NBC29Department of Forestry Funding for Valley

Department of Forestry Funding for Valley

The Virginia Department of Forestry has been awarded more than a million dollars in federal stimulus funding. It's all part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This will create jobs and give people already on the job a little security.  

"Majority of the funding will be allocated to communities within to the Shenandoah Valley, including Staunton and Waynesboro," said Barbara White, partnership coordinator for urban and community forestry programs at the Virginia Department of Forestry.  "When we made the proposal to the U.S Forest Service they talked to communities to ask what potential projects they would need funding for."

Those projects include enhancing wildlife habitats and water and air quality by planting trees.  The money will also go toward recreational activities in the region.  
   
"We have quite a few communities that have trails that have been planned but haven't had the money to actually implement them," said White.

The Department of Forestry will also remove dead or rotting trees that pose a threat of falling, said Ed Zimmer, regional forester with the Virginia Department of Forestry.

"In general cities are understaffed and under budgeted for this kind of activity even in relatively good times and now during difficult economic times there's just no money for this in those city and county budgets," said Zimmer. 

12 jobs will be created and 42 positions will be retained.  It's still not clear which cities and counties will benefit from the funding and how much they'll receive, but White said there's a good likelihood Staunton and Waynesboro will be included.        

"Staunton and Waynesboro are in the Valley so, and they are major partners that we've had projects with over many, many years and I would fully expect that they would have funding from this allocation," said White.`

Some of the jobs that will be created include professional arborists and landscapers as well as people who will work on the actual projects like tree planting.  

Reported by Jennifer Von Reuter
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