Virginia Department of Forestry

Our mission: We protect and develop healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians.

The Virginia Department of Forestry:

• 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.

• Read a fact sheet that covers the basic metrics that describe forest resources in Virginia. (English; PDF format)

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.

The Department has an operational budget of approximately $25 million and employs 240 salaried staff.