Helpful Hints for Managing Your woods

Discover your desires/goals for your woods.  What would you like to do with your woods? Below are some landowner objectives or approaches.

• Hands-off approach – Realize that woods do not stay the same just because we decide to do nothing in them. We may not notice the changes, but they are occurring.
• Create good wildlife habitat for certain critters.
• Select sawtimber trees to grow and eventually sell.

• Grow mushrooms, ginseng, leaks or ramps, blue cohosh, etcetera.
• A combination of the above.
• Discover other desires/goals here on MyWoodlot.

Find out if your desires/goals are possible. 

• Do you have the right mix of tree species and right size of trees to attract the wildlife you desire?
• Is your woods the right size to cut trees that would make lumber for framing a house, for cabinets, for floors?
• Do your woods have the potential to grow ginseng?
• Do your woods have enough sugar maple trees of the right size to tap for sap?

Getting input from fellow landowners and foresters who have knowledge of your woods and what the possibilities are allows you to decide what you can do.  If you click on the highlighted options below you can set up a visit.

• A consulting forester can visit your woods and help you learn what possibilities exist. The consultant can then help you implement your goals.   
• A Master Forest Owner or MFOMaster Forest Owner or MFO can walk your woods with you and through their training and personal knowledge from managing their woods can give you input.
• A New York State Department of Conservation or NYSDEC forester can walk your woods and write up a Stewardship Plan for your woods.
• A Tree Farm Inspector can potentially create a plan for your woods.
• The New York Forest Owners Association or NYFOA does educational woods walks and meetings.

• A Watershed Agricultural Council forester or WAC forester, who works in the New York City Watershed, can walk your woods with you to see what potential it has. At no cost. Call 607-865-7790 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
• A Catskill Forest Association forester can visit your property and help you decide what you can do.

Some of the above services may involve a fee so inquire when you contact someone.  One-time MFO, NYS DEC and WAC forester visits do not involve a fee.

Now you can get unstuck and start reaching your desires/goals.  Take the plunge and reap the rewards.   

Here is a resource to help you find a forester.