As you learn about woodland management, one of the most important steps you can take is developing a written forest management plan. If you don't yet have a written forest management plan, here's why you should.

A well-written forest management plan:

  • Provides a roadmap to help you achieve your ownership goals using sustainable forestry practices.
  • Meets a requirement for having your land certified as a Tree Farm.
  • Meets a requirement for enrolling in Land Use Taxation.
  • Potentially increases your ranking for certain cost-share programs.
  • Meets a requirement for the riparian forest buffer tax credit.
  • Meets a requirement for placing the land under a conservation easement.
  • Potentially meets requirements for participating in ecosystem services markets, such as forest carbon programs.

Identify goals for your woodland

Before you contact a professional to write a plan, take time to sit down with your family and discuss your ownership goals. A goal is the big picture or a general statement about how you and your family want your land to look in the future. Examples of goals include:

  • Provide quality habitat for game and non-game wildlife species.
  • Provide firewood for home heating and outdoor exercise.
  • Gain the skills necessary to better manage the property.

Most family woodland owners have multiple goals.

Once your goals are written, a forester can help determine if they are realistic. Your property's location, size, soils, topography, elevation, and land use history will all play into this determination.

Management objectives

The next step is to walk the woods with the forester to determine your objectives. Objectives are specific management actions you can take to work towards your goals, and they often have a timeline associated with them. Examples of objectives include:

  • Create early-successional habitat by cutting small patch clearcuts every 10 years.
  • Harvest undesirable and unhealthy trees for firewood.
  • Attend classes offered by the Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program.

You may be able to implement some objectives on your own. Others may require the services of a forester or other natural resource professionals.

Your goals and objectives can then be incorporated into a management plan. Forest management plans have several key components, including:

  • A list of your goals.
  • Maps of the property. These should show all important features, such as boundary lines, water bodies, forest types and ages, acreages, cemeteries, buildings, etc. They should also show soils.
  • A list of management objectives and associated timelines.

Management plans may include other elements as well. The length and detail in a plan should reflect the size of your property and the intensity of your management. For small and/or less intensively managed land, a management plan can simply be a collection of the documents listed above. For large and/or more intensively managed land, a more detailed plan may be appropriate.

Legacy planning

As your resources and circumstances change, your goals may also change, so treat your management plan like a living document. It's a good idea to review your plan every few years and update it as necessary. Ideally, you will involve your family members in this process. Including your family members helps them understand the importance of managing the resource and gives them opportunities to invest their time in this family asset. This is important for another type of planning, legacy planning.

Legacy planning involves determining what will become of your land after you are gone. Legacy planning is important and easy to put off because it can be difficult for families to discuss. It entails answering questions such as: Will your children keep the land? Do they want it? If so, do they have the capacity to continue its care? Will they be able to afford inheritance taxes and other expenses? Proper legacy planning can answer these questions ahead of time. A forest management plan is an important part of a legacy plan.

Management plans come in all shapes and sizes. If you want a comprehensive document, one that will qualify you for cost-share and certification programs, three types of plans are suggested. These are:

  • Forest Stewardship Plans. These are written by a Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) forester or consulting forester. The VDOF charges $1.50 per acre (with a minimum cost of $200 per plan). Consulting forester fees vary.
  • Conservation Planning Activity Plans (CPA 106 Plans). A consulting or industry forester registered as a Technical Service Provider can write a CPA 106 Plan for your property. Although the cost will vary by forester, there is cost-share available that can help offset the expense.
  • Tree Farm Plans. Written by either a consulting or an industry forester. The cost will vary depending on whom you hire.

If you have never worked with a forester, start the planning process by contacting your area VDOF forester. If your management goals are heavily focused on managing for wildlife, you may also want to include a DWR wildlife biologist in your planning.

Written by Jennifer Gagnon, Coordinator, Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program