A Landowner's Guide to Managing Your Woods

by Hansen, Anne Larkin; Severson, Mike; Waterman, Dennis L.

• ISBN13: 9781603428002
• ISBN10: 1603428003
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-09-01
• Publisher: Storey Books

Summary

There are more than 4 million private woodland owners in the United States, and together they own 35 percent of all U.S. forests. Most have little or no previous experience of land ownership, most own small-scale properties of less than 40 acres, and many live on their land. They may want to create some income from timber, maple syrup, firewood, or other products, but many want only to enjoy their land and to improve or maintain its health, appearance, and value. A Landowner's Guide to Managing Your Woods is the introductory resource these woodland owners need. Simple enough for complete beginners, it explains how to sustainably manage a wooded property, whether it's a few acres in the suburbs or a small commercial forest. Readers will learn how to identify the type, health, and quality of their trees and woodland; how to plant, prune, and thin trees; how to improve their ecosystem by improving trails, adding water, and diversifying; how to improve wildlife habitat; and how to increase enjoyment and use of the land by harvesting timber, cutting firewood, building wildlife blinds, making maple sugar, growing Christmas trees, hunting, and more. It offers advice on when and how to hire professional foresters and how to protect against forest fires. And it discusses what kind of financial return a landowner can expect, tax programs that may be helpful, the value of certificates and cooperatives, and the basics of estate planning. Whether their interest is in selling a cash crop, maximizing enjoyment of the land, or just maintaining the health, beauty, and value of their woods, all small woodland owners will turn to A Landowner's Guide to Managing Your Woods.

Author Biography

Ann Larkin Hansen is a woodland owner, a farmer, and the author of several books, including The Organic Farming Manual. Mike Severson is a Certified Master Logger, licensed arborist, and tree surgeon. He is dedicated to sustainable forestry and education for good forest management Dennis L. Waterman is a professional consulting forester who serves private landowners with small acreages. His services include forest stewardship Management plans; timber harvest; and forest inventory, mapping, and appraisals

Table of Contents

About the Authors	p. vi
Introduction	p. l
Why Manage Your Woods?	p. 3
A Quick Look Back
Where We Are Now
Where We Go from Here
How Forests Grow	p. 23
Tree Strategy
Tree Anatomy
Forest Succession: Sprinters vs. Marathoners
Tree Ranges
Local Forest Conditions
Forest Health
Taking a Woodland Inventory	p. 50
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
Establishing Goal	p. 89
Determining Woodland Goals
Management Options
Timber-Stand Improvement Projects
Timber-Harvest Methods
Guarding against Disaster
Keeping the Most Important Goal in Mind
Working with a Forester	p. 131
What Is a Forester?
Writing the Management Plan
Working in the Woods: Landowner Projects	p. 152
Safety First
Equipment
Making and Maintaining Trails
Controlling Invasive Species
Encouraging Wildlife
Other Woodland Harvests
Planting Trees
Woodlands and Kids
The Logging Industry	p. 202
How a Logger Makes a Living
Classes and Values of Timper
Logging Equipment
Sorting and Milling
Types of Loggers
Market Pressures in the Timber Industry
Harvesting Timber	p. 228
Planning for a Cut
Setting Up a Timber Sale
The Walk-Through
Monitoring the Cut
After the Cut
Finances and Legacies	p. 264
Evaluating a Forest Purchase
Taxes
Insurance
Federal and State Grant Programs
Carbon Sequestration
Legacies	p. 264
Glossary	p. 285
Resources	p. 288
Index	p. 293
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.