As a new landowner or even a seasoned one you will need to have goals and objectives for your property. In this paragraph, I’m going to discuss a management plan. A management plan is essential to have success with your forestry property. As a result, it will help save time and money while increasing returns and enjoyment with the property. We reached out to the Georgia Forestry Commission to help assist with our own management plan.
What is a Forestry Stewardship Plan?
Georgia Forestry Commission Forest Stewardship program began in 1990 to educate forest landowners about their land and resources. The management plan is provided to landowners that are interested in managing their property for these purposes:
- aesthetics
- recreational opportunities
- soil and water conservation
- timber
- wildlife habitat
Their moto is: “To provide leadership, service, and education to protect and conserve Georgia’s forest resources. “
Forest Planning
Georgia’s landscape is 93% privately owned. We have 72 acres and part of our plan is to have techniques to improve the overall quality of our natural resources. Our primary objective for the property is timber and wildlife management. Having a plan today can have long-term impacts and benefits. The plan includes a timeline or a sequence to implement management activities.
Goals
A goal is essentially what you want to do with the land, a wish to be fulfilled. Some landowners have very clear ideas about what they want to do with their land. Some, however have vague to no goals at all. Setting a goal can be complex and could constantly change.
In order to create management goals for the land, start by making a list of what you value about the property and how it maybe valuable to others. Prioritizing your goals from what you think is the most important to the least important. By creating a priority list it will help to plan a step-by-step process towards achieving those goals.
Objectives
The first step in planning is to understand the land and it’s capabilities. The objectives will help in reaching desired outcomes. Having objectives help to accomplish concrete steps toward each goal. Objectives should be written to state what is to be accomplished, when it will be done, and at what cost. Setting realistic objectives is important when you’re beginning to manage a property.
Successful Objective Tips Should Be:
- Measurable
- Actionable
- Specific
- and Specify a target finish date
The primary objectives for our property are timber and wildlife management.