, Chair

David Richert

Debbie Wright

Matthew Yancey

Joe Lehnen

Steve Rhoades

Kelly Watkinson

James Smalls

Joe Murray

Jeremy Harold

Gerald Crowell

COMMITTEE PRIORITIES

INVASIVE SPECIES:

Develop an information/awareness campaign about the adverse impacts of invasive species on our environment and economy.  Work with DCR's Division of Natural Heritage, VDACS to determine $$$ impacts in Virginia and include this in our awareness campaign.  Send this information to elected officials, nurseries, landscape architects, etc.  Target audience:  citizens; garden centers/nurseries (for plants); VDOT; local governments.

Work with VDOT and/or local governments to promote their treating roadsides and public land respectively for invasive species.

Identify 1-2 potential control strategies (for specific plant/animal invasives) that could be implemented in partnership with DOF or other state/federal agency or organization.  Partner with a local park / recreation area / Fed. land? on an invasive species restoration project...one with lots of visibility--town park or greenway?  Consider Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Park as a potential candidate (esp since it includes federal, local and private lands; could hold a day long demonstration workday with speakers about treatment methods and then application at the site). 

COMMUNITY FORESTRY:

Hold workshop(s) for community planners, other gov't types at communities in the area that are doing work in this area (e.g. Front Royal Tree Stewards, Luray Greenway) so that they can see some possibilities.  Then have sessions devoted to steps to take such as:  becoming a Tree City USA; developing a greenway; benefits of trees (monetary, environmental, etc.); tree inventory; resources that are available. The Woods in Your Backyard program  (used in Md, PA) may be a useful tool.

Work with one town / city within the RC&D area to conduct a street tree inventory.

Work with one town / city within the RC&D area to complete an urban riparian forest buffer inventory--i.e. determine what percentage of residential and urban waterways are buffered / unbuffered, categorize any unbuffered areas according to the possibility / likelihood of installing a riparian forest buffer.

Partner with the DOF Urban and Community Forestry program to increase participation in the Tree City USA program. 

Develop a newsletter to send to municipalities offering tips, resources, and assistance in developing a community forest program (I've actually already started on this through VCE and would be happy to have any assistance with articles, etc.). 

Monitor success of Potomac Conservancy’s new “Public School Greening Initiative” in Maryland to see if it could be applied to local school district (goal is to identify tree canopy and potential canopy on school grounds and develop school district tree canopy goals and monitor progress over time).

MANAGEMENT OF SMALL WOODED PARCELS

Work with DOF and VCE to hold a workshop on small-scale forestry using the "Woods in Your Backyard" program developed by Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.  Identify several landowners who are interested in practicing small scale forestry and assist them with their efforts in exchange for using these sites as demonstration sites.  Consider inviting potential small scale forest management service providers to this workshop.

Work with VCE (Matt Yancey) and DOF to gather names of contractors willing to provide forest management services for small tracts. 

Promote small scale forest management tied to adding value to low-value / no-value wood (e.g., bioenergy). 

Develop a business model for a small-production timber harvester that would lead to an economically viable business.  (I have heard of at least one timber harvester who has been very successful and profitable harvesting trees from small woodlots.  Possibly we could talk to him, Tech and VDOF to develop a model and then present it to a select group of area loggers.)

Create small woodland owners network so resources and/or equipment could be pooled; small lots in defined areas could coordinate management/harvesting efforts to make them more economically attractive for loggers.

PROMOTE LOCAL WOOD PRODUCTS

Develop a list of local sawmills that will direct market "local wood" to Valley residents.

Help local very small processors (portable millers, etc.) by holding workshops on effective and efficient processing (VT has done some of these in the past) and on marketing their products. 

Provide info to woodlot owners about how to get their wood to local markets (including how to direct market, sell to local sawmills that direct market, etc).

Promote small scale forest management tied to adding value to low-value / no-value wood (e.g., bioenergy). 

RIPARIAN BUFFERS

Determine what laws and regulations currently apply to riparian buffers; what agencies are charged with enforcing the laws and regulations and whether they are being effectively enforced.  Encourage enforcement if it is not being done. 

Develop an information/awareness campaign to promote the value of riparian buffers and publicize any legal or regulatory requirements that landowners should meet.  Develop a working relationship with Friends of the North Fork and other local groups that may have already done work on riparian buffers or might be interested in getting involved.

Provide resources for landowners/businesses willing to restore/fence/enhance buffers.  Include opportunities and programs at State, local and private levels.  Target audiences:  farmers, forest landowners, businesses, urban/suburban landowner/rural residential owners.

Develop information for local governments about why buffers should be important to them, benefits of enacting buffer ordinances, model ordinances, percent of unbuffered land owned/managed by local governments to encourage them to provide the positive example.

Use Community Forestry activities to help promote value of riparian buffers.

Projects Assigned: