Forestry Services
These are a list of services that I can provide. If you need other services not listed here, ask me and I will assist you if possible or refer you to the proper authority.
1. Forest Management Plans: Forest Management Plans are site specific plans written with your objectives in mind. These plans are useful tools that will help guide you with the management of your property. Plan information varies according to your objectives. Information normally included consists of general property assessment and basic information, boundary line assessment, roads, soils review, stand analysis and prescriptions, recommendations, recreation and wildlife information, laws affecting the property, available services to include cost-share monies, and more. The price for these plans is usually contracted for a specific amount per acre and this varies with the size of the parcel. Generally, more acres cost less per acre than smaller lots. There are currently cost-share programs in place that pay for 50% of the cost of preparing these plans. These plans also qualify as tree growth plans if you wish to enter that program.
2. Timber Harvest Supervision: Timber harvests are one the most important decisions you will make concerning your property. This service is available to landowners who want their timber harvest supervised from start to finish. This service ensures that all laws will be followed, a reputable contractor will be hired, the highest stumpage prices will be attained, the harvest will be conducted to your specifications, all necessary paperwork will be filed before and after the harvest, contracts will be provided, and the impact to the site will be kept to a minimum. All necessary boundaries will be flagged as well as brooks, lakes, or other sensitive areas. I will guide you through the process and supervise the operation from start to finish. I will follow your management objectives and help ensure they are met. I have a section on this site dedicated to timber harvest. Click here for more information.
3. Timber Appraisal and Cruises: Timber appraisals/cruises are designed to give you an assessment of the resources on your property. Timber cruises normally report the timber volumes, timber stand breakdown, timber value estimate, and other information as requested. A timber type map and aerial photo accompany the report. The cruise intensity determines the price for this service. The more intense the cruise, the more accurate the results.
4. Boundary Line Location or Maintenance: This service is available to assist landowners either locate their boundary lines, or to maintain them. Boundary lines can be located if there are enough clues to work with. Corner poles, old farm markers, old lines, or other markers are used to place boundaries. A GPS receiver and compass are useful tools that I use for line placement. If you do not have any markers or indications of a line, a surveyor should be consulted. Full agreement must be reached with the abutting landowner before the lines are used. Another service available is boundary line painting. This service is available for lines that have been established. Trees are painted and cleared of branches if necessary. The price of this service is $.12/foot and includes a high quality paint that will last for many years.
5. Tree Growth Tax Law Assistance: This service is available to customers who want to enter their property into this program or need to update their plans if they are already entered into the program. If your woodland property taxes are high, then this program would be beneficial for you. This program lowers your taxes that you pay to the town on your wooded property. TGTL shifts the property tax burden away from enrolled woodlands and towards developed or potential development parcels, but there are no “lost taxes” as a result. Read the special section about this program on this website. Click here for more info: Tree Growth
6. Cost-Share Programs: This service is available to customers that want to participate in government sponsored cost-share programs. Cost-share means that the government will pay for a portion of the program you are applying for (normally 50%). Available programs include forest management plans, tree planting, thinning, pruning, marking for thinning, or pruning, water quality improvement and watershed protection, fish and wildlife habitat improvement, forest health practices, invasive species control, and more.
7. Road and Trail Design: This service is available to customers who need forest roads or trails on their property. Roads and trails are planned to take advantage of the land layout, contours, and soil suitability. Water crossings are also carefully planned. This service can include all permitting that is required, finding the right contractor, and project supervision.
8. Timber Marking and Painting: This service is available to customers who want their trees painted for various reasons. The reasons are selective timber harvesting, thinning, or pruning. Some landowners want to paint the trees they want removed in a selective timber harvest. This ensures that only certain trees are removed and desired trees are left for more growth. Precommercial thinning operations sometimes require painting to help identify which trees will be the future crop trees. The targeted trees are painted and the surrounding trees are cut down. Some landowners want the trees painted that should be pruned of their lower branches. This simplifies the process of picking the right trees and spacing them properly. Trees are painted using forestry paint and applied with a paint gun.
9. Aquisition or Sale of Timber Lands: I can help you determine the value of the land or assist you in selling the land. I can talk to prospective buyers, promote the selling points of the land, and guide them around the land. I have worked with realtors offering them this same assistance.
10. Aerial photo mapping & interpretation: I can provide you with aerial photos or soil identification photos and interpretations of the information on them. Your photos can be laminated so they will last a long time.
11. Timber Stand Improvement (TSI): I can advise on what timber stand improvement practices would benefit your land and how to perform these practices. These practices include thinning, weeding, and pruning.
12. General Forestry Concerns: I am available to advise you a wide variety of concerns about your timberland or other forest related issues. Has someone trespassed on your property and stolen timber? I can evaluate the site and help determine if this is the case. Forest health concerns, timber growth, wildlife, silviculture, and legal questions are just a few of the issues I can assist you with. Feel free to contact me about any concerns or questions.
13. Annual Inspections: This service would be valuable to those who want a forester to check the conditions on their woodlot. Out of state owners could be assured that no one is trespassing on their property and their woodlot is in a satisfactory condition. A short report would be provided that describes what the inspection discovered. Inspections could be performed annually, semi-annually, or as often as you wish. Once you hire me to watch your property, I will check on it whenever I am in the area.
