FY 2026 Local PDR Program

The Virginia Department of Forestry's Office of Working Lands Preservation (OWL) is soliciting applications for the FY 2026 Local PDR Program, which aims to preserve valuable working lands by incentivizing landowners to place conservation easements on their farm or forestland. The program provides matching state grants to certified local PDR programs. Applicants must submit their applications through the SAP system and should read the DOF Grant FAQs before applying. The scope of work includes the purchase of development rights and the establishment of local PDR programs. Key aspects of the job include: * Preserving working lands through conservation easements * Providing matching state grants to certified local PDR programs * Establishing model policies and practices for local PDR programs * Determining methods and sources of funding for localities to purchase conservation easements * Administering the Virginia Farmland and Forestland Preservation Fund (FFPF)