Woodland News

Are you a new landowner? Have you recently inherited woodland? The first step is to get to know your property. FORECON's new woodland owner checklist will help you get started with concrete steps, questions to ask, and tips.

A practical first-year guide for new woodland owners

Many woodland owners assume that a timber sale begins when a logger arrives. In reality, the most successful and profitable timber sales begin years, or even decades, before the first tree is harvested.

FORECON partnered with Colonel Ed Fisher and the LEEK Hunting and Mountain Preserve to improve forest health while maintaining compliance with a carbon program and supporting the property’s mission of serving military veterans. This case study highlights how forest management planning, timber inventory, and timber sale administration helped balance conservation, forest productivity, wildlife habitat, and long-term stewardship across the preserve’s 400 acres.

FORECON partnered with the Foundation for Sustainable Forests to complete the timber inventory and real estate appraisal for the acquisition of the historic 670-acre Villa Maria property in northwestern Pennsylvania. This case study highlights how integrated forestry and appraisal expertise supported a complex conservation project, helping preserve working forests, wetlands, and a 160-year legacy of stewardship for future generations.

While conflicts like the Strait of Hormuz can increase fuel costs, disrupt trade, and create short-term volatility in hardwood markets, the long-term value of well-managed northeastern timberland remains rooted in biological growth, disciplined management, and strong underlying demand for hardwood products.

Pennsylvania hardwood markets have shifted from broad-based price appreciation to a more selective environment where species, quality, and location play a greater role in determining timber value

In Northeastern hardwood forests, successful regeneration depends on the right conditions on the forest floor: enough sunlight, limited competition, and space for seedlings to establish. Dense shade, aggressive ferns, beech sprouting, and heavy deer browse often create a bottleneck that prevents young trees like oak and cherry from taking hold. The good news is that with thoughtful, active management, such as thinning, vegetation control, well-planned harvests you can reset those conditions and set your forest up for healthy, long-term growth.

FORECON takes a deep dive into the Big Pine Partnership, a 30+ year forest management project in Western New York where we’ve helped a family balance long-term stewardship with sustainable income. Through adaptive forestry, strategic timber sales, and reinvestment in regeneration, this case study highlights how thoughtful management can protect both a working forest and a multi-generational legacy.

TigerWeb is browser-based forest inventory software for hardwood timberlands, combining GIS mapping, cruise data, growth modeling, and reporting into one platform.