Forest Stewardship Plan Components and Definitions

Identification Information
Plan Component	Definition
Landowner information	Name, address, and phone number (not required if unlisted or owner does not have one) of forest owner (to be placed on the title page of the plan).
Plan preparer information	Name, address, and phone number of professional natural resource manager who prepared the plan (to be placed on the title page of the plan).
Plan preparation date	The date that the plan was presented to the landowner for acceptance (to be placed on the title page of the plan).
Legal description, or directions to site	A description of how to find the site; i.e., plat survey information, tax book information, or specific written directions to the site (to be placed on the title page of the plan).
Stewardship acres	The number of acres covered by the plan.
Landowner goals for the property	A list of the landowner’s goals for owning the property.
Regional/subsection national hierarchy information	Location of the property in relation to the national ecoregional map developed by Robert G. Bailey, USDA Forest Service (1994). A simple statement concerning the forest location in relation to the ecoregion is all that is necessary.
General property description	A property overview giving general location, major forest types, general landforms, relevant descriptions of the landscape, potential fire and insect & disease problems etc. (usually one paragraph).
Interaction with surrounding properties	Describe stewardship activities within the context of the neighborhood and how interdependency may affect management.
Map of the property	An aerial photo, drawing, or map that contains stand delineations, roads, boundaries, water, etc., clearly and adequately labeled. Include legend, north arrow, and scale bar.
Known threatened and endangered species		Review statewide database for possible presence of threatened and endangered (T&E) species (state and Federal listings). If T&E species are present, suggestions should be made for their protection and habitat enhancement. If no T&E species are found, note this in the general description or stand description.
Cultural heritage databases checked (if available) or field observations noted		Many states have cultural databases that list archeological or other cultural sites of importance that should be noted in the plan. If nothing is found just note it.
Soils information		Describe how soils may affect the attainment of landowner goals. (Can be generalized over the entire property when soils are uniform.)

Descriptive Information
Plan Component	Definition
Stands by cover type and area (acres)	A description of forest stands in terms of cover type and acreage.
Description of dominant vegetation	List trees by species and size class within the stand.
Stand characteristics, based on a reliable field inventory	A reliable field inventory is any sampling technique that will provide similar results when replicated in the same place. This item is not scored separately but is apparent from the following 6 items.
Stand age	The general age of a stand, as determined by measurement or growth models.
Stand health	A statement describing the health and condition of the forest, including noted problems such as insects, diseases, site hazards, fire, or stocking.
Site quality	A statement describing the site capability for supporting forest growth and associated flora and fauna. Examples include site index, Habitat Type Classification System, etc. This should be expressed in technical terms along with terms the landowner can understand.
Stocking	A description of the relative population of trees within a stand on a per acre basis. This can be expressed in trees per acre or basal area, along with terms such as “overcrowded” or “under utilized” as long as these terms are clear to the forest owner.
Stand volume	An expression of the amount of usable wood that is contained in the standing trees, expressed as board feet per acre, cords per acre, cubic feet per acre, or tons per acre.
Timber quality	A statement indicating the quality of the timber (high, medium, low, or cull).
Growth rate	The growth produced by the forest on a /acre/year basis, measured by increment borings, growth models, or permanent CFI plots. Expressed as a unit growth/acre/year or as a percent of the residual stand.
Stand history	A statement regarding the past use of the stand. Sources of information include the landowner, observation, old photos and neighbors.
Integrated items	For a landowner interested in enhancing his/her land in a particular use, this will be a fundamental, well-developed part of the stewardship plan. In cases where the landowner’s interests do not include enhancing the property’s other potential uses, the plan should still offer the landowner a brief description of “what might be” if all options were pursued. No matter what the landowner’s goals are, the following 5 potential use items should be discussed.
Habitat and wildlife use	The potential use of the stand by wildlife, as well as ways to minimize any negative impacts on wildlife of management activities.
Water quality issues	A statement addressing any water quality issues that might be occurring in the forest and suggestions for optimizing impacts of management activities on water quality. May include references to BMPs or AMPs.
Timber production potential	This requirement can be met by including a non-technical description of the site’s relative potential; for example: “The combination of climate, soils, drainage, and topography present here result in a site well suited to tree growth and timber production.” Although timber production may not be the owner’s first priority, this will communicate available options to the landowner.
Recreational opportunities	Recreational use is one of the primary goals of forest owners in the Area. Development of trails, vistas, feeding stations, hunting areas, and fishing piers are some of the practices that have been recommended in plans. In some areas, sites will have little to no recreation potential, in which case an acknowledgement of that would be appropriate and sufficient. This element is one that helps ensure that plans address multiple benefits.
Important natural features	The amount of description needed to satisfy this requirement will depend on the particularities of each site. Dramatic viewscapes, rock formations, waterfalls, scenic meadows, rivers, streams, etc., if present, should be described and taken into account in plan formulation. A site that has no particular features that distinguish it from other sites can be described in the following manner: “Beyond the description provided above, this property or ownership does not have any particular natural features requiring additional mention.”

Recommendations
Plan Component	Definition
Long-range silvicultural objectives (Desired Future Condition) for each forested cover type or stand	Describe clearly and succinctly the silvicultural objectives (Desired Future Condition) of each stand as they relate to the landowner’s goals. This component predicts the stand vegetation 50-200+ years into the future.
Management Unit Analysis Table	Summarizes stands (management units) by area, site class, cover type, description, management objectives, and recommended management activities; see following example. A table should still be prepared even if only one management unit is identified.
Schedule for completion of prescribed activities	A schedule for and descriptions of prescriptions and activities that will take place over the next 5 years or 10 years to achieve long-range objectives. See the following Activity Schedule example, which illustrates the form to use for either 5 or 10 years of activity. Must include enough information to meet the landowner’s needs. Does not need to reach the level of detail contained in project plans; however, landowner should be able to visualize the necessary work. May include effects on habitat, aesthetics, estimated cost, etc. Under the minimum standards, only 5 years of activity is required.

Management Unit Analysis Table - Example

Mgmt Unit	Acres	Site Quality	Cover Type	Description	Management Objective	Management Activity
1	8.0	Dry to moderately moist	Mixed hardwoods	Reverting old field, white oak, sassafras, black cherry, and black walnut	Convert low-value hardwood unit to white pine and red oak	Prepare site; plant white pine and red oak; fence to protect seedlings from deer.
2	4.4	Dry to moderately moist	Oak-hickory	White oak, black oak, chestnut oak, hickory, and small sawtimber	Regenerate to higher value hardwoods	Treat grapevines; treat culls; establish desirable regeneration; harvest timber.
3	16.0	Dry to moderately moist	Mixed hardwoods	Reverting old field, red maple and yellow poplar	Convert low value hardwood unit to white oak and red oak	Prepare site; plant white oak and red oak; fence to protect seedlings from deer.

Schedule for Prescribed Activities - Example
Landowner: Smith Planning Horizon: 10 years Date: August 12,1999
ACTIVITY LOCATION Unit Numbers	PRIORITY	TIME PERIOD	ACTIVITY
9	1	Fall 1999	Maintain fence to protect seedlings until white pines are over 5 feet tall.
9, 10, 6, 5, and 4	1	Fall 2000	Develop trail access.
1 and 8	2	Spring 2000	Prepare site, plant white pine and red oak seedlings, and fence to protect from deer.
4 and 5	1	Winter 2000	Treat grapevines, and do crown-touching release of timber crop.

Communication
Plan Component	Definition
Summary paragraph from landowner profile that evaluates landowner’s available Time, Interest, Money, and Energy (TIME)	The TIME element is a useful tool for both the plan preparer and the landowner. Including it in the stewardship plan gives the landowner a clear understanding of the assumptions made by the plan’s author in its preparation – assumptions that, if incorrect, could impact on plan implementation. “Landowner prefers to do the work himself over a long period of time” or “Cost share programs are of strong interest to the landowner and will be vital in the completion of these practices” are examples of appropriate statements. Plan preparers may devise their own system for assessing landowner’s capabilities.
Easy-to-follow logical format	The plan is formatted in such a way that the reader can logically follow the flow of ideas, and will understand what should be completed and why.
The writing style is easy to read and understand.	Readability is subjective, but most people can agree on a well-written plan.
The writer avoids wordiness, jargon, and mistakes in grammar and spelling.	A missing comma, mis-capitalized word, absent parentheses, some use of jargon, a misspelled word, or incorrect grammar should not result in a “Not Acceptable” rating. If the plan on the whole contains few errors of this nature, it should be rated as successfully meeting this element.
The plan meets the landowner’s needs and provides useful advice in a skillful way.	While this is probably the most subjective of the elements, the peer review/consensus process should be able to resolve any conflicts of opinion.
The plan is likely to inspire the landowner to action.	Does the plan meet or exceed the landowner’s expectations? Does it help the landowner better appreciate the potential of the property and inspire action to fulfill that potential? Reviewers should consider their ratings for the previous three elements in rating this standard.