Riparian Forests for Landowners

Riparian Forest Buffers (RFBs) are a key tool in improving water quality and are included as Best Management Practices in Virginia’s Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) for the Chesapeake Bay. Through funding from the Virginia State Water Quality Improvement Act, the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) formed the Riparian Forests for Landowners Program. This flexible, state-wide program seeks to address not only the buffer needs specified in WIP III, but buffer needs state-wide, in hopes of improving water quality throughout the Commonwealth. The Riparian Forests for Landowners Program is meant to fill gaps in RFB establishment assistance not met by other programs. The Program provides turnkey coverage of costs of RFB establishment and one year of maintenance to a broad range of landowners and can be utilized on a variety of land types. To improve water quality across the Commonwealth, the Virginia Department of Forestry seeks to increase the acreage of Riparian Forest Buffers through partnerships with contractors in carrying out the Riparian Forests for Landowners Program.Awarded contractors will facilitate the installation of and one year of maintenance on Riparian Forest Buffers on waterways in the watershed they were awarded. This will include completing outreach and recruitment of landowners for the program, preparing a project plan for the landowner, completing necessary site preparation as dictated by the site and its conditions to ensure success, installing the buffer, and completing one year of maintenance following planting. This work may be completed by the selected contractors’ subcontractor.