Forest Management Plans

Greene County Forestry AssociationGreene County, NC September 11, 2012

Robert RossNCFS Greene Co. Service Forester

(presentation prepared by Sean Brogan)

Topics to Be Discussed

• What is a Management Plan? • Types of Plans• What is Addressed in Management Plans?• Why do You Need a Management Plan?• Who Can Write One?• Amending / Updating Plans• NC Forest Service Programs and Services

What is a Management Plan? “The careful development of a forest management plan in consultation with a professional forester is essential if landowners are to achieve their desired ownership objectives. The forest management plan is the blueprint of activities for caring for the forest. It is important to remember, too, that the managementplan is not “cast in stone,” but is an evolving plan that should be periodically reviewed and updated.”

R. HeiligmannOSU Extension Specialist, Forestry

“Overarching Plans”: •Forest Management Plan is a detailed plan that provides written prescriptions for specific forestry activities that meet the landowner's objectives, and usually involve more than one stand. These plans may not meet all the criteria of a Forest Stewardship plan. This includes plans generated from use-value requests.

•Forest Stewardship Plan is a multiple resource management plan, written by or under the guidance of a natural resource professional, which conforms to the State Forest Stewardship guidelines and standards, and meets the objectives of the owner.

•Tree Farm Plan: will be discussed later this morning by NC Tree Farm representatives.

Types of Plans

Types of Plans Cont.

“Supplemental Plans”:

•Regeneration Plan is a brief plan written with detailed instructions to complete reforestation or afforestation; tree planting, direct seeding or natural regeneration.

• Replanting Plan is a brief plan written with detailed instructions to replant an area that was previously planted, but planting failed.

• Practice Plan is usually a brief plan written with detailed instructions to complete a particular forestry practice, treatment, or operation (other than regeneration) such as, thinning, prescribed burning, TSI or other activity. This plan should provide the landowner with specific step-by-step instructions on implementing a forestry, or forest resource, project.

•Pre-Harvest Plan is a detailed, written plan prepared to guide a logger, landowner or other involved party through placement of roads, skid trails, log decks, stream crossings and other aspects of a successful harvest, with minimal impact on the soil and water resources of the property.

•Rehabilitation Plan is a detailed, written plan prepared to identify problems on harvest sites (ex. water quality issues) and provide detailed correction recommendations.

What is Addressed in Management Plans?

What is Addressed in Management Plans? cont.

Why do You Need a Management Plan?

Prepare to pass on to heirs…..

Maximize financial benefits…..

Protect sensitive areas…..

Why do You Need a Management Plan? cont.

Increase recreational opportunities…..

Manage wildlife populations…..

Improve aesthetics…..

Why do You Need a Management Plan? cont.

Qualify for the Present Use Value tax break…..

Help prove you are truly “practicing forestry” if it is ever questioned…..

Qualify for forestry costshare programs…..

Why do You Need a Management Plan? cont.

Qualify for forestry certification programs…..

Management plan records can help you recover your losses following wildfires and storms…..

Can help your heirs “pick up the pieces” if you unexpectedly depart…..

NC Forest Service Foresters and Rangers

NC Consulting Foresters List (on NCFS website)• NCFS referred 2,686 tracts / 153,043 acres to

consultants in FY 2010-11

NC Tree Farm Inspectors

NC Wildlife Resources’ Stewardship Wildlife Biologists

Industry Foresters

Landowners

Who Can Write One?

NC Forestry Association http://www.ncforestry.org/800-231-7723

NC State University’s Extension Forestry Specialists http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/forestry/ 919-515-5638

NCWoodlands http://ncwoodlands.blogspot.com/919-787-1220

National Woodland Owners Association (NWOA) http://www.woodlandowners.org/ 800-476-8733

Forest Landowners Association (FLA) (Typically landowners with >1000 acres join this association. 800-325-2954http://www.forestlandowners.com/

Other Sources of Forest Management Assistance

County and Multi-County Level Woodland Owner Associations

Other Sources of Forest Management Assistance cont.

Excerpt From NCFS Policy & Procedure on Site Exams/Writing Plans

Your plan is largely based on your “front-end” input

and questions….speak up!

Amending / Updating Plans

•Tree Farm Plans: should be updated at least every 5 years

•Forest Stewardship Plans: should be updated at least every 10 years

HOWEVER…

•Update/amend as needed: changing objectives; new owners; insect or disease outbreaks; fires or storm impacts; new improvements; invasive species; participation in new programs

beetle outbreak

new road system

NC Forest Service Programs and Services

• Management plans & other services:7,000 plans (350,000 acres) annuallyWater quality (5,000 inspections/yr)FDP costshare applicants (1,500 annually)Insect/disease detectionEnvironmental educationPrescribed burning

NC Forest Service Programs and Services

• Plans are landowner-objective driven• Statewide staffing levels fluctuate• Incident management / Out-of-state dispatches

(10-year annual avg. 5,000 wildfires; 25,000 ac.)HurricanesPlan delivery times can vary greatly

North Carolina Department of Agricultureand Consumer Services

N.C. Forest Service

Steven W. TroxlerCommissioner

Wib L. OwenAssistant Commissioner

State Forester

NCFS website: http://ncforestservice.govNCFS Central Office: 919-857-4801

“Contact Us” link leads to

NCFS map and office phone

numbers:

Thank you for your time and efforts to “keep forestland in forestland”!

Questions?

Robert Ross, NCFS Greene Co. Service Foresterrobert.ross@ncagr.gov

252-567-0813(presentation prepared by Sean Brogan)