Notify me when new publications are added.
This publication lists and defines more than 150 forest resource terms to help you in conversing with others about forestry matters and in making informed decisions about your forestland.
This publication discusses reforestation practices and the information needed to analyze a reforestation investment.
Qualified North Carolina owners of soundly managed commercial forestland have been eligible for property tax reductions since 1974 through the state’s forestry present-use property tax program. To be eligible for Forestry Present Use Valuation, qualified forestland must be actively engaged in the commercial growing of trees under sound management (NC General Statues 105 277.2- 277.7). Commercial growing of trees will entail a harvest as a thinning, partial, or complete harvest of trees (as prescribed in the forest management plan filed with the county tax office). This publication provides a brief overview of the complicated law.
This publication explains how to determine the volume of a tree using a scale (Biltmore) stick and provides a template for making a scale stick.
This publication provides an introduction to the various financial incentives available to woodlot owners. Both federal and state governments offer financial incentive programs; several of these programs provide cost-sharing payments that reimburse landowners for timber management activities. Other programs provide tax incentives, tax credits and deductions for reforestation expenses.
Forest certification is a third-party evaluation of the management of a forest. Certification systems assure the consumer that the product they are purchasing meets certain standards as verified by an independent evaluation. This publication describes forest certification systems, procedures, and potential for landowners.
This publication describes thinning, the process of cutting or removal of certain trees from a stand to regulate the number, quality and distribution of the remaining crop trees. The reasons to thin, how and when to thin are covered.
Soil quality is the most important factor in forest management decisions. Soils will determine which tree species yield the greatest timber volume, the time to harvest, and ultimately, the investment a landowner must make to yield an acceptable economic return from forest management. This publication discusses site index, the collective influence of soil factors for a particular tree species on a given soil area.
With the high value of timbered forest property today, landowners would be well-advised to take sufficient steps to protect their investment. Maintaining property lines and boundaries is one of the simplest, yet most often overlooked forms of protection from theft, trespass and encroachment. This publication details the importance of property lines and how to maintain or reestablish them.
This publication examines tree protection regulations, zoning and other ordinances. Guidance is offered on how to practice forestry under existing regulations and on how involvement in the community can retain forestry as a viable land use.
Woodland owners harvest trees for financial and personal reasons. Deciding when is the optimal time to harvest is difficult for most woodland owners. However, this important decision strongly dictates future condition, growth and composition of the next stand of trees and, ultimately, your bottom line. Some basic economic principles can help you make harvesting and other key woodland management decisions. Using loblolly pine in North Carolina as an example, this publication demonstrates the optimal time to harvest based on financial maturity.
This publication covers effective forest planning, including setting goals. Three owner profiles are presented and discussed followed by a worksheet to set your own priorities and goals.
Producing firewood from a woodlot can be an excellent forest management opportunity. Properly marked and administered, firewood cutting can produce immediate income while increasing the long-term value of the woodlot. This publication discusses how and when to harvest for firewood.
This publication helps landowners make smart choices about managing forests by understanding which tree species are best for different areas. It explains how factors like site aspect, elevation, and terrain affect species composition in the North Carolina mountains, piedmont, and coastal plain. Insights on soil types and species competitiveness are also provided to help landowners make informed decisions about forest management.
