​

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.

Our Forestry Services

Mason Conservation District's foresters are here to support you in stewarding your forested land. We provide free, non-regulatory and no obligation technical planning services including:
  • The development of a forest management plan for Mason, Thurston, Kitsap and Pierce County forest landowners.
  • 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!

Request Assitance

If you are interested in learning more, contact one of our Stewardship Foresters:
Margaret Kreder at  360-427-9436 ext. 102 or email [email protected]g

You can also complete the questionnaire below which will allow our foresters to better understand your property and management needs.
​This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement PC-01J22301 through the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency or the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

Additional Resources

Federal Funding Assistance for Forest Landowners

Tax Incentive Program 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 about whether your property and management practices may be eligible for EQIP, contact the NRCS Forester who serves Mason County residents, Rebecca Anderson, by calling the Olympia NRCS Field Office phone at (360) 704-7740 and requesting to speak with Rebecca.
  • 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.​​

USDA NRCS field office is in Olympia:
  • Office Phone: (360) 704-7740
  • Contact: Rebecca Anderson 
  • Office Address: 1835 Black Lake Blvd SW STE B
    OLYMPIA, WA 98512-5715
USDA NRCS field office in Bremerton:
  • Office Phone: (360) 479-5472
  • Contact: Frank Curtin
  • Office Address: 500 Pacific Avenue, Suite 301
    Bremerton, WA 98337
​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
​WSU  EXT.  FORESTRY
 WSU Extension Forestry 
Washington State University Extension's Forest Stewardship Program has a host of fantastic forestry education and landowner resources.
​
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:​​​
​FOREST STEWARDSHIP RESOURCES
 https://foreststewardshipnotes.wordpress.com/ https://www.wafarmforestry.com/publications​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
 https://forestry.wsu.edu/resources/
​ https://foreststewardshipnotes.wordpress.com/
https://www.masoncd.org/conservationlandscaping.html 
​https://www.masoncd.org/invasiveweeds.html
https://pnwhandbooks.org/
Forest Management for TIMBER and Wildlife
 https://www.watreefarm.org/landowner-resources/
​ https://www.wafarmforestry.com/publications
Forest Management for WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION
https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Firewise-USA
Wildlife Habitat in your forest: informational 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/
 
Xerces Society
Great information on conservation resources that benefit native pollinators.
https://xerces.org/pollinator-resource-center/pnw

  
If you have more questions regarding wildlife issues on your land please contact:
 
Ken Bevis - DNR Stewardship Wildlife Biologist
[email protected]     (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 stay on task with their forest plan and uphold their forest goals. This site can help you with questions regarding the forest planning process and timing as well as information on wildlife, economics, estate planning and forest health. The My Land Plan website can be a useful tool, but it's recommended that you still receive assistance from a Stewardship Forester to start your plan.

Once your plan is established, 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. It's important to note that this is a helpful tool, but not a replacement for forestry assistance.

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/

Ecotrust Forest Planner
The Ecotrust Forest Planner can be another great tool, especially if you are interested in commercial harvest use of your forested land. This tool provides visual management scenarios and details how certain decisions can affect your forest. With the Forest Planner, you can:
  • Map your land and the forest stands and management units on your property.
  • Define the details of the trees on your property
  • Create custom management scenarios
  • Compare management scenarios
  • Store and manage property data
To get started using this website, visit ​forestplanner.ecotrust.org/
WA Dept. of natural resources
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:
Mason Conservation District
450 W Business Park RD
Shelton, WA 98584
Phone: (360) 427-9436
Fax: (360) 427-4396

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Mason Conservation District (MCD) does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, or sex in administration of its programs or activities, and MCD does not intimidate or retaliate against any individual or group because they have exercised their rights to participate in actions protected, or oppose action prohibited, by 40 C.F.R Parts 5 and 7, or for the purpose of interfering with such rights. Contact Rhonda Nydegger, Finance & Administration Manager, for more information. Email: [email protected]  Mail: Mason Conservation District, 450 W Business Park RD, Shelton WA 98584.