CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (Rocktown Now) — The Virginia Department of Forestry has established 170 acres of riparian forest buffers through the inaugural year of the Riparian Forests for Landowners program.
During the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 planting seasons, the program allocated over $650,000 to 85 private landowners to implement buffer projects ranging from small backyard projects to large buffer expansions to improve water quality throughout the Commonwealth.
The DOF’s Riparian Forests for Landowners program is the result of close partnerships with groups like the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Friends of the Rappahannock, and the James River Association, and is funded by the Virginia State Water Quality Improvement Act.