Women’s Forest Planning Program: Forest Management Plan Requirements

• Women and gender non-conforming landowners with a minimum of 20 forested acres in New Hampshire.
• Applicants do not need to be sole landowners and may own land jointly, but should play a significant role in land management decisions.
• Applicants must be a property landowner at the time of plan completion to receive financial support.
• Applicants must be non-industrial private forest landowners. The following are not eligible: federal, state, or local governments; corporations with publicly traded stock; and forest products manufacturers.
• Applications will be reviewed and ranked based on multiple criteria, including:
  • Acreage – priority will be given to properties larger than 25 acres)
  • Priority NH Landscape ranking – maps developed by the NH Division of Forests and Lands as part of the 2020 NH Forest Action Plan
  • New Plan vs. Revision/Update – applicants with an existing forest management plan may apply, but prioritization will be given to properties/landowners with no existing plan or where a major change has occurred

Forest management plan criteria for the Women’s Forest Planning Program are based on the U.S. Forest Service Forestland Enhancement Program (FLEP)’s Landowner Forest Stewardship Plan, which was designed to provide forest landowners with sufficient detailed analysis and information to make sensible long-term resource management decisions. This includes analysis of the entire array of forest related resources as applicable to the property. Priority given to each of these, and the subsequent level of analysis will vary considerably by landowner objectives. The goal is to promote good stewardship of the full array of forest resources by developing a useful, easily read document that adheres to landowner objectives, and provides management recommendations which are specific to the property and that relate to field data. 

1. The plan must be written by a New Hampshire licensed forester. A forest inventory and other collected field data is required. The level of inventory and data collection necessary will be determined based on the scale of the property and the landowner’s objectives. Plans will be reviewed by the UNH Cooperative Extension County Forester before final approval and commitment of stipend payment. It is suggested that draft copies of plans be made available to the appropriate UNH Cooperative Extension County Forester and landowner for review prior to reporting the completion.

2. Documentation and ranking of landowner’s objectives for the property is required and must form the basis of resource management prescriptions. The Landowner Goals and Objectives form is suggested for this use.

3. The plan shall address the following:

• forest health (including insect, disease, invasive plant species)
• soils and how they influence management 
• protecting water quality 
• timber resource management 
• aesthetic quality 
• riparian areas and wetlands 
• wildlife and fish habitat (including location and extent of significant and critical wildlife habitats and land features such as deer yards, heron rookeries, wetlands (such as marshes, floodplains, bogs and ponds); rare, threatened or endangered species, critical habitat such as beech stands showing heavy bear use, etc.) 
• forest protection (including wildfire & catastrophic risk reduction and rehabilitation where appropriate) 
• forest recreation 
• rare, threatened and endangered plant and animal species and exemplary natural communities 
• historic, cultural and archeological sites

Other considerations the plan may address:

• estate planning including land protection 
• finances including timber, income, and property taxes 
• landscape considerations especially as related to wildlife, water resources, carbon programs, and land protection

4. Map Requirements
Composite or separate maps to include the following:

• Property - perimeter sketch or survey map with known boundary information (stone walls, monuments, etc.), significant land features, access points, roads, landings, trails, surface water. 
• Forest Type - indicate location and extent of tree species and species groups, size classes, etc. 
• Recreation, Aesthetics, Water, Cultural and Other Resources - location of existing and potential sites for recreational opportunities, vantage points, trails, historic sites, natural heritage elements and other pertinent features of the property as applicable.
• Soils - based on the latest USDA-NRCS Soil Survey information. 
• Locus Map - show the location of the property on a USGS topo, a NH Gazetteer, or some equivalent map. Forester drawn locus maps are acceptable. 
• Other important or unique features – identify locations of invasive plant infestations, erosion concerns, controlling access to the property, or other features identified as important by the landowner.  

5. Written Report: Discuss the landowner objectives, size of ownership, property location, and pertinent historical information and the status and related recommendations for forest protection regarding insects, diseases, invasive species, and wildfire and catastrophic risk reduction and rehabilitation. Wherever possible, address landowner objectives and establish priorities based on these. Write stand descriptions and management prescriptions to reflect the objectives and priorities.

6. Stand Descriptions:  A detailed forest inventory and other field data collected should be the basis of stand descriptions and help inform management prescriptions. Based on landowner objectives, determine the level of inventory and data collection necessary. Timber and wildlife related components may include the following: 

• Timber Related - for each stand or similar stands give species composition, density, quality, accessibility, age class, estimated timber value or products; make note of understory vegetation, and insect and disease problems.
• Wildlife Related - describe current wildlife habitat value for each stand or similar stands and existing habitat features within each compartment, e.g., snags, canopy closure, vegetative diversity; describe non-forested areas by primary vegetative cover and land uses for upland (herbaceous and shrub occupied openings, active hayfields, etc.) and wetland (marsh, bog, swamp, etc.).

7. Management Prescriptions: Specify the likely results and consequences of suggested management prescriptions. Prioritize and detail these according to the landowner objectives including suggestions for timing. Prescriptions include the following:

• Timber – for each stand or similar stands give specific silvicultural recommendations; provide options for harvesting and/or timber stand improvement to accomplish these goals. 
• Wildlife Related – include management and/or protection of critical and significant habitat (buffer zones, adjusted cutting schedule for deer yards, etc.); account for protection or encouragement of existing habitat features. 
• Recreation/Aesthetics – incorporate specific recommendations such as trail and access road construction, creation or protection of views and vantage points, addressing the impacts of recreation on other resource values. 

8. For ownerships significantly impacted by natural disasters an assessment of the disaster must be included.

9. For ownerships with permanent land protection (e.g. conservation easements), include a description of the easement and restrictions and implications for land use and how it impacts goals and objectives.  

10. The property must have a NH Natural Heritage Bureau DataCheck to identify rare, threatened and endangered plant and animal species and exemplary natural communities.

11. Copies of final, approved plans are to be provided to the landowner and the UNH Cooperative Extension County Forester.