Your Forest May Need a Little Help
Landowners ask, why should I manage the forest on my property, the forest was here before I owned it and will be here after I am gone. That is true, but here are a few reasons why Forest land needs to be managed.
Nature manages its forest at a slow rate, so in order to improve wildlife habitat, protect watershed, improve recreational value or yield maximum timber production, it needs to be helped along. Foresters guide the growth by cutting established trees and allowing new ones to grow in their place.
There are two ways to cut forest land, harvesting and intermediate cutting. Harvesting cuts mature trees to increase sunlight and allows room for the regeneration of new trees. This form of cutting is beneficial because it exposes mineral soil that trees need to establish their roots when the felled logs are dragged out of the woods.
Wildlife also flourishes because of harvest cutting. The small woody plants that grow in place of the mature trees provide a food source for animals, such as deer, rabbits and grouse. Harvesting also creates income that can be used to plant new trees or develop the land to meet the landowners needs.
The second is intermediate cutting. Intermediate cuttings include thinning, improvement cuts and salvage cuts among others. These cuttings usually happen on young trees that may have been damaged by weather, disease, insects or overcrowding.
Intermediate cutting helps improve the remaining trees’ growth and the pieces left behind from the harvest provides food and shelter for wildlife.
To get more information on forest management contact, Woodland Management Services at 715-204-9663.
WMS has offered 20 years of professional experience in government, industrial and private forest management. With offices located in Stevens Point, Cadott and Almond, their services include timber appraisal, sale administration and marking, forest inventory and protection, land surveying, asset determination and insurance adjustments among other things. They have served throughout the United States.
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