Make the Most of Your Woodlands
Whether you own a few acres of woodland or many,
A Landowner's Guide to Managing Your Woods will help you become an active and effective steward of your forest. Beginning with an explanation of the natural processes governing forest development, the authors present active steps you can take to guide your woodland toward a state of health and beauty and sustainably produce one of the world's greatest renewable resources -- wood.
The steps of stewardship include:
*Assessing your forest type, soils, terrain, and climate
*Determining what trees and wildlife will do best on your land
*Working with a forester and a logger to create and implement a sustainable, long-term plan
*Developing wildlife habitat and trail systems
*Pruning and thinning trees to improve health and growth rate.
The authors -- a landowner, a logger, and a forester -- all manage their own woodlands using sustainable practices. Their advice and insights will help your forest provide income while remaining healthy, productive, and beautiful for future generations to enjoy.
Introduction
1. Why Manage Your Woods?
A Quick Look Back * Where We Are Now * Where We Go from Here
2. How Forests Grow
Tree Strategy * Tree Anatomy * Forest Succession: Sprinters vs. Marathoners * Tree Ranges * Local Forest Conditions * Forest Health
3. Taking a Woodland Inventory
Figuring Out What You Have * Identifying Forest Flora * Identifying Soil Type * Identifying Wildlife * Identifying Terrain and Special Features * Finding Property Lines * Pulling All the Information Together * When to Hire a Forester
4. Establishing Goals
Determining Woodland Goals * Management Options * Timber-Stand Improvement Projects * Timber-Harvest Methods * Guarding against Disaster * Keeping the Most Important Goal in Mind
5. Working with a Forester
What Is a Forester? * Writing the Management Plan
6. Working in the Woods: Landowner Projects
Safety First * Equipment * Making and Maintaining Trails * Controlling Invasive Species * Encouraging Wildlife * Other Woodland Harvests * Planting Trees * Woodlands and Kids
7. The Logging Industry
How a Logger Makes a Living * Classes and Values of Timber * Logging Equipment * Sorting and Milling * Types of Loggers * Market Pressures in the Timber Industry
8. Harvesting Timber
Planning for a Cut * Setting Up a Timber Sale * The Walk-Through * Monitoring the Cut * After the Cut
9. Finances and Legacies
Evaluating a Forest Purchase * Taxes * Insurance * Federal and State Grant Programs * Carbon Sequestration * Legacies
Glossary
Resources
Index
