IT’S BEEN A YEAR since the new category “Forest Resources and Management” was added to the University of Florida IFAS Extension Online Learning Catalog.
That portal became a point of access to online educational content developed by UF extension faculty and staff in forestry and natural resource topics. The first offering: Forest Landowner Academy.
The Forest Landowner Academy is offered by the UF/IFAS School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences (SFFGS). The course is delivered by nine UF forestry and wildlife topic experts who offer insight and resources to help landowners and managers of land, and even policymakers, understand the complexities of forest stewardship.
The course also helps landowners plan for the continued stewardship by future generations.
According to a 2016 report by UF/ IFAS Extension, “Nearly two-thirds (66%) of Florida’s forestlands are privately owned by industry, corporations, families, or individuals, while 17 percent are state owned, 16 percent are owned by the federal government, and 3 percent are owned by county and municipal governments.”
Florida forests provide economic impacts in the form of recreation, hunting, contributions to biomass power, solid wood and paper products, and cellulose pulp used in the manufacture of countless goods we use every day – such as cell phone screens. And, in turn, that adds up to thousands of jobs.
Just as important are the non-marketed environmental and ecosystems services that forests provide. From surface and groundwater storage to air purification, atmospheric carbon storage, plus the mitigation of floods and droughts, generation and preservation of soils, and control of agricultural pests.
What forest landowners do with their property has an impact on neighbors both near and far.
Dr. Michael Andreu, associate professor at UF’s SFFGS specializes in forest management, restoration ecology, silviculture, and ecosystems services. Andreu, along with SFFGS Florida Land Steward Extension Program Manager Chris Demers are the lead instructors of the course.
The invitation to take the course reads, “Forest Landowners, and others in need of forest management information, are encouraged to enroll to connect with forest management experts at the University of Florida and receive quality core educational content on forestry and multiple-use stewardship concepts.”
According to Demers, the course launched in January 2023 and so far, 68 people have taken it.
“The purpose of the course is to provide quality core educational content on forestry and multiple-use stewardship concepts,” said Demers.
“Forest landowners, and others interested, are gaining comprehensive knowledge and skills related to forest resources and active management that they can use in their land management and planning. The course also provides important background knowledge and context on topics discussed in more detail at Florida Land Steward Program and other partner events and webinars offered each year.
Dr. Andreu notes a change in generational shift in forest land ownership over the last 30 years.
“In the past, landowners often lived and worked on the land itself and experienced it directly,” he said. “But today, increasingly, landowners are no longer directly tied to the land. They often live in another part of the state. We needed to create a way to provide this new generation of landowners with the information they need to sustainably manage their lands while living in urban areas, and juggling a job and family.
Demers and Andreu selected a team of SFFGS experts to piece together the online course. That team includes in addition to Demers and Andreu: Assist. Professor of Forest Business Dr. Tamara Cushing, Assist. Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Dr. Marcus Lashley, Assoc. Professor of Silviculture Dr. Pat Minogue, Forester at UF’s Austin Cary Forest Scott Sager, Program Manager of SFFGS Cooperative Forest Genetics Research Program Manager Dr. Andrew Sims, Professor of Forest Pathology Dr. Jason Smith, and Associate Professor of Forest Ecosystems Dr. Jason Vogel.
Participants can take the course at their own pace and jump around to topics that are particularly relevant to them at that moment in time.
Forest Landowner Academy is made up of seven modules that cover key forest resource, management, and stewardship topics including: understanding your forest resources, developing your management plan, timber management, marketing forest products, other forest enterprises such as pine straw and hunting leases, wildlife management, and planning for the future.
The course is delivered via a combination of video presentations, readings, resource connections, and assessment questions that will help landowners begin the process of developing a land management plan.
These course modules can be viewed in any order. So, if you are interested in succession and estate planning and conservation easements, you can learn about those topics in Module 7.
If you are interested in leasing acreage for hunting, Module 6 addresses wildlife habitat and how to integrate wildlife with forestry.
Dr. Andreu added that anyone interested in forests in Florida should consider enrolling.
“Landowners, high schoolers, teachers, county commissioners, real estate agents, property appraisers, bankers,” he listed.
Here’s a summary of what each module is about:
Module 1: Understanding your forest resources
Getting to know your forest resources through inventory and tree identification.
This module taught by Dr. Andreu offers the basics in tree identification, forest inventory, types of forest ecosystems, and a field guide to common Florida tree species.
Module 2: Developing your management plan
This module provides an overview of plan development. The information presented can be used to define your goals and build short and long-term plans.
Demers discusses goals and objectives to consider through topics such as How important is wildlife habitat? Did you want game species? Songbirds? Rare plants? Regenerated hardwoods, food plot, mixed pine and hardwood stand?
He also goes into detail on the legal description of property and the importance of resource assessment, identifying the trees and wildlife, mapping, and activity schedules (what takes place where), important contacts, and acquiring aerial photos.
Module 3: Timber management
This module provides an extensive overview of best practices for timber management. UF’s Austin Cary Forest Manager Scott Sager talks about planning, site prep and maintenance of your forest.
Sager goes into detail on dozens of topics from prescribed burning to road access for timber hauling trucks to fertilization and harvesting.
Dr. Andrew Sims, program manager for SFFGS Cooperative Forest Genetics presents on genetic improvement of forest trees.
“Genetic gain is when you select parent trees that yield offspring with better performance-based genes,” Sims said.
Module 4: Marketing forest products
Sager addresses how to sell timber and market forest products. Important logistics such as the importance of road layout for timber harvest. And on the business side, he talks about water and wildlife impacts of harvesting, not making handshake deals but dealing with contracts, and understanding the ways to get paid.
Will you take a lump sum? Or pay-as-you-cut contract? There is advice on the bidding process as detailed as keeping track of the trucks by taking note of the scale tickets.
Module 5: Other forest enterprises such as pine straw, hunting leases
This module provides an overview of non-timber forest products that can add value to your investment.
Demers opens up the discussion about a land management plan and brings up options for selling pine straw and discusses topics such as silvopasture which combines forage, livestock and trees.
“The management plan is a guide for where you are and where you want to be,” Demers said.
He also discusses the pros and cons of hunting leases, palmetto berries, and carbon markets.
Module 6: Wildlife management
This module provides an overview of wildlife habitat and how to manage your land in harmony with the needs of important Florida wildlife and game species.
UF Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Assist. Professor Dr. Marcus Lashley goes in-depth about what wildlife needs and what you can provide: food, water, cover, space. Will you create a niche habitat catering to deer or turkey?
This will require deliberate management of the land’s structure of vegetation because the arrangement of that vegetation influences species and ecosystem success.
Module 7: Planning for the future
This module provides an overview of legal considerations when planning for the future of your land.
Dr. Tamara Cushing, assistant professor at SFFGS is an expert in forest business, taxes, succession planning, and cash flow analysis.
Her presentation addresses what the current and future plans are for the forest property.
“If you are passing land to the next generation, you’re going to have to relinquish control,” Cushing said.
She advises keeping deeds, conservation easement paperwork, cost share agreements, any contract that puts restrictions on the property and a copy of your Forest Stewardship Plan in a secure place.
“A will is a great start, but what if your kids don’t get along?” Cushing asks real questions and said that she recently went through the process with her parent’s estate.
She suggests families meet on the property and “walk and talk as they go through the woods.”
“If you are donating it, have that conversation ahead of time,” she advises. “Or are you splitting it one third for each kid?”
In this module, Demers adds a presentation about conservation easements as well.
Course feedback
Citrus County Property Appraiser Lori Olson took the course for professional and personal reasons and said she was surprised by the amount of information the Forest Landowner Academy offers.
“I process and inspect agricultural properties that have an Agricultural Classification (Greenbelt) as well as new applicants,” Olson reported. “I saw the Forest Landowner Academy course was available and approached my management about attending. I felt if I was inspecting timber tracts, I needed more information and education and saw this course as a great opportunity to learn. Management agreed for me to take the course.
“I had no idea the different aspects that relate to timber, from all the different soil types, species of trees, disturbances, how a forest inventory is conducted and why it is important,” she said.
“I do not personally own timberland but have family who may in the future convert their 30 acres of grazing into timber and this course was extremely informative for present and future use. I highly recommend this course for present and future landowners who are interested in owning timber.”
Private landowner Brad Pollitt owns 60 acres in Alachua County. He said the course helped him discover his options.
“Our property backs up onto the Lake Alto Swamp on the west and Santa Fe Swamp is across the highway to the east,” he said, noting that a third if the property is basin swamp, a third is plated pines on transitional flatwoods and the balance is old blueberry field circa 1970 that he plans to convert to longleaf pine.
“This course helped me to learn more about the types of forest, different options for management and more about the timber industry. As a result, I have also begun to develop annual plans for management practices.”
Enrolling in the course
As of early April, 77 people have enrolled in the Forest Landowner Academy. The cost of the course is $150 but there is a discount of 30 percent with the use of the promotion code: K1UZ17
Visit https://programs.ifas.ufl.edu/florida-land-steward/ for more information and to enroll in the course which is now available for group purchasing. The book “Your Backyard Woods & Wildlife” is included in the course cost.
Questions about the course can be directed to Demers (352) 846-2375 or by email cdemers@ufl.edu. Or contact Dr. Michael Andreu at mandreu@ufl.edu or (352) 846-0355.
Photo links: https://www.flickr.com/photos/163771411@N07/alb
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