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Forest Stewardship

​WSU  EXT.  FORESTRY & WA DEPT. OF NATURAL RESOURCES
 WSU Extension Forestry 
Washington State University Extension's Puget Sound Forest Stewardship Program has a host of fantastic forestry education and landowner resources. To read an overview of the programs and services of the WSU Extension Forestry Program, click here.

Mason Cd is often asked: Who can I get to assist me in developing a forest management plan if Mason Conservation District staff are unavailable? WSU Extension Forestry has developed and maintains a "Forester & Silvicultural Contractor Directory" for landowners in the Puget Sound region. A consulting forester provides professional forest management services to landowners, while a silvicultural contractor provides the labor and equipment to perform forest management tasks, including site preparation, tree planting, vegetation control, pre-commercial thinning, slash disposal, etc. This searchable online directory is state-wide in scope and up-to-date. You can hire a consulting forester to help you develop your forest management plan.


Here are some additional resources worth exploring:
  • Visit the WSU Extension Forestry North Puget Sound Region homepage at http://forestry.wsu.edu/nps/
  • WSU Forestry has a host of online learning modules 
  • Check out upcoming forestry classes
  • Check out the extensive forestry resource online library
  • Sign up for the ​WSU Extension Puget Sound Forest Stewardship E-Newsletter
  • ​Check out WSU Ext.'s YouTube Forestry Channel​​​​
Coming Up on August 24th
Family Forest Field Day
Picture
Learn more: http://forestry.wsu.edu/nps/events/fieldday/

WA Dept. of Natural Resources
Washington State Department of Natural Resources maintains a Small Forest Landowner Office where they seek to provide you and other family forest owners with technical and financial assistance that helps you meet your objectives for your lands. 

Here are some additional resources worth exploring:
  • Visit the WA DNR Small Forest Landowner Office homepage at https://www.dnr.wa.gov/sflo
  • Forest Stewardship & Technical Assistance Foresters are available for consultation by phone, email, and, if you own 10 or more acres, through an in-person site visit - contact information by region can be found here
  • You can learn about DNR financial assistance programs by clicking here
  • If you have questions about timber management and harvest, you can learn more at DNR's Technical Assistance page here 
  • To learn more about the forest practices permitting process, click here or read the abbreviated Forest Practices Illustrated Guide designed to help forest owners, loggers, and others better understand Washington State Forest Practices Rules and how they protect fish, water, wildlife, state, and municipal capital improvements and other public resources. 
  • Check out DNR's Forest Health Resources page
​FOREST STEWARDSHIP RESOURCES
​If you are looking for a consulting forester, logger, reforestation expert, or another forestry professional to assist you with the management of your forest, consider searching the WSU Extension Forestry Consulting Directory. Click here to learn more.
Introduction to Forest Ecology & Stewardship
  • Forest Ecology in Washington
  • Backyard Forestry in Western Washington​
  • Stewardship Handbook for Family Forest Owners
  • Assessing Forest Health
  • ​​WSU Extension Forestry Resources Library by Topic​

Forest Management for TIMBER
  • ​Silviculture for Washington Family Forests
  • Guidelines for Precommercial Thinning of Douglas Fir
  • Thinning: An Important Timber Management Tool
  • ​Forest Practices Illustrated Guide
  • Hardwood Management Resources
  • Management Options for Declining Red Alder Forests
  • Planting Forest Seedlings
  • ​WA Dept. of Revenue Designated Forest Land Program
  • ​WA Dept. of Revenue Guidelines for Timber Plan

Forest Management for WILDLIFE
  • WDFW Living with Wildlife Resources
  • ​Westside Douglas Fir Forests & Wildlife
  • ​Diversifying Forest Structure to Promote Wildlife Biodiversity​

Forest Management for WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION
  • ​​Reducing Fire Risk on Your Forest Property 
​FEDERAL FUNDING ASSISTANCE FOR FOREST LANDOWNERS
United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service is a federal agency with field offices located throughout Washington state to assist in voluntary conservation on rural lands. NRCS offers many voluntary programs to eligible landowners and agricultural producers to provide financial and technical assistance to help manage natural resources in a sustainable manner. Through these programs, the agency approves contracts to provide financial assistance to help plan and implement conservation practices that address natural resource concerns or opportunities to help save energy, improve soil, water, plant, air, animal and related resources on agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest land.

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) provides eligible forest landowners who have an approved forest plan an opportunity to access funding assistance to help implement certain approved forest management practices on their property. If you are interested in this opportunity and wish to learn more if your property and management practices may be eligible for EQIP,  contact the NRCS Forester who serves Mason County residents - Ernie Holt - by calling the Olmpia NRCS Field Office phone at (360) 704-7740 and requesting to speak with Ernie.


  • To visit the EQIP FAQ page, click here.
  • ​To learn more about how to sign-up for EQIP, click here.
  • Applying for Federal Aid guide, click here.

Mason County's closest USDA NRCS field office is in Olympia
  • Office Phone: (360) 704-7740
  • Contact: Ernie Holt
  • Office Address: 1835 BLACK LAKE BLVD SW STE B
    OLYMPIA, WA 98512-5715
Tax Incentive Program for Forest Landowners
​In Washington State lands designated as forest/timbered land or open space will have lower tax value and lower taxes than other land use classifications. Mason County and Thurston County encourage the continued use of forested lands as open space and/or working forest and provide for a change in land use designation. A Forest Stewardship Plan can aide in a change to your land use designation.

A Guide to Washington State Department of Revenue Designated Forest Land
https://www.co.mason.wa.us/forms/assessor/designated-forest-guide.pdf

Information on tax exemptions can be found below.

In Mason County
Mason County Assessor’s Office has the forms to file here:
https://www.co.mason.wa.us/forms/assessor/
The definition for properties which qualify for a reduced assessment based upon the use of the property as Open Space, Farm & Agricultural, or Designated Forest Land:
https://www.co.mason.wa.us/forms/assessor/open-space-guide.pdf

​Mason County’s Application for Designated Forest Land Parcels:
https://www.co.mason.wa.us/forms/assessor/designated-forest-same-app.pdf

In Thurston County

For Thurston County’s Application for Timber Land Classification:
https://www.co.thurston.wa.us/assessor/relief-classifications.html

Thurston County Open Space Tax Program

Owners of five specific classifications of properties may apply for a reduction of their County property taxes in exchange for maintaining their land in a rural, undeveloped state:  
https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/planning/Pages/incentives-open-space-tax.aspx
Wildlife Habitat in Your Forest: Information Resources

​Here is a list of websites that will help forest landowners manage wildlife and create habitat for wildlife on their land.
 
Woodland Fish and Wildlife
Articles on topics relevant to small forest owners. Ongoing.
woodlandfishandwildlife.com
 
Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife
 “Living with Wildlife” – And excellent set of articles and How To on most questions regarding various species and how to get along with them, or deal with problems.
https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/living
 
Oregon Forest Resources Institute
 “Know Your Forests” – A good summary of the species and habitats that we share with Oregon. (And no, Washington doesn’t have a similar organization).
https://oregonforests.org/content/wildlife-variety
 
Bat Conservation International
Great information on bats in general and conservation. Information includes instructions on building bat boxes and how to take care of bats when they are in contact with people.
https://www.batcon.org/
 
Extension Forestry | Washington State University
Archives of Forest Stewardship Notes
forestry.wsu.edu
 
Washington Dept of Natural Resources
Small Forest Landowner Office – SFLO News archives
https://www.dnr.wa.gov/sflo
  
If you have more questions regarding wildlife issues on your land pleased contact:
 
Ken Bevis - DNR Stewardship Wildlife Biologist
Ken.Bevis@dnr.wa.gov     (360) 489-4802

​Additional Wildlife Resources
Your Forest Goals
Your Forest – Your Goals
The My Land Plan website was created for forest landowners just like you to help them get started with a forest plan. Just like any other plan, a forest plan needs to have goals. This site will help you explore how to manage your forest for your goals. This site will help you with questions regarding forest planning process and timing as well as information on wildlife, economics, estate planning and forest health.
This is not the only way to get a plan started, but if you would like to get started on your plan before you have a meeting with the Stewardship Forester or other planners this is a great place to go. You can share all the information you input with your forester via the website as well. The Stewardship Forester can review the planning document and make suggestions as well as adapt the information to state and federal program forms to help find funding for your plan.
Once again, this is not the only way to get a plan started.
This site contains a wealth of information, it is free and it is available 24 hours a day to answer many of your forest planning questions.
You can go to this site and start your plan today:
https://mylandplan.org/
Here are video’s that will help you with the site:
https://mylandplan.org/video/how-add-property
https://mylandplan.org/video/add-features-and-points-interest
https://mylandplan.org/video/adding-goal-and-activities
orange construction equipment moving large pieces of wood in a forest
Forest Stewardship begins with a forest plan. As a landowner, a forest management/stewardship plan helps you to optimize a mix of conservation benefits, including timber, wildlife habitat, recreation, aesthetic value, and many others, by providing a working guide for you now and well into the future. A good forest management/stewardship plan combines both the geographic and natural characteristics of your woodlot with your conservation goals and objectives to produce a set of forest management recommendations.

Mason Conservation District staff provide free, non-regulatory and no obligation technical forest planning services - including, but not limited to the development of a forest management plan - for Mason and Thurston County forest landowners. Staff can also provide guidance on funding assistance and tax benefit programs for which forest landowners may qualify. We can also assist you in finding the answers to a wide variety of forestry questions you may have, including: 
  • The health of your forest acreage
  • How to best manage your timber for current or future harvests
  • Vegetation management for forest & bluff slope stabilization
  • Wildlife management in your forest
  • Managing wildfire risk in your forest
  • ...and much, much more!

If you are interested in learning more, please contact our office at 360-427-9436 ext. 101 and ask to speak with Mark Mead.
Mason Conservation District
450 W Business Park RD
Shelton, WA 98584
Phone: (360) 427-9436
Fax: (360) 427-4396

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