Forest management on private land is all about making a steady and strong  income for the landowner.  Growing timber is a very profitable business, and values for all species have never been so high.  The recent flood of information on the Internet (and other mass media)    combined with new small scale tools now  allow forest owners to maximize their returns from this important crop.

Forest owners know their natural resource, it is the supply for the business.  Maximizing the annual growth and steadily improving the quality of the crop are prime goals.  The combination of an increasing volume in yearly harvests, always higher value logs, and quickly rising lumber values brings double digit returns on investment.  Demand for quality wood products is growing steadily and wood customers choose to buy from familiar local businesses that demonstrate  responsible management in the community.

The forest is carefully thinned to leave the most productive trees to grow  wood for future harvests.  Well spaced crop trees fully utilize the available sunlight, producing the optimum growth from this most important natural input.  The forest canopy is understood as a living solar collector that is managed as the critical feature in providing an annual harvest of good logs.

All sized trees are distributed throughout the forest.  Natural regeneration constantly  produces a variety of young trees, especially in the spaces created when a larger tree is harvested.  Diversity is essential to long term forest management and all naturally occurring species are respected and encouraged.  Choices are made when working in the woods that determines the species mix for the future forest.    Markets are developed for all of the natural output of the forest so each aspect of forest management supports itself and earns income for the forest owner.  Deer and other wildlife must be managed to avoid excess damage to the other important forest crops.
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