Develop a management plan before you harvest.

Before selling your timber, give serious thought to your future objectives for the land.

A management plan outlines how and when to reach goals and objectives for your property. It helps guarantee that your decisions are not sacrificed due to haste or lack of information. Goals should be prioritized to reflect your resources and what you desire to achieve.

Unlike a signed contract, a management plan can be revised to meet changing needs, concerns, or conditions.

It will help you predict expenses and incomes related to the property, and serve as a system for organizing financial information for tax purposes. A management plan is often required for government cost-share assistance as well.

Become knowledgeable about your land, timber, and options.

Know your property and its history. This can save considerable expense when developing and implementing a management plan. For example, is your land best suited for forest or pasture? What are natural and man-made features of the property that can impact forest management activities? Which tree species are best suited for the property, and are they marketable?

If considering selling your timber, it's important to take an inventory of current timber resources. What is the current distribution of timber species? How old are the trees and how large? Are they marketable? How much are they worth? Should you sell all of them now, or keep the best growing and merchantable timber for a future sale? How much will it cost to reforest?

If you aren't confident in making these decisions without some assistance, you're not alone.

Forestry professionals can help you get the most from timber sales and assist in long-term management planning.

Make sure the forestry professionals you work with are reputable and understand your needs.

The following are sources from which you can obtain forest management and related assistance:

(1) a private forestry consultant can offer a wide range of services including managing sales and harvest operations;

(2) the South Carolina Forestry Commission provides limited, free technical assistance such as woodland examinations, reforestation recommendations, forest health information, and seedlings;

(3) a professional forester employed by a timber company that you are contracting a sale with, or considering contracting with, is another source;

(4) a landowner assistance forester employed by a forest products company; also,

(5) Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service and other public agencies provide research and technical support on silvicultural activities.

When considering working with any of these professionals, it is important that their views match yours.

Does the forester have a clear understanding of needs and objectives? How much will it cost for consulting services and harvesting operations? Is a written contract provided with a protection clause against unwanted damage? How will the timber sale be conducted? What is a reasonable monetary range of bids for harvesting contracts? What written plans, inventories and site quality assessments will be generated?

Insist on a written contract.

Make sure the reforestation method is incorporated into the harvesting plan.

Mark trees to indicate whether to leave or cut and specify in the sales contract.

If unable to find a forestry professional in your area willing to implement your management ideas, you can create your own plan and contract with loggers directly during a timber sale. This is not recommended for landowners who may lack the necessary technical expertise.

The guidelines outlined above apply also when considering perspective logging contractors. Visit sites the logger has previously harvested that are similar to yours. Speak to the owners and others who can serve as references. Ideally, you should engage a logging contractor and crew that have participated in the Timber Operations Professional (TOP) Program -- a professional education program. The South Carolina Forestry Association maintains a list of all loggers who are TOP graduates.

Protect soil and water during a harvest as part of long-term forest management.

In light of the Clean Water Act, you should make an effort to control or minimize release of sediment into lakes and streams from harvesting. Landowners, forest products companies, consultants, and logging crews are urged to adhere to voluntary guidelines referred to as Best Management Practices (BMPs).

South Carolina's non-regulated BMPs are scientifically-proven techniques that control non-point sources of pollution, such as soil erosion and stream sedimentation. The non-regulated nature of these guidelines reflects public confidence in the South Carolina forestry community's commitment to protect soil, water, and wildlife habitat.

Specific consideration should be given to managing lands adjacent to streams and drainage courses to protect their integrity and encourage wildlife use. These streamside management zones, composed primarily of hardwood trees, protect water quality, preserve natural diversity and make harvesting more aesthetically pleasing.

To protect soil and water quality and avoid excessive government regulations in the future, make BMP compliance an integral part of your stewardship plan.

Include a BMP clause in your sales and harvesting contracts if possible.

A copy of SC's Best Management Practices Guidelines may be obtained from the SC Forestry Commission.

Consider sustainable forestry as an option.

South Carolina's forestry community is committed to practices that promote sustainable forestry. This includes growing more timber than it harvests, protecting fish and wildlife habitat, and adhering to Best Management Practices.

It also includes being a "good neighbor" by minimizing visual impacts of harvesting.

Our sustainable forestry program is a pledge.

It's about managing our forests to meet present needs without compromising future generation's ability to use the forest for essential products while protecting and enhancing other resource values.

We're working together to ensure that South Carolina's forests are growing for the future.

With sound information, commitment and long-range planning, you too can be a part of this legacy.