Small Woodlot - Home | NRCSSmall Woodlot Improvement A forest is a unique ecosystem that provides...
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www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov Because the majority of the forestland is privately owned, the future of New Jersey forests is in your hands. Small Woodlot Improvement Guide New Jersey Forest Facts • 45% of New Jersey or 2.1 million acres is covered by forests. • 62% of New Jersey’s forestland is privately owned. • 68% of private forest landowners hold less than 10 acres A small woodlot is typically around 10 to 30 acres of forestland. If you own at least 10 acres with trees growing on it, then you may own a forest! No matter how large or small, you can typically follow forest management practices to make your woodlot more healthy, attractive and profitable. Even unused pasture and open land can be suitable for growing trees. By improving your woodlot you can: • Improve wildlife habitat. • Improve aesthetic, recreation and open space values. • Initiate forest stand regeneration. • Improve forest health by reducing the potential of damage from pests and moisture stresses. • Restore natural plant communities. • Reduce wildfire hazard. • Increase carbon storage in selected trees. • Provide an added source of income. • Provide energy for farm or home use. Because the majority of the forestland is privately owned, the future of New Jersey forests is in your hands.
Transcript of Small Woodlot - Home | NRCSSmall Woodlot Improvement A forest is a unique ecosystem that provides...
www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov
Because the majority of the forestland is privately owned, the future of New Jersey forests is in your hands.
Small WoodlotImprovement Guide
New Jersey Forest Facts• 45%ofNewJerseyor2.1millionacresiscoveredby
forests.
• 62%ofNewJersey’sforestlandisprivatelyowned.
• 68%ofprivateforestlandownersholdlessthan10acres
Asmallwoodlotistypicallyaround10to30acresofforestland.Ifyouownatleast10acreswithtreesgrowingonit,thenyoumayownaforest!Nomatterhowlargeorsmall,youcantypicallyfollowforestmanagementpracticestomakeyourwoodlotmorehealthy,attractiveandprofitable.Evenunusedpastureandopenlandcanbesuitableforgrowingtrees.
By improving your woodlot you can:• Improvewildlifehabitat.
• Improveaesthetic,recreationandopenspacevalues.
• Initiateforeststandregeneration.
• Improveforesthealthbyreducingthepotentialofdamagefrompestsandmoisturestresses.
• Restorenaturalplantcommunities.
• Reducewildfirehazard.
• Increasecarbonstorageinselectedtrees.
• Provideanaddedsourceofincome.
• Provideenergyforfarmorhomeuse.
Because the majority of the forestland is privately owned, the future of New Jersey forests is in your hands.
Small Woodlot Improvementwww.nj.nrcs.usda.gov
Maintenance RequirementsSomestandmaintenanceisrequiredtoensureahealthyforeststand.Aseriesofprogressiveimprovementsmaybeneededoverthelifeofthetreestandtomaintainhealthytreegrowth.Ongoingforestmaintenancepracticestopreventforestdegredationshouldincludeinvasivespeciesmanagement,deermanagement,insectpestmanagement,andwildfireprevention.
Management ObjectivesForestmanagementisdrivenbythelandowner’sobjectives,whichcanincludeestablishinghabitatforwildlife,developingaestheticorrecreationvalue,orderivingincomefromtimbersales.Dependingonthelandowner’sobjectivesdifferent“value”treeswillbedesired.Thechoicesthatalandownermakesareoftenbasedonthecurrentstandcondition.Considerthefollowingtreecharacteristicsthathelpsupportthedifferentobjectives.
For Wildlife ValueLargehealthycrowninfullsunFruitornuttreeCavitytreewithlongevityofover10years
For Timber ValueLargehealthycrowninfullsunNoforksorlargebranchesHighvaluecommercialspeciesExpectedlongevitygreaterthan20years
For Aesthetic ValueAttractiveflowersorfoliageExpectedlongevitygreaterthan20yearsUnusualspeciesTreeformvisiblefromhouse,roadortrail
With over 8 million people, New Jersey is the Nation’s most densely populated state, yet it ranks 9th in the percentage of land area covered by forests.
Small Woodlot Improvement www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov
Aforestisauniqueecosystemthatprovidesrenewableresources.Forestmanagementinvolvesallpartsoftheforestincludingtrees,shrubs,forbs,soils,wildlife,andwater.Itinvolvesprotectingtheforestsfromnaturalhazards,pests,diseases,andwildfires.Throughtheuseofforestmanagementandconservationpractices,foresthealthandvigorcanbeimprovedtodayandensureproductiveforestsfortomorrow.
Summary of Common Forest Management PracticesThinningisdesignedtoremovetreesfromanoverstockedstand.Whentreesareovercrowded,theyareingreatercompetitionfornutrients,sunlightandwater.Toimprovetheforesthealth,forestmanagersmaythintheforestoflowqualitytreesthatarecompetingwithhealthiertrees.
Materialsremovedfromthinningmayhavevalueasfirewood,fencepostsorotherspecialtyuses.
Cull Tree Removalisthepracticeofeliminatingdiseased,poorlyformed,orundesirabletreesfromthestand.Thepurposeistoremoveweedtreestoprovideroomforthemaincroptreessuchasuncommonspecies,dentrees,well-formedtrees,andvigorouslygrowingtrees.
Intermediate Cuttingremovestreesfromastandbetweenestablishmentandthefinalharvestcuttingtoprovidespaceforgrowthoftreesthatwillyieldthegreatestreturninthefuture.Startthinningattheearliestagethatthecuttingwillbeabletoprovidesufficientwoodproductstomakeaprofitableoperation.
Harvest cuttingismadeinastandatorneartheendoftheselectedrotationageanddoneinsuchawayastoensureregenerationofanewstandoftrees.Performaharvestcutafterthemajorityoftreesinthestandhavereachedharvestsize.
Crop Tree Releasefocusesonreleasingandincreasingthegrowthrateofindividualtreesthathavebeenselectedtoaccomplishspecificlandownerobjectives.
Seeking the advice of a professional forester is highly recommended.Alist of approved foresters can be obtained at the New Jersey Departmentof Environmental Protection Division of Parks and Forestry Website at:
http://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/forest/njfs_consult_foresters.html
YourlocalNaturalResourcesConservationService(NRCS)officehasexperiencedconservationistswhocanhelpyouplanandimplementsmallwoodlotimprovements.Youmaybeeligiblefortechnicalassistanceifyouowntenacresormoreofwoodland.Youmayalsobeeligibletoreceiveassistancethroughastateorfederalprogram.
YourNRCSofficewillexplainanyprogramsthatareavailablesothatyoucanmakethebestdecisionforyouroperation.Simplycallyourlocalofficelistedbelowtosetupanappointmenttohavesomeonevisityourproperty.
Technical Help is Available
Columbus Service CenterBurlington,CamdenandOceancounties 1971Jacksonville-JobstownRd. Telephone:(609) 267-1639
Freehold Service Center Mercer,MiddlesexandMonmouthcounties 4000KozloskiRd. Telephone:(732) 462-0075
Frenchtown Service CenterHunterdon,SomersetandUnioncounties 687PittstownRd.Suite2 Telephone:(908) 782-4614
Hackettstown Service CenterBergen,Morris,Passaic,Sussex,andWarrencounties Bldg#1,101BilbyRd. Telephone:(908) 852-2576
Vineland Service CenterAtlantic,CapeMayandCumberlandcounties 1318SouthMainRd.Bldg5 Telephone:(856) 205-1225
Woodstown Service CenterGloucesterandSalemcounties 51CheneyRd.Suite2 Telephone:(856) 769 - 1126
USDA-NRCS Service Centers
FormoreinformationonhowNRCScanassistyouisavailableonourwebsite!www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov
Other Online Resourceswww.forestasyst.org-valuableinformationrelatedtomanagingyourforesthttp://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/forest/njfs_consult_foresters.html-valuableinformationrelatedtomanagingyourforestwww.techreg.usda.gov-tofindatechnicalserviceproviderthatcanprovideforestryassistancehttp://www.fs.fed/us/-USForestService-sourceofstatisticsinthisbrochure
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