Effective Forestry Management

SUBMITTED BY JERRY HUFF –

Polk County has a range of different land uses. Land uses can respond differently to mismanagement. For example, pastures generally respond quickly after periods of overstocking by changing management. Forestry is not the case. Management decisions made by landowners can have a long-lasting effect on the productivity of forestland. Additionally, this can have a significant influence on your “bottom dollar.”

Below are some common examples of mismanagement routinely found in Polk County:

• A “cut-over” is not replanted quickly enough after a timber harvest. Therefore, the site preparation is more intensive and potentially more costly to replant seedlings.

 

• A “cut-over” is not planted at all in the hopes of seedling regeneration. Occasionally pine regeneration is possible without a new planting after a timber harvest. Unfortunately, pine regeneration isn’t possible on some locations and the result is an unproductive tract of land with no marketable timber.

 

• Streamside forestry buffers are removed for self-perceived aesthetics. Streamside buffers not only protect land from streambank erosion, but also help prevent sediment, nutrients, pesticides, and other pollutants from reaching the stream. Many tons of soil are lost each year due to inadequate streamside forestry buffers resulting in streambank erosion.

 

• Isolated trees are removed from pastures. Don’t underestimate the importance of shade for livestock. This is particularly true for tall fescue pastures. Livestock need shade in the summer.

 

• Pine plantations not having adequate access roads. There is always a risk of wildfire damaging or even destroying a productive pine plantation. The risk can never be eliminated, however, adequate access roads into and out of a pine plantation can significantly aid firefighters in wildfire suppression.

 

• Doing nothing. Do you have any “idle” forestland? There are a range of stewardship concepts that you can apply to forestland to help it be more productive. Many times these stewardship concepts can provide positive results for wildlife habitat too.

In conclusion, it takes a long time to heal mistakes on forestland. It would take many years for a riparian forest buffer or shade tree to become mature. The opportunity costs after a timber harvest or doing nothing on forestland can be significant. Would adequate access roads into and out of a pine plantation potentially reduce losses that could occur from a wildfire? There are many questions that should be asked when working with forestlands. Management decisions do not have to be made alone. Assistance is available from a variety of sources. Several sources provide free technical assistance. A forest management plan provides valuable information from a forestry professional. For more information in regards to this article, please contact the Arkansas Forestry Commission at (870) 389-6608. The Arkansas Forestry Commission offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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