Stewardship and Management Plans
A written management or stewardship plan is the foundation of responsible forest stewardship. They enable you to make informed decisions about the future of your property. Both types of plans will divide your property into separate stands based on the differing conditions and management concerns or goals within those portions.
Management plans
A management plan is a broad-strokes breakdown of the conditions of your forest property and the management techniques employed in order to improve the quality of the present timber, or to otherwise achieve your desired goals. It meets the requirements for acquiring a 1-D-1 Tree Farm tax certification in most counties in East Texas. It’s generally meant to be updated at least every five years.
Stewardship plans
Stewardship plans are an in-depth description of the management techniques and stand conditions present on your property. They provide more detail than a management plan, and discuss secondary concerns like present invasive species, soil quality, erosion risks and mitigation, and more.
Stewardship plans also give a detailed schedule for each step taken toward stand improvement for the next ten years. They’re often a requirement for benefitting from cost-share programs and landowner grants. They must be written by a professional forester.
Creating a plan
Our foresters, or professional foresters with other organizations, can offer their assistance in creating these plans. At your request, our foresters will visit with you, walk your property, and follow these steps to create your plan:
- Identify your goals and objectives for the property.
- Describe the current and desired land condition.
- Make maps of the property breaking out different forest, vegetation and soil types; topography; water resources; and other areas of interest.
- Make management recommendations in support of your goals and objectives.
- Generate a management activity schedule covering at least the next 5 years for a management plan, or 10 years for a stewardship plan.
While these plans are written to cover a five or ten-year period, they are designed to be flexible based on the nature of your land and resources. Revisions may be warranted due to changes in your objectives, market conditions, management techniques, or because of uncontrollable circumstances like wildfires. Your plan can easily be revised in the future by contacting a professional forester.