Assistance To Landowners

• Reconnaissance/Inventory - Foresters provide "on-site" visits to collect information and provide recommendations on forest management, forest health, and tree planting.  Landowners may need to provide aerial photos and maps of their property and land management objectives to their forester.
   
• Forest Stewardship Plans - Comprehensive five-year plans identify and describe actions to protect, manage, maintain, and enhance woodlands and related resources based on the management objectives of the landowner.  Plans describe the condition of the woodlands and related resources and management recommendations.
   
• Practice Plans - Practice plans provide specific, detailed information on how to implement forestry practices, such as tree planting, timber stand improvement, and timber harvest.
   
• Financial Assistance - A variety of programs offer financial assistance to landowners to implement forestry practices on their property.  Foresters help direct landowners to the program that best suits their needs and objectives.  Programs are dynamic and may fluctuate in funding levels.
  
  
  • Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) - PDF
  • FLEP
     
• Insect, Disease, and Forest Health - Foresters are available to provide diagnosis and control recommendations for insect, disease, and other forest health programs in woodlands and conservation tree plantings.
   
• Education - Foresters provide educations workshops to promote proper forest management, tree planting, and forest health.  An annual Fall Field Day showcases landowners who have done an exceptional job managing their forest resources and provides a variety of forestry educational sessions.
   
• Publications - The Kansas Forest Service offers publications for landowners who want to know more about tree planting, forest health, marketing timbers, heating with wood, improving woodlands, and many other topics at no cost.
   
• Timber Harvest - Foresters assist landowners who wish to sell their timber in a variety of ways.  This may include an on-site visit and professional recommendations.  Foresters may provide timber sale contracts, bid solicitation forms, and a listing of timber buyers PDF.  Foresters do not represent landowners during the negotiation and execution of the contract.
   
• Timber Stand Improvement - Foresters identify the best quality trees to keep and the lower quality trees to remove in a woodland using spray paint and colored tape.
   

Kansas Forest Service policy requires timber appraisals involving herbicide damage, fire damage, civil court cases, right-of-way clearance, land condemnation, and timber trespass be referred to consulting foresters PDF.  Consulting foresters may also provide more "in-depth" service for timber sales and tax recommendations.