Baseline Analysis of Virginia’s Commercial Wood Supply

Baseline information is crucial for planning and policymaking regarding our forest resources. CeNRADS has conducted a “Tier I” forest resource assessment for the Commonwealth of Virginia. A Tier I assessment is based upon the most fundamental and readily available public data. This assessment uses recent inventory data from the US Forest Service, 2011 land cover data from US Geological Survey, ownership data from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, and soils, terrain, and population data from various agencies. In addition, harvest notification records from the Virginia Department of Forestry are used to characterize the areas within Virginia that have experienced harvests within the last 5 years. These data are collated and analyzed to determine the forest resource potentially available for harvest, and how recent harvest levels compare to forest growth as reported by the forest inventory.