The MASTER WOODLAND MANAGER program...
what it is & where it's going

This program has been offered in various regions across the state of Michigan since the mid-1990s. It has been very well received in the Southern Lower Peninsula, with a more modest reception as the program travels North. Although there is a cost associated with the program ($125), this does not seem to be as much a barrier as the 30 hour, 6 week time commitment. Regardless, all come out of the program with a collection of technical materials for later reference.
 
TEXT AND MATERIALS NEWSLETTER FOR "GRADUATES"
TOPIC MODULES SAMPLE FORMS AND EVALUATION MATERIALS
HOW DOES A LOCAL COUNTY GET STARTED?    

 
TEXT AND MATERIALS
A team of MSU extension & faculty as well as members of local Conservation Districts have revised the Master Woodland Manager program to accommodate changes in private landowner interests related to wildlife, watershed & aesthetic management. The team continues to support the following text for the program:

Baughman, M.J., A.A. Alm, A.S. Reed, T.G. Eiber, and C.R. Blinn. 1993. Woodland Stewardship: A Practical Guide for Midwestern Landowners. Minnesota Extension Service, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN.

...with another text as potential further recommended reading:

Hilts, Stewart and Peter Mitchell. 1999. The Woodlot Management Handbook: Making the Most of Your Wooded Property for Conservation, Income or Both. Firefly Books, Inc., Buffalo, NY.

The suggested text is supplemented with a collection of bulletins and fact sheets created by various organizations. Some of these publications include:

Potter-Witter, Karen and William L. Hoover. 2000. Minimizing federal income tax for forest landowners. North Central Regional Publication 343.

Potter-Witter, Karen and Carl W. Ramm. 1999. Depletion accounts: A guide for consulting foresters and landowners. North Central Regional Publication 609.

Koelling, M. R. and R. B. Heiligmann. 1993. Forest resource management terminology. North Central Regional Extension Publication 478.

Hoover, William L. and Mark A. Koontz. National timber tax website, Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service. http://www.timbertax.org.

Sargent, Mark and Kelly Siciliano, eds. 1999. Managing Michigan’s wildlife: A landowner’s guide. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division private lands program.
 
 
NEWSLETTER FOR "GRADUATES"

Coordinators for the Master Woodland Manager Program are now compiling a simple newsletter for its "graduates." These newsletters will contain features on current issues, new publications or bulletins, special events, and potential volunteer opportunities. Issue #2 is now available!
 
Issue #1 (Summer 2002)
   Introduction: What is this?
   Invasive species: Garlic mustard
   Volunteer ideas & service forester contacts
   Timber tax experts list & related publications		 .html format .pdf format (519k)
Issue #2 (Autumn 2002)
   Pest alert: Emerald Ash Borer
   Recent fact sheet feature: Firewise
   Workshop opportunities through SFI
   Backyard trees: A source of timber income?		 .html format .pdf format
Issue #3 (Winter 2003)
   Winter tree identification
   MWM spring program listing
   Pines or not? (by Bill Cook)
   Considering harvesting on your land?		 .html format .pdf format (1.2m)
Issue #4 (Spring/Summer 2003)
   Michigan Forest Association & Tree Farm Program
   Interesting public forests for your summer vacation
   Oak wilt alert
   Garlic mustard recipes		 .html format .pdf format
Issue #5 (Summer/Fall 2003)
   Right Tree, Right Place, Right Time
      Fall tree planting
      Where are you planting that tree?
   Webs and Wiggly Things
      Fall webworm populations are BIG this year
      Other creepy crawlies
   Help fight Emerald Ash Borer		 .html format .pdf format

  
TOPIC MODULES
Using the selected text, the collected supplemental materials, "canned" slide presentations, planned field experiences, and other references (including worldwide web sites), the program team is creating a series of "modules" around each forestry-related topic that will be covered. Five "core" modules will be offered at all Master Woodland Manager training programs. Additionally, another eight are being developed that local counties can choose from, depending on their own local interests. 
Session 1 Ecological principles
Field session 1 Tree identification
Sessions 2 & 3 Management (forestry & wildlife) practices by common habitat types (inc. common species, silvicultural systems, timber stand improvement, wildlife practices):
    Dry conifers

    Mesic conifers

    Dry hardwoods

    Mesic hardwoods

    Lowland hardwoods

    Aspen & birch
Session 4 Tree planting techniques
Economics (taxation, financial & technical assistance)
Sessions 5 & 6 Choose 2 or more optional sessions (depending on local interest):
    Management planning

    Marketing products

    Best Management Practice (BMPs)s

    Nontimber forest products

    Urban forestry (small lots)

    Wetland/aquatic habitat and/or grasslands/prairie habitat

    Wildlife feeding (food plots, etc.)

    Invasive/exotic species

    Wildfire prevention
Field session 2 Forest measurements/silvicultural systems tour (or other opportunities)

 
SAMPLE FORMS AND EVALUATION MATERIALS
A set of sample forms and handouts has been provided here for examination:

A Volunteer Agreement Form is used to provide Master Woodland Manager participants some guidelines on volunteering in their communities,

A Classroom Session Evaluation form provides feedback on the effectiveness of the program, and

A "Feedback Opportunity" quiz to provide a self-examination of what each participant learned from the program.
 

   
HOW DOES A LOCAL COUNTY GET STARTED?
Contact either Dean Solomon or Georgia Peterson for more information. They can arrange to meet with the interested parties and share course materials, session information, and speaker lists. The local office is responsible for coordinating session sites and speakers. Your contacts can also provide advice on how to coordinate the volunteer pool that will exist as a result of your program.