Lower Cowpasture River Watershed

Bath County, VA— 2021

In 2021, the Virginia Department of Forestry awarded VFWG a contract to apply its newly developed Hardwood Assessment Tool (HWAT) on two large properties in the Lower Cowpasture River watershed of Bath County.   Metrics for the tool were collected during the timber cruise and used in preparing a Forest Stewardship Management Plan.  

Applying the tool required gathering specific data about canopy diversity and density (by species) and the potential for hardwood regeneration from stump sprouts and advanced regeneration.  Each forest stand was rated according to four different quality standards:  diversity, regeneration, stocking density, and “other” factors that might impact future management success.   These were then weighted by relative importance to generate a final number or score.  The higher the score, the more likely a forest stand is to positively respond to the recommended management action.  HWAT was created to assess how we might “lift” underperforming stands that have the natural diversity, regeneration, and overall potential to become a more productive and valuable forest.