If you are a woodland owner, your trees are a valuable asset. Trees are beneficial in so many ways: providing oxygen, shade, beauty, homes for wildlife, timber, space for recreational activities and income. How your forest land is managed can affect this important resource and its market value, future productivity, and how well it provides the other amenities you desire.
The Delaware Soil & Water Conservation District is hosting an evening educational seminar entitled “How to Manage Woodland for Profit,” on Monday, March 25. The seminar is free. We will be meeting from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Stratford Ecological Center, 3083 Liberty Road, Delaware. Whether you have been managing your woodlands for years or are a new woodland owner, this workshop will offer a wealth of information including the following:
• How to manage woodlands for timber production
• How to navigate the timber sale process
• How to identify woodland invaders — both big and small
The seminar will be taught by Kathy Smith, program director for the Ohio Woodland Stewards Program with Ohio State University Extension and Steve McGinnis, service forester with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry.
According to the Society of American Foresters’ publication Selling Timber, timber cutting is a major management tool and “is not only useful for generating income, but also for accomplishing other ownership objectives such as improving the health and vigor of the forest, developing wildlife habitat, altering species composition, establishing planting areas, creating vistas and trails, and developing certain types of recreational activities.” Learning as much as you can about trees and timber management prior to contemplating a timber harvest will help you maximize revenues and improve your enjoyment of the multitude of amenities that trees and forests provide.
The ODNR Division of Forestry’s website is very informative. Check out forestry.ohiodnr.gov for a variety of publications and handouts on Ohio’s trees, the timber industry, tree health, insects and diseases, invasive species, and lots more.
The woodland seminar is free; however, reservations are requested so that a sufficient number of handouts are available. Please call the Delaware SWCD at 740-368-1921 by March 24. In the meantime, visit the District’s website at www.delawareswcd.org and like us on Facebook and Instagram.
