Wandering through Wood's woodlands
- Michelle Wood
- March 31, 2020
- 1402
Owning woodland — it’s long been a dream of my husband and I.
When my parents’ neighbor decided to sell 35 acres of woodland last summer, Duane and I did the old “pros and cons” list, sharpened our pencils, and finally said “yes.” We are now the proud owners of a mountaintop in Tuscarawas County. We have Bighorn sheep instead of whitetails.
Yes, I’m exaggerating, but it is steep. As is mostly the case in farm country, woodlands exist only in areas that can’t be farmed. So, what’s the appeal?
For my husband and son, it’s hunting. They love turkey, deer and mushroom hunting. For me, it’s creating hiking trails and planting different types of native trees and shrubs (they don’t know about my plan to randomly hide tacky lawn ornaments among the trees to keep it interesting.) I can’t wait to see the variety of ferns and other woodland plants that pop up this spring, as we didn’t own it last year at this time. There’s even a knob that grows blueberries.
Ultimately, we will manage the land for a timber harvest down the road, so there will be time spent cutting grapevines and multiflora rose, killing evil Ailanthus trees and culling some trees that will not have any market value to make space for those that will.
We’ve spent a couple of weekends this winter clearing some trails, cutting and dragging logs around, and looking at wet areas on the trail that need some improvements. In my career at Holmes SWCD, I’ve run into plenty of enthusiastic woodland owners and now I get it. I get why they spend hours and hours in the woods (they know who they are). It’s quite therapeutic.
If you own wooded land, many agencies have programs or information to help you make informed decisions regarding woodland management.
The Ohio State University Extension has fact sheets at Ohioline.osu.edu to address various aspects of woodland management and timber harvests. Our partners at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offer Forestry EQIP opportunities to landowners. If an application ranks high enough, this program will provide cost-share to have a forestry plan written that meets landowner objectives while implementing conservation practices. Holmes NRCS works with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry, Service Forester John Jolliff for technical assistance. The most recent signup for EQIP has ended, but you can always call the office to apply for the next round of funding.
The Ohio Forestry Association offers Master Logging training and certification and maintains a readily available listing of Certified Master Loggers. The Ohio Society of American Foresters lists consulting foresters in Ohio. A consulting forester will ensure a timber harvest is managed with the owner’s objectives in mind. An Ohio Timber Harvest Plan is a voluntary plan that a landowner or forester can complete in cooperation with the logger before the cut to ensure good communication. You can find that plan online or contact the SWCD office for a copy.
I know there are landowners out there who would like more information about woodland management and logging, and it’s one of the areas in our county for which we really see a need. This will be one of the topics addressed at “Conservation Connections,” a landowner meeting that Holmes County Farm Bureau and Holmes SWCD intends to host the evening of Thursday, June 25 at Harvest Ridge.
We will invite representatives from the many organizations that we work with to talk a bit about their programs for landowners, farmers, and homeowners. Presentations will be followed by a trade show style open house where more information can be obtained, and specific questions can be answered one-on-one. And did I mention we are planning a fabulous meal? Event specifics are still in the planning stages but watch for more publicity at a later date.
Please note that the Ag Service Center, which houses the SWCD, NRCS, and Farm Service Agency, is currently closed to the public until further notice. But we can be reached at 330-674-2811, ext. 3 to leave a message, or email holmes.swcd@gmail.com. You can also follow us on Facebook and visit our website at HolmesSWCD.com.