The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) and the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) encourage landowners to make plans – now – for passing on their land to the next generation. The Generation NEXT program, a collaboration between VDOF and VCE, helps Virginia landowners make plans to keep forests intact, in forest, and in family.

To help landowners get started and clarify misconceptions about the legacy planning process, the Generation NEXT Program is hosting in-person and virtual workshops this summer and fall. The workshops, which will take place in South Boston, Galax and New Kent, serve as opportunities for family members to ask difficult questions, receive useful information, and get on the same page about their plans for the future.

Typically, these sessions are only in-person, but a virtual workshop has been added so dispersed families can also take advantage of these helpful resources and tools that make the planning process more accessible and manageable.

Workshop Information

Families pay a single fee to participate. Registration opens up six weeks prior to each workshop. Visit the VCE website for more information.

In-person:

• South Boston – Aug. 26-27
• Galax – Oct. 27
• New Kent County – Nov. 2

Virtual: (All virtual workshops take place from 3 to 5 p.m.)

• Sept. 7
• Sept. 8
• Sept. 14
• Sept. 15

“Many landowners are overwhelmed by the legacy planning process and assume that it primarily involves complicated estate planning with attorneys and accountants,” said VDOF Forestland Conservation Program Manager Karl Didier.  “The Generation NEXT program helps to ease estate planning and demonstrates how it’s just one part of the legacy planning process. Legacy planning is an ongoing process. Much like a forest changes over time, your plans will evolve. As priorities change or family dynamics shift, so should plans for your land.”

“One of the most important steps in legacy planning includes conversations between the landowner and the people who will steward their land after they’re gone,” said Generation NEXT Program Coordinator Karen Snape. “When unforeseen events occur before clearly established plans for your estate and land can be put in place, things can quickly become complicated for surviving family members. Having these conversations now is critical.”

A companion to the workshop series, the award-winning Legacy Planning: A Guide for Virginia Landowners publication, provides an overview of the nine major steps involved in developing a robust land legacy plan. It includes case studies from landowners throughout Virginia and guides landowners to tools and resources. The free publication is available on the Virginia Tech website or in print by request.

Changes have been made to Virginia’s spotted lanternfly (SLF) quarantine area that all farmers should be aware of, and plan to address as part of their operation. The SLF is a destructive agricultural pest that was first detected in Virginia in January 2018. It is an invasive planthopper that first showed up in the U.S. in Pennsylvania in 2014. The SLF can feed on over 100 plant species and is a known pest of grapes, maples, walnuts, cucumbers, peaches, hops, apples, basil and other important crops. The purpose of the quarantine area is to stop the human-assisted spread of the pest and to protect Virginia’s agriculture industry.

On July 8, 2022, VDACS’ Commissioner Guthrie expanded the Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine area to include the counties of Albemarle, Augusta, Carroll, Clarke, Frederick, Page, Prince William, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Warren and Wythe Counties, and the Cities of Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Manassas, Manassas Park, Staunton, Waynesboro and Winchester.

Businesses in the quarantined area are required to complete a training ($6) and obtain a permit from VDACS and perform self-inspections on all regulated articles leaving the quarantined area to ensure that the articles do not contain any life stage of the spotted lanternfly.

Regulated articles are items considered to be a risk for the movement of spotted lanternfly to un-infested areas and include, but are not limited to:

• Any life stage of the spotted lanternfly;
• Live or dead trees; nursery stock; green lumber; firewood; logs; perennial plants; garden plants or produce; stumps; branches; mulch; or composted or un-composted chips, bark, or yard waste;
• Outdoor industrial or construction materials or equipment; concrete barriers or structures; stone, quarry material, ornamental stone, or concrete; or construction, landscaping, or remodeling waste;
• Shipping containers, such as wood crates or boxes;
• Outdoor household articles, including recreational vehicles; lawn tractors or mowers; grills; grill or furniture covers; tarps; mobile homes; tile; stone; deck boards; or
• Any equipment, trucks, or vehicles not stored indoors; any means of conveyance utilized for movement of an article; any vehicle; or any trailer, wagon.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will honor other state-issued Spotted Lanternfly permits. To obtain your Spotted Lanternfly permit through Virginia, you must submit proof that the Spotted Lanternfly Permit Training, or equivalent training, was completed along with the Spotted Lanternfly Permit Application.

Spotted Lanternfly Resources for Farmers & Foresters

• What is Spotted Lanternfly
• Spotted Lanternfly in Virginia
• Mosca Linterna con Manchas (Spotted Lanternfly) en Viñedos de Virginia (pdf)
• Alerta de plagas – Mosca linterna con manchas (Lycorma delicatula) (pdf)
• Look-A-Likes (pdf)
• How to Identify Tree of Heaven a Favorite Host of Spotted Lanternfly (pdf)
• Map of Spotted Lanternfly locations in the United States

Management & Treatment of Spotted Lanternfly

• General Treatment Information (pdf)
• Best Management Practices for Spotted Lanternfly in Yards and Landscapes (pdf)
• Homeowner Tips and Inspection Check Sheet (pdf)
• Best Management Practices for/in Vineyards (pdf)
• Best Management Practices for Businesses (pdf)
• How to Manage Tree of Heaven a Favorite Host of Spotted Lanternfly (pdf)

Training & Permitting

• Virginia Spotted Lanternfly Permit Brochure (pdf)
• Spotted Lanternfly Permit Training (cost $6)
• Spotted Lanternfly Permit Application (pdf)
• Sample Inspection Statement (pdf)
• List of Spotted Lanternfly Permit Holders (pdf)

VDACS SLF Contact
spottedlanternfly@vdacs.virginia.gov
804-786-3515

Frequently Asked Questions

How quickly will folks need to get permitted once the area expands?

• The quarantine is effective now and businesses will need to be permitted prior to moving articles out of the quarantine. Begin the process of training and permitting as soon as feasible.

When/how will VDACS enforce permitting?

• VDACS performs regulatory follow-ups with businesses in the quarantined areas. This typically includes site visits, record requests (does the business have the permit? does the business have training records for their staff? is the business inspecting the articles prior to them leaving the quarantine?) and the VDACS staff member will verify this information. VDACS performs these throughout the year if they learn of a business not complying with the provisions of the quarantine, but during the late spring-fall, they are actively performing treatments and perform more of these permitting inspections in the fall-early spring. 

What are the consequences for not being permitted?

• The VA SLF Quarantine does not have fines associated with non-compliance, however if a business does not obtain a permit and is not following the quarantine, a VDACS staff member may stop the movement of all articles being moved. Additionally, if a business does not obtain a permit, and they are transporting articles to another state that does not have spotted lanternfly, they may be stopped from entry or fined, if that state has an exterior quarantine for spotted lanternfly.

Do I need a permit to move products within my county?

• If a business is only moving within a quarantined area, they are not required to obtain a permit. It’s only when they move articles outside of a quarantined area into non-quarantined areas that they would be required to obtain a permit. Businesses and individuals are still required to inspect articles and ensure they are free of spotted lanternfly life stages when moving within the quarantine.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is funded at a record high in this year’s budget and Virginia farmers can now implement buffers and wetland restoration at no cost. 

CREP is a partnership between the FSA and the Commonwealth of Virginia that aims to improve water quality and wildlife habitat. It offers financial incentives, cost-share and rental payments to farmers and landowners who voluntarily implement riparian forest buffers, grass and shrub buffers and wetland restoration. 

“There has never been a better time for producers to participate in CREP,” said Dr. Ronald M. Howell, Jr., FSA State Executive Director in Virginia. “It costs nothing for farmers to participate in this program now, which will provide their farms with ongoing revenue and other financial benefits. At the same time, the CREP practices promote richer, more fertile farmland and healthier livestock. It is a true win-win.” 

Previously, farmers had to cover a portion of the initial cost of establishing buffers and associated infrastructure, such as fencing and livestock watering systems, to enroll in CREP. This year, FSA and the state will pay 100% of eligible practice installation costs, including fencing and alternative watering systems. CREP will also continue to provide incentives and rental payments as well as other on-farm benefits for years to come. 

“It’s important to remember that CREP practices can also help make farms more efficient and therefore more profitable,” said Darryl Glover, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Deputy Director. “By removing poorly drained land from cultivation and reducing soil loss into adjacent streams, CREP practices can make farmers’ efforts and resources go further while also improving water quality.” 

The CREP contract period is 10-15 years. Enrollment can take place year-round as signups are ongoing. 

Interested farmers can reach out to their local USDA Farm Service Center to determine eligibility and apply. 

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration , USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov. 

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ (VDACS) Office of Pesticide Services (OPS) is hosting the Pesticide Collection Program again this year. This program assists agricultural producers, licensed pesticide dealers, homeowners and more with properly disposing of unwanted pesticides. The program is administered at no cost to participants and is led by VDACS with Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services.

The Pesticide Collection Program divides the state into five regions and each year collections are carried out in a different region. The Program requires participants to transport their unwanted agricultural and commercial pesticides to a central collection site where the hazardous waste disposal contractor will package the pesticides for eventual disposal. If a participant cannot safely transport unwanted pesticides, the program may make arrangements to containerize the pesticides for transport.

For more information regarding this year’s program, collection sites, and dates click here. All participants are asked to complete the registration form and submit it to the VDACS-OPS Office via email to ops.enf@vdacs.virginia.gov or by mail to VDACS-OPS, PO Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218.

Collection Dates:

• August 9, Southern States (5784 Valley Pike, Stephens City, VA)
• August 10 CFC Farm & Home Center (15172 Brandy Road, Culpeper, VA)
• September 6, CFC Farm & Home Center (12645 Lee Highway, Sperryville, VA)
• September 7, Rockingham County Fairgrounds (4808 South Valley Pike, Harrisonburg, VA)
• September 8, Ivy Materials Utilization Center (4576 Dick Woods Road, Charlottesville, VA)
• October 11, Page Cooperative Farm Bureau (127 Big Oak Road, Luray, VA)
• October 12, Madison County Fairgrounds (1015 Fairground Road, Madison, VA)
• October 13, Rockbridge Farmers’ Cooperative (33 Yellow Rail Lane, Lexington, VA)

For each date, the collection time is 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

If you have any questions, feel free to email the above address or call the office at (804) 371-6559.

With recent changes to the motor vehicle code for permanent farm use placards in Virginia, many farmers are faced with a problem; they own a vehicle and never found it necessary to have the vehicle titled in their name. Whether they never took it on the road, or some other reason, they now are posed with the problem of how to get their vehicle’s title in their name. Under current Virginia law, all motor vehicle owners, including owners of trailers or semitrailers, are required to obtain the certificate of title for the vehicle before it is operated on any highway (§ 46.2-600).

If you have the title signed over to your name from the previous owner, simply follow these instructions from Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). If you don’t have a title in your name, you can complete this form (Affidavit in Lieu of Title Certificate – VSA 12) to submit with this form (Application for Certificate of Title – VSA17A) along with any other documentation proving ownership. Again, you can review the process on DMV’s website. Forms of proof of purchase, such as a bill of sale, will be very helpful in these situations. DMV also offers a form the seller and buyer can complete in place of a bill of sale.

DMV plans to have the new permanent farm use placards for sale by late September, and resolving missing titles now will make purchasing new permanent farm use placards simpler. Keep in mind, the law has an effective date of July 1, 2023, to allow farmers a full year to learn about and prepare for the new requirements.

Lastly, the requirement for liability insurance coverage on all exempted vehicles, such as farm use, went into effect July 1, 2022.