Sustainable forest stewardship begins with you. You are entrusted with the well-being of a valuable asset – your forested land. You, and other individuals like you, own 9.7 million acres (61 percent) of the productive forestland in Maryland area.
There are many benefits of forest management. Many of these benefits not only accrue to the owner of forested property but to society as well. Some of these benefits include:
· Timber Production – a renewable resource to provide for society’s need for wood and fiber products. Managing for timber can also provide financially for the woodland owner.
· Flora and Fauna – providing habitat for the many plants and animals, that are native to the state, maintains biodiversity and healthy population levels.
· Watershed Protection – woodlands have tremendous value as a regulator of waterflow and the prevention of erosion.
· Recreation and Aesthetics – hunting, camping, bird watching, hiking and skiing are just a few of the almost limitless recreational activities a woodland can provide. A beautiful forested vista is pleasing to the resident and visitor alike. The smell of a forest after a spring rain, the sound of birds singing in the morning sunshine, and the taste of a wild berry covered with dew can hardly be explained and never photographed.
· Social Values – our lives are enhanced by the solitude and beauty the woods provide. Being renewable, the use of wood products in our daily lives will substitute for and limit our use of nonrenewable resources – an ecologically desirable consequence.
As the owner of forest land, you can have an impact on the quality and quantity of these benefits your property produces. By preparing a forest management plan, you can create a road map to making your woodland provide the benefits that are important to you.
Using the advice of a technically capable person is highly recommended. Consulting foresters, Department of Natural Resources(DNR) foresters, or industrial tree farm foresters are all trained in the management of forest land. A forester can help you begin the adventure of managing your forestland by:
preparing a written plan of action tailored to your objectives and seasoned with sound technical information.
assisting in timber harvest, wildlife habitat improvement, erosion control, aesthetic and other practices identified in your plan.
You’ve come to the right place to acquaint yourself with the technical, financial, and educational assistance available to forestland owners in the State of Wisconsin. If you have a question for which your unable to find an answer, feel free to contact us at wfpc@newnorth.net. Happy exploring!
Geary N Searfoss, Executive Director
Wisconsin Forest Productivity Council
A landowner’s first step to healthy, productive forests
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