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Every business must
have a plan for success. Tree farming is no exception. A plan will
qualify your forest for government grants and keep your goals clearly
in front. A consulting forester can help you define your goals and
write a plan that will meet your needs for management and cost-share
assistance.
The forest management plan that FMS, Inc. prepares for you will include:
- Property location and legal land description
- Purpose of plan
- List of woodland management objectives which our foresters
will assist you in developing
It is important to understand that forest land serves many purposes
and has several uses. Besides the economic benefits of harvesting
timber, woodlands have many values that are hard to measure:
- Forests help purify the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and
releasing oxygen. They serve as "carbon sinks" by removing it
from the air and using it to form wood.
- Forests are a valuable part of watershed conservation. Their
canopies slow the speed of rainfall, their roots hold the soil
together to reduce erosion, and the leaf litter on the forest
floor absorbs rainfall to slows its runoff. As a result, forests
help purify the water.
- Many forms of wildlife, both game and non-game, obtain some,
if not all, of their needs for food and shelter from forests.
- Several recreational opportunities exist for the woodland owner
and his family or friends including: hiking, bird-watching, hunting,
camping, mushroom collecting, mountain biking, and others.
- Forests possess visual and aesthetic values that give different
individuals peace of mind when they look at or walk through a
woodland.
These and other values can be provided by a well managed
forest.
Your woodland is an asset with your capital invested in it.
Tree Farming is the active management of that asset. The written
plan describes the forest, lists your objectives, and the steps to
take to manage the forest to meet those objectives.
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