I spoke last night to a classroom full of family forest owners starting their forest stewardship course aka "Coached Planning" thru WSU Extension Forestry.
I did a 20-minute slide show and story of our first 10 years as forest owners, and what we got out of the class they're taking now. The lead instructor figures they've taught over a thousand families to be sustainable forest owners.
If you're the owner or manager of a small (under 1000 acres) forested parcel, and you're not already a trained professional forester, please consider taking this course.
You're making decisions every year that have long-range implications. You need the knowledge to make those decisions. You don't get a do-over for letting butt rot take all of your Fir, or for destroying a fragile habitat. Not knowing is not an excuse.
The class is fun and informative. You'll meet instructors who want to serve as resources to you after the class is over. And you'll get to know other students who are in your situation. Plus there's the added bonus of seeing my slide show!
At the end of the course you'll have a completed Forest Management Plan. Our plan has qualified us for state and federal grants upward of $10k, got us into the Designated Forest Land class that cut our property taxes in half, and helped earn our land its ATFS certification as a source of sustainably harvested timber.
