Foresters Incorporated - Resource Mapping for Private Landowners

PO Box 11750
Blacksburg, VA
24062
540-951-2094
Fax: 540-951-0223

Non-Industrial Private Landowners > Forest Management

Overview | Plan Details | Process | Cost | Easements

Why do I need a forest management plan?

A management plan, at its simplest, defines your objectives, assesses your natural resources in relation to those objectives, and provides a plan for meeting those objectives. An effective plan tells you what you have on your property in the way of timber, growing stock (immature timber), fish and wildlife habitat, and other plants and forest products. It then describes, defines, and prescribes management activities for your forest that best represent your interests and maintain the health of your forestland. With all that information, you can make informed decisions about your land.

At Foresters Incorporated, our goal is to develop a management plan for your property that will serve as a foundation for wise management and sound investments. We can help you to manage your resources for multiple short- and long-term benefits, including fish and wildlife, timber, recreation, soil and water quality, and revenue. We will work closely with you to understand your goals, evaluate your property, and help prioritize goals and activities in terms of cost, feasibility, current and projected resources, and related factors.

Whether large or small, a sound management plan gives you the tools to make informed decisions about resource management and investments based on your long-term goals. Proper forest management can and should enhance both your forest land and your investment portfolio, and therefore should be part of your overall financial planning.

In addition to holistic management planning, we can also provide plans for smaller projects - building a pond, creating a wildlife area, restoring an old orchard, and more.

What will my forest management plan include?

The contents of your plan depend to some extent on your goals and forest resources, but in general, a forest management includes:

A general description of your property
A statement of your specific goals
Inventory results that provide quantitative and qualitative descriptions of specific resources (e.g. timber value, wildlife habitat, historical artifacts, water, rare species) based on your identified needs and concerns
Prescriptions, or recommended actions to reach your goals
- For example, if you want to improve wildlife habitat for certain species, your plan might describe how and where to create wildlife clearings and brush piles, what tree species to foster, and what to plant for food.
- On the other hand, if you want to harvest some timber in 15 years to help pay for your child's education or your retirement, your plan might describe how to thin your forest now to best improve the harvestable timber and allow maximum "crop tree" growth.

What do I have to do to get a plan?

First, we suggest calling our office (540-951-2094) for a preliminary discussion with one of our foresters to determine whether or not you need a plan, what your goals are, and what such a plan might cost (from a phone call, we can provide only ballpark estimates).

If you choose to pursue a management plan, we'll meet with you in person if possible, or over the phone if necessary, to more fully determine your objectives.

Based on those objectives, we will design and conduct a forest resource inventory, gathering and analyzing data to determine exactly what you have to work with.

Once we know what you have, we will then develop a series of recommendations to help you reach your goals.

We'll then present the plan to you and review the details to insure that you understand our findings and recommendations and answer any questions you have.

If you want to pursue any of the recommended activities, our staff can help you move forward as well. We can manage timber sales as well as implement a range of management activities.

If you'd like to learn more about the what's involved in forest management, review our informational page on Forest Management and visit our Resources page for links to other online sources.

How much does all this cost?

Naturally, the cost of the plan varies depending on the size of your property, and our staff can provide a cost estimate for you. However, as a private landowner, you may also be eligible for one of several excellent government programs that can help you to finance a management plan for your land. The U.S. Forest Service oversees the Forest Stewardship Program, and many states have Stewardship Incentive Plans and other landowner assistance plans available through their Departments of Forestry. Foresters Incorporated is most active in the following programs/areas:

If you're outside this region, you can find additional resources for your state from the US Forest Service's FSP home page.

What if I want a Conservation Easement or Agricultural and Forestal District Designation?

As industrial and residential expansion continue to encroach upon more and more land once used for forestry and farming, many land owners are seeking a way to maintain their family land the way it has been for generations. Conservation Easements and Agricultural & Forestal Districts both provide a means for maintaining the character of your land, in many cases, far into the future. You can also reap tax benefits by surrendering your development rights using one or both of these programs. The issues associated with these programs can be quite complex, and our staff can help you with information, contacts, and professional advice.

For more details on conservation easements in Virginia, check the VDOF Conservation Easements page.

If you have other questions about management planning and your property, please contact our office. We're always happy to answer questions and help you make the best decisions possible for you and your forestland.