Without professional advice, improper logging may occur that reduces not only beauty but the biologic diversity of a forest by destroying essential wildlife habitat. Advice is available from the 33,500-member National Woodland Owners Association. The NWOA is at 374 Maple Avenue E, Suite 210, Vienna, VA 22180. Formed by nonindustrial private woodland owners, the NWOA is independent of the forest products industry and forestry agencies. NWOA can arrange for a visit by a forester to a new member's location.
Foresters sometimes specialize.
A woodlot owner should select one whose specialty matches the owner's objectives. Best Prospects Owners with already-established woodlots often have immediate income potential. Sometimes, however, the return covers decades. Between 1949 and 1987, as money was needed to clear and plant under-stocked areas and to supplement their income, they logged and thinned the stand. When the well-managed stand was sold to the Weyerhaeuser Company in 1988, it had 660,000 board feet of lumber.