The Who and How of Management Plans

Once you decide to create a management plan, you can choose how to do it. Some landowners develop parts of the plan on their own first, and then involve their mentors, family and friends, along with foresters and other natural resource professionals.

Others consult with mentors or professionals from the beginning, and work closely with them throughout the process. Still others leave most of the planning to professionals and review the plan at the end. There is no one right way to create your plan, but it must ultimately be your plan and align with your wishes. 

There are several parts of the plan you can develop on your own if you choose to:

Background information.  You can contribute an account of your land’s history to the property information section of your plan, if you know that history or learn it from talking with neighbors or reviewing historical records.

Mapping. You can also annotate any maps with the special sites you value, or sketch your own map to highlight these features.

Documentation. If you’re going to include income and expense information in your plan, you can gather receipts and other key documents, and note professional consultations, management activities and other relevant projects or events that take place.

MyLandPlan.org was developed specifically to help you and other landowners create these elements of your plan.  Through your account, you can document the history of your land, set your goals, map your land and keep track of your activities, all in one place. 

For the technical part of a management plan, you can call on a forester or other natural resources professionals for to help develope those sections.  You may also choose to work with wildlife biologists, soil and water specialists, recreation specialists and others as you develop your plan.

No matter how you develop your plan, deciding on the goals and objectives you have for your land will be a personal process. Your goals will guide how you manage your land, so they are your most important contribution to the plan.