DOF offers free riparian buffer installation

The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) is offering Virginia landowners free riparian forest buffer installations — plus a year of maintenance — through its Riparian Forests for Landowners (RFFL) program. Riparian forest buffers are specialized plantings that protect rivers, lakes, creeks and other water features from harmful runoff by capturing sediment and pollutants in the soil before they reach the water. Now entering its third year, RFFL is possible through partnerships with Friends of the Rappahannock, James River Association, Watershed Restore LLC and York River Steward. Since the program began in 2024, RFFL has installed about 350 acres of buffers. Funding is provided by the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Water Quality Improvement Fund (WQIF) Act, with $700,000 available for the 2026-2028 contract period. DOF recently released the second-quarter report for riparian buffer establishment.

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