To plan the harvest of your woodlands at the right time to gain a sizable return in today’s forest products markets is difficult to say the least. If we all only had that magic crystal ball to predict the future! No matter the current economic status of the forest products industries, we all want the resource to be available for future generations. Forests are economically, environmentally, and sociably important to all landowners.

All landowners want their woodlands to endure to produce multiple benefits for generations to come. One way of ensuring the future of your woodlands is by taking care of the environment. The reality is that we must remember that it’s important to be aware of the other resources forests produce. Forests also produce opportunities to enhance natural resources such as wildlife, water, soils, and recreation. All these natural resources, along with the trees, are renewable as long as the sustainability of these resources is taken into consideration when setting goals.

A management plan, which is a set of goals determined by the landowner, allows the landowner to dictate what management activities are going to be given priority based on a desired outcome. A resource professional such as a forester or wildlife biologist can assist in determining goals and the action steps necessary to accomplish them.

These goals should include best management practices (BMPs), reforestation (where appropriate), visual quality management and conservation of critical wildlife habitat. The use of a qualified resource professional is recommended to accomplish these management goals and your other objectives as a landowner.

The action steps to sustainability are the key to successful forest management. Whether the landowner is interested in hunting or bird watching, harvesting trees or establishing a park-like atmosphere, goals should always be set with expected results. The results should meet the needs of today without compromising the ability for future generations to also meet their natural resource needs.

Whether growing or harvesting timber, applying the principles of the American Forest & Paper Association’s Sustainable Forestry Initiative® will ensure your environmental and economic future. SFI® is a national effort to pull together both large and small landowners, loggers, universities, state and private forester’s, conservation groups and others to promote sustainable, environmentally friendly practices.

The best place to find additional information about the SFI® program is to go to afandpa.org and click on “Forestry.” There you can find the “SFI®” section that provides information on the program. Before you plan the harvests of your timber or management of a stand, please check out these additional websites to achieve a sustainable forest in Indiana:

• Indiana Forest Industry Council: http://www.ificsfi.org

• Indiana Hardwood Lumber Assoc.: http://www.ihla.org

• The Indiana Division of Forestry provides information on BMPs, reforestation,   and other topics at its website: http://www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/

• The Indiana Division of Nature Preserves is part of an international network of natural heritage inventory programs and can be reviewed at its website: http://www.in.gov/dnr/naturepr/

• Forestry Aesthetics Guide developed by the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) and American Pulpwood Association (APA) which can be found on the internet at: http://www.pfmt.org/aesthetics

For more information, please feel free to call or write to:

SFI Implementation Committee

Indiana Forest Industries Council

3600 Woodview Trace, Suite 101

Indianapolis, IN 46268

1-800-640-4452

Fax: 317-875-3661