Forest Stewardship Coached Planning Short Course Sept. 4 – Oct. 23

PULLMAN, Wash. – Family forest landowners can learn how to keep their trees healthy and productive at a Washington State University Extension Coached Planning Short Course scheduled on Thursday evenings from Sept. 4 – Oct. 23 at Colville Community College.

This program, which is open to all, is designed to help forest landowners develop customized management solutions to meet their own unique objectives, according to Janean Creighton, WSU Extension natural resources educator.

“You will learn ways to help keep your forest healthy and productive for generations to come, how to identify and implement practical steps to meet your individual ownership objectives, and how to write your own forest stewardship management plan,” Creighton said. “Forest stewardship plans are a way for landowners to clarify and implement practices to meet their management goals.”

She said there are an estimated 100,000 family forest owners in Washington. Their holdings total 3.1 million acres or nearly 20 percent of the state’s total forestland.

“Although management for timber ranks moderately high as an ownership objective among the state’s family forest owners,” Creighton said, “many landowners, especially new landowners, are interested in managing their land for wildlife, recreational, and aesthetic purposes.”

Classes meet on Thursday evenings from Sept. 4th to Oct. 23rd from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Colville Community College. The course fee of $100 pays for class materials, aerial photos and maps of your property, and an individual site visit from a forester.

For registration information and to request a registration brochure, contact Janean Creighton at (509) 477-2199 or creighton@wsu.edu if you have any questions.

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