Landowner Services
As forest caretakers ourselves, we understand how landowners have a special curiosity and passion for their own properties. Through landowner assistance, we strive to cultivate this interest and to create a pattern of better land management across the region.
Our client base includes landowners with a range of goals and backgrounds and properties ranging from 4 to 800-acres. It encompasses new landowners who have recently moved to northern Vermont, as well as 5th-generation ownerships and seasoned forest managers and State & Regional Tree Farmer of the Year recipients. Below is a sample of the services that we provide to landowners. Most of these require a basic fee to cover staff time and expenses, though cost share opportunities are available for some services (our staff will gladly help you find those, and work with your budget needs).
For more information or for a cost estimate, contact Sam Perron at 802-723-6551 x302 or sam@northwoodscenter.org. Click here for a printable brochure.
Management plan and map prepared for a landowner, ready for Current Use and NRCS cost-share enrollment
Property Visit
Our on-staff forester/ecologist will walk your property with you and provide an overview of the variety of resources found there and options for managing or conserving these values. This popular service can orient you to your forest, and give you a place to start as a land manager. As with all of our services, we’ll tailor the visit to give you the information that you want and need.
Land Management Plans
Whether for enrollment into Vermont’s Current Use Program or simply as a guiding document for a landowner, management plans are a smart place to begin. Our staff can provide everything needed for a complete plan (or enrollment in Current Use) including; property inventory, maps, assistance with enrollment paperwork, and a final management plan. Our plans meet and exceed the requirements for Vermont’s Use Value Appraisal program, the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Vermont Land Trust, and American Tree Farm System certification.
Cost for plan development varies depending upon parcel size and the information desired, but we are happy to provide an estimate based upon your specific goals and ownership. In the case of Current Use plans, the cost is generally recovered within 1-2 years through property tax savings alone. Federal cost share money may be available to cover most of the cost of developing a management plan.
Forestry Services
In addition to property management plans, our landowner services include set up and administration of timber harvests, road or trail layout, invasive plant control, pre-commercial timber stand improvement work, wildlife habitat improvement, and many other on-the-ground stewardship practices. Our objective is to assist landowners who value preserving the long-term ecological health of their forest while managing for recreation, wildlife habitat, income, or other benefits.
Low Impact Timber Harvesting
When you’re ready to harvest trees from your land, NorthWoods has staff and equipment to implement small scale, low impact logging projects. We use Game of Logging directional felling techniques to protect residual trees and our 50hp 4-wheel-drive tractor and 5-ton capacity log forwarding trailer can maneuver on narrow trails without scarring remaining trees. We’re always careful to minimize soil disturbance, protect water quality, and improve stand quality for timber, wildlife, or both- all part of practicing ecologically sustainable forestry.
Invasive Plant Control
Invasive plants such as common reed, Japanese knotweed, non-native honeysuckle, buckthorn and more are making their way into northern Vermont, but are still at a level where control measures can effectively protect our native species. NorthWoods can assess invasives in your forest, prepare a plan of action using integrated pest management (IPM) principles, and remove problem plants for you. As a licensed Vermont Commercial Pesticide Applicator we’ll advise you when herbicides are appropriate and safe for your situation and can apply herbicides conscientiously on your land, if you desire. For more information on invasive species and funding sources for control, visit www.vtinvasives.org.
NorthWoods and Vermont Land Trust foresters inspect an area marked for timber harvest with landowners Reed and Christine Cass.
Other Services Available
• GPS/GIS mapping of trails or other features
• Ecological Inventories
• Land-use history research
• Natural community mapping
• Tree planting for riparian buffers
• Timber Stand Improvement
• Apple tree release/ pruning
• Wildlife habitat improvement
• Trail building/ maintenance
• NRCS project implementation
• Certified Tree Farm Inspections