Forest Management Planning and Mapping

The most important step in any successful forest management program is a well written forest management plan.  Planning begins with the forester talking with the landowner to find out their goals and objectives for their property.  The forester will also need to examine the property to see what natural resources currently exist.  The information and data gathered from the landowner interview and field exam will be compiled by the forester into a written forest management plan (complete with maps).  The management plan will provide recommendations and information to guide the landowner in ways to best meet the objectives they have for their property, as well as meet or exceed expectations of the Forest Practice Guidelines (FPG’s) and Best Management Practices (BMP’s). 

Other types of management plans may be needed from time to time in conjunction with the general forest management plan described above.  For example, a recommended final harvest in the management plan is completed; following the harvest an additional plan may be needed to prescribe the measures to pursue in order to re-establish a new stand of timber (reforestation plan).  These type plans are often referred to as practice plans as they are specific to a particular forest practice (such as the example given for reforestation).

Forest management plans and/or practice plans are often required for tax or cost-share assistance program purposes.  Murr Forestry prepares management plans that meet or exceed the requirements for tax deferred programs (forestry present use value) administered by the county tax offices, cost-share assistance programs, and forest certification programs.

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Timber Appraisal (Volume & Value Estimation)

Oftentimes landowners need to know what type, how much (volume), and what the market value is for the timber products they own.  Murr Forestry can provide this information by preparing a timber appraisal report for you.  The forester will “cruise” your timber to collect the data needed to prepare this report.  Cruising timber may involve completing an entire count of the trees on the property, but generally on larger stands with low variability it is conducted by inventorying the trees through a system of plots spaced systematically or randomly across the property to estimate the volume of the entire stand. 

A timber appraisal report detailing this information is crucial before deciding whether or not to sell your timber.  You can be assured any prospective buyer will be aware of the volume and value of your timber stand.  There may be other reasons not to sell at any given time, but you should definitely never agree to sell without knowing what you have.  For these reasons you should never sell without first consulting with your forester.  University studies have shown that landowners selling timber with the assistance of a forester receive more money for their timber, as well as other benefits than those selling without a forester’s assistance.  In most cases, the added revenue received by landowners selling timber with the assistance of a consultant forester will exceed the fees paid to the forester for their services. 

A timber appraisal can also be beneficial in establishing your timber basis for purposes of capital gains tax.  The most cost effective time to obtain an appraisal report to establish your timber basis is just prior to acquiring the property, or immediately following the acquisition.  Although a basis can be established later through what is called a back-cruise, that practice can be very time consuming, thus cost consuming as well. However, even the extra expense of a back-cruise may be advantageous prior to selling your timber.  Murr Forestry can help you evaluate the associated costs versus the potential savings gained by having a back-cruise and timber basis established in the event no basis has been previously established.

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Administration of Timber Sales and Timber Stand Improvement

Selling a tract of timber is often a once in a lifetime transaction for many landowners.  Even those who have sold timber in the past likely sell so infrequently that they are unfamiliar with current markets or other issues that may need to be taken into consideration prior to or during the timber sale process.  For these reasons it is important to have advice from professionals that are familiar with the many intricacies of timber sales.  Murr Forestry can assist you with the process and administration of timber sales.  The first step in the administration of a timber sale is examining the timber and comparing the goals of the landowner to determine if a sale is in the best interest of the landowner at that time.  The second step is the preparation of an appraisal report to determine the volume and value of the timber. Following the appraisal report, the consulting forester continues to work in coordination with the landowner to prepare a marketing plan and oversee the entire timber sale process. 

There are many advantages to having a forester administer the sale for you.  Being experienced with timber markets, the forester can help the landowner acquire the best possible price for their timber.  In addition, the forester will supervise the entire process of the timber sale and harvesting operation for you.  Having a forester overseeing the operation ensures the project is completed in a manner that will meet or exceed the environmental constraints of established Forest Practice Guidelines (FPG’s), Best Management Practices (BMP’s), and any other applicable laws.

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Afforestation and Reforestation

Afforestation is establishing a timber stand in an area where none previously existed (i.e.; a field).  Reforestation is the process of re-establishing a timber stand on an area that was previously growing timber but the timber has been harvested, damaged, or otherwise removed.  Either of these forestation practices may or may not require and include some type of site preparation prior to establishing a new stand of trees.

Murr Forestry can assist landowners with their goal of establishing a new stand of timber.  We prepare forestation plans and assist landowners with applying for cost-share assistance to help offset the cost of forestation.  Murr Forestry assists landowners with locating contractors to complete any needed site preparation and to plant seedlings, or otherwise needed to establish the desired timber stand.  In addition, Murr Forestry can conduct seedling survival checks on new stands to help determine if sufficient stocking exists anytime following the first growing season.

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Forest Protection

Landowners should make efforts to protect their land, timber and forest products to maximize the return of their investment.  Forest protection involves a variety of situations and measures.  Timber is subject to insect and disease infestation, wildfires, and timber theft.  The following measures can help protect against these devices.  Maintaining a timber stand to promote and maximize growth will prevent the stand from becoming stressed and stagnated, thus reducing opportunities for insects or disease to take a strong hold.  Installing and maintaining fire control lines around timber stands and a routine schedule of prescribed burning can reduce damage from wildfires.  Maintaining property boundaries is important to help prevent unintentional encroachment, timber theft, and trespassing.  Surveys are expensive and newly surveyed lines can quickly disappear as the surveyor’s flagging tape disappears and vegetation fills back in on the boundary lines.  Marking boundary lines with paint and signage and occasionally maintaining those lines by refreshing paint and signs keeps the line visible, and in addition to helping prevent the above issues, may prevent the need to pay for another survey in the future when selling timber or the property. 

Forest protection also involves conducting timber management and harvesting activities in a manner to protect the soil and water resources.  Poorly planned and executed timber harvests can result in severe soil erosion, water pollution, and increase costs of reforesting due to expensive site preparation.  Any or all of these results can decrease the revenue or return from your timber sale.  In addition, excessive loss of topsoil can reduce the growth rate and future returns on the timber stands established afterwards.

Murr Forestry assists landowners with protecting their timber, property, and resources.  We can provide professional services for timber management practices that helps reduce soil erosion and sedimentation of streams and waterways.  We provide services to assist you with maintaining property boundary lines, perform routine checks on stands for insect and disease, and provide recommendations for fire lines and prescribed burning.  In the event of timber theft, Murr Forestry can assist by coordinating with law enforcement to investigate and prepare an appraisal of the stolen timber. 

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Forest Recreation, Wildlife, and Aesthetics

Landowners own forest land for a variety of reasons.  Some of Murr Forestry’s clients have a primary interest in maximizing timber growth and return on their investment through timber sales; hence, they own and manage the property primarily for that reason alone.  However, most private landowners see the value of their forests as more than just money they can obtain from the timber and own their property for multiple purpose uses.  Forest Recreation, wildlife, and aesthetics are some of the additional purposes for owning forest land.  Many times forests can be managed to incorporate all these purposes for landowners.

Many landowners own forest land that also encompasses their homes, thus maintaining the aesthetics of the property is important.  As a landowner, you and your family may camp, hike, bike, ride ATV’s or enjoy other recreational activities in your forest.  You and your family may simply enjoy watching wildlife strolling across the landscape, or the opportunity of recreational hunting and/or fishing provided by your woodlands.  You may possibly be reading this and thinking I don’t currently have one or more of those opportunities in my forest but would like to. 

Murr Forestry helps landowners meet their property management goals and objectives through a comprehensive forest management plan.  Murr Forestry can assist you with planning recreational trails, developing campsites, managing native vegetation for improved aesthetics, and with practices to improve wildlife habitat to encourage desired wildlife. 

Forest Certification

The American Tree Farm System® (ATFS) and the Forest Stewardship Program (FSP) are programs that recognize private landowners for managing their forests in an active and sustainable manner, or simply put, landowners who are good stewards of their woodlands.  These programs have standards specific to each.  The ATFS is internationally endorsed by the Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). 

Murr Forestry prepares management plans to meet the criteria for either of these two recognition programs.  Contact us if you are interested in learning more about forest certification. 

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