Thanks for reading and sharing the good news of family forest ownership.

Volume 45, Number 2, Spring Time, at Last

Forest Health Focus

It’s a term that can be difficult to define, as it has different meanings depending on the

management goal for that piece of land. At the same time, it tends to be somewhat easy to know if you’re standing in a healthy or an unhealthy forest. Healthy forests are usually more “alive”, for lack of a better word. There are birds singing, critters are scurrying about, and a diverse collection of living things is all around you. Unhealthy forests, on the other hand, just feel…off.

Here's a short article from the US Forest Service, Northern Research Station, containing the foundational economic principles that all landowners need to understand. We asked NWOA’s tax expert, Tammy Cushing toadd her final thoughts at the end of the article. A forestry consultant can go into detail on how these principles figure into your specific forestland investment. And, if you are considering a first time forestland purchase, even if you do not have income as your primary reason for owning forestland, these principles are still very important to your ability to sustainably own and manage a forestland.

How does wildfire affect forest health? The answer is not a simple one!

Fire-adapted forests actually require

frequent low-intensity wildland fire to stay healthy by keeping the number of trees and other plants in balance with scarce resources such as water, much as your own health depends on balances within your own body.

Making Headway Against the 7th Worst Weed in the World!

Eradicate one of the top ten worst weeds in the world? Impossible most would say. But put this task in the hands of the Georgia Forestry Commission and they will work to make it happen. Yes, we have good news!

It’s hard to fathom, but about 800 million forested acres in the U.S.—covering roughly one-third of the country’s land area—filter and supply more than 50% of the nation’s drinking water. The rest of America’s

drinking water is sourced from watersheds that many researchers say could likely be improved through reforestation efforts and enhanced forest management.

NACD: Improving Oak Resiliency in New England

All of us would like to see our woodlands healthy and thriving, though today many of them—especially oak-dominated forests—are being impacted by climate change, heavy deer browsing, and defoliation from pests. Walking through our forests in New England can be both an enlightening and disturbing experience when we have an eye out for pests and pathogens that are killing our trees. Assessing our timberland in terms of forest health is an important part of responsible forest management, but how do we do it?

With forestry supply chain disruptions and pandemic affected timber market reactions, the big challenges stay the same for a forestry consultant: Many owners don’t know the value of their woodlands nor the appropriate management actions to create,

sustain or ensure their working lands deliver all the amenities they desire.