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Montana Forest Stewardship

Montana Forest Stewardship. “Empowerment of Forest Owners through Personal Involvement”. Montana – 93 Million Acres 23 Million Acres - Forested 3.8 Million Acres - Family Forests 1.2 Million Acres - Managed by Forest Stewards. Some Risks for Forest Lands.

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Montana Forest Stewardship

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  1. Montana Forest Stewardship “Empowerment of Forest Owners through Personal Involvement”

  2. Montana – 93 Million Acres • 23 Million Acres - Forested • 3.8 Million Acres - Family Forests • 1.2 Million Acres - Managed by Forest Stewards

  3. Some Risks for Forest Lands • Chance of wildfire due to excessive fuel build-up • Invasive plants, insects and diseases • Landscape fragmentation • Unmanaged recreational activities • Excessive soil erosion • Loss of valuable riparian areas

  4. Forest Stewardship – 1991 • MSU Extension Forestry • Planning Workshops for Family Forest Owners • 141 Workshops • 3,177 Participants • 2,053 Ownerships • 1.2 million acres Managed by • Forest Stewards

  5. Forest ownership - a tug-of-war?Or; a balance of management

  6. Why should I attend? • Learn about keeping your forest healthy and productive for generations to come. • Learn how to identify and implement practical steps to meet your individual ownership objectives. • Write a plan that may qualify your forestland for cost share opportunities. 

  7. What will I learn? • How to write a Forest Stewardship Plan • Forest ecology • How to manage fire risk • Wildlife habitat enhancement • How to assess and maintain forest health • Caring for your forest • Range/understory vegetation management • How to protect and enhance water quality • Where to go for help • And much more!

  8. National, State, and Local Partnerships and Steering Committee Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Private Family Forest Owners Resource, Conservation & Development

  9. Forest Stewardship Process • 1. Identify forest management objectives • 2. Further your understanding of how forests function • 3. Inventory your forest’s natural resources • 4. Develop a forest management plan to meet your objectives and support your forest • 5. Visit with a Forest Stewardship Advisor on your forest

  10. 1. Landowners begin the planning process by receiving maps of their property and developing objectives.

  11. 2. Workshop sessions focus on three major forest resources • Timber (your trees) • Wildlife (their habitat) • Range (the understory plants) 092805

  12. 2a. Workshops begin with information of how forests function beginning with regional and local factors 092805

  13. 2b. Moving to tree stand functions then to tree functions Terminal leader 6th year One year’s growth 5th year 4th year 3rd year 2nd year 1st year Coniferous Trees

  14. 2c. Small and large scale successional changes are discussed Succession The process of species change

  15. 2d. Agents of change affecting forests

  16. 2e. Watersheds (importance and protection) INTERMITTENT STREAM INTERMITTENT STREAM EPHEMERAL AREA INTERMITTENT STREAM PERENNIAL STREAM EPHEMERAL AREA PERENNIAL STREAM RIPARIAN/WETLAND AREA

  17. 3. Participants inventory their forest Awnless seed heads • Trees and Understory Plants • Wildlife • Soil • Fire Rating “W” on leaf blades Rhizomes

  18. 4. Step four is to develop a Forest Stewardship management plan that includes: Wildlife Needs: Food Water Cover Space

  19. 4a. Management for fire resilience

  20. 4b. Developing silvicultural treatments: regenerative, multi-story, intermediate Second entry for regeneration

  21. 4c. Planning for management of range and understory vegetation

  22. 4d. Planning how and when work will be completed Rubber Tire Harvester

  23. 4e. Planning how and when work will be completed

  24. 5. Verify your plan and get answers to questions specific to your forest during a personal visit with a Forest Stewardship Advisor (a natural resource professional) • “Empowerment of Forest Owners through Personal Involvement”

  25. Forest Stewards Understand… Actively managed forests provide … Viable, diverse ecosystems • Sustainable wood supply • Good forest health and vigor • Wildlife habitat • Livestock grazing • Watershed, stream and wetland protection • Enhanced beauty of the land • Decreased landscape fragmentation • Natural resourced based recreational opportunities • Income

  26. Opportunity to continue learning and planning: Montana Master Forest Steward Program • Forest Stewardship Planning Workshop • Continue to learn through advanced and focused workshops • Graduates can be local references for other private landowners

  27. Financial and In-Kind Supporters Family Forest Owners MSU Extension Forestry MT Department of Natural Resources (DNRC) US Forest Service (USFS) The Nature Conservancy The Trust for Public Lands Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D)

  28. 2012 Workshops May 31-June 1 & 8 in Columbus June 21-22 & 30 in Big Timber July 20-21 & 28 in Darby August 9-10 & 18 at Bozeman September 21-22 & 29 in St. Regis

  29. Forest Stewardship of Montana Cindy Bertek, MSU Extension Forestry Forest Stewardship Coordinator E-mail: extensionforestry@montana.edu Website: www.msuextension.org/forestry Phone: 406-243-2773 The Montana State University Extension Service is an ADA/EO/AA/Veteran’s Preference Employer and Provider of Educational Outreach.

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