Your Management Plan

One of the most important steps you can take to protect and care for your woods is to develop a plan for managing them. Your management plan is a way to track your land’s health and history over time. By doing so, you’ll be better equipped to take advantage of new opportunities, handle setbacks or changes, and make informed decisions about your woods.

In this section, you’ll learn:

• why you need a management plan
• what is in a management plan
• how to create a plan – and who should be involved

• how to identify your goals and objectives
• how to get financial and technical assistance in developing your plan
• what other tools and resources are available to help you get started
• what to do once you’ve got a plan in place

Think of your management plan as a roadmap to your goals for your woods. Developing and maintaining one doesn’t have to be difficult, and it can bring you real and considerable rewards.