Virginia’s forests are 80% hardwood forest types, and the vast majority of these forests are privately owned. One of the largest hurtles in convincing landowners to practice forest management on their property is cost. These costs can be funded through timber harvesting, but this can lead to high grading. Where the best trees are cut, and the less valuable or undesirable species are left. Creating an unhealthy forest environment. The Virginia Department of Forestry has a number of programs to help offset the cost of forest management and promote forest health.

These programs include: