What
is a management plan?
A forestry management plan is a five to 10 year strategy that can help
landowners map out goals for their woodlands. Once a forest inventory
has been conducted to assess the types of trees and current conditions
of the stand, a forester can help landowners meet their goals by suggesting
management practices. Foresters base their recommendations on current
stand conditions, biological potential, site limitations and ownership
goals. Even if a landowner plans to do nothing with a stand, getting a
baseline assessment of the current conditions of the forest is important
for proper management.
Why have a management plan?
Because woodlands take many years to mature, a management plan can help
guide long-term changes. If you want to harvest timber, properly managed
woodlands can grow significantly faster (or significantly faster) than unmanaged lands. Even inaction can
influence your woodland for many years to come, limiting many of your
future options. A management plan will help you avoid costly mistakes,
determine which goals are feasible for your woodland, prioritize them,
and then plot out the activities necessary to meet those goals in the
most efficient manner. Management plans also have other benefits:
-- It guides future management and can serve as a reference in the future
-- It can be changed in the future if your woodland goals change
-- It meets contractual obligations under certain state tax programs
Clarifying your goals and objectives
If you haven't thought about what you want
from your land, here is a list of questions to ask that will help clarify
your goals and objectives:
Would you like ...
... more current income?
... more wildlife?
... your woodlands to be healthier and more attractive?
... to increase the potential sale value
of your land?
... to improve the recreational value of your land?
... to create a more valuable asset for your family or heirs?
... better quality trees?
Once you have answered these questions, with the help of a forester you
can begin to plan out a management plan to meet these goals. A forester
will help you to be more specific, such as deciding which species you
want to increase in your woodlands.
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