During this stage, you will have the opportunity to walk the boundaries of your property. Make certain your property lines are clearly marked to reduce the accidental removal of timber during a timber sale on adjacent property. In the event the removal is timber theft and not accidental, the marked property lines will help establish the validity of your claims. Timber theft is a cost you'll certainly want to reduce. Recreation, for instance, is a primary reason many people own forests.
Access is a critically important factor for recreational use.
New York's long history of agricultural and forestry use of the land means there may already be access roads on your property. Inspect the roads to see where they take you and their condition. For example, old farm roads may connect former fields, but may not take you to your favorite bird watching location, provide a long enough cross country ski trail, or take you to your deer stand. Alternatively, access roads may be grown over with trees. In either case, you can work with a professional forester to plan and layout access to your property.