Forest Management Plan Mark C. Vodak Assistant Specialist in Forestry Planning is important for woodland owners, and a written forest management plan is a good tool for landowners who want to actively manage their woodlots. An added incentive for New Jersey landowners is that a well-developed, written management plan can aid in obtaining Farmland Assessment for woodland acreages. A forest management plan is a written document. It describes the complete forest resource on a given tract of land, lists the ownership goals and objectives, and provides recommendations for using the resource through environmentally sound practices to provide a continuing mix of benefits in accordance with the owner's goals and objectives. A plan need not be elaborate or highly sophisticated.
Simple plans are often best.
It is important, however, that the resource be described completely and in sufficient detail that the manager can plan for its use according to the ownership goals and objectives. Note also, that the landowner determines what the goals and objectives will be. A plan for forest management includes more than timber management. Timber production may well be only a part of the overall plan. Production of wildlife, recreation and aesthetics, and maintenance of water quality are examples of other management objectives.