Small Woodland Management
If you have recently purchased 20 acres or more of forest land, you may be faced with the daunting task of managing these resources. Luckily, unlike seasonal farming or gardening, small woodlands tend to operate over longer time frames of years rather than months.
Developing a Management Plan
The best way to start is to walk your land. The legal boundaries and access to the property should be well established. Begin to inventory and familiarize yourself with the various resources on the property. You can learn these yourself with the help of classes and programs offered through Cooperative Extension. Also, local small woodlands associations or even a neighbor can assist in identifying these resources. Afterward begin to formulate and outline a set of objectives. Over time these may change and the results are in your hands. The decisions you make regarding the management of the property will have short and long term ecological and economic consequences. Again, there is less need to make immediate decisions due to the longer time parameters of managing a small woodland.
Information Sources
Oregon State University Cooperative Extension services and programs in Jackson County is one of the first places to look for advice. A local extension forester focuses on education and outreach to property owners. They also have direct contact with faculty at the University. They offer numerous programs and training sessions, including the popular Master Woodland Manager program for small woodland owners.
The Oregon Department of Forestry tends to be more of a regulatory agency of forest management. It administers the Oregon Forest Practices Act, which guides all forest activities in the state. A Notification of Operations from the ODF is legally required for all owners initiating a forest operation. The ODF also offers technical advice through their Service Forest program, which oversees and administers most cost-share subsidies for completing various non-commercial forest and resource management activities.
Other sources of information include the lo- cal chapters of the Oregon Small Woodland Association, watershed councils, environmental organizations, trade publications, and federal agencies such as the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.
The Next Step
The natural systems and processes that operate in forestlands do not recognize property lines. Therefore, talk with your neighbors, they are often the best source of information and advice. You will also have to work together to address problems such as insects, disease, water, wildlife and fire. Only through cooperative work and collaborative effort will you be able to effectively address these concerns.
Cost-share assistance through ODF can help pay for the preparation of a forest stewardship plan by a consulting forester or other trained professional. These plans should provide an initial inventory of the various forest resources on your property.
Based on that inventory and your objectives, a management plan should include wildlife management, soils protection and erosion control, wildfire management and fuels reduction, pertinent forest insects and diseases, reforestation, stand management, management for timber and other marketable resources, protection of riparian and aquatic biodiversity, long-term site productivity, roads and access concerns, and other opportunities and topics.
Delineation of management units and the subsequent prioritization of management activities should be a logical outgrowth of your management plan.