Tree Farmer - May/June 2010 - (Page 22)

Management 101: The Value of Planning By Swearingen Many of us live in an environment of deadlines, meetings, and a whole lot of planning. When we go to the Tree Farm, planning is the last thing we want to do! We’d rather ride the ATV, hike around with the family, trim a few trees, and just relax. Okay, I’m not making a good case for developing a plan for your Tree Farm — or am I? KuRT While enjoying your Tree Farm is the first and foremost thing on your mind, the woods will change over time. Trees will grow and get sick, wildlife habitat conditions will vary, wood product markets will fluctuate, and even your family’s interest in the Tree Farm will alter. Indeed, change is the only constant. To preserve your ongoing enjoyment of the Tree Farm, you should address and, yes, plan for these inevitable changes. The Purpose of Planning Developing a Tree Farm plan is criti- cal to increasing the odds of meeting your goals. Without a plan, it is a hitor-miss proposition with increased odds of failure, often evidenced by maxing out expenditures and time without reaching the intended goals. A properly developed plan will pay for itself in that it contains information helping you to: 1) Identify opportunities, 2) Allocate and prioritize scarce resources, 3) Organize expenditures and income, and 4) Demonstrate your commitment to others. There will be numerous anticipated — and unanticipated — opportunities for achieving your goals. Plans help document these opportunities and how each may achieve a specific goal, thus making your train-of-thought clear before committing to any one course of action. To acquire the full breadth of opportunities, you should consult with numerous planning advisors, including a professional forester, accountant, and lawyer (see sidebar, page 24). Though your goals may be clear, how to achieve them is often less obvious — that is where these professionals shine. 22 Tree Farmer MAY/JUNE 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Tree Farmer - May/June 2010

Tree Farmer - May/June 2010
Contents
Cover Story
Control the Competition
2009 Western Regional Tree Farmers of the Year
Management 101: The Value of Planning
Woodland Security
Wildlife Matters

Tree Farmer - May/June 2010