New State Forest Dedication

The Old Flat State Forest – a 320-acre highland meadow and upland forest with tree species typical of Appalachian forests – will be dedicated Sunday afternoon as Virginia’s 22nd state forest. The Commonwealth’s newest state forest is located near the summit of Mount Rogers (Virginia’s highest peak) in Grayson County. The property borders a private Christmas tree farm; US Forest Service land, and the Grayson Highlands State Park near the village of Whitetop, Va.


“We’re very excited about the Old Flat State Forest,” said State Forester of Virginia Carl Garrison. “Its location and 5,000-foot elevation will provide a unique opportunity for us to conduct valuable forest research; establish a partnership with the Christmas tree industry – which means jobs and millions of dollars for Virginians; provide a demonstration site for best management practices as they relate to the growing of Christmas trees; enable us to protect and improve the Fraser fir seed source, and could become a site to re-establish the American chestnut and the red spruce.”

Old Flat SF was acquired by the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) to provide a site for a second-cycle Fraser fir seed orchard and research opportunities for high-elevation tree species. The property will be jointly managed by the Mount Rogers Area Christmas Tree Growers’ Association and the VDOF.