University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Forestry Outreach Programs

Some things that we have learned from

Master Woodland Steward Graduates...

• Participants personally owned an average of 260 acres of woodland with a range of 15-1050 acres with an average of 155 acres covered by a written management plan.

• All written management plans address timber production and 75 percent of plans addressed wildlife management issues

• 58% of management plans were developed with the help of a DNR Forester.

• All participants plan to harvest timber products and 80% of participants plan to collect non-timber forest products in the next 5 years.

• The top three primary interest and/or management objectives for the participants' woodlands are:

1. Wildlife habitat conservation 24%

2. Woodland recreation activities 22%

3. Income from timber 12%

• Woodland management activities for the our graduate focused primarily on tree planting and timber stand improvement:

1. Planted trees and grasses 16%

2. Timber stand improvement 14%

3. Tree harvests 14%

• 87% of graduates have received advice or information regarding their woodlands from a state forester, 60% from a private consultant, and 53% from the UW extension system.

• Initially, 71% of our graduates were "interested" to "very interested" in providing neighbors and other community members with advice or information on forest stewardship. After their graduation all participants felt prepared to discuss forest resource management issues with members of the community.

• All respondents feel confident that could refer a woodland owner to the appropriate professional for various types of forest management assistance.

• 90% of program graduates felt that the Master Woodland Steward Program exceeded their expectations.

• Top three classes of interest to our Master Woodland Steward graduates were...

1. Silviculture 29%

2. Wildlife ecology 20%

3. Information sharing 17%

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