Growing Hazelnuts -- the Filbert may be in your future...

Hazelnuts in Minnesota

University of Minnesota Extension Publication

Ever wonder just what your land is made of? Find out with a little help from this free online tool...

The NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) recently launched the latest version of an awesome online web program that helps people locate their own property (or any other) on an aerial photograph and find out which soils hide underneath. Drag a box around an area of interest, select a few options and Voila! a custom map of your soils will appear along with important information about them. Very cool, indeed.

NRCS Web Soil Survey

Want to try your hand at Shiitake mushrooms?

Shiitake Mushroom Starter Guide
Courtesy of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Free software helps landowners and managers write Stewardship Plans

The Forest Stewardship Program, created and administered by federal and state agencies, is an ongoing effort to encourage private landowners to practice sound forest stewardship by clearly stating their ownership objectives, management techniques, and timeline for activities -- all crucial pieces of the puzzle.

STEWPLAN is a software program that makes writing comprehensive management plans both easy and enjoyable, and ensures management plan compatibility with the local, state and federal agencies, some of whom allow lower tax rates on lands assessed as working forests. While costs for management planning occasionally deter otherwise willing landowners from making the leap, this electronic tool is sure to help.

Stewardship Plan software

Help from the USFS Southern Research Station --- Growing Great Oaks & Minding Your Forest's Health

Compass, Issue 9

Pheasant hunting pumps new life into farming community

Seattle Times article

The Taxman Cometh! Tax Tips for Forest Landowners for the 2007 Tax Year

US Forest Service Co-op Forestry & the Southern Research Station have published 2007 Tax Tips for forest landowners seeking advice on taxation related to timber sales, Form T, establishing 'basis,' and other common, related landowner questions. It is a good primer -- and is best followed with visits to:
http://www.timbertax.net/ (Siegel Timber Tax Chronicles)
http://www.timbertax.com/ (Links to Tax Preparers & Assistance)
http://www.timbertax.org/ (National Timber Tax Website)

No New Farm Law Until 2008: Farm Bureau Chief

Reuters/New York Times article

2007 Farm Bill Update

While the 2007 Farm Bill appears to be stalled for awhile in the Senate, it shouldn't discourage you from reading about its status, changes, and potential to impact your life as a private landowner. To visit the website of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Click Here

In Title VIII, 'Forestry', of the proposed Farm Bill, the administration recommends four major initiatives:

• Comprehensive Statewide Forest Planning
• Landscape-Scale Forestry Competitive Grant Program
• Forest Wood to Energy
• Community Forests Working Lands Program

You're a forest landowner- what's your next step?

So you own woodlands and have to absorb all of the positive and negative things that go with ownership. All of the usual suspects are present- estate planning, taxes, government regulation, management plans, cost-share programs, etc- and likely to stay, and you wonder if your voice can be heard by the people who make decisions about such things.

So how do you figure out what your next step is? Well, the National Woodland Owners Association is a great place to get started, and we can help you organize and establish a town, county, region, watershed, or statewide woodland owners group and in turn your group will ultimately help shape local, regional, and national decision-making.

Sound interesting? Post a comment or Email NWOA Staff

Please take our survey!

Greetings!

The team at the National Woodland Owners Association is comprised of landowners and foresters who are very interested in the issues affecting our members on a daily, yearly or lifetime basis. We'll occasionally post small surveys to help you tell us where we should focus our energy; you'll find the survey just a little lower on the page.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Welcome to the weblog (blog) for the National Woodland Owners Association

Welcome! We're excited to offer a spot on the web for our members and affiliates to communicate with us about their regions, associations, meetings, conferences, legislative action, fund-raising activities and, of course, the daily issues facing private woodland owners! Check out our main website at www.woodlandowners.org, and join a growing network of citizens passionate about owning and managing private land.