Privacy Policy

Website Privacy Notice

The West Virginia Division of Forestry website does not collect information from you as a user of the website unless you specifically provide that information.

Forms which require personally identifiable information for us to provide services must be printed and mailed to our offices as we do not provide for electronic filing of these forms through our website.

Each of these forms has a privacy notice located on the form or attached to the form which states:

The West Virginia Division of Forestry collects and processes certain personal information as needed for appropriate and customary business purposes. Personal information may be disclosed to other State agencies or third parties as necessary in the normal course of business or to comply with federal or state laws, including Freedom of Information Act requests. If you have questions about our use of personal information, please contact us at 304-558-2788.

Our website host collects only statistical information, such as how many visits to the website, which pages get the most views, etc.

As a service to those visiting the West Virginia Division of Forestry website and as a courtesy to our partners, we provide business contact information on our website such as Ginseng Dealers list, Consulting Foresters and Forestry Technicians Certified to write Stewardship Plans, Licensed Timber Operators, and names only of Licensed Certified Loggers.

Privacy Notice Summary

WHAT INFORMATION WE COLLECT AND WHY WE COLLECT IT

We may need to collect your personal and non-personal information to perform necessary business functions or make decisions related to programs and certifications provided by the Division of Forestry or as required by State certifications, licenses, permits, citations, reports or federal statute or policy or for the processing of purchases from our nursery. Below is a list:

• Timber Operators
• Certified Loggers
• Ginseng Dealers
• Ginseng Growers
• Issuance of citations for Fire Law, Logging Sediment Control Act and Ginseng Law.
• Incident Qualifications Systems Reporting
• National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) Certified Training Courses
• Mobilization for Out-of-State Emergency Assistance
• Seedling Sale

We may collect your name, address, email address, telephone number, date of birth, social security number, driver’s license number, signature and your physical description. In addition, we will collect your credit card information when purchasing seedlings online from our nursery.

HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

By West Virginia Code §19, §20 and federal law, we must collect your personal information to perform certain functions and/or related business of the Division of Forestry.

We may share your information with appropriate agency personnel, governmental agencies or others as required by law or business necessity.

We safeguard your information with appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures. Only authorized personnel shall have access to records or data files containing your personal information. State agencies processing credit card information are required to be compliant with the payment card industry data security data standards (PCI DSS).

INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS

You have the right to review your information in our records and to request corrections of inaccurate or outdated information. Fees may be required.

To make changes or update your personal information on file, you may contact us via the e-mail address or telephone number referenced on our website at wvforestry.com or by visiting one of our local offices. You may be required to provide proof of your new information.

Employee Privacy Notice

The West Virginia Division of Forestry (WVDOF) maintains personal information about all of its workers. We are committed to respecting your privacy by handling all the personal information collected in connection with your employment relationship in accordance with applicable law as well as our own Privacy Policies. This notice explains our practices with regard to your personal information.

1. We collect, process and transfer personal information about our workers through computerized and paper-based data processing systems. We have established routine processing functions (such as processing for regular payroll and benefits administration). We also process worker information on an occasional or ad hoc basis such as when an employee is being considered for a particular new position. All processing and transfers of personal information are subject to reasonable confidentiality and privacy safeguards.
2. We process worker personal information for the following purposes: (1) recruitment and staffing; (2) administration of compensation and benefits programs; (3) performance management and training; (4) advancement and succession planning; (5) legal compliance and risk management; (6) workplace management and reporting; (7) to protect WVDOF, its workforce, and the public against injury, theft, legal liability, fraud or abuse; and (8) other legal and customary business-related purposes.
3. We may process sensitive information (such race or health information) if it is needed for business objectives or if it is required to comply with applicable law. For example, we may process sensitive health information as needed to accommodate a worker’s disability. We may process information related to race for diversity reporting. Sensitive information will not be collected, processed or transferred, except where adequate privacy protection mechanisms exist.
4. We may disclose your personal information to: (1) other State departments and agencies, for the purposes listed above, (2) data processors, who use the data only for our purposes, (3) companies that provide benefits and services to you, (4) where required by law, or (5) where permitted by law such as with your consent or in the event of an emergency.
5. You may reasonably access and update your personal information by contacting your WVDOF Human Resources Specialist. Please note that we have shared responsibility with regard to the accuracy of your personal information. Please let us know of any changes to your personal information.
6. If you have concerns about how we process your personal information or sensitive information, please contact your WVDOF Human Resources Specialist. We will try to find a reasonable way to address your concerns. However, we must process personal information where required by law. In other cases, if we cannot process your information, you may be denied certain benefits.
7. If you believe that your personal information is not handled in accordance with the applicable law or our Privacy Policies, you may submit a complaint to the WVDOF Human Resources Specialist or the WVDOF Human Resources Manager/Privacy Officer. We will investigate the complaint.
8. This notice provides basic information about our processing of your personal information and your privacy rights. Should you have additional questions, you may contact your Human Resources Specialist or your Human Resources Manager/Privacy Officer:

Human Resources Specialist
Phyllis Eden (304) 558-2788
[email protected]

Human Resources Manager/Privacy Officer
Darlene Parsons (304) 558-2788
[email protected]

Department of Commerce Privacy Officer
Debbie Browning (304) 957-2006
[email protected]