The 4 Sustainable Forestry Practices Landowners Should Know

Whether you’re a landowner, hobbyist woodworker, or independent sawyer, there are few things in life as enjoyable as getting out into nature and turning your dreams into reality. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of bringing your visions to life through hard work.

But we also have to recognize that it’s a privilege to live this way, and regardless of how we’re using the natural resources available to us, it’s critical that we do so responsibly. It’s not just about being a decent neighbor—acting as a good steward of the land is how we can each do our part to preserve the resources we enjoy so much for the next generation.

From using a 3 point wood chipper to transform organic debris into a useful byproduct to minimizing erosion, here’s a look at four sustainable forestry practices we should all adopt.

Milling Your Own Lumber

By now, you’ve probably heard about how milling your own lumber is an excellent means of putting a personal touch on every project. Whether you’re milling lumber for woodworking or cutting fence boards, milling your own lumber gives you total control over the final product.

But as a landowner, milling your own lumber is also a prime means of ensuring that the forest on your acreage remains healthy. By milling your own lumber with a portable bandsaw mill, you can thin trees as appropriate and use the timber at your disposal, rather than making trips to the lumber yard.

Minimizing Vehicle Impacts

We’ve all seen land damaged or even rendered entirely unusable as a result of vehicle traffic. You certainly don’t want your acreage to look like that. Besides, these negative impacts can last for quite some time.

For starters, it pays to enhance ATV paths with gravel and stick to these trails whenever possible. Driving responsibly also makes a considerable difference.

If you’re using an offroad ATV trailer, hopefully, your trailer features a tandem walking beam suspension that keeps as many tires on the ground as possible to reduce ground impact.

Repurposing Organic Debris

Making the most of your natural resources means repurposing organic debris whenever feasible. For example, the logs that aren’t suitable to be milled for your woodworking project could be used instead for lumber to build a shed, or at a bare minimum, as firewood.

When it comes to dead brush or branches that fell during the most recent storm, you could simply stack and burn them. Or, you could use one of the industry’s best-valued wood chippers to turn that debris into wood chips that can be used to line garden beds, cushion walking paths, or even as wood chip mulch.

Encourage Forest Regeneration

Helping your forest thrive is a broad topic, but it can be broken down into several straightforward tasks. First and foremost is fire prevention. By creating defensible space around structures and judiciously thinning forested acreage, you can minimize the potential for wildfire to wreak havoc.

When it comes to harvesting timber, be sure to leave a diverse mix of species behind—try to avoid reducing one population too severely. It also helps if you can suppress weeds where feasible and foster seed dispersal to facilitate new growth.

Adopting these sustainable practices can help ensure the health of your forested acreage for generations to come.

About Woodland Mills

Exceptional performance, outstanding durability, and world-class customer service, all at a price point hobbyists can justify—that’s why sawyers and landowners worldwide turn to Woodland Mills for the industry’s best-valued forestry products. Childhood friends Josh Malcolm and Neil Bramley grew up solving mechanical problems together and building their own go-karts. But as adults with land to manage, they couldn’t find practical forestry equipment that was reasonably priced. So, they founded Woodland Mills in 2009. Since then, Woodland Mills has grown into a global industry leader. By combining innovative design, cost-effective manufacturing, and direct-to-customer sales, Woodland Mills delivers unsurpassed value in every product. From their portable sawmill family to the full lineup of wood chippers, off road utility trailers, and portable milling accessories, Woodland Mills has everything a landowner, independent sawyer, or hobbyist woodworker might need.

Explore the best-valued forestry products from Woodland Mills at https://woodlandmills.com/