Forest Management Plans Greene County Forestry Association Greene County, NC September 11, 2012

1. Forest Management Plans Greene County Forestry AssociationGreene County, NC September 11, 2012 Robert Ross NCFS Greene Co. Service Forester (presentation prepared by Sean Brogan)

2. 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

3. 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 management plan is not “cast in stone,” but is an evolving plan that should be periodically reviewed and updated.” R. Heiligmann OSU Extension Specialist, Forestry

4. Types of Plans • “Overarching Plans”: • Forest Management Planis 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 Planis 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.

5. 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 Planis 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 Planis 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 Planis a detailed, written plan prepared to identify problems on harvest sites (ex. water quality issues) and provide detailed correction recommendations.

6. What is Addressed in Management Plans?

7. What is Addressed in Management Plans? cont.

8. Why do You Need a Management Plan? Prepare to pass on to heirs….. Maximize financial benefits….. Protect sensitive areas…..

9. Why do You Need a Management Plan? cont. Manage wildlife populations….. Improve aesthetics….. Increase recreational opportunities…..

10. 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…..

11. 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…..

12. Who Can Write One? • 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

13. Other Sources of Forest Management Assistance • 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. 800-325-2954 • http://www.forestlandowners.com/

14. Other Sources of Forest Management Assistance cont. • County and Multi-County Level Woodland Owner Associations

15. Excerpt From NCFS Policy & Procedure on Site Exams/Writing Plans Your plan is largely based on your “front-end” input and questions…. speak up!

16. Amending / Updating Plans new road system beetle outbreak • 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

17. NC Forest Service Programs and Services • Management plans & other services: • 7,000 plans (350,000 acres) annually • Water quality (5,000 inspections/yr) • FDP costshare applicants (1,500 annually) • Insect/disease detection • Environmental education • Prescribed burning

18. 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.) • Hurricanes • Plan delivery times can vary greatly

19. North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services N.C. Forest Service Wib L. Owen Assistant Commissioner State Forester Steven W. Troxler Commissioner NCFS website: http://ncforestservice.gov NCFS Central Office: 919-857-4801 “Contact Us” link leads to NCFS map and office phone numbers:

20. Thank you for your time and efforts to “keep forestland in forestland”! Questions? Robert Ross, NCFS Greene Co. Service Forester robert.ross@ncagr.gov 252-567-0813 (presentation prepared by Sean Brogan)