Forest Management Plans
Greene County Forestry Association
Greene County, NC
September 11, 2012
Robert Ross
NCFS Greene Co. Service Forester
(presentation prepared by Sean Brogan)
Topics to Be Discussed
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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
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
Types of Plans
“Overarching Plans”:
•Forest Management Plan is 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 Plan is 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.
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 Plan is 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 Plan is 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 Plan is a detailed, written plan prepared to identify problems on harvest sites
(ex. water quality issues) and provide detailed correction recommendations.
What is Addressed in Management Plans?
What is Addressed in Management Plans? cont.
Why do You Need a Management Plan?
Prepare to pass on to heirs…..
Maximize financial benefits…..
Protect sensitive areas…..
Why do You Need a Management Plan? cont.
Manage wildlife populations…..
Improve aesthetics…..
Increase recreational opportunities…..
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…..
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…..
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
Other Sources of Forest Management Assistance
NC Forestry Association
800-231-7723
http://www.ncforestry.org/
NC State University’s Extension Forestry Specialists
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/forestry/
919-515-5638
NCWoodlands
919-787-1220
http://ncwoodlands.blogspot.com/
 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/
Other Sources of Forest Management Assistance cont.
County and Multi-County Level Woodland Owner Associations
Excerpt From NCFS Policy & Procedure on Site Exams/Writing Plans
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
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
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
North Carolina Department of Agriculture
and Consumer Services
N.C. Forest Service
Steven W. Troxler
Commissioner
Wib L. Owen
Assistant Commissioner
State Forester
NCFS website:
http://ncforestservice.gov
NCFS Central Office: 919-857-4801
“Contact Us”
link leads to
NCFS map and
office phone
numbers:
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)