OLYMPIA The Washington State Department of Natural Resources and Washington State University Snohomish County Forestry Extension are offering a nine-week forest stewardship course to help North Sound area forest owners protect and manage their lands. Sessions will be held Tuesday evenings, 6-9 p.m., Feb. 6 through April 3, at the state WSU Extension Complex in South Everett. An all-day field session will be held on Saturday, March 10.
The course is designed to help landowners develop a customized multi-resource Forest Stewardship Plan for their property. Course participants will learn how to:
Protect and enhance wildlife and fish habitat.
Improve tree growth and timber production.
Assess, protect, and improve forest health.
Decrease potential damage from wildfire, insects, diseases, and other threats.
Successfully plan and conduct common forest improvement practices.
Become eligible for cost-share assistance.
Become eligible for Stewardship Forest recognition and Tree Farm certification.
Become eligible for current use forest property tax programs.
Course topics will include forest ecology, forest health, forest soils, forest inventory, wildlife management, silvicultural techniques, site regeneration, special forest products, riparian area and water quality issues, forest practices regulations, incentive programs, and more.
Participants will receive a comprehensive Forest Stewardship Notebook, other educational reference materials, maps and aerial photos of their property, and if desired, an individual on-site consultation from a professional forester or wildlife biologist.
Early registration is recommended.
Tuition for the eight-week course is $150 and includes all family members or co-owners of the land. Class size is limited to ensure a quality educational experience. Registration is first-come, first-served until the class is full.
To register, or for more information, visit http://snohomish.wsu.edu/calendar.htm. Or contact: John Keller, DNR Stewardship Forester at 360-708-1430 (john.keller@dnr.wa.gov ) or Peggy Campbell, WSU Snohomish County Extension, 425-357-6024.