WOODLAND STEWARDSHIP CLASS

Woodland Stewardship Class – Resources & Information

Index

Getting Started 

Recommended: 

How Can We Help You Get the Most Out of Your Forestland?  OSU Extension Service publication, provides tips for new owners.   

More information:  
Jackson County Rural Living Handbook.  Great guide to rural living issues, ranging from open burning to water rights.  Published by the Jackson Soil & Water Conservation District. 


Ecology

Recommended: 

Southwest Oregon Forests: Unique and Challenging.  Tom Sensenig, Medford District, Bureau of Land Management.  This three-page chapter from a larger publication provides a concise overview of the ecological basis for current challenges in managing local forests.   

More information: 
Forest Conditions and Wildfire  This chapter from the Jackson County Community Wildfire Protection plan briefly describes historic and contemporary effects of fire and the effects of fire exclusion on local forests and other vegetation types.   

 

Tree & Shrub Identification 

Recommended: 

Trees to Know in Oregon.  Oregon State University Extension Service.  EC 1450.  $12 for 2005 edition.  Includes pictures, descriptions, and keys for common native conifer and broadleaf tree species.  Available at the OSU Extension office, Central Point. 

More information: 
Field Guide to Shrubs of Southwestern Oregon.  Oregon State University Extension Service.  $7.  Includes pictures, descriptions, and keys for 57 native shrubs species.  Available at the OSU Extension office, Central Point.  

 

Tools & Equipment 

Recommended: 

Forestry Tools.  Here is a list of useful forest management tools, from the “must-have” to more specialized tool.  Includes a list of forestry equipment/tools suppliers, and links to a forestry tools website.   Source: Ed Reilly, with additions by Max Bennett, OSU Extension. 

More information: 
Today’s Jobs and Yesterday’s Tools: Matching the Right Tool to the Right Job.  Article from NW Woodlands magazine, good overview of tool selection and options.  

 

Thinning, Stand Improvement 

Recommended: 

Stand Improvement Handout.  Covers how to thin for quality and health, not spacing, evaluating tree vigor & quality, species considerations, and more.  13 pp.  Source: OSU Extension Service. 

More information: 
The following two OSU Extension publications are oriented towards timber production as the major management objective but have information about thinning that is helpful for a broader range of goals.
  •  Silviculture: The Art and Science of Managing Forests to Meet Your Objectives.  This on-line module includes   presentations on Forest Ecology, Thinning Methods, and much more. 

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Insects & Diseases of Forest Trees in Southern Oregon 

Recommended: 

Woodland Health: Are Insects & Diseases Killing Your Trees?  Brief (4 pp.) article from Backyard Woodland workbook, provides overview of common “sick tree” issues and tips for maintaining healthy trees and forests.   

More information: 
The following websites provide detailed information about common insect and disease problems affecting native trees in southern Oregon.  

Forest Pest Fact sheets: by Oregon Department of Forestry. Fact sheets for the pestiest pests. Photos to aid in diagnosis. A great resource if you know what you’re looking for.  

On-line catalog of western forest insects and diseases.  Links to many excellent fact sheets. 

 

 Wildlife 

Recommended: 

Enhancing Wildlife on Private Woodlands.  EC 1122, 1994.  This 6-page OSU Extension publication is a little out of date but provides good basic information about how to improve habitat for specific groups of wildlife, from meadow species to large predators. 

Enhancing Wildlife - Tips for Small Acreages.  Nice little publication with concrete suggestions for improving habitat on farms, woodlots, etc. See page 6 for suggestions for forests.

More information: 
Woodland Fish and Wildlife Series.  This publication series was produced by the Woodland Fish and Wildlife Project , a cooperative effort between state and federal agencies and universities to provide nformation on fish and wildlife management to private woodland owners and managers.  Short publications are intended to serve as practical guides for woodland owners.  Example titles include “Cavity Nesting Ducks,” “Deer on Small Woodlands,” and “Habitat Management for Bats on Small Woodlands.”  A great resource!

Guide to Oregon’s Fish and Wildlife.  Published by the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, Portland.   38 pp. Includes pictures, descriptions, and range maps for common forest wildlife species, from birds to mammals.  PDF available, or order hard copy (filter by Fish and Wildlife and scroll down the list): http://www.oregonforests.org/FactsAndResources/Publications.html 

Identifying Priority Plants & Animals and Their Habitats.  Published by the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, Portland.   100 pp.  Includes pictures, descriptions, and range maps for rare, threatened, and endangered forest wildlife species and plants.  Limited copies available at the OSU Extension office, Central Point.  Or view a PDF version at (filter by Fish and Wildlife): http://www.oregonforests.org/FactsAndResources/Publications.html

 

Reforestation 

Recommended: 

Successful Reforestation: An Overview.  EC 1498. OSU Extension Service.   Covers everything from site preparation to planting to maintenance.  8 pp. 

More information: 
Guide to Reforestation in Western Oregon.  Oregon Department of Forestry.  Similar to the above, with more details and some good pictures.  50 pp.  

Sources of seedlings.  List of local nurseries and other possible sources of native tree seedlings.  

Native & Ornamental Trees for SW Oregon Forests & Landscapes.   List of suitable tree species for our local area, including their tolerances to differing environmental conditions such as drought, frost, and shade.   


Assistance 

Recommended: 

Reducing the Cost of Forestry Work Through Cost Share.  Information (2 pp.) about current cost share and financial assistance programs for forest landowners. 

More information: 
2010 Forest Landowner Resource Guide.  This guide provide basic information about taking care of forest land and contact information for contractors and businesses related to forest resource management in southern Oregon.  See part III of the Jack Jo Forest Guide for  information about contractors. 
For listings of contractors who perform forestry work such as thinning, fuels reduction, tree planting, etc., see also the listing for the Oregon Forest Industry Directory below.  

 

Selling Timber & Logs 

 Recommended:  

Oregon Forest Industry Directory.    Want to sell some logs or niche species?  Want to buy some madrone flooring or myrtlewood?  Looking for a contractor for thinning or reforestation?  You can find  it in the the Oregon Forest Industry Directory, an on-line searchable database.  Easy to use.  Organized by “companies that buy”, “companies that sell” and “services.”  A great resource.

More information: 
Selling Timber & Logs.  Detailed, step-by-step guide to conducting a timber sale.  EC 1587.  

 

 Protecting Your Home & Property from Wildfire

Protecting Your Home & Forest From Wildfire.  On-line presentation (12 minutes).  

More information: 
Reducing Fire Risk on Your Forest Property.  PNW 618.  40 pp.  Detailed information about making your property more fire-safe.  

Fire Resistant Plants for Oregon Home Landscapes.  Limited copies available at the OSU Extension office, Central Point.  Also available on-line at: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/html/pnw/pnw590/ 

There is a vast amount of on-line information about wildfire prevention and protection of home and property.  A good place to start is the firewise website at www.firewise.org 

 

Weeds 

 

Recommended: 

Rogue Valley’s Most Wanted Weeds - Early Detection & Rapid Response Priorities.
For the most part, the weeds listed in this publication are not yet well-established - and let's keep them that way! See the publication for pictures, descriptions, and information on how to report a "most wanted weed" sighting. Note: large publication (6mb)
INVASIVE WEEDS OF CONCERN
These weeds are already well-established in the Rogue Valley. It's probably not realistic to completely eradicate them, but individual owners can help reduce their abundance, and re-establish healthy native vegetation in areas of control.
Recommended weed control reference:
Weed Control Methods Handbook: Tools & techniques for Use in Natural Areas. This handbook by the Nature Conservancy provides comprehensive of weed control methods from manual methods to grazing to biocontrol to herbicides. 

More information: 
Invasive Weeds in Forestland.  Series covers management of forest weed problems ranging from bull thistle to Scotch broom to ivy.  EC 1588-E to EC 1600-E.  Available at: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/  Click on “Forestry & Wood Processing”, then on “Stand Management” and scroll down the list. 

Southwest Oregon Invasive Species Network

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Wrapping Up

 

Recommended:

Stewardship planning helps focus your efforts and puts you in a position to take advantage of cost share programs and other financial and technical assistance. View this short presentation to learn about stewardship planning.

This short read will acquaint you will some of the pertinent rules and regulations every owner should be aware of.

More information:

I've included a basic stewardship planning template with instructions and a fillable template for your use.

You can view an aerial photoof your property on line and print it out. Here are instructions for how to do so using the LION system (Josephine County) or SMARTMAP (Jackson County).

Oregon Stewardship Planning Guidelines Template

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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