Forest County Cooperative Extension -

Agriculture | Manage Woods you are here

Why Manage Your Woods?

The Pennsylvania woodlands produce a great quantity of timber annually. It is estimated that the state's wood products industry processes 1.2 billion board feet annually, employs nearly 100,000 people, and provides products valued at more than $4 billion. The continuity of this industry depends on the continued good management of the lands that form the basis for this productivity.

Most of Pennsylvania's wood products come from privately held woodlands. This is because most of the state's woodlands are privately held. About 500,000 people own some woodlands in the state. Most of these owners have relatively small acreages, and nearly all of these woodlot owners are not professional foresters. Actually, many of them really don't have any plans for what they want to do with their property, especially with their wooded property. This is the crux of a serious problem.
Many of the woodlands in the state date from about the turn of the (last) century, when massive logging and fires reduced the standing mature timber to a mere remnant. Most of the mature trees in the woods today were grown from the seeds, sprouts, and understory of those prior forests. This means that many of the trees are now 80-120 years old. Even with little or no management activity, very valuable timberlands have grown from those beginnings.
Now the story takes a new twist. Since many landowners really only have a vague concept of the history of their woodlands, and no real plan for their use, they often end up with a problem when they begin to consider harvesting. It is not unheard of to have a woodlot owner offered what seems to be a large sum of money for the rights to harvest those woods. The end of the story might be that the offering was below the potential value of the timber, and the land was left in a mess.

One of the best defenses for a landowner is to have a plan for their woodlands, and to stick to that plan. In order for a plan to have meaning, though, it has to be based on actions that are feasable with the property. One of the best protections a landowner can have is knowledge. This does not mean that the landowner needs to go back to school. A professional consulting forester should be considered as a real alternative to going back to school.

The forester needs to know some things though, that only the landowner can tell. Perhaps most important of all, the forester needs to know what the landowner intends for the property. It is not enough to say that you want to get money out of the trees on your property. There may be several options that you want to consider.

For instance, it may be important for the landowner to have hunting or hiking opportunities in the woodlands. Wildlife habitat considerations would likely be a significant part of any management plan under those situations. That does not mean that the owner would need to choose between harvesting trees and birdwatching or hunting, but the management plan for the woodlot would need to consider both of those needs and reach a balance between them. In this case, perhaps trees that have wildlife value as mast producers, den trees, or shelter habitats would be retained more than if these other considerations were not part of the plan.

In another instance, the landowner may have some aesthetic values that require special attention. It may be desired to maintain some trees with good shape and foliage characteristics that are visible from the house on the property, or from the road in front. Those points should be incorporated into any plan, so that they do not get inadvertantly overlooked during a tree sale. It might take a long time to get that view back, and the loss of the timber value might be relatively small. By putting it into a plan, such things get considered, instead of being overlooked.

The specifics of each woodlot are different, so each plan not only has to take into account the wishes of the landowner, it also needs to take into account the capacity of the area to produce and maintain trees.

It is hard to comprehend all of the choices that are needed to make a comprehensive management plan. Just looking at the options for harvest might require consideration of literally hundreds of management options - what to cut, what to leave, how often to cut, and so forth. Regeneration of the area after a harvest might require replanting, fencing to exclude deer, control of competing vegetation with herbicides, or no action at all. The plan provides a way for the landowner to examine the available options, and make a better decision on how to manage the property.

A consulting forester should be looked upon as an agent working on your behalf. It is important that both the landowner and the forester understand the relationship between them, and develop an understanding of the partner in that relationship. With that understanding, both partners will be much more likely to come out with the product they desire - satisfaction. In the long run, that is the goal of any management plan.

The most likely alternative is to end up with less money than possible for a timber sale, and then a wait of another 80 years or more until another timber stand develops. And there are no guarantees that it would, even then. But that's the subject of another column.

Available on alternative media upon request
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.
Copyright© 2000 The Pennsylvania State University

ForestExt@psu.edu

Penn State | College of Agricultural Sciences | Cooperative Extension & Outreach

This page last updated Monday, December 17, 2001 13:46

Copyright Information
This publication is available in alternative media on request.
Penn State is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity University.
This site is a product of Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences.
Please e-mail us with your questions, comments or suggestions at ForestExt@psu.edu.




	Agriculture \| Manage Woods you are here
Why Manage Your Woods? The Pennsylvania woodlands produce a great quantity of timber annually. It is estimated that the state's wood products industry processes 1.2 billion board feet annually, employs nearly 100,000 people, and provides products valued at more than $4 billion. The continuity of this industry depends on the continued good management of the lands that form the basis for this productivity. Most of Pennsylvania's wood products come from privately held woodlands. This is because most of the state's woodlands are privately held. About 500,000 people own some woodlands in the state. Most of these owners have relatively small acreages, and nearly all of these woodlot owners are not professional foresters. Actually, many of them really don't have any plans for what they want to do with their property, especially with their wooded property. This is the crux of a serious problem. Many of the woodlands in the state date from about the turn of the (last) century, when massive logging and fires reduced the standing mature timber to a mere remnant. Most of the mature trees in the woods today were grown from the seeds, sprouts, and understory of those prior forests. This means that many of the trees are now 80-120 years old. Even with little or no management activity, very valuable timberlands have grown from those beginnings. Now the story takes a new twist. Since many landowners really only have a vague concept of the history of their woodlands, and no real plan for their use, they often end up with a problem when they begin to consider harvesting. It is not unheard of to have a woodlot owner offered what seems to be a large sum of money for the rights to harvest those woods. The end of the story might be that the offering was below the potential value of the timber, and the land was left in a mess. One of the best defenses for a landowner is to have a plan for their woodlands, and to stick to that plan. In order for a plan to have meaning, though, it has to be based on actions that are feasable with the property. One of the best protections a landowner can have is knowledge. This does not mean that the landowner needs to go back to school. A professional consulting forester should be considered as a real alternative to going back to school. The forester needs to know some things though, that only the landowner can tell. Perhaps most important of all, the forester needs to know what the landowner intends for the property. It is not enough to say that you want to get money out of the trees on your property. There may be several options that you want to consider. For instance, it may be important for the landowner to have hunting or hiking opportunities in the woodlands. Wildlife habitat considerations would likely be a significant part of any management plan under those situations. That does not mean that the owner would need to choose between harvesting trees and birdwatching or hunting, but the management plan for the woodlot would need to consider both of those needs and reach a balance between them. In this case, perhaps trees that have wildlife value as mast producers, den trees, or shelter habitats would be retained more than if these other considerations were not part of the plan. In another instance, the landowner may have some aesthetic values that require special attention. It may be desired to maintain some trees with good shape and foliage characteristics that are visible from the house on the property, or from the road in front. Those points should be incorporated into any plan, so that they do not get inadvertantly overlooked during a tree sale. It might take a long time to get that view back, and the loss of the timber value might be relatively small. By putting it into a plan, such things get considered, instead of being overlooked. The specifics of each woodlot are different, so each plan not only has to take into account the wishes of the landowner, it also needs to take into account the capacity of the area to produce and maintain trees. It is hard to comprehend all of the choices that are needed to make a comprehensive management plan. Just looking at the options for harvest might require consideration of literally hundreds of management options - what to cut, what to leave, how often to cut, and so forth. Regeneration of the area after a harvest might require replanting, fencing to exclude deer, control of competing vegetation with herbicides, or no action at all. The plan provides a way for the landowner to examine the available options, and make a better decision on how to manage the property. A consulting forester should be looked upon as an agent working on your behalf. It is important that both the landowner and the forester understand the relationship between them, and develop an understanding of the partner in that relationship. With that understanding, both partners will be much more likely to come out with the product they desire - satisfaction. In the long run, that is the goal of any management plan. The most likely alternative is to end up with less money than possible for a timber sale, and then a wait of another 80 years or more until another timber stand develops. And there are no guarantees that it would, even then. But that's the subject of another column. Available on alternative media upon request Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce. Copyright© 2000 The Pennsylvania State University ForestExt@psu.edu
Penn State \| College of Agricultural Sciences \| Cooperative Extension & Outreach This page last updated Monday, December 17, 2001 13:46 Copyright Information This publication is available in alternative media on request. Penn State is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity University. This site is a product of Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. Please e-mail us with your questions, comments or suggestions at ForestExt@psu.edu.