Stewplan Free, User-Friendly Software for Forest Stewardship Plan Development An introduction to its use and usefulness

1. DRAFT • Stewplan • Free, User-Friendly Software for Forest Stewardship Plan Development • An introduction to its use and usefulness

2. Stewplan • What is a Forest Stewardship Plan? • A Forest Stewardship Plan is a management plan for non industrial private forest land that provides the landowner with a multi-resource perspective on his/her land’s capabilities, and lays out specific tasks over a ten-year period, tied to the landowners goals and objectives. • A Forest Stewardship Plan is the management plan promoted by the Forest Stewardship Program – a Federal-State partnership that provides private forest landowners with technical and financial support to help ensure the sustainability of our nation’s private forest lands.

3. Stewplan • The goal of the Forest Stewardship program is to keep our Nation’s non-industrial private forest land in a productive, healthy condition for present and future generations. • A Forest Stewardship Plan results in an educated landowner, secure in the knowledge that the land is being well managed, and better able to make informed decisions when the time comes • Many landowners have no intention of harvesting timber – but ultimately do so

4. Stewplan • Why the need for software/What does it do? • Stewardship Plans must include certain items. Stewplan leads the preparer through a stepwise process to ensure that all elements are addressed. Results in a Plan with a logical flow and an easy to follow format.

5. Stewplan • Why the need for software? • Plan reviewers need to approve plans based on, among other things, their completeness. With Stewplan, each plan’s layout is identical – greatly facilitating the review process.

6. Stewplan • So each plan is identical? • No, only the layout. Each plan is entirely a creation of the individual author. • The look and contents of the plan can be customized with photo’s, logos, additional elements etc., all tailored to local requirements/interests.

7. Stewplan • Who is the software intended for? • All professionals who may be charged with the preparing of Stewardship Plans, and • Informed amateurs • Who created the software? • USDA Forest Service Research Staff, with feedback/ input from various state and private foresters

8. Landowner name and address Plan writer’s name and address Acreage under Stewardship Date Landowner’s goals and supporting stand objectives General property description List of known Threatened and Endangered species Soils information Map of Property Boundaries Discussion of known Cultural Heritage resources Description of Stands by cover type and size Description of dominant vegetation Discussion of water quality in relation to proposed actions Schedule for completion of recommended activities (minimum of 5 years) Stewplan What things musta Stewardship Plan Include?

9. Stewplan – Opening Screen

10. Stewplan – Directions/Access

11. Stewplan – Property Description

12. Stewplan –Property Description

13. Stewplan –Property Description

14. Stewplan Help: Contents

15. Stewplan Help: Index

16. Stewplan Help: F1

17. Stewplan – Site Information

18. Stewplan – Landowner Goals

19. Stewplan – Landowner Goals

20. Stewplan – Landowner Goals

21. Stewplan – Landowner Goals

22. Stewplan – Landowner Goals

23. Stewplan – Landowner Goals

24. Stewplan – Landowner Goals

25. Stewplan – Landowner Goals

26. Stewplan – Stands

27. Stewplan - Stands

28. Stewplan - Stands

29. Stewplan - Stands

30. Stewplan - Stands

31. Stewplan - Stands

32. Stewplan - Stands

33. Stewplan - Stands

34. Stewplan - Stands

35. Stewplan - Stands

36. Stewplan - Stands

37. Stewplan - Stands

38. Stewplan - Plan

39. Stewplan Summary Table

40. Stewplan Summary Table

41. Stewplan Summary Table

42. Stewplan Summary Table

43. Stewplan – Saving/Formatting • Stewplan • Useful for those who are happy with the plan “as is” and do not anticipate the need for formatting changes • Text • Useful for those who want to modify format and do not have “modern” wordprocessing software (loses much of the original formatting) • HTML • Saving in this format, and then opening with MSWord gives you a file that retains the original formatting, but allows for changes, additions, etc.

44. Stewplan - Customizing • My State/Company uses logos and includes additional information in their plans … • Can I add supplemental info?

45. Stewplan • System Requirements? • Windows 95 or better • Not Mac friendly – • (but can be made to work with SoftWindows)

46. Stewplan • Where can I get a copy of the software? • http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/burlington/ned/specs.htm

47. Stewplan • What other free tools are available? The same website (previous slide) offers the following downloadable programs: • Forest Stewardship Planning Guide • Non-technical - Helps Landowners think through their goals for their land • NED/SIPS • Stand Inventory Processor and Simulator, DOS based • NEWILD • New England Wildlife Database - Correlates animal species with habitats, extensive references • NED 1 • Forest Inventory Software and More (Analyzes multiple resources, Links to GIS and visualization)

48. Stewplan –The Finished Plan • So - • What does the finished plan look like? • Lets take a look