3/9/2012

Contacts:
Andy Perleberg, WSU Extension forestry educator, 509-667-6658, andyp@wsu.edu
Brian Clark, WSU Extension News, 509-335-6967, bcclark@wsu.edu


By Brian Clark, College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences

Workshop improves success of forest management plan writing

WENATCHEE, Wash. - Comprehensive forest management plans are necessary for landowners to satisfy environmental requirements and participate in beneficial state and federal programs. But writing acceptable plans is a challenge.
 
A workshop will be offered six times this spring by Washington State University Extension to provide participants with the information necessary to write a complete and satisfactory forest management plan.
 
The training is open to natural resource professionals at no cost. However, participants must be forestry technical service providers (TSPs) or intend to become forestry TSPs after completing the class. The workshop does not qualify participants as TSPs, but it does introduce them to the steps required to become TSPs.
 
The workshop is open to the first 30 people on a first‐come, first‐served basis.
 
The course includes the WSU Extension "Forest Stewardship Planning Handbook,” valued at $75. It contains a wealth of information on forest planning, laws and taxes, forest management, forest health, products and marketing, harvesting, soil and water, wildlife, range and grazing.
 
Participants will learn how to improve their ability to write plans and avoid common errors and omissions that thwart plan success.
 
Natural resource professionals are in demand to assist landowners with forest management planning. Plans are required by the U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) for landowners to get funding through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Other federal and state management plan requirements further complicate the plan writing process.
 
Forest Management Plan Writing Competency Training workshops will be 10 a.m.‐3 p.m. on these dates at these locations:
 
Participants should bring their own lunch.
 
To register, complete the form on the WSU Extension forestry website at http://bit.ly/forestplanwriting and mail to WSU Extension, c/o Forestry Extension, 400 Washington St., Wenatchee, WA 98801.
 
WSU Extension developed the curriculum for this workshop in cooperation with the Washington Department of Natural Resources, the NRCS and other partners. Training is made possible by a Conservation Innovations Grant from the NRCS.