• Increase health and productivity of the forest
• Maximize financial returns
• Create and sustain wildlife habitat
• Enhance ecosystem diversity
• Encourage environmental health and stability

Why Hire a Consulting Forester?
Our professional staff will make management decisions specific for your forest. Proper forest management techniques will ensure sustainable, long-term and continuous land management. Our use of competitive timber marketing ensures that the landowner receives the best possible price for their timber products. Proper forest management coupled with competitive timber marketing will maximize your profit NOW and in the FUTURE!

Ways to Manage

• Timber Sale Implementation
• TSI (Timber Stand Improvment)
• Tree Planting
• Food Plots
• Forest Carbon Credit Trading
• Road Layout and Planning

Timber Sale Implementation

The following steps are taken for timber sale implementation.

1. Landowner Meeting: The landowner and a Green Timber forester discuss the owner's objectives and how their goals can be accomplished on their property.
    
2. Site Visit: We match the management technique (individual tree selection, clearcut, shelterwood, etc) with the forest type (northern hardwoods, aspen, cedar, etc). Forest stand specific details are applied to management technique resulting in a custom prescription for each forest stand. We use strategic planning to schedule harvest timelines.
    
3. Timber Sale and Property Boundaries: For the purpose of conducting a timber sale, property boundaries are determined. Timber sale boundaries are placed along natural features such as lakes, rivers and non-harvested areas.
    
4. Specialized Timber Marking: Green Timber foresters designate individual trees or groups of trees for harvest using scientifically accepted and proven forestry practices. Our experience and dedication is exercised through meticulous care to ensure that the landowner's goals are met.
    
5. Timber Sale Marketing: Green Timber competitively bids timber sales to logging and other timber purchasing companies. This ensures the highest revenue for our client's timber sale.
    
6. Timber Sale Contract: Green Timber provides a contract agreement between the landowner and company that is awarded the timber sale bid.
    
7. Timber Sale Administration: Green Timber oversees all operations to ensure that the requirements of the timber sale contract are met. Our foresters act as a liaison between the landowner and logger to make sure special interests are addressed.
    
8. Timber Sale Accounting: Green Timber tracks all timber products harvested to make certain that proper payments are made. We maintain records of all timber harvest, hauling and payment activities.

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Timber Stand Improvement (TSI)

Timber Stand Improvement (TSI) is a pre-commercial thinning used to increase the growth rates and quality of future timber products. A Green Timber Forester determines if a TSI would be beneficial in our client's forest stand. If so, we designate the trees that should be removed to maximize future growth and quality.

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Tree Planting

A Green Timber Forester will evaluate the site characteristics (soil type, hydrology, aspect, etc.) of your property to recommend a tree planting plan that best fits the site and your goals.

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Food Plots

A Green Timber Forester will evaluate the site characteristics (soil type, hydrology, aspect, etc. ) of your property and make food plot planting and location recommendations. We will also develop a schedule to establish and maintain your food plot.

When installing wildlife food plots the following steps are taken to help guarantee success.

1. First, the site for the food plot must be determined. The site should be located in a relatively remote area of the property where wildlife would feel comfortable feeding. It is important however that the food plot be accessible for the equipment used in establishment and maintenance. Also, when possible, the food plot should be located in a natural forest opening or one created as a result of timber harvesting to reduce the amount of labor required for tree and brush removal.
    
2. Next, a soil test needs to be taken. Taking a soils test will help determine what type of vegetation will grow on the site and how much fertilizer should be added to maximize the vegetative growth.
    
3. The food plot will then most likely need to be sprayed with herbicide to control competing vegetation. If the existing vegetation on the food plot, whether it be grass, brush, etc., is not controlled it will result in poor success of the desired planted species. Controlling the competing vegetation by applying herbicide and disking before seeding will help ensure maximum success of the food plot.
    
4. Once the competing vegetation is controlled through application of herbicide and disking, the plot will have to be seeded. The species of seed being planted will determine the rate at which the seed is spread.
    
5. After the seeding is complete the food plot will be rolled with a cultipacker to ensure optimal soil contact with the seed maximizing germination.
    
6. Once the food plot is established it will have to be maintained according to the type of vegetation that is planted. This maintenance can range from yearly mowing to complete food plot reestablishment.

With a little work and proper planning a wildlife food plot can be established and maintained for years of enjoyment.

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Forest Carbon Credit Trading

A new program developed jointly by the Michigan DNR and the non-profit Delta Pollution Prevention and Energy Efficiency Center will allow non-industrial private landowners to earn revenue through carbon credit trading on the Chicago Climate Exchange. This program provides financial incentive and encourages long-term, sustainable forest management. A property must meet the following criteria before a landowner can participate in the carbon credit exchange.

• Be actively managed for conservation, sustainable timber harvesting or wildlife habitat.
• Be enrolled in a certified program such as Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Forest Stewardship Council or American Tree Farm Group.
• Establish a carbon baseline though a carbon inventory. This is similar to a forest inventory, but focuses more on total growth, rather than merchantable growth.

Green Timber can assist landowners through all aspects of this program. The following steps are taken to enroll a property in the Carbon Offset and Trading Program.

1. The Landowner and a Green Timber forester discuss the owner’s objectives and evaluate the benefits of the Program for their property.
    
2. Green Timber develops a management plan for the landowner. Properties that have an existing plan may not need a new plan.
    
3. The land must be enrolled in a certified program. If it is not, participating in our Green Timber Tree Farm Group satisfies this certification requirement.
    
4. Green Timber designs and conducts a baseline inventory for the landowner’s property, unless an adequate inventory exists for their land.
    
5. Green Timber aids the landowner with enrollment applications and contracts.
    
6. Green Timber provides the landowner with their required annual report.

Click here for more information on the Carbon Credit Offset and Trading Program.

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Road Layout and Planning

A Green Timber Forester can assist with road planning and layout. We will ensure that our client's roads comply with the Best Management Practices and other Department of Environmental Quality regulations. We locate and oversee qualified contractors to conduct the roadwork.

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