Former US Sen. Paul Trible Conserves 508 Acres of Family Land

The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) recorded the agency’s first forestland conservation easement in Northumberland County when former US Sen. Paul Trible developed a conservation easement on 508 acres of his family land, Gascony Farm.

When landowners are contemplating a conservation easement and the perpetual protection it offers from future development, it is most often a family matter.

“My family and I have owned Gascony for almost 100 years and love the rich natural beauty and history of the property. We want future generations to be able to know and love and experience this property as we do,” Senator Trible said.

The Trible family has managed the forest on this tract of land for many years with the help of the VDOF Area Forester Rich Steensma. “I admire Paul for his ability and willingness to gather lands back together,” Steensma said. “Several years ago, when others were eager to subdivide and maximize profit through parcelization, Paul was following in his father’s footsteps of stewardship by continually working to bring subdivided parcels of land back together, into one whole working landscape of forest and farmland.”

The VDOF has been serving Virginia’s forest landowners for nearly 100 years, and over time has developed a high level of confidence and trust with local landowners.

Senator Trible said, “My father and I have worked with the Department of Forestry for many years and have great respect for the outstanding public service provided by the department. We are very confident that the Department of Forestry is the right partner for us to protect and preserve these lands that we cherish.”

A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a government agency or land trust that permanently limits development of the land subsequently protecting such conservation values as forestry, agriculture, open space and wildlife habitat. The terms of the easement are developed between the landowner and the organization that will hold the easement – in this case, the Virginia Department of Forestry. The terms of the easement are perpetual and apply to all future landowners. No change to ownership of the property occurs. Landowners continue to own, use and control their land, and can sell it or pass it on to heirs. Easement agreements do not require landowners to provide public access.

VDOF Forestland Conservation Specialist Rob Suydam said, “The Department of Forestry was very excited when Senator Trible contacted us about helping him develop a conservation easement on his family’s land. This beautiful piece of forestland protects the conservation values of forest, farm and open space. In addition, because this property is so close to the Chesapeake Bay, the watershed and wildlife habitat protection this easement provides is outstanding.”

Virginia loses 16,000 acres of forestland each year. Often, forest converted to other uses, such as residential development, is the result of choices made by individual landowners, who own nearly 80 percent of the forestland in Virginia. VDOF is committed to slowing the loss of valuable forestland to conversion by working with landowners to help them keep their land in forest. For landowners who feel that permanent protection is the right thing for them, their family and their land, VDOF offers its services to help them develop a conservation easement.

The Commonwealth of Virginia has established itself as a leader in land conservation by providing transferable state income tax credits as incentives for landowners interested in protecting their land from development. Because this state tax credit is transferable, many landowners often sell their credits and convert them to cash.

For more information about VDOF’s land conservation program, please contact Rob Suydam at 804.328.3031.

Easements Continue to Conserve Forestland

The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) recorded 24 easements for 8,005 acres in 2011. This figure brings the program total to just under 20,000 acres conserved in five years.

In Halifax County, Blue Wing LLC granted VDOF a conservation easement that protects 1,029 acres of working forestland. Located two miles west of Virgilina, the Blue Wing easement is now almost entirely forested. Bisected by Blue Wing Creek, a major tributary of the Hyco River, the property contains more than nine miles of stream frontage. The forested nature of the property helps protect the water quality and aquatic habitat in the watershed, affording flood control, recreational opportunities and drinking water for downstream communities.

The Blue Wing donation was the second VDOF easement recorded in Halifax County in 2011, both of which are greater than 1,000 acres. VDOF now holds four easements covering 3,649 acres in Halifax County.

In Fluvanna County, Robert and Graciela Lum granted VDOF a working forest conservation easement that protects 205 acres of land. The Lum’s conservation easement is the first VDOF easement in the county.

Located south of Palmyra, the property contains 172 acres of loblolly pine stands, hardwood woodlands and riparian forests managed under a Forest Stewardship Management Plan. The Lum easement was the fifth to receive funding under the VDOF’s Forests to Faucets (F2F) Program. First introduced in 2010, the F2F program focuses on protecting water quality within the Rivanna River basin.

The property borders nearly a half-mile of Raccoon Creek and a short stretch of the Rivanna River, and contains 13 acres of forested floodplain. In addition to being a state-designated scenic river, the Rivanna provides a source of drinking water to downstream communities.

In Albemarle County, Benjamin, Terry and Thomas Warthen granted the VDOF a working forest conservation easement that protects 223 acres of land. The Warthens’ conservation easement is the second VDOF easement recorded in Albemarle County in 2011.

Located just southwest of Charlottesville on the upper slopes and summit of Piney Mountain, nearly the entire property is covered with hardwood forests that are actively managed under the guidance of a Forest Stewardship Management Plan. The easement is within the viewshed of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and future Biscuit Run State Park, helping maintain the scenic vistas that support their historic sense of place.

The property contains the headwaters of several large streams that flow into Biscuit Run, which, in turn, is a major tributary of the Rivanna River. The Warthen easement received funding under the F2F Program.
VDOF will continue to offer the F2F program to other interested landowners through August of 2012 or until funding is exhausted.

A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a government agency or a non-profit conservation organization that protects the conservation values of a property. The landowner continues to own, use and control the land. The VDOF conservation easement program is the only one in the state that focuses primarily on protecting working forests. To be considered, a property must be at least 50 acres in size, 75 percent forested, and the landowner must be willing to have a forest stewardship management plan prepared. Landowners who want to ensure that their land will be forever maintained as forest may consider a VDOF easement.

For additional information on the VDOF conservation easement program or the conservation easement portion of the F2F Program, contact Mike Santucci, forest conservation specialist, at (434) 220-9182, or visit the VDOF website at www.dof.virginia.gov.

Three Families Conserve 400 Acres of Private Forestland in Greene County

The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) recently recorded its first working forest conservation easements in Greene County. Three families granted to the VDOF four separate conservation easements protecting 395 acres on Snow and Hightop mountains west of Stanardsville.

Collectively, the properties are 97 percent forested and contribute to the large, unfragmented forested landscape in the area. These tracts not only complement the many acres of woodland already under easement in the area, but also the large blocks of unbroken habitat contained in the nearby Shenandoah National Park, ensuring a continued and sustainable flow of natural benefits from the landscape.

The forested nature of the properties is critical in protecting water quality and mitigating potential downstream flooding. The easements protect several miles of headwater streams that are primary tributaries of Matties Run and Buffalo Creek, both within the Rivanna River watershed, ultimately contributing to drinking water supplies of downstream communities.

MASON EASEMENT

Often, when landowners are contemplating a conservation easement, it means carrying on a woodland legacy and love of the land established by previous family members. Jay Mason is a third generation landowner – the grandson of W. Roy Mason, an Episcopal missionary who served at Mission Home and was involved in the construction of the Hightop Episcopal Mission. The elder Mason’s work developed into a keen attachment to the area, and eventually landownership on Hightop Mountain.

Jay’s primary goal, supported by his wife Kathi, was to carry on his grandfather’s love of the mountains. “My wife and I recognize what a unique piece of property we have, and the responsibility we have to protect it for future generations. It is our desire that the property should continue to contribute to the beauty of Virginia in perpetuity, and the Department of Forestry was the logical choice to help us ensure that it will.”

The Mason property is a 163-acre tract in a single tax map parcel that may never be divided. It shares almost 2,000 feet of property line with Shenandoah National Park, contributing to the large, unfragmented forested acreage on Hightop Mountain. In addition, the property contains one of several source springs contributing to Buffalo Creek, which flows into the Roach River and eventually the North Fork of the Rivanna River.

SAUNIER EASEMENTS

As landowners consider a conservation easement and the perpetual protection it offers from development, it is most often a family decision. Mike Santucci, VDOF forest conservation specialist, said, “Whether or not to protect the family forest in perpetuity is one of the most elemental decisions they can make. That was the case with the Saunier family. Brothers David and Paul wanted to fulfill their father’s desire to perpetually protect the property, and continue the work he started with the Department of Forestry.”

The Saunier easements on Snow Mountain are comprised of two parcels within a half mile of each other and the Mason easement. Totaling 170 acres, the property may never be more than three parcels, whose future development is restricted.

Paul Saunier said, “The property has been in our family since 1967. David and I grew up appreciating its natural resources and learned the importance of being good stewards of the land. The ability to protect and preserve this land through a conservation easement was an easy decision. Through this conservation easement with the Department of Forestry, we are assured that it will remain protected and undeveloped in perpetuity. A place where future generations can enjoy and nature can flourish.”

David Saunier said, “Our family gained a deep appreciation for the mountain, its resources, people and traditions. We see the increased development that is taking place and changing the face of Virginia’s rural landscape. We wished to do our part in preserving something that has meant so much to our family. It seemed only right to preserve it so that others could have the same opportunities as we have had.”

JONES EASEMENT

While not the same length of family history as their neighbors, Bill and Brenda Jones nevertheless have similar sentiments about their land, and the family ties are just as strong. Bill said, “The rural nature of Greene County is what caused us to relocate here from northern Virginia in 1989. We found the mountain setting to be just what we were looking for as a beautiful and quiet place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the DC area. Our son and his wife often visit for the same reasons we originally came to this place. Our conservation easement will ensure that the property will remain intact in perpetuity as it passes to our heirs, and that they can get the same enjoyment from the property that we have.”

The Jones property is 62 acres in size and shares property lines with both Saunier easements. The single tax parcel may never be divided in the future, and the size and location of existing and future buildings is limited to protect the working forest conservation values of the property.

One of those existing structures is a century-old log cabin, the history of which the family appreciates. “We frequently have long-time residents of the county stop by to visit ‘the old home place’ and are always interested in what they can tell us about life on the mountain 50 or more years ago. Our property was farmed into the 1950s with horse-drawn plows, but it has reverted to forestland. Retaining the forested land in the mountains and the surrounding agricultural land on the Piedmont is important to maintaining the rural character that makes this area so appealing.”

Santucci said, “It has been a privilege to work with these landowners on their easements. Most of Virginia’s forests are in the hands of family forest landowners, and how those people feel about their woodlands, how they manage them, and the decisions they make to conserve them ultimately determine the sustainability of our forestlands and the many benefits they provide. I cannot express enough my appreciation to them for their donations.”

The four donations were the result of collaborative efforts by the Blue Ridge Foothills Conservancy (BRFC), Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) and the VDOF, with support from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. The BRFC and PEC are both non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to promoting and protecting the rural economy, natural resources, history and beauty of Greene County and the surrounding area.

All four easements were among the first to receive funding under the VDOF’s Forests to Faucets (F2F) Program. The program is designed to maintain and expand forest cover in the watershed through financial incentives to landowners who undertake forest management and conservation practices, including easements.

“The F2F program offers funding to forest landowners within the watershed who are willing to donate an easement that directly protects water quality and or quantity by permanently retaining forest cover on the landscape” Santucci said. “The ultimate payment amount is determined on a sliding scale based on the property’s attributes and selected easement enhancements, but is often enough to offset most, if not all, of the easement preparation costs.” VDOF will continue to offer the F2F program to other interested landowners through August of 2012 or until funding is exhausted.

For additional information on the VDOF conservation easement program, or the conservation easement portion of the F2F Program, contact Mike Santucci, forest conservation specialist, at (434) 220-9182, or visit the VDOF website at www.dof.virginia.gov.

VDOF Employee Donates Working Forest Easement in King William County; Three Tracts Total 1,199 acres

E. Pickett Upshaw, a forestry technician with the Virginia Department of Forestry, has granted the VDOF a working forest conservation easement that protects nearly 1,200 acres of land in King William County.

Upshaw becomes the first VDOF employee to permanently protect from development a large block of privately owned forestland through a donated easement to the VDOF. His conservation easement is the Agency’s 51st. The 1,199 acres of land, located near West Point, will be maintained with sustainable forest and farm management practices.

The donation is one of the largest of its kind to the VDOF and brings the total land conserved under this program to 16,813 acres.

Upshaw said, “Conservation easements are one of the tools that my family is using to ensure continuity of our farm and forestland usage. We want the land that has been in our family for six generations to pass to future generations without the pressures of residential development. The benefits of the rural lifestyle are something we want our family to continue to enjoy. Being surrounded by productive forestland and farmland and the pleasures of nature are some of the things we cherish. This donation to the VDOF will ensure that our land will be well managed for perpetuity.”

State Forester of Virginia Carl Garrison said, “It’s always terrific when people permanently conserve their working forestland, but this donation is extra special because it comes from one of our own. This conservation easement will ensure a continuous supply of forest products, including lumber and pulp, and environmental services, including clean air and water. The forestland on Pickett’s property helps protect the water quality and aquatic habitat in the Mattaponi River.”

Virginia Sen. Tommy Norment said, “Mr. Upshaw’s personal commitment to conservation extends far beyond his professional responsibilities as a forestry technician. I am truly grateful for his donation, which will further enhance and preserve Virginia’s outstanding natural resources. His contribution stands as a model within our Commonwealth, and I thank him for his leadership and service.”

Virginia Del. Harvey Morgan said, “For six generations, Pickett’s family has sustainably managed this land and worked diligently to ensure the health of the nearby Mattaponi River. On behalf of every Virginian in the district I have been honored to represent, I thank and congratulate Pickett for conserving this large tract of his family’s land.”

In Virginia, more than 12.9 million acres of forestland are in the hands of 373,600 private landowners.

Garrison said, “Private forest landowners, such as Pickett Upshaw, determine the sustainability of Virginia’s forests and the benefits they provide. I cannot express enough my appreciation to him for his donation.”

The VDOF conservation easement program is the only one in the state that focuses primarily on protecting working forests. The VDOF’s goal is to work with private forest landowners to protect large blocks of working forests by keeping them intact and unfragmented. To be considered for a donation, a property must be at least 50 acres in size, 75 percent forested, and the landowner must be willing to have a forest stewardship management plan prepared. Landowners who want to ensure that their land will be forever maintained as forest may consider a VDOF easement.

For additional information on the VDOF conservation easement program, visit the VDOF website.

One Million Acres of Southern Forests Protected from Destructive Insect

The U.S. Forest Service announced that the agency has protected one million acres of forest through its Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program (SPBPP). The milestone was reached this fall, on private land in New Kent County, Va., as a result of the Logger Incentive Program developed by the VDOF. This program makes treating small forests for southern pine beetle economically viable by paying loggers directly for their work on small (5- to 25-acre) pine stands.

The Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program spans 13 states and crosses boundaries from privately owned land to state and national forests, aiming to prevent future outbreaks and losses. More than 13,000 individual landowners have participated in the program, together with hundreds of loggers and contractors across the South, to improve the health of southern forests.

"The millionth acre is a tribute to healthy forests throughout the South, both here in these woods and throughout the regional landscape," USDA Deputy Undersecretary for Natural Resources and the Environment Arthur "Butch" Blazer said. "Preventing infestations by the southern pine beetle takes cooperation on a grand scale, and today we honor everyone who contributed - every acre and every effort."

Major southern pine beetle outbreaks have occurred every eight to 12 years, historically. The most recent outbreak affected more than a million forested acres and resulted in an estimated $1.5 billion worth of timber loss. When it ended in 2002, the Forest Service calculated that more than 8.4 million acres of southern forestland were susceptible to the next outbreak, which led officials to take preventative action. Another outbreak could lead to even greater devastating losses for the region and for individual landowners.

"It’s a native insect, but the southern pine beetle is the most destructive forest pest in the South, both in economic and ecological impacts," said Robert Mangold, director of Forest Health Protection at the U.S. Forest Service. "The prevention program is a proactive way to sustain and strengthen forest resources."

The Forest Service established the Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program in 2003 as a comprehensive strategy to manage losses from the pest by reducing the stress to forests through good forest management. The program was developed through close cooperation with state foresters and national forest managers. Their strategy is proactive and broad - to increase the resiliency of pine forests across the South, crossing ownership boundaries and land uses.

Because the average forest landowner in the South owns 17 acres, officials said a landscape approach targeting small tracts was the right prescription. The work is accomplished through state forestry agencies and forest thinning programs.

Landowners who participate in the program are likely to continue growing trees; which translates into clean air and water, less erosion, healthy habitat for wildlife and scenic forests for all to enjoy.

The millionth-acre milestone was reached on private land in New Kent County, Va., as a result of the Logger Incentive Program developed by the Virginia Department of Forestry. This program makes treating small forests for southern pine beetle economically viable by paying loggers directly for their work on small (5- to 25-acre) pine stands.

State Forester for Virginia Carl Garrison said, "Without this program, hundreds of Virginia landowners could have suffered tremendous losses on thousands of acres of forest land."

Forest Service Report Documents Environmental Benefits of Wood as a Green Building Material

The findings of a new U.S. Forest Service study indicate that wood should factor as a primary building material in green building.

The authors of Science Supporting the Economic and Environmental Benefits of Using Wood and Wood Products in Green Building Construction reviewed the scientific literature and found that using wood in building products yields fewer greenhouse gases than using other common materials.

"This study confirms what many environmental scientists have been saying for years," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Wood should be a major component of American building and energy design. The use of wood provides substantial environmental benefits, provides incentives for private landowners to maintain forest land, and provides a critical source of jobs in rural America."

The Forest Service report also points out that greater use of life cycle analysis in building codes and standards would improve the scientific underpinning of building codes and standards and thereby benefit the environment. A combination of scientific advancement in the areas of life cycle analysis and the development of new technologies for improved and extended wood utilization are needed to continue to advance wood as a green construction material. Sustainability of forest products can be verified using any credible third-party rating system, such as Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Forest Stewardship Council or American Tree Farm System certification.

"The argument that somehow non-wood construction materials are ultimately better for carbon emissions than wood products is not supported by our research," said David Cleaves, the U.S. Forest Service Climate Change Advisor. "Trees removed in an environmentally responsible way allow forests to continue to sequester carbon through new forest growth. Wood products continue to benefit the environment by storing carbon long after the building has been constructed."

The use of forest products in the United States currently supports more than one million direct jobs, particularly in rural areas, and contributes more than $100 billion to the country's gross domestic product.

"In the Rockies alone, we have hundreds of thousands of dead trees killed by bark beetles that could find their way into the building supply chain for all types of buildings," said Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. "Taking a harder look at wood as a green building source could reduce the damages posed by future fires, maintain overall forest health and provide much-needed jobs in local communities."

The U.S. Forest Service report identifies several areas where peer-reviewed science can contribute to sustainable green building design and decisions. These recommendations address the following needs for use of wood as a green building material:

• Information on environmental impacts across the lifecycle of wood and alternative construction materials needs to be updated and revised;
• Green buildings codes and standards should include adequate provisions to recognize the benefit of a lifecycle environmental analysis to guide selection of building materials; and
• A lack of educational, technology transfer, and demonstration projects hinder the acceptance of wood as a green building material.

Research recently initiated by the wood products industry in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory will enable greater use and valuation of smaller diameter trees and insect and disease-killed trees. Research on new products and technologies has been initiated including improved cross-lamination techniques and the increased use of nanotechnology.

These developments are especially important amidst a changing climate because forest managers will need to increasingly thin densely forested areas in the coming years to reduce the impacts from longer and more severe wildfire seasons. Continued research of wood-based products and technologies will contribute to more environmentally responsible building materials and increased energy efficiency.

To view the report, visit: http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/09/green-building-report.pdf

VDOF Names Toni Noreika New Regional Forester in Eastern Virginia

A 26-year-veteran of the Virginia Department of Forestry has been chosen to lead agency’s Eastern Region – a 30-county area that extends from the Eastern Shore to Brunswick County up to King George County.

Toni Noreika, most recently an assistant regional forester in the agency’s Waverly office, was selected from a competitive pool of external and internal applicants and becomes the first woman to be a regional forester in the agency’s 97-year history. A resident of Suffolk, Noreika has held a number of increasingly responsible positions since joining VDOF in 1985, and she’s looking forward to the new job’s opportunities and challenges.

“I’ve worked as a county forester in Isle of Wight, Suffolk, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth and Norfolk,” Noreika said. “And for the last 11 years, I’ve been managing the agency’s employees and resources in 10 counties. I’m honored to be working with a great group of people, and am excited to be part of the leadership group that will continue to move the Department of Forestry forward.”

State Forester Carl Garrison said, “We’re very fortunate to have Toni as one of our three regional foresters. She’s a strong leader, a knowledgeable forester and a hard worker who is committed to protecting and serving the citizens of Virginia.”

Noreika grew up around the fields and forests of northeastern Pennsylvania and developed a love of the outdoors at an early age. She holds a bachelor’s degree in forest science from Penn State and is the proud parent of two adult daughters.