The Rappahannock River Roundtable (Roundtable) hosts a Forestry Workgroup to provide a forum for conservation partners and forestry professionals to convene and inform our regional priorities on forest conservation and best management practices. This group meets quarterly via virtual meetings.
The Virginia Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP III) outlines the numeric goals for tree planting BMPs in both agricultural and developed areas. These BMPs and their WIP III goals are included below:
- Forest Buffer (Agriculture): 5012 acres
- Tree Planting (Agriculture): 8,073 acres
- Forest Buffer (Developed): 298 acres
- Forest Planting (Developed): 338 acres
- Tree Planting – Canopy (Developed): 2,975 acres
The Roundtable also developed a program to provide technical assistance to landowners interested in Carbon programs through improved forest management, afforestation, forest protection, and urban tree planting. Learn more about Rappahannock Carbon.
In 2024, the Roundtable was awarded an Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR) grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)’s Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund. This multiyear grant will support new financial incentives for riparian buffers and develop a pilot program called TREES FOR SHADE. Trees for shade is a silvopasture program which will provide agricultural producers with technical assistance and financial resources to strategically plant trees in their pastures to grow shade for their livestock, improve the health and diversity of their forage, improve water quality, sequester carbon, and more!
In 2025, the Roundtable will be supporting a suite of urban and community forestry projects and riparian buffer projects with local governments, schools, farmers, and other community partners as a part of a Watershed Roundtables grant from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
If you or your organization work in the Rappahannock River Watershed, and have an interest, expertise, or experience in these forestry related program areas, we encourage you to participate in this workgroup. Please fill out the form below to join the workgroup and Roundtable listserv.
2025 Virginia Trees for Clean Water (VTCW) Program is Open!
This RFA will support statewide tree planting projects for the 2025 calendar year, and we are accepting applications on a rolling basis until December 1, 2025.
Funding
- The recommended funding range is $1,000 – $50,000.
- Some project match is expected and can include in-kind and volunteer hours.
- Grant funds are distributed on a reimbursement basis. Under limited circumstances, VDOF can directly pay costs for a project. Please reach out to me for more information.
Project Categories
Projects may include but are not limited to the following:
- Riparian Buffers
- Community or Street Tree Plantings
- Neighborhood-wide Projects
- Turf-to-Trees
- Tree Giveaways
We do fund:
- Fees charged by private contractors and/or consultants.
- Purchase of essential supplies and materials.
- Purchase and planting of trees (2 inches in caliper or less) and shrubs.
- Maintenance expenses, including watering, are eligible for reimbursement during the grant period.
- VDOF cannot reimburse until after all deliverables and activities have been completed.
- Maintenance costs will be ineligible if submitted outside of the approved grant period.
- Costs associated with site preparation and soil amendments.
Who is Eligible
Grants may be awarded to civic groups, communities, local government, non-profit organizations, neighborhood associations, public educational institutions, state agencies, tribal organizations, and volunteer groups.
To Apply
Applications are accepted via the Forestry Grants System Access Portal (SAP).
- Use the help guide provided in the Resource Library on our website. I have attached the help guide for registering for an account and applying.
- Local VDOF staff must review the project prior to proposal submission. A letter of recommendation from the local VDOF forester should be provided to the Program Contact directly.
- Projects must include community outreach and engagement components.
For questions about the RFA, eligibility, or project questions please reach out to Lara Johnson at lara.johnson@dof.virginia.gov
Funding for these projects provided by the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service, Urban and Community Forestry Program in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation and Virginia Department of Forestry. Additional funding and support provided by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and United States Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Water Act (CWA) §117(e) and Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) These institutions are equal opportunity providers.
