Whether you own forest or field- or both- probability says that you became a woodland owner (and stay a woodland owner) because the land brings you some sort of satisfaction. That said, 'satisfaction' can mean the incredible sight of morning turkeys scratching around the edge of a field as seen from your porch, the felling and splitting of firewood that smells so good when burned, or the delight your children or grandchildren take in roaming around your 'Hundred Acre Wood.'
Some owners let the land 'do its thing,' and others want to get into every aspect of managing and manipulating a woodland over time. Both approaches are reasonable, and both are personal. Managing your woodland more intensively demands some serious deliberation- Just what are you asking your land to do, or produce, or create? And if you know just what you'd like to have your land do, does it actually have the potential or characteristics necessary to achieve those things?
Depending on your situation, you may scratch your head, buckle down, and push through these ideas solo or try to succeed with the complexity of additional family members or advisors at your side. Either way, the future of your forest lays at the end of your ball-point pen because forest management plans (also called stewardship plans), timber sale contracts (correctly administered), cost-share programs, and myriad, optional independent contractors all require legal agreements and written payment checks.
Don't get discouraged! You're in charge and you can control confusion and costs simply by planning ahead...which starts with clearly defining your woodland management objectives.
Here are some keywords to get your mind calibrated:
Forest, Tree, Bush, Soil, Water, Sky, Air, Wood, Fire, Insect, Weed, Crop, Stream, Log, Timber, Woodstove, Turkey, Deer, Bear, Edge, Perch, Seed,
Pine Cone, Taxes, Field, Food, Mushroom, Acorn, Bandsaw, Songbird, Crafting, Treehouse, Leaf Layer, Dirt, Trails, Stand, Boundary Line, Blaze, Pin,
Invasive Species, Friends, Family, Estate Plan, Native, Forester, Tractor,
Fence, Road, Contract...and so the list continues.
Grab a piece of paper and pencil, or saddle up to the nearest computer keyboard, and begin to scribble out a rough list of things you 'want' and 'need' from your land. It's OK to loosen up and let words flow- as you write your brain will start percolating things that hadn't previously occurred to you.
Once you've listed a pile of ideas on paper (or screen), go back and try to rank the ideas with a number according to how important they seem to you as a woodland owner. Pull the top five closer for more attention but don't scuttle the rest! You never know which ideas might be good to come back to once you've thought a bit longer about managing your forest and field.
Some common woodland management objectives are:
- Maintenance and/or expansion of habitat for particular wildlife species
- Timber production
- Construction of forest roads
- Construction of recreation trails
- Maintenance of scenic views or existing landscape characteristics
- Remove or minimize the impact of invasive species
- Provide for maximum biological diversity
- Ensure the integrity of all long-term (multi-generational) ownership goals through careful estate planning
- Firewood production
If your objectives are somewhat similar to these and even include some of the keywords listed above, you're on-track toward woodland management. Writing a management plan which describes and implements the techniques necessary to achieve your objectives can be a complex process, but resources abound to help you get it accomplished.
Later: What do I do with these objectives, anyway?
