The Virginia Department of Forestry is offering Virginia landowners free riparian forest buffer installations and a year of maintenance through a new program.
Riparian forest buffers are specialized plantings that help protect water sources from harmful runoff by capturing sediment and pollutants in the soil.
The installations also support cleaner air, reduce erosion, and prevent flooding.
Nearly 200 acres of buffers were installed in the first year of the Riparian Forests for Landowners program and more than $1.15 million in funding is now available for the 2025-2027 contract year.
RFFL is open to all land owners, homeowners associations, or civic leagues and eligible projects are funded on a first come, first serve basis with planned buffer establishment from Fall 2025 – Spring 2026 and follow up maintenance through 2027.
A link to fill out the landowner interest form is available here.
Then a Department of Forestry representative will contact you for more information.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.