By James Wright
Our second installment of successful state partnerships highlights the longstanding efforts of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF). For over three decades the agencies have utilized multiple agreements to provide technical assistance on nearly 9.5 million acres owned by 410,000 family forestland owners.
In 2011, Virginia’s collaborative efforts were highlighted nationally with receiving the Two Chiefs Partnership Award. Most recently, between 2018 and 2020, Virginia’s forestry partnership delivered $7.1 million in NRCS financial assistance to non-industrial forest landowners. All together, those 247 private lands projects helped to address resource concerns on more than 94,000 acres. An agreement between VDOF and NRCS also ensures the proper training of professionals to assist with forestland improvement efforts statewide.
Learn more about Virginia’s forestry partnership successes with this NASF briefer.
Have questions for the author? Contact NASF Forestry Partnership Coordinator James Wright to discuss state-level collaborative efforts in your area.