Transcript Indiana Tree Farm Getting Started with Woodland Management Start by asking yourself some questions What do we have? – Family farm, sole ownership, LFP, LLC,

Indiana Tree Farm
Getting Started with
Woodland Management
Start by asking yourself some
questions
What do we have?
– Family farm, sole ownership, LFP, LLC, etc.
– Smaller woodlot scale limitation
– Larger tract with older timber Often invites interest
from timber buyers
– Significant terrain features that present limitations
– Surrounded by development
– Use restricted by local land regulations
Where do our priorities lie?
–
–
–
–
–
–
Mostly for investment
Is timber production my main objective? How
important is wildlife viewing, habitat improvement,
hiking, mushroom hunting, game hunting, and other
forms of outdoor recreation?
Will it be inherited? Condition upon its passage
Are we looking to buy forest land?
Non-resident owner Difficult to find time?
Do we want to manage our woodland to its full
potential?
Do we have the time and
knowledge?
- We have been doing our own research
- Information is coming from many directions
- It seems that time comes at a premium-now more than
ever
- We want to be good land stewards
- Due to time and knowledge constraints, we feel it may
be prudent to use a forester to assist us
Are we prepared to follow a
forester’s recommendations?
–
Recommendations will be grounded on your
objectives and priorities
–
The forester will offer different alternatives and point
you toward valuable resources
–
You can always meet with 2 or three foresters to
find one who matches your expectations
You decide to use a forester
Where do we go from here
Here are 5 steps to follow
Step 1
•
•
•
•
•
•
Meet the forester on your
property
Try to have stakeholders present
Share your objectives and thoughts while viewing your
land
Bring your documents (have extra copies of important
items to give the forester)
Take notes
Have a list of questions in advance
Normally this initial visit can be done in less than 2 or 3
hours.
Step 2
•
•
•
•
Map and define your
property
Have the forester prepare up-to-date topographic and
aerial maps of your property
You can help in this process
Handheld GPS units
Mark your boundaries. Confer with your neighbor if
necessary
Step 3 Have the forester prepare
a Woodland Stewardship Plan
Preferably one that includes an inventory
The plan will address numerous attributes of the property.
This will include: Objectives, soils & topography, maps, forest
cover types, stand data, recommendations, cutting history, matters related to water
resources, wildlife and its habitat, sensitive areas & species of special concern,
invasive plants, and archeological sites
Step 3 Continued
•
•
•
•
•
Have the Forester Develop a Plan
Your objectives are a crucial part of the Plan
The Stewardship Plan will identify the various
management units
These management units will come with suggested
recommendations for practices and a suggested
timeline to implement them
Normally comprehensive of landscape
The plan must be flexible; it can be easily reworded
Step 4 Implement the Stewardship
Plan.
•
•
Certain tasks may need your attention first
Examples could include: invasive plant specie control,
pre-harvest grape vine eradication, improving access,
a harvest to salvage damaged timber, tree planting,
and erosion control
•
•
Do what you can
Don’t get overwhelmed
Can take years
Note that Certified tracts in CF and TF must follow
guidelines and performance measures
Examples are: local regs, BMPs, and herbicide usage
•
Sound investment
Step 5
Keep moving forward
and adapt
•
•
•
Modify the Plan as events arise
Continue to seek knowledge
All along the way, involve the other family members or
stakeholders. Be thinking about inter-generational
transfer
•
Visit the property in different seasons
•
Consider joining an organization such as Tree Farm,
Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Assoc. (IFWOA),
or enrolling in Classified Forest & Wildlands
The rest of the story….
Take satisfaction in knowing that the
management and stewardship you are
embarking upon will benefit all of
society…..
The 4 pillars of the Tree Farm system:
Wood
Water
Recreation and Wildlife
Resources
Field guide…….101 Trees of Indiana
On the web…..
• Inwoodlands.org (a great site for past articles and links
to other forestry sites)
• Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources
• IDNR Division of Forestry CallB4UCUT Demonstration
Forests
• NRCS (Indiana)
• Woodweb
• DNR sites for Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, and Michigan
My email: [email protected]