FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN
A forest management plan is a good tool for planning the methods of managing your forest. It is also known as a forest plan or felling plan. The forest management plan will give the forest owner a complete overview of the whole forest, it will help estimate the value of the forest land and will give recommendations about forest planning for the following 10 years. When managing the forest, the right time and method for the work to be carried out are important. Our long-term experience has given us valuable knowledge about all stages of managing a forest.
If you need help in surveying your forest or writing a forest management plan, submit a price enquiry!
The importance of conducting a forest inventory
Inventory data are an essential part of a forest management plan. The survey description of the forest gives a precise overview of the condition of the forest –the stand’s species composition, height, age, productivity and reserve. It is important to have as fresh inventory data about your forest as possible because the survey description of a forest is of help when advising forest owners and when writing the forest management plan.
The inventory data are entered in the Forest Register and they are valid for 10 years. Without the approval of the forest owner it is not possible to enter inventory data in the Forest Register. Therefore, only the forest owner can order the surveying of the forest and writing the forest plan!
The importance of having forest inventory data
Valid forest inventory data are required when you intend to apply for forest subsidies or undertake thinning or regeneration cutting. An exception is a forest immovable of a natural person that is smaller than 5 ha and a forest immovable of a legal person that is smaller than 2 ha. In such cases, having these data is not compulsory in order to do forest management. Irrespective of the size of the land, before the start of any forest management activities, you need to submit a forest notification to the Environmental Board about the planned work. A forest notification, meaning the cutting right, is valid for one year.
Inventory data and forest notifications are not required when the annual felled volume of timber is below 20 solid cubic metres per immovable or if the intention is only to undertake the planting of trees, the improvement of the forest cultures or felling for better daylight.
The process of writing a forest management plan
Before starting forest management work, it is necessary to consider the feasibility, time and method of the activities. The forest management plan is written taking these aspects into account, which will then help the forest owner handle the forest prudently.
The first step of writing a forest plan is that the forest surveyor does the fieldwork and carries out an inventory. Once in the forest, various data about the stand are collected (the species of trees, age, height, diameter etc.) and the work required for managing the forest is listed. Then, the data are entered on a computer and maps are drawn. When the plan is finished, it is presented to the forest owner for reading and checking the data.
Forest management plans are written in accordance with the Forest Act, the Forest Inventory Guidelines and other legislation in force in the Republic of Estonia. The price of a forest plan and writing of the plan are specific for each immovable, therefore ask for a price offer for writing the plan!
What does a forest management plan contain?
The inventory data entered in the Forest Register are the basis for managing a forest but when relying only on these, it is difficult for the forest owner to get a concise overview of the nature of the forest immovable and opportunities for managing it. You can get a better overview from a forest management plan that consists of:
- Inventory data – a detailed inventory description about each stand compartment (a layer-by-layer overview of the composition of the stand, age, height, diameter, density, reserves), the descriptions also include seedlings, undergrowth, and damage to the forest.
- An overview of the forest management work and the condition of the forest – an overview of the forest management work conducted in the past 10 years and recommended methods (regeneration cutting, improvement cutting and reforestation lists by stand compartments together with summarised data) for forest management for the next 10 years.
- Thematic maps – a forest plan, a stand plan, a plan of intended work, a plan of restrictions if necessary.
- Definitions of the terms and abbreviations – explains the forestry terms and forest management work.
FAQ about the forest management plan
Who conducts forest assessments?
Gathering survey data about forests requires specific knowledge and therefore forest inventory can be carried out only by a licensed forest manager. The list of licenced forest managers is available on the homepage of the Environment Agency. The forest managers on our team have years of experience and important knowledge about all processes related to forest management.
What is a forest notification?
A forest notification, also known as a cutting notification, is a document that contains an overview of the felling activities that are planned for the forest immovable. The notification needs to be submitted to the Environmental Board. It is not necessary to submit a cutting notification if the intended scope of felling is less than 20 solid cubic metres per year per immovable. If the cutting right was sold, the cutting license is a prerequisite for a contract together with valid forest inventory data from the Forest Register. When it comes to selling land, the forest notification and inventory data are not essential prerequisites for signing a sales and purchase contract for the immovable.
How fast are forest inventory data entered in the Forest Register?
While the gathering and formatting of the inventory data can take from a couple of days up to a few weeks, then the approving of the data by the Environment Agency and entering them into the Forest Register can take up to 30 days. Therefore, when you are planning forest management work, it is worth considering this in advance.
How much does a forest management plan cost?
The cost of writing a forest management plan depends on the forest land’s location, size, the urgency of the job and whether the inventory data are ordered with or without the forest management plan. If you already have fresh inventory data, these can be used to write the plan. The price of conducting forest inventory usually remains somewhere between 20-30 EUR/ha. As writing the forest management plan is individual for every immovable, ask for a price offer to find out the exact cost!