Trying to Keep Forests Intact, in Forest, & in the Family through Estate Planning and Engagement of Heirs: What is the Impact of Virginia's Generation Next Program & 我们如何改进它？
Research Location: New Kent, VA
Conservation Partner: Virginia Cooperative Extension
Project Description
One of the biggest threats to Virginia's 16 million acres of forest is conversion to commercial and residential land uses, like housing developments. One of the biggest factors contributing to this threat is the fact that the population of forest landowners in the state is rapidly aging and that most of these landowners have not planned how they will transfer their lands to their heirs, a process known as estate planning. Nor have these aging landowners discussed with their heirs what their long-term goals and wishes are for their forest lands.
Unfortunately, this lack of planning and family discussion often means that forests are, by default, divided equally amongst several heirs into small parts (a process known as parcelization), are sold to developers by those heirs who have little interest in managing a forest, and eventually converted. The Generation Next Program was launched by the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) and the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) to combat this challenge through the aim of keeping Virginias family-owned forests intact and in the family by encouraging and training forest landowners and their families to plan the intergenerational transfer and long-term fate of their forests.
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Faculty Mentor
Dr. Robert RoseStudent Researcher
Katie Clark '24, Major: Environmental Conservation, Major: GIS
