Forests support a wide range of environmental, economic, and social benefits. These include wildlife habitat and biodiversity, water filtration and carbon cycling, and human benefits including recreational value and supporting local businesses and economies. Forests are a vital part of our heritage and landscape in Western Washington.
Thurston Conservation District’s forestry services can help you steward your forest in a way that works for you and your goals. Connect with our District Forester for support with:
Services
- Technical assistance
- Professional recommendations and guidance on good forest stewardship tailored to your interests, goals, and specific property
- Guidance on what kinds of programs are available to provide financial or other assistance for managing forests on your property, as well as County tax relief programs
- Assistance in applying for and meeting the requirements for potential assistance programs
- Forestry site visits
- Includes a walkthrough of your forested property and a conversation about your concerns and/or goals for your property. We will assess the current conditions of your forest and what future management needs or opportunities there may be and provide recommendations on how to support you with your goals for the property.
Tell us a little more to get started:
Frequently Asked Questions
A Forest Management Plan (FMP), which may also be referred to as a Timber Management Plan, or Forest Stewardship Plan, is a planning document to help you better understand your current forest conditions and future management needs and opportunities. Forest management plans are intended to1:
- Help landowners better understand current forest conditions and future management needs and opportunities, integrating all of the available forest resources
- Provide a “road map” of management activities to help landowners protect, improve, or restore the health and productivity of forest resources, attain their individual ownership objectives, and provide for long-term sustainable forest management
- Provide useful information to anyone with a current or future interest in the property, including heirs and subsequent owners
- Help landowners meet the “written forest management plan” requirements for the following programs:
- Farm Bill Conservation Programs administered by USDA National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), such as:
- Certified Tree Farm Program
- Current Use Forest Property Tax Programs
1 Washington State Integrated Forest Management Plan Guidelines & Template (2017). https://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/fp_sflo_fs_intfmgmtgdlns.pdf
Yes! Regardless of the size of your forested land, Thurston Conservation District provides forestry site visits and gives site-specific assessments and forestry recommendations. While some programs do have minimum acreage requirements, we’d also be happy to assess your forested property for any programs that could be a good fit to help you in your management of your property.
Depending on your forest size and goals, Thurston County offers property tax relief programs for forested landowners to encourage good stewardship of forests and the many benefits they provide. The most common method is through reclassifying your property as Designated Forest Land, which requires a minimum of 5 contiguous acres of forest dedicated “primarily for growing and harvesting timber”.
If you’re considering enrolling or have more questions, we’d be happy to assess your property for eligibility for Designated Forest Land and other Current Use Classification Programs during a forestry site visit to your property.
Additional Resources
Stewarding Your Forest
Your woods are part of a network of over 22 million acres of an iconic range of ecosystems. Follow these tips to get to know your forest better.
Forestry Programs and Services
Do you own forested or wooded property? Whether you own a few acres of woods or a larger forest tract, there are a variety of services available to help you get the most out of your land. Maybe you’re interested in preservation and aesthetics, periodic timber harvest for income, or anything in-between. Regardless, your local District has the resources to help you achieve your goals and objectives.
Understanding Your Forest Real Estate
As a way to encourage sound forestry practices and conserve healthy, working forests in Washington State, many counties offer landowners the option to have their land designated as forests. This designation often results in lower assessed value and lower property taxes.
Other Resources from TCD
Forestry Cost-share 101 Recorded Webinar
Check out our Community Resilience page for information on wildfire.
Check out our Farm & Forestry resource page.
Interested in learning more about TCD’s forestry services?
Alex Chacon
Stewardship Forester
achacon@thurstoncd.com
You can also use our contact form.