Big Woods State Forest is a
state forest in
Sussex County, Virginia
Sussex County is a rural county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,829. Its county seat is Sussex. It was formed in 1754 from Surry County. The county is named after the county of Sussex, ...
. It was the first state forest property to be established in southeast Virginia.
History
The property, previously used for timber production by
International Paper, was acquired by the
Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) in 2010. It was part of a $6.4 million purchase of undertaken by VDOF and the
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF); the remainder of the purchased property was used to create
Big Woods Wildlife Management Area, located immediately adjacent Big Woods State Forest and managed by VDGIF.
Description
Big Woods State Forest covers a landscape typified by pine
savanna; it contains primarily
loblolly pine from its days as a
timber plantation
A tree plantation, forest plantation, plantation forest, timber plantation or tree farm is a forest planted for high volume production of wood, usually by planting one type of tree as a monoculture forest. The term ''tree farm'' also is used to ...
, and newer plantings of
longleaf pine.
[ Wildlife on the property include deer, wild turkey, bobcat, fox, coyote, and rabbit.][
The state forest borders both the Big Woods Wildlife Management Area and The Nature Conservancy's Piney Grove Preserve, a property dedicated to restoring longleaf pine forest for the benefit of the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker.][
Hunting, fishing, horseback riding, and hiking is permitted within Big Woods State Forest; all activities except hiking require visitors to possess a valid State Forest Use Permit.][
]
See also
* List of Virginia state forests
* List of Virginia state parks
References
External links
Virginia Department of Forestry: Big Woods State Forest
Virginia state forests
Protected areas of Sussex County, Virginia
2010 establishments in Virginia
Protected areas established in 2010
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