1. Getting Started with Woodland Management
Indiana Tree Farm
Getting Started with Woodland Management

2. Start by asking yourself some questions
What do we have?
Family farm, sole ownership, LFP, LLC, etc.
Smaller woodlot scale limitation
Larger tract with older timber Often invites interest from timber buyers
Significant terrain features that present limitations
Surrounded by development
Use restricted by local land regulations

3. Where do our priorities lie?
Mostly for investment
Is timber production my main objective? How important is wildlife viewing, habitat improvement, hiking, mushroom hunting, game hunting, and other forms of outdoor recreation?
Will it be inherited? Condition upon its passage
Are we looking to buy forest land?
Non-resident owner Difficult to find time?
Do we want to manage our woodland to its full potential?

4. Do we have the time and knowledge?
- We have been doing our own research
- Information is coming from many directions
- It seems that time comes at a premium-now more than ever
- We want to be good land stewards
- Due to time and knowledge constraints, we feel it may be prudent to use a forester to assist us

5. Are we prepared to follow a forester’s recommendations?
Recommendations will be grounded on your objectives and priorities
The forester will offer different alternatives and point you toward valuable resources
You can always meet with 2 or three foresters to find one who matches your expectations

6. You decide to use a forester
Where do we go from here
Here are 5 steps to follow

7. Step 1 Meet the forester on your property
Try to have stakeholders present
Share your objectives and thoughts while viewing your land
Bring your documents (have extra copies of important items to give the forester)
Take notes
Have a list of questions in advance
Normally this initial visit can be done in less than 2 or 3 hours.

8. Step 2 Map and define your property
Have the forester prepare up-to-date topographic and aerial maps of your property
You can help in this process
Handheld GPS units
Mark your boundaries. Confer with your neighbor if necessary

9. Step 3 Have the forester prepare a Woodland Stewardship Plan
Preferably one that includes an inventory
The plan will address numerous attributes of the property.
This will include: Objectives, soils & topography, maps, forest
cover types, stand data, recommendations, cutting history, matters related to water
resources, wildlife and its habitat, sensitive areas & species of special concern,
invasive plants, and archeological sites

10. Step 3 Continued Have the Forester Develop a Plan
Your objectives are a crucial part of the Plan
The Stewardship Plan will identify the various management units
These management units will come with suggested recommendations for practices and a suggested timeline to implement them
Normally comprehensive of landscape
The plan must be flexible; it can be easily reworded

11. Step 4 Implement the Stewardship Plan.
Certain tasks may need your attention first
Examples could include: invasive plant specie control, pre-harvest grape vine eradication, improving access, a harvest to salvage damaged timber, tree planting, and erosion control
Do what you can Don’t get overwhelmed
Can take years
Note that Certified tracts in CF and TF must follow guidelines and performance measures
Examples are: local regs, BMPs, and herbicide usage
Sound investment

12. Step 5 Keep moving forward and adapt
Modify the Plan as events arise
Continue to seek knowledge
All along the way, involve the other family members or stakeholders. Be thinking about inter-generational transfer
Visit the property in different seasons
Consider joining an organization such as Tree Farm, Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Assoc. (IFWOA), or enrolling in Classified Forest & Wildlands

13. The rest of the story….
Take satisfaction in knowing that the management and stewardship you are embarking upon will benefit all of society…..
The 4 pillars of the Tree Farm system:
Wood Water Recreation and Wildlife

14. Resources Field guide…….101 Trees of Indiana On the web…..
Inwoodlands.org (a great site for past articles and links to other forestry sites)
Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources
IDNR Division of Forestry CallB4UCUT Demonstration Forests
NRCS (Indiana)
Woodweb
DNR sites for Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, and Michigan My