An AFM Agreement for Forest Management Services Can Include Some or All of the Following Activities:
- Initial Assessment – The timberland management plan begins with
a meeting with the owner(s) to determine their goals and needs. At this
meeting we discuss:
- Nature of the ownership (corporate, limited liability partnership, etc.)
- Ultimate purpose for owning the property
- Estimated time horizon for owning the property
- Desired level of intensive vs. extensive management regimes
- Wildlife and recreational considerations
- Aesthetic, historic and other considerations
- We also begin the groundwork to develop short-term management plans
and long-term management plans. Short-term plans typically have two
phases. The first phase is to design a plan for the immediate future –
usually the coming year, and the second phase is to design a plan for
years 2-5. Long-term plans are typically in five-year increments beginning
with years 6 to 10 and continuing over the next 15 to 20 years. These
plans are designed to implement the owner’s goals, while meeting his/her
cash-flow requirements, expense limitations and working within the
conditions present on the property.
- Current Inventory – After meeting with the owner(s) and
determining their goals, an assessment is of the current condition of the
property is required to begin the actual forest management plan. This
assessment is conducted in the field by our foresters, with assistance
from our wildlife specialist and forest economist as needed. An inventory
of the timber assets is designated to determine the following property
attributes:
- Species composition (pine, red oak, yellow-poplar, etc.)
- Origin of stands (planted, aerial seeded, natural regeneration,etc.)
- Age-class distribution and stocking levels
- Acres in each timber type
- Product volumes (pulpwood, chip-n-saw, sawtimber poles, etc.)
- Soil types and quality estimations (potential for timber growth)
- Recommended Strategies –
After evaluating the options available to the owner(s) given the currently
available assets of the property, the owner’s income requirements and other
management goals, a management plan is designed. At this point, we also have
the ability to outline other options that are available to the landowner if
additional assets are brought into play. These options would be designed to
improve return on investment, increase productivity of existing forest
stands, enhance recreational enjoyment and other aspects of timberland
ownership. These recommendations include evaluation of:
- Capital improvements
- Timber income enhancement
- Wildlife management
- Reforestation options
- Intensive forest management options
- Potential new cash-flows
- Soil stabilization and soil erosion control
- Investment acquisitions
- Exit strategies for liquidation or development of portions of holdings
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Forest Maintenance – An integral part of any forest management plan is the ongoing maintenance required to protect the integrity of the property. The following are also offered as part of the comprehensive forest management services we provide our clients:- Boundary line designation and maintenance, which includes painting of
established property lines and coordinating with registered surveyors on any
property line discrepancies
- Supervision of firebreak construction and maintenance. Wildfire
protection is very important, especially around younger stands, which are
prone to wildfire damage. Firebreak placement along roadways and around
residential areas protects the forest from the main wildfire sources.
- Provide assistance coordinating a controlled burning program.
Prescribed burning provides many benefits to the forest landowner such as
hazard reduction and wildlife habitat improvement.
- Establishment of an herbicide program. Herbaceous weed control and the
elimination of undesirable woody species within plantations and on access
and road rights-of-way.
- Establishment of an insect control program. Threats from insect damage
on the forest are a yearly problem. We assist in the aerial detection of
insect damage, conduct ground checks of areas suspect of insect infestation
and coordinate salvage or cleanup of insect damaged areas.
- Provide ongoing access maintenance. Access is very important to every
landowner. A good road system is an integral part of good forest management.
We coordinate and supervise road construction and layout, design the layout
of temporary harvesting roads and coordinate road maintenance to assure
year-round access.
- Establishment of a timberland fertilization program. Growth and yield
are very important to the timberland investor. Studies have shown a
tremendous increase in wood growth as a result of forest fertilization. We
study the feasibility of a fertilization plan, implement the plan in
coordination with a fertilizer applicator and provide follow-up as to the
results of the plan.
- Implement and manage hunting leases. As rates increase for hunting leases, they become more important to the forest landowner in the overall management of the property. We negotiate hunting lease rates with interested parties, provide sample hunting leases to the forest landowner, collect and distribute all hunting lease fees and periodically check for compliance of the lessee.
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