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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:
Coming Up on August 24th
Family Forest Field Day 
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:
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 Management for TIMBER
Forest Management for WILDLIFE
Forest Management for WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION 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.
Mason County's closest USDA NRCS field office is in Olympia
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 
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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:
If you are interested in learning more, please contact our office at 360-427-9436 ext. 101 and ask to speak with Mark Mead. |