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Forest Management

Forest Management

Forestry Resources

How do I find a Qualified Forester to write a FMP?

The information about these service providers is intended solely as a resource.  It is not an endorsement by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.  MDARD has no control over these providers and is not responsible for your dealings in connection with them.  MDARD will not be liable or responsible, directly or indirectly, for any loss suffered or alleged to be suffered in connection with the use of or reliance upon this information or the products, services or other resources of these providers. Consult an appropriate professional for specific advice tailored to your situation.

Qualified Forester Registration

Landowners seeking the Qualified Forest Program tax exemption must obtain a forest management plan written by a Qualified Forester. Qualified Foresters are forest resource professionals, registered with the Department of Agriculture & Rural Development, that are knowledgeable in forest management practices.

Register as a Qualified Forester 

Forest Management Plan Checklist

Checklist
Name, address, phone number, email address, and dated signature of each owner of the property
Qualified forester name, signature, date, and contact information
Legal description of the property and tax parcel identification number
Plan start year and end year (maximum plan length is 20 years).
Statement of landowner’s forest management objectives
Prescribed measures to optimize timber
Schedule and timetables for various silvicultural practices within each management unit (stand).
Description of practice (associated with time table):
  1. Harvest
  2. Thinning
  3. Reforestation/Regeneration method
  4. Other
Map, diagram, or aerial photograph that identifies forested and non-forested areas. All of the information below should be identified with use of conventional mapping symbols traditionally used by the Department of Natural Resources (IFMAP Classification).
Note: If the management plan covers more land than being enrolled in QFP, the stands map must identify the land being enrolled in the Qualified Forest Program.
  1. North arrow
  2. Defined map scale
  3. County, town, range, and section number
  4. Geographic reference point (Latitude and Longitude, cross-streets, etc.)
  5. Buildings
  6. Management units (stands) delineated
  7. Alpha-numeric symbol for each stand (MDNR Inventory cover types, tree size, and density)
  8. Non-forested features
Description of soil conservation practices:
  1. Soil types.
  2. Productivity rating by soil type for major tree species found on site to certify the site’s capability of producing a minimum of 20 cubic feet per acre per year.
  3. Description of soil conservation practices that may be necessary to control any soil erosion that may result from forest practices
Description of management activities for non-timber resources including:
  1. Wildlife habitat
  2. Watersheds
  3. Aesthetic features

Commercial Forest Harvest Types

When completing the Harvest Schedule section of the QFP Stand Summary and Harvest Schedule, use ONLY the key words (bolded) below.

Clearcut
Harvesting method that removes all trees in an area in one operation. Regeneration occurs as a result of one (or many) of the following: seed or seedlings present before cutting; dormant seed on the ground; seed that disperses from adjoining stands; artificial planting or seeding. Clearcutting is most often used with species that require full sunlight in order to reproduce and grow well. Produces an even-aged forest.
No Practice
No harvest or other forest management practice is being implemented on a stand. Please include the expiration year of the management plan.
Salvage Treatment
Harvesting trees that have been killed or are in danger of being killed by insects, disease, fire, wind, flood, or other unexpected cause to recover their economic value.
Seed Tree Harvest
Harvest where all trees are removed from harvest area, except for a few scattered trees that provide seed to establish a new stand. Produces an even-aged forest.
Selection Harvest
Harvest where individual or small groups of trees are cut at periodic intervals (usually 8-15 years) based upon their physical condition or degree of maturity. Produces an uneven-aged forest.
Shelterwood Harvest
Harvest where trees are removed in a series of two or more cuttings, allowing establishment of new seedling growth under the partial shade and protection of older trees. Produces an even-aged forest. Note: The first entry in a Shelterwood Harvest system should be called "Shelterwood Harvest"; each associated entry that follows should be referred to as a "Thinning".
Thinning
Cutting scattered trees or rows of trees to reduce stocking, and to concentrate growth on the small number of high-quality trees that remain.

DNR Inventory Cover Types

Stand Type Symbols

A
Aspen
B
Paper Birch
C
Cedar
D
Treed Bog
E
Lowland Hardwoods
F
White Spruce/Fir
G
Grass
H
Hemlock
I
Local Use (various non-commercial or exotic)
J
Jack Pine
K
Rock
L
Lowland Brush
M
Northern Hardwoods
N
Marsh
O
Oak
P
Lowland Poplar (Bam)
Q
Mixed Lowland Conifers
R
Red Pine
S
Black Spruce
T
Tamarack
U
Upland Brush
V
Bog or Muskeg
W
White Pine
X
Non-Stocked
Y
Sand Dunes
Z
Water
AG
Agriculture
LM
Lowland Mixed
MC
Upland Mixed Conifers
MD
Mixed Deciduous
UM
Upland Mixed

Tree size - Density

0
Unstocked
1
Seedlings/Saplings – Poorly Stocked
2
Seedlings/Saplings – Moderately Stocked
3
Seedlings/Saplings – Well Stocked
4
Poletimber – Poorly Stocked
5
Poletimber – Moderately Stocked
6
Poletimber – Well Stocked
7
Sawtimber – Poorly Stocked
8
Sawtimber – Moderately Stocked
9
Sawtimber – Well Stocked

Important Things to Consider Prior to Conducting Your Harvest

The following three programs provide certification that management and harvest of the forest is done in a sustainable fashion. There are many reasons you may wish to consider participation in one or all three of the certifications. You may be concerned for the environment. Also, if your plan calls for a harvest, some timber processing facilities may prefer timber harvested under one or all three of the systems. There may also be a premium paid for timber harvested in a certified sustainable manner, although such a premium may or may not be available depending on the processor.

We are providing this document so that you may make informed choices regarding sustainable management and harvest of your land. If you are scheduled for a harvest, it is important to discuss the harvest with your forest management plan writer. When you speak with them, also ask about the certification options and whether participation in any or all three of the options is appropriate for you and your land.

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified Timber

FSC is a member driven council that has established international standards for the management and harvest of timber and the chain of custody of the harvested timber from the land to the processing facility to creation of various wood products. As a “low intensity” and/or small forest (<2000 acres) landowner, you have the potential to be part of a FSC accredited landowner group, which allows multiple landowners to be certified under one certificate rather than be individually certified. While individual certification can be very cost-prohibitive, group certification is set up in a way that it can be relatively inexpensive or even free to individual landowners. The FSC compliant group standards (which are audited annually by an independent FSC certified accredited auditing body) certifies your forestland based on your management plan and associated practices in the plan. FSC requires that all links in the chain of custody be FSC Certified from the purchasers of your stumpage to the network of FSC Certified companies on its way to a finished product.

The following web site will provide you additional information about FSC Certification.

https://us.fsc.org/en-us/certification

Michigan Contact: Currently, there is no FSC program for family forest owners in Michigan.

Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)

SFI is a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable forest management, primarily in North America and is also accepted globally. This option contains a Forest Management Standard, a Fiber Sourcing Standard (recycled content and certified forest and a Chain-of-Custody Standard). SFI places a Certified Sourcing label and a Chain-of-Custody label. To become Certified under the SFI program an application is submitted for participation in SFI. SFI contracts an accredited certification body to complete an on-site audit to verify the SFI forest management standard has been met.

How To Become FSC Certified

Michigan Contact: Brandon Bal
Email: brandon.bal@afmforest.com

American Tree Farm System (ATFS)

ATFS is a program that certifies that your forest management practices are conducted in a sustainable manner based on a forest management plan that meets the standards established by ATFS. A management plan that addresses air, water, soil quality, wildlife, special sites, invasive species and pest management as well as other forest practices consistent with the ATFS standards are an important part of the program. A landowner contacts ATFS and if the site meets the eligibility requirements an AFTS trained inspecting forester meets with the landowner on site and verifies the standards are being met.

https://www.treefarmsystem.org/

Michigan Contact: Mike Smalligan
Email: SmalliganM@michigan.gov