Woodland Management Plan

A Plan for My Land

Whether you own ten acres or one hundred acres, your woodland probably has more to it than you may think. Here's a worksheet to help you keep track of it all. (Some of the following may not apply to you - just mark "NA.")

A. Describe your land

  1. Total number of acres? ___ Wooded acres? ___
  2. How long do you plan to own your land? ___ years
  3. Do you have a home or camp on your land? ___ Plan to build one? ___
  4. Does your land have a stream? ___ pond? ___ Wetlands? ___
  5. What kind of wildlife have you observed on your land?
  6. Are there any paths or trails? ___ How often do you use them?
  7. Any evidence of disease in your trees? ___
  8. Any historical or archaeological sites (for example old cellar holes)?
  9. What kinds of trees are on your land? What kinds of trees do you prefer?
Have
 Want
 Tree
___ ___ Nothern White Cedar
___ ___ Balsam Fir
___ ___ Eastern Hemlock
___
 ___
 Tamarak (also known as Hackmatack)
___
 ___
 Eastern White Pine
___
 ___
 Red Pine (sometimes called Norway Pine)
___
 ___
 Spruce
___
 ___
 White Ash
___
 ___
 Aspen/Poplar
___
 ___
 American Basswood
___
 ___
 American Beech
___
 ___
 Birch
___
 ___
 Butternut
___
 ___
 Black Cherry
___
 ___
 Pin Cherry
___
 ___
 American Elm
___
 ___
 Shagbark Hickory
___
 ___
 Eastern Hop-hornbeam (also known as Ironwood)
___
 ___
 American Hornbeam
___
 ___
 Maple
___
 ___
 Oak

B. Rank the following goals in order of importance to you (from 1, Most Important, to 10, Least Important)

___ Enhancing the natural beauty of my land

___ Maintaining my sense of seclusion

___ Creating a valuable legacy for my family

___ Providing the benefits of living trees to the environment

___ Earning money from timber harvesting, now or in the future

___ Hunting or fishing on my land

___ Maintaining trails for walking, skiing, or other uses

___ Camping or picnicking

___ Protecting the land from development

___ Preserving the quality of the water on my land

___ Providing good wildlife habitat

___ Learning about or studying nature

C. Think about who else may use your land and whether and how you want to encourage or discourage use by others - family, friends, local community members or groups, the general public.

There is no right or wrong answer, but it may affect your choices about how you manage your land.

Congratulations! You've made a great start on your Woods Wise Management Plan. The next step? Talk it over with a Licensed Forester.

This page does not qualify as an acceptable management plan for the requirements under the Tree Growth Tax Program or any cost share program administered by the Maine Forest Service.