Sustainable forestry
means managing our forest resources to meet the needs we have today
without interfering with our future generations' needs. Any management
of the forest resource must include inventory and planning to provide
the basis for evaluating and implementing the goals of the landowner.
Did you know that a majority of our timber is in the hands of private
landowners? In Pennsylvania, individuals own about 75% of the land
and nationwide that number reaches 59%. The Sustainable Forestry Initiative
located in State College educates landowners on the difference between
cutting timber for short term financial gain with environmental degradation
and managing their stand for long term economic, environmental and
wildlife benefits.
Let's take a look at some of the differences:
Non-sustainable forestry activities generally involve some form of
economic removal of the saw timber portion of a site. In these operations,
the most valuable trees are harvested for their worth; while the poorly
formed or undesirable species are left to grow. The resulting stand
lacks most of the major species common to the location and no thought
is given to maintaining the sustainability of the site nor addressing
wildlife or wetland issues. Basically, this is a short-term money
fix for most that leaves the landowner with limited options for future
harvests. |
Sustainable forestry differs right from the very beginning. Initially,
a forest professional reviews the landowner's goals and objectives
for their woodlands. The forester takes the landowner through the
following steps: conducting an inventory of the property, assembling
a management plan, and implementing the plan to achieve the goals.
Unfortunately not all professionals
practice sustainable forest management so it is critical that if you
are a private landowner and you want to sell your timber to contact
the Sustainable
Forestry Initiative or one of the many other agencies available
in your state.
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