Page 14 - Tree Line - NCFA - First Quarter 2020

the way,” he said. “I quickly learned that there were a lot of aspects to forest management.” In his personal approach to forest management, Jones noted that he has three overarching priorities, which he listed in order of importance: timber, water and wildlife. He believes that a management plan is critical for a landowner to achieve their desired goals, not just the goals of their forestry consultant (if they have one). In addition, he said, a forest landowner should take the time to update their management plan based on their needs or desires, which will likely change over time.
Keeping up with state regulations and guidelines for forest management, such as
the Forest Practice Guidelines (FPGs) and the Best Management Practices (BMPs) is another piece of advice that Jones shared during our interview. He noted that there is a wealth of resources available to ensure that landowners are practicing good-quality forest management on their property. Some resources that he recommends from personal experience are the local/county NC Forest Service, the county NC State Cooperative Extension staff and the NC Tree Farm Program. Jones explained that having his timber certified through NC Tree Farm
has been particularly helpful in becoming a
reputable supplier for overseas log markets as an individual, private landowner. It’s a factor that is especially relevant in eastern North Carolina, where the export log market plays an active role when considering potential timber sales.
Jones also offered his thoughts on some other aspects of forest management to consider as a private landowner. For example, Jones has found that using a consulting forester for sealed-bid timber sales helps establish credibility with timber buyers. He suggested that a consulting forester can also provide a landowner with an accurate cruise and timber evaluation in the form of an unbiased, but helpful opinion. All that said, Jones believes it is still the landowners’ responsibility to know their markets and research timber prices.
Jones describes his woodlands as predominantly consisting of intensively managed pine plantations, with the exception of some flat swamps, as well as some older mixed hardwood/ pine stands. All of his pine plantations are v-sheared, bedded, treated with herbicide,
and planted with the best-quality genetics available within two years of final harvest of the mature stand. Newly established plantations
are regularly fertilized as well. In total, Jones estimates his management costs at approximately
Above: As part of his forest management plan, Jones employs varying rotations on his tree farm. Here he is pictured with two of his pine plantations, each in a different age class.
12 ncforestry.org / FIRST QUARTER 2020