Mourning the loss of a great forester!

It is with a heavy heart that I bring this next update to the Virginia State Forest blog. On March 17, 2011 the Virginia Department of Forestry lost a great coworker and friend, Vance L. Coffey. Vance passed away on Thursday from cancer at his home in Cumberland County. Vance was a 21 year veteran of the Department of Forestry where he spent most of his career as the Forest Manger for Cumberland State Forest. He is survived by his wife, three sons, and daughter.

For those who had the pleasure of knowing Vance, he was an outstanding forester and a great friend who you could always rely on. He took great pleasure in his work on the forest, always thinking outside of the box as to how to apply different mangement techniques and make Cumberland State Forest an ideal setting to showcase silviculture. Vance would often say that if you looked and listened hard enough, the forest would tell you what it wanted. I like to think that as future managers of the forest are working in the woods, they will hear Vance whispering in the breeze, telling them to see the forest for the trees and so much more. We will miss you greatly my friend!