4. NOVA Work Area
• Fauquier County
• Loudoun County
• Prince William County
• Fairfax County
• Arlington County
– Cities of Arlington/Alexandria
• Culpeper County
• Rappahannock County
• Madison County
5. Understanding the forest
• What are the landowner’s objectives?
– How can I make this forest work for them?
• How did these trees get here?
• What is the land use history of the property?
• What will be the future species composition?
• Are there any health concerns present now?
6. General Recommendations
• The big 8
• These relate to every property that has
forestland in the NOVA work area
• Designed to improve the health of the forest
and protect the landowner
• All are recommendations, NOT mandatory
7. 1. Have a management plan for your
property
• Based upon your
objectives
• How do you want the
forest to benefit you
• Forestry takes time
– Management Rotations
• Hardwoods 40-125 years
• Pines: 20-50 years
9. 2. Control and monitor invasive
species
• Common Invasives for NOVA Work Area:
1. Tree-of-heaven
2. Autumn olive
3. Mile-a-minute
4. Japanese barberry
5. Japanese honeysuckle
6. Oriental bittersweet
7. Multiflora rose
8. English ivy
9. Garlic mustard
10. Royal paulonia
11. Wineberry
12. 3. Control Deer
• A MAJOR problem to
regenerating forest
• There are practically no
natural predators
• Assistance through
VDGIF and local
hunters
– DMAP Program
15. Deer and Invasive together
• Deer eat natives and give the edge to
invasives
• Deer have less food over time and suffer
• Native plants have to persevere against
two formidable obstacles
17. Solutions
Invasives
• Give growing space to
natives
• Prioritize work areas and
set goals
• Systematically work your
way through the forest
• Repeat monitoring and
control
• Use integrated pest
management and READ
LABELS!
Deer
• Encourage harvesting of
female deer
• Encourage your
neighbors to do the same
• Extra meat can be
donated to Hunters for
the Hungry
• There are a lot of people
that need places to hunt
18. 4. Have you boundary lines clearly
marked
• Protects you and others
• Use a licensed
surveyor
• Have them mark your
lines not just your
corners
• Virginia Code § 55-
334.1
19. 5. Have a certified arborist
periodically check the trees around
your home
• Preventative
maintenance is typically
cheaper than failure
• www.goodtreecare.com
– International Society of
Arboriculture
– American Society of
Consulting Arborist
20. 6. Monitor the forest
• There are more
options when you
catch disease or
insect pests early
• On the radar:
– Emerald Ash Borer
– Thousand Cankers
Beetle
– Jumping Oak Gall
21. 7. Enhance the riparian
areas
• Allow trees to establish
along streams
minimum of 35’, but 50’
preferred
• Increases water quality
• May be cost share for
farmers
22. 8. Consider pines or warm season
grasses in open areas
Pines
• Quickest way to grow
timber
• Loblolly or shortleaf
• Cost share available
through RT
Warm Season Grasses
• Not very common
anymore
• Can interplant with
wildflowers
• Will help quail and other
bird populations multiply
in the area
24. A healthy forest:
• Has a diversity of NATIVE species
– Promotes resilience
• Has a variety of layers
– Over, mid, and under stories
• Is something you benefit from every second of
your life
Our mission: We protect and develop healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians.
protects 15.8 million acres of forest land from fire, insects and disease.
manages 22 State Forest lands totaling 67,920 acres for timber, recreation, water, research, wildlife and biodiversity.
More than 300,000 forest landowners in Virginia control 77% of forest land, which:
Enhances the quality of life in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Supports the forest industry, a significant contributor to the state's economy.
Shift from single county designation to multiple
Agency has gone mobile
NOVA
Is very unique
Combines challenges of urban sprawl, education, and urban/traditional forestry
This is the process I use to assist a landowner on their options for management
There is always a story being told
If you have me come out to visit, then you will see these again.
Is a summary of what I have learned over a year in the field.
Forestry takes time and commitment.
Because of invasives and deer, we cant just do nothing anymore!
Owning forestland is cool and can provide years of enjoyment.
Talk about general management, not our specific plans.
Helps you make an informed decision
The trees are not just doing nothing
Get informed on what the values are!-Hire a consultant
Avoid high grading.
Read into the science behind the recommendations- clear cutting is scientific
While these trees do have an ecological value, their financial value is drastically reduced.
Why not have the forest benefit you and provide periodic income?
One of the two biggest threats to forestland in N. VA.
Are an issue because:
Have not evolved with the ecosystem
Seed prolifically
Have no natural enemies
Take away growing space from native plants
Reduce habitat value and take food out of wildlife’s mouths
This is a commitment to a long term process as long as you own the property.
Instead of focusing on eradication, just work on areas where you can give the edge back to natives.
There is hope!
Very little can be established now in this part of the forest.
Having ornamental plants has a price!
Think about planting NOVA natives
May have to consider the reset option of clear cutting and planting pine.
Layers in the forest benefit wildlife and if they do not get established you are taking away habitat.
The forest must regenerate otherwise we are NOT doing management.
Second biggest threat to our forest.
No natural predators.
They are a browse animal and eat a LOT of different plants and can consume 6-8 lbs of browse a day?
If you have a lot of invasives that can be attributed to deer because they have eaten the natives and invasives have come in
If you control invasives and NOT deer then your going to get invasives again or plants deer don’t eat-spicebush, pappaw
This is an integrative system.
Pawpaw
There should be little oaks, hickories and poplars
Diversity is limited
Invasives can come in too.
Unless you are burning regularly like was mentioned in early colonial accounts.
Where are the layers?
That’s some nice timber, but now we have a block to regeneration.
You really can not plant until you get the deer populations down or have means to control invasives.
Low regeneration means that even if we do harvest, now we have to finesse into ensuring we have regeneration.
Invest in controlling invasives
Make sure you are protected from hunters.
Might want to entertain allowing a hunting club to lease the hunting rights to your property.
http://www.dof.virginia.gov/laws/timber-trespass-report.htm
Know and talk to your neighbors.
Its YOUR responsibility- do it and maintain it!
Follow state code for marking because if timber trespass does occur then in the event of prosecution having crossed those marks is trespassing. Document!
Some consultant foresters can remark your lines, but they are NOT licensed surveyors!
Restitution for the lost timber includes three times the timber stumpage value, reforestation costs (not exceeding $450 per acre), and payment of legal fees and estimator costs. VCE 420-136
Just like a doctor, urban trees benefit from a check up
Keeping trees healthy is the key to help them ward of insect and disease
Keeps your home beautiful
Will protect you, your property and your guests.
Foresters are not necessarily arborist
Frequency of visits will depend on condition and health of the trees
Periodically monitor your forest-can just be hiking and enjoying it
You know how things look day to day and when something seems off
Let us know about forest health concerns we track them