management planning for woodland owners: why and how

Managment Planning for Woodland Owners:Why and How

EC 1125 • Reprinted April 2002 $1.50

M.C. Bondi and C. Landgren

MANAGEMENT PLANNING

ContentsWhy plan .................................... 1

How to write a plan ...................... 3Objectives ................................... 4Woodland descriptions .................. 5Inventory .................................... 6Management recommendations ..... 6

Recordkeeping ............................. 7Forest management records .......... 7

Summary .................................... 8

For further reading ........................ 8

Michael C. Bondi, Extensionforestry agent, Clackamas County;and Chal Landgren, Extensionforestry agent, Columbia andWashington counties; Oregon StateUniversity.

Management planning—the words conjure up visions of gray suits,corporate boardrooms, and Ivy League business schools. Plan-ning for the woodland owner need not be so intimidating. A plan,

simply put, is a guide that tells what you have, what you want to do, andhow to do it.

Good plans will change with time. As you learn more about forestry andyour own objectives, keep improving your management plan to fit chang-ing times, new situations, and expanding knowledge.

This publication describes both why and how to plan. OSU Extensionpublication EC 1126, Management Planning for Woodland Owners: AnExample, presents and discusses a sample plan.

Why planThere are several reasons why it is helpful for you to have a manage-

ment plan for your property. Here are four primary reasons.1. Plans help you consider what you might do on your property.

2. Efficient planning saves you time and money and helps you avoid costlymistakes that may not be correctable.

3. A management plan can be a handy way to organize your businessrecords and record activities on your property.

4. Plans help you demonstrate to others your commitment and intent incontinued woodlot management.

Let’s look at each of these reasons in more detail.

Plans help you consider what you might do on your property. In thissense, planning requires careful thinking about why you own your prop-erty, what you would like to see happen to it, what it might produce, andhow much time and money you will require. Thinking and learning aboutpossible management options will go a long way toward helping youestablish your objectives.

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2 THE WOODLAND WORKBOOK

When you set goals, you must consideryour constraints or limitations. Personaland economic constraints might includelimited time, money, and equipment.Biological and physical constraints mightinclude poor drainage, steep ground, rockysoils, disease, and insect problems. Theselimitations may narrow your options andrequire that you set your objectives on adifferent, more attainable goal.

An integral part of setting attainablegoals involves making a careful inventoryof the resources on your property. Makeyour timber inventory accurate and reliableenough to meet your information needs. Itis useful to know how much timber youhave, how fast it is growing, and what itspresent and future value might be.

Efficient planning saves you time andmoney and helps avoid costly mistakes thatmay not be correctable. Unfortunately,most of us have limited amounts of land,

time, and capital. This means that you mustmake careful use of the resources you dohave.

By developing a well-organized manage-ment plan, you can prepare a logicalsequence of forest operations rather than ahit-or-miss schedule. Plan what needs to bedone—and how and when to do it—beforeyou begin. For example, you can orderseedlings at the correct time and completethe site preparation and weed control onschedule with little time, motion, andmoney wasted.

Planning also helps you work with forestadvisers. A good plan shows the extent ofyour resources quickly and allows forestadvisers to outline options and makesuggestions based on your needs.

A management plan can be a handyway to organize your records and keeptrack of activities on your property. Goodwoodlot management requires goodrecordkeeping. Keep notes on all activi-ties—reforestation, thinning, harvesting,and equipment purchases. For example,reforestation records should include notesabout site preparation, planting dates, treespecies, stock (size, nursery, etc.), herbi-cides, and animal protection methods.

Document your management results. Didthe seedlings survive? Was the plantingstock good quality? Was the herbicideeffective? Answer these questions in asmuch detail as possible.

In addition, list all financial details suchas costs, incomes, receipts, and bills of sale.Complete and accurate financial records arenecessary to complete tax forms and whenoperating your tree farm as a business.

Good recordkeeping is one of the bestways to keep track of what you accomplishon your property. Your accountant can helpyou organize your financial records. OSUExtension publication EC 1126 shows oneway to organize records in a forest manage-ment plan.

Plans demonstrate to others yourcommitment and intent in continuedwoodlot management. Lending agencies,banks, trusts, corporations, planning com-missions, and the like often require someproof of your commitment to long-termforest management. Management plans canbe one evidence of this commitment.

Figure 1.—Wally and Wanda Holloway, owners of a treefarm near Scappoose, discuss their management plans.

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MANAGEMENT PLANNING 3

How to write a planWriting a management plan is no simple

task. It not only requires gathering informa-tion about your needs and purposes formanagement, but it also requires knowingyour property, its physical characteristics,and its biological potential. Once gathered,analyze this information to design a planthat directs tree farm activities such as treeplanting, harvesting, and road building.

A plan also is a record of activities.Some landowners use their plans much asthey would a diary, recording very specificactivities. Others record only major eventssuch as a harvest.

Most plans describe the property and itsfeatures—vegetation, streams, and soils.

As a landowner, you need to know theexact location of your property. Consultlegal descriptions and deeds. Obtain prop-erty survey maps showing your boundariesand corners. Locate these points in the fieldto avoid possible boundary disputes.

One of the more helpful tools used indeveloping management plans is the aerialphotograph. These are available as blackand white or color prints in a variety ofscales and sizes. One or more of theseoffices should have the photos you need:• U.S. Department of Agriculture—Forest

Service (USFS); NaturalResources ConservationService (NRCS); and Agricul-tural Stabilization and Conser-vation Service (ASCS)

• U.S. Department of theInterior—Bureau of LandManagement (BLM)

• State of Oregon—Departmentof Forestry; Department ofRevenue; and Department ofTransportation, HighwayDivision

• Your county assessor andsurveyor

• Some forest industry firms

Figure 2.—The Holloways consider their management options.

Aerial photos enable you to recognizeand map vegetative cover (brush, trees,pasture, etc.) and may help locate propertyboundaries. They also help you mapexisting road systems and plan new ones.Using a stereoscope with the photos willgive you a three-dimensional view of yourproperty’s hills, valleys, drainages, andgeneral topography (Figure 3, page 4).

Other useful maps include topographic(topo) or contour maps and soil maps. Topomaps help you orient to the property andthe lay of the surrounding land. They areespecially useful with aerial photos forinterpreting and checking land features.

Common features shown on topo mapsare drainages, relief or contour lines, andconstructed improvements such as roadsand buildings (Figure 4, page 5). You canobtain topo maps from the U.S. GeologicalSurvey and from local libraries, bookstores,and sporting goods shops.

Knowing the soils on your property isvery important when developing a manage-ment plan. Details on soil properties thatinfluence tree growth, such as soil depth,texture, and productivity, can be found insoil survey reports. Soil maps and reportsmay have information about your soils thatcould affect engineering activity such as

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logging and roadbuilding as well asdata for other uses.

You can obtainvaluable interpreta-tions about yoursoils, maps, andreports at the localNatural ResourcesConservationService office andat the OSU Exten-sion office in yourcounty.

Once you divideyour property intovegetative types,stands, or manage-ment units, you canbegin the task ofinventory. Thefield work prepara-tion of your planrequires other tools

ObjectivesPerhaps the most important part of any

plan is listing your objectives. By taking ahard look at what you expect to do withyour land, you can begin to identify whichresources are most important (trees, soil,water, recreation, development sites, fish,wildlife, etc.), what kind of inventory youwill have to make, and whether what youwant from your land is really possible.

Objectives will vary with the individuallandowner and the condition of the prop-erty. Whatever your goals, make them asspecific as possible. Examples of somecommon objectives follow; the italicizedtext suggests specifics to provide.

Increased income. You may needincome immediately, on a regular basis(yearly or every few years), or at somefuture time to help with special needs (forexample, a child’s education, retirement,travel plans, or trust funds). Specify howmuch income you will need from yourproperty and when you will need it.

Forest products. Some landowners needparticular forest products from their treefarms such as lumber, posts, shakes orshingles, firewood, and rock. Specify whatkinds of forest products you need and inwhat quantities.

besides maps and photos. For areas such asbrushfields, a written description of the arealisting common plants and their approxi-mate age and size may be sufficient.

On young forest stands, you can use astocking survey to evaluate the condition ofthe plantation and to indicate replanting oranimal protection needs. This surveyrequires only a count of the seedlingspresent and their condition. For older foreststands, your inventory might requiremeasuring tree diameters and heights plusinformation about age and growth rate.

Other useful resources for developingmanagement plans include textbooks andpublications about woodland management(see Figure 5 and “For further reading”);cruising or inventory guides; and OSUExtension, community college, and SmallWoodlands Association programs designedto address specific woodland questions.

You can have plans prepared for you byforestry consultants, industrial forestcompanies, and various public agencies(see OSU Extension publication EC 1120,Technical Assistance in Forestry).

Sections to include in your managementplan are: objectives, woodlands descrip-tions, inventory, management recommenda-tions, and recordkeeping.

Figure 3.—A stereoscope helps the Holloways distinguish features onan aerial photograph of their property.

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Work commitment. Full- or part-timeemployment for you, members of yourfamily, or others may be possible on yourwoodland property. Specify how much workis needed. Also, consider how much timeand effort you care to devote to fieldmanagement activities.

Other farm activities. Agriculturaloperations are often important activities oftree farms. In some cases, the same portionof land may provide different resourceneeds. Specify the farming objectives youwish to pursue.

Protect soil and water resources. Thisis essential to maintaining your land’sproductivity. Proper planning will protectthese resources during management opera-tions. Specify your soil protection andwater development needs.

Recreational use. This may provide youwith income opportunity as well as per-sonal satisfaction. Specify your recreationalneeds or desires and the types of develop-ments you envision.

Wildlife habitat. Enhancing wildlifepopulations through habitat developmentmay be possible by certain forest manage-ment activities. Specify your wildlifemanagement goals.

Figure 4.—Topographic maps show contour lines, constructed improve-ments, and other features.

Woodland descriptionsOnce you state your goals clearly and

assemble your tools, it’s time to prepare adescription of your forest property. Thisdescription will pull the important docu-ments together and help you or the personwho is managing the property. The follow-ing sections usually are included.

Land location and identification. Givea legal description of your property (town-ship, range, section, etc.), including totalacreage.

Forest property map. Show boundaries,including fence lines, corners, survey posts,and markers.

Topography. Develop a brief writtendescription or a map of your land. Listfeatures such as the nearest towns orcommunities, lay of the land, elevation,steepness, and streams.

Soils. Describe those on your property.Give their series name, characteristics, andrelation to forest management. Include asoil map or overlay to go with the propertymap if there are several soils.

Climate. Briefly describe climaticconditions. Include annual precipitation,winter weather conditions, length of thegrowing season, and temperature patterns.

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Access. Show the existing road systemon your property and adjacent properties;include rocked and summer roads. Again,you can use a map or overlay.

Forest protection. Discuss any diseaseor insect problem known to be in the area.Carefully assess any animal damage prob-lems related to forest management. Notespecial areas that have frost pockets andhigh winds and that have water for fireprotection and emergency use.

InventoryInclude information about all your land’s

resources in this section of your plan. Adetailed inventory examines yourproperty’s timber management potential,

Timber types include commercial coniferareas, pasture or grasslands, swampyground, brushfields, cutover lands, andhardwood stands. They can vary in sizefrom small (1 or 2 acres) to large (5, 10, ormore than 20 acres), depending on theintensity of management.

Further subdivide forested sites by treesize classifications (large, medium, or smalltimber based on average diameter). Alsoindicate the stocking level—the number oftrees per acre in each management unit.Check to see whether your timber standsare stocked well, poorly, or about average.

Finally, summarize in text and table formthe condition of each management unit.Include in the text the acreage of each unitmapped. On timbered sites, include theaverage diameter of the trees, their condi-

Figure 5.—Textbooks and publications offer key tips on woodlandmanagement. Use them to refine your knowledge about your property.

tion, growth rate, volume, andsite class. You also caninclude detailed informationabout timber product valuesand logging costs.

The table merely provides aquick and easy way to summa-rize what you have in a fewlines. OSU Extension publica-tion EC 1126 shows such atable.

Managementrecommendations

The essence of any wood-land management plan is therecommendation section.Everything discussed thus farleads to the question “Whatshould I do on my property?”

The answers are not alwayssimple. Often you have several

recreational possibilities, wildlife habitat,and other resources (Figure 6).

OSU Extension publications EC 1127,Measuring Timber Products Harvestedfrom Your Woodland, and PNW 31, Mea-suring Trees, provide additional inventorybackground.

The inventory section usually includes awoodlands map. This map shows thedifferent vegetation areas of your property.Timber types often are separated by speciescomposition and tree size.

choices. However, having the best possibleinformation about your property will helpyou establish priorities and decide what todo this year, next year, and the year afterthat.

The recommendations part of a manage-ment plan can be difficult to write. Itrequires a background in several forestrysubjects and experience with the practicalaspects of land management. As youinterpret the information from your wood-land inventory, be sure to seek the advice

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of other tree farmers and profes-sional foresters. Their help andideas may spell the differencebetween success and failure.

Remember, too, that plans aremeant to change with your needs.Knowing all you can about thebiological potential of yourproperty and what is on theground today will make your jobeasier.

There are usually two types ofmanagement recommendations:those that deal with what to doand those that deal with when todo it. The first category summa-rizes the cultural operationsneeded for each management unit.It may include recommendationsfor salvage logging and conver-sion of an area, precommercial orcommercial thinning (and neces-sary tree-spacing guidelines), orharvesting and regeneration,including site preparation,planting, and spacing.

In any case, each recommendationshould describe specifically what is to bedone, what special equipment will beneeded, and what follow-up practices youmust plan.

The second category (when to do it),includes a management activity schedule,which is your timing, budget, and prioritylist. You will need to describe work needsfor each management unit for the next 2, 5,or 10 years or longer. Estimate the person-days of labor and cost for each job. To bemost useful, this account should includeestimates of income and expenses for eachproject.

Some management activities need to becompleted by certain deadlines; others aremore flexible. An example might be aplanting project that, for best success, needsto be in the first or second winter afterharvest. However, you could delay reclaim-ing a 15- or 20-year-old brushfield as alower priority, because converting it won’tbe any different this year, next year, or in 5years.

Figure 6.—The woodland stick is a handy tool to use in forestinventory.

RecordkeepingThe importance of good records is

difficult to overstate. They will be valuableas you review results of practices, updateyour tax accounts, and plan new activities.

Two main groups of records tree farmersshould maintain are forest management andfinancial records. Some suggestions forthese are shown below. Obviously, theywill vary with every property and circum-stance.

Forest management records• Reforestation. For each area you plant,

describe the site preparation (method,operator, costs), seedling establishment,and maintenance records (plantingcontractor, costs, species planted, sur-vival, animal protection, etc.).

• Thinning. For areas you thin, recordprevious stand history and condition,stems per acre, tree spacing, operator,costs, and the material you remove.

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• Harvesting. List logging details such asthe quality, quantity, and values of theproducts you remove. Also show grossand net receipts and the harvest method,operator costs, contractor, and dates.

Financial records• Depletion. This establishes the initial

value of your land and the buildings andequipment on it at the time of purchase.It is essential for calculating taxableincomes following harvest and deprecia-tion on equipment.

• Operating expenses. This documents thecurrent year’s operating expenses such astrips to the tree farm, costs of materialsand supplies, fees for professionalservices, and other items for income taxpurposes. Keep the bills, receipts, andbank statements that document theseexpenses in this file.

SummaryInclude a good recordkeeping system as

a working part of your overall managementplan. That way, the records, notes, andexperiences covering your entire forestryoperation are available to place beside yourblueprint for action.

Once you finish your plan, rememberthat it should not be cast in stone. Yourwoodlands and your needs will change withtime; so should your plan.

Remember that forest management is along-term process. It’s difficult enough topredict product values next year, not tomention in 50 or 60 years. A managementplan can help you look at your options,make decisions, and plan for tomorrow.

For further readingOSU Extension publicationsBell, J. Measuring Trees, PNW 31 (revised

1982). 75¢

Green, D., M.C. Bondi, and W.H.Emmingham. Mapping and ManagingPoorly Stocked Douglas-Fir Stands,EC 1133 (published 1983, reprinted1997). $1.50

Landgren, C. and M.C. Bondi. Manage-ment Planning for Woodland Owners:An Example, EC 1126 (published 1983,reprinted 1998). $1.50

Oester, P. Measuring Timber ProductsHarvested from Your Woodland, EC1127 (revised 1999, reprinted 2002).$2.50

Shearer, M. and R. Fletcher. TechnicalAssistance in Forestry, EC 1120 (revised1989, reprinted 1993). 75¢

To order OSU Extension publications,send the publication’s complete title andseries number, along with a check ormoney order payable to Oregon StateUniversity, to:

Publication OrdersExtension & Station CommunicationsOregon State University422 Kerr AdministrationCorvallis, OR 97331-2119fax 541-737-0808

Other publicationsBell, John F. and J.R. Dilworth, Log

Scaling and Timber Cruising (OregonState University Bookstores, Inc.,Corvallis, 1988).

The Woodland Workbook is a collection of publications prepared by the Oregon State University Extension Service for owners andmanagers of private, nonindustrial woodlands. Information has long-range and day-to-day value for anyone interested in wisemanagement, conservation, and use of woodland properties. The Workbook is organized in sections in a 3-ring binder with tabbeddividers for each section. To order, and to get a current list of titles and prices, inquire at the OSU Extension Service office thatserves your county.

This publication was produced and distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Extension work isa cooperative program of Oregon State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Oregon counties.

Oregon State University Extension Service offers educational programs, activities, and materials—without regard to race, color,religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability, and disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran status—as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of theRehabilitation Act of 1973. Oregon State University Extension Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer.Published September 1983. Reprinted April 2002.

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management planning for woodland owners: why and how

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