Partner Agencies

The UJRC&D Council was created to initiate, develop and promote regional projects benefiting outdoor recreation, land conservation, water resources and environmental education in a sustainable way in the Upper James River watershed. The UJRC&D covers the counties of Alleghany, Bath, Botetourt, Craig, Highland, and Rockbridge, and the cities of Buena Vista, Covington, and Lexington.

The Department of Environmental Quality protects and enhances Virginia’s environment, and promotes the health and well being of the citizens of the Commonwealth.

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The Department of Environmental Quality's vision is that Virginians will enjoy: cleaner water available for all uses, improved air quality that supports communities and ecosystems, and the productive re-use of contaminated land.

One of Virginia’s premier land trusts, the Valley Conservation Council is a member-supported nonprofit that protects the natural resources, cultural heritage, and agricultural vitality of the greater Shenandoah Valley region.

We provide leadership, technical expertise, and local knowledge to help keep the Valley's special places intact. Over the past 25 years, VCC and its partners have conserved tens of thousands of acres of private farms and forests in Virginia.

We are a multi-faceted agency that manages and protects 154 national forests and 20 grasslands in 44 states and Puerto Rico. The agency’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.

We have an elite wildland firefighting team and the world’s largest forestry research organization. Our experts provide technical and financial help to state and local government agencies, businesses, private landowners and work government-to-government with tribes to help protect and manage non-federal forest and associated range and watershed lands.

We augment our work through partnerships with public and private agencies that help us plant trees, improve trails, educate the public, and improve conditions in wildland/urban interfaces and rural areas, just to name a few. Our team also promotes sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation internationally.

Gifford Pinchot, first Chief of the Forest Service, summed up the mission of the Forest Service: "to provide the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people in the long run."

The Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is responsible for the management of inland fisheries, wildlife, and recreational boating for the Commonwealth of Virginia. We are leading wildlife conservation and inspiring people to value the outdoors and their role in nature.

The Virginia Department of Forestry envisions a healthy, abundant, forest resource providing economic and environmental benefits to the Commonwealth on a sustained basis. We see a resource whose scenic beauty enhances natural surroundings and whose protected environment supports clean water and wildlife. We further see a diverse forest resource as a part of natural ecosystems. We envision the economic benefits of forest industry to be in balance with the environmental values of the resource. We envision the Department as the most effective forestry agency in the nation and as a leader in managing and protecting the resource. We see an agency built on solid technology backed by strong ethics, one that is able to stay ahead of change and is quick to respond to citizens’ needs, and one that is a leader in providing forest resource information. We see the Department responding to its employees’ needs through leadership characterized by open communication. We envision a focused, well-trained, creative workforce that is adaptive to change and that has the time and tools to provide exceptional forestry services to landowners, citizens and organizations. We see employees who are knowledgeable, motivated, pro-active and enabled to make decisions. Finally, we envision a workforce whose professional, unbiased recommendations positively impact an informed public and whose efforts result in complete customer satisfaction.

Farm Service Agency is equitably serving all farmers, ranchers, and agriculteral partners through the delivery of effective, efficient agricultural programs for all Americans.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides leadership in a conservation partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and improve our natural resources and enviornment.

DCR, with the cooperation of partners and customers, is a leader in: providing tangible and lasting improvements to the quality of Virginia's resource lands and waters; serving as a trusted steward of the outdoor recreational and natural resources placed under its care; promoting the conservation and enjoyment of Virginia's diverse and unique environment and rich cultural legacy for future generations; protecting public safety through regulatory programs and conservation law enforcement; and recognizing the value of its dedicated and committed workforce.