Many forest owners want to reap a diverse harvest from their land: ecological, social, and financial benefits, all from the same forest. But how to achieve these good intentions? Fostering a future grove of old-growth or restoring an oak woodland may mean thinning out “extra” trees through commercial harvest. Creating a home for pileated woodpeckers and other wildlife requires leaving many of the largest trees and snags standing instead of removing them for firewood. Earning periodic income from the forest – be it timber or floral greens – starts with an initial investment in long-range planning and infrastructure to optimize harvest options. Forest stewardship requires landowners

Giving landowners the decision-making tools they need to become informed forest stewards   Landowners can encounter barriers that prevent them from taking an active approach to stewarding their forests. We interviewed landowners to understand their stewardship concerns, their sources of information, and the factors that influence their management activities. Landowners make decisions based on their understanding of their forest’s health, the availability of contractors, and the income potential from an activity and its corresponding costs. Important factors guiding their decisions include recommendations from forestry professionals who know their land and the goals they identify in their forest management plans.   We developed tools to help forest