Forest estate and management planning

Forest estate and management planning

Forest estate and management planning is the act or process of making a plan to achieve set goals for your forestland. Owning and managing forestland takes business sense. Get involved with a landowner organization. Increase your knowledge of estate and forest management planning. Learn about financial and technical assistance, as well as new technologies, available for forest landowners and managers.

Organizations

Get involved. Membership in natural resource organizations gives landowners a say in how their forestlands will be regulated and professionals the opportunity to be the best qualified.

Forest landowner organizations

• Idaho forest owners: a growing resource (pdf)
• Idaho Forest Owners Association
• National Woodland Owners Association

Natural resource professional organizations

• Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals
• Society of American Foresters

Estate planning

Estate planning is something we should all do. Instead, we tend to avoid it. Plan for the future. Learn about conservation easements, forestland taxes and landowner organizations. Start by reading this article from the USDA Forest Service: Estate planning for forest landowners: what will become of your timberland? (USDA FS GTR SRS-112).

Related resources

• Forest certification goes mainstream (pdf)
• American Tree Farm System
• The forest landowners guide to the federal income tax (Ag. Hdbk #731)
• Federal income tax on timber: a quick guide for woodland owners (pdf)
• Idaho State Tax Commission
• National Timber Tax Website
• Idaho land trusts and conservation easements (pdf)
• Conservation easements can benefit landowners (pdf)
• Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands
• Idaho's Forest Legacy Program
• Inland Northwest Land Conservancy
• Land Trust of Treasure Valley
• Palouse Land Trust
• Southern Idaho Land Trust
• Teton Regional Land Trust
• The Lands Council
• Wood River Land Trust

Forest management planning

Learn how to write a forest management plan. Find out about forest certification and landowner organizations. Know your land. Think about and set clear objectives. Plan management activities that will help you achieve your goals. These are the steps of successful forestland owners.

Related resources

• Management planning for the family forest owner, CIS 1141
• Permission to recreate please (pdf)
• Is new forestry really new? (pdf)
• What is stewardship? (pdf)
• Forest stewardship: what is the right thing to do? (pdf)
• Culture and stewardship: Nez Perce forest management and use (pdf)
• Management for traditional objectives (pdf)
• Management planning for woodland owners (pdf)
• Integrating wildlife improvements into your woodland plan (pdf)
• Logger credentials (pdf)
• re-examining timber management assumptions (pdf)
• Rx for good forestry decisions (pdf)
• Timberrrr! (pdf)
• Idaho Department of Lands Forestry Assistance Bureau
• Marketing NIPF timber: a contractual decision (pdf)
• Selling your forest products (pdf)
• Increasing timber sale profits: beyond getting good scale (pdf)
• Measuring logs and understanding how logs are sold (pdf)
• Consulting foresters can help with your forestland (pdf)
• Choosing a consulting forester (pdf)
• Working with a professional forester, CIS 1226
• Association of Consulting Foresters
• Society of American Forests Certified Foresters

Financial and technical assistance for forestland owners

Find a person, agency or organization to help you with the technical side and see if you are eligible for a cost-share program. Many sources offer forestry assistance to Idaho landowners. Whatever your situation, there is probably an organization or individual that can help you.

Related resources

• Working with a professional forester, CIS 1226
• Habitat Improvement Program
• Environmental Quality Incentive Program
• Idaho Conservation Stewardship Program
• Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
• Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
• Idaho Department of Fish and Game
• Idaho Forest Products Commission (IFPC)
• Idaho Soil and Water Conservation Commission
• Idaho Association of Conservation Districts
• Conservation Technical Assistance Program (CTA)

Technology for forestland owners and managers

Discover new gadgets for forest landowners and managers that make tasks a bit easier to accomplish.

Related resources

• Android forestry (pdf)
• Choosing a GPS receiver (pdf)