Forestry Guide for West Virginia Landowners
Why Manage your Forests?
West Virginia supports valuable forest resources. Our forests provide timber, wildlife habitat, income for landowners, recreational opportunities, and water quality protection. Management can enhance forest productivity, and management plans can target particular goals like improved wildlife habitat or increased timber production.Why Use a Forester?
A licensed forester can help you:
Create a forest management plan that meets your goals
Obtain tax breaks for managed timberland
Get a good price for your timber, and ensure that your woodland is well cared for during a timber harvest. Find a WV Forester here.What Forest Programs are Available?
West Virginia Forest Stewardship Program: Provides technical assistance and forest management plan development. The program is open to non-industrial private forest landowners with 10 + acres, who are committed to the active management and stewardship of their forested properties for at least ten years.
USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service Programs:
- Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)— Provides financial incentives for vegetation enhancement on environmentally sensitive acreage. Includes forestry applications such as wildlife plantings or riparian buffers. Landowners receive cost-share for plantings and installations and annual rental payments for the term of the multi-year contract.
- Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP)— Provides technical, educational, and financial assistance to implement tree planting, pest management, forest stand improvement, and other practices.
- Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)— Offers financial support for wetlands restoration and protection projects. This program obtains voluntary conservation easements from landowners and provides cost-share payments for wetlands rehabilitation practices. Among other practices, WRP encourages tree plantings focused upon wetland rehabilitation.
- Other cost-share programs— Additional State and privately- funded programs (such as Pheasants Forever, National Wild Turkey Federation, Trout Unlimited, & Ducks Unlimited) may provide technical assistance and/or fund some practices. Talk with your local Forester or USDA representative about these potential opportunities.
Forest Legacy Program: The Forest Legacy Program (FLP) strives to protect environmentally sensitive forest lands. The program focuses on conservation easements that permanently restrict development, require sustainable forestry practices, and protect important conservation values. Forest Legacy is open to private forest landowners. As part of the conservation easement acquisition, a multiple resource management plan is developed. Easement values may be donated or purchased. Project costs may be funded up to 75% by the United States, with at least 25% private, state, or local match. In addition to gains associated with the sale or donation of property rights, landowners may also benefit from reduced taxes associated with land use limitations.
Jim Bowen, Management Forester 60 B Industrial Park Rd.
Moorefield, WV 26836 (304) 538-2397
James.D.Bowen@wv.govHerbert Peddicord, Jr.,
Management ForesterP.O. BOX 66
Inwood, WV 25428 (304) 229-2665
Herb.F.Peddicord@wv.govTree Stewards, Sandra Wilson sandrazw@embarqmail.com Cooperative Extension, David McGill 304-293-2941 ext. 2474 NRCS Service Center
Steve Ritz, District Conservationist500 E. Main St
Romney, WV 26757
(304)-822 – 3020
steveritz@wv.usda.govWoodland Owner’s
Association of West VirginiaP.O. Box 13695
Sissonville, WV 25360
(304) 532-4351
woamem@woaofwv.orgJohn P. Rowe, Forest Legacy Forester 1900 Kanawha Blvd.,E.
Charleston, WV 25305
(304) 558-2788 John.P.Rowe@wv.gov