In a unique partnership for the commonwealth, the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) have acquired 4,400 acres of pine forest in Sussex County, creating a new state forest and Wildlife Management Area (WMA) that will be managed cooperatively. The acquisition creates the DOF’s first state forest in southeastern Virginia, and 21st statewide, and DGIF’s 38th WMA statewide. The agencies acquired the property, commonly known as Big Woods, from The Nature Conservancy.
Details on usage, public access, permit requirements, and land management strategies are still being developed as DOF and DGIF collaborate on a detailed management plan for the site. Extensive work will need to be done to develop habitat and to build appropriate infrastructure for public access and land management.
DGIF will manage the 2,208-acre Big Woods WMA for conservation and management of the red-cockaded woodpecker, as well as bobwhite quail, Bachman’s sparrow, southeastern fox squirrel, and other species. It is anticipated that the Big Woods State Forest and Big Woods WMA will offer wildlife watching, as well as deer, turkey, quail and other hunting opportunities.
Secretary of Natural Resources Doug Domenech expressed enthusiasm for future public use of the property. “For the more than 1.5 million Virginians who live within a 45-mile radius, Big Woods State Forest and Big Woods WMA will protect the tradition of hunting for this region.”
DGIF Executive Director Bob Duncan noted, “As a comprehensive wildlife agency, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries seeks opportunities to conserve not only wildlife and important habitat, but also to offer a variety of recreational opportunities. These include hunting, fishing, boating and wildlife watching—activities that connect the public with the outdoors, making all of us better stewards of our natural resources.”
State Forester Carl Garrison said, “This property is an excellent example of a large pine savanna ecosystem. Acquisition of Big Woods State Forest will provide tremendous opportunities for us to plant and to grow longleaf pine, a now diminished species that once covered more than a million acres in Virginia.”
Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore said, “The DOF will actively manage its portion—the 2,200-acre Big Woods State Forest—for sustainable forestry, economic development and landowner education. Keeping working forests as working forests is vital to both the economic and environmental health of Virginia. We’re very excited to be able to add this important piece of land to our State Forest system.”
In addition to the many wildlife habitat benefits associated with this forested land, Big Woods straddles both the Nottoway and Blackwater River watersheds—the primary source of drinking water for more than 700,000 residents in southeastern Virginia. Conserving this property protects those watersheds and helps reduce the frequency of flood events.
The acquisition of the property had been in the works for some time and has already been counted in land conservation goals. In an effort to protect the land from development, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) had the foresight to purchase the land from International Paper in 2006. What makes this land so significant is that it is considered to be one of the best locations in eastern Virginia to restore a functional pine savanna system capable of supporting a wide diversity of plant and animal life, including red-cockaded woodpeckers.
The red-cockaded woodpecker is a federally endangered species found only in pine savanna forests of the southeastern United States. It’s known from only one location in Virginia, the 3,200-acre Piney Grove Preserve owned by TNC. Piney Grove is home to approximately 50 red-cockaded woodpeckers and is adjacent to the Big Woods property.
Funding for the $6.4 million acquisition came from a variety of sources, including a Virginia land conservation bond ($4.1 million). Grants were awarded through the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program ($900,000); the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Recovery Land Acquisition Grant Program ($550,000), and the Virginia Land Conservation Fund ($850,000).
