• managing hardwoods or good quality trees for a higher economic and aesthetic yield while at the same time planning a forest to provide a diverse wildlife base
• selective cutting rather than clearcutting
• thinning the forest to take out poor quality trees
• allowing good quality lumber to grow while providing a higher return on a stand of better quality timber
• hiring loggers who will practice Best Management Practices (BMPs)
• considering water quality impacts
• public and tax policies on forestry
• impact on individuals by these policies

Caroline Edwards, a Certified Forest Stewardship Contractor, talked about conservation easements, land trusts, and local tax options in regard to land use/tax deferment programs. In discussing various options surrounding forestry/land management plans that are available to landowners, it became apparent that county officials often make it very difficult for landowners to really do what they want to do with their property. The message was very clear from landowners, that they wanted other options on what to do with their land besides simply clearcutting.

Landowners want to learn about various programs, and then be able to make choices which are best suited to their own individual needs. Most landowners are and want to be good stewards of the land, preserve their acreage, and are concerned about what kind of forestry practices they implement and how these practices will affect their neighbors.

After hosting the meeting, it has become very evident that local landowners are looking for alternatives in land management. Land prices are increasing rapidly, land areas are diminishing in size and becoming more fragmented, and more land is being subdivided causing the natural forest to be compromised for houses or subdivisions. As land parcels get smaller, it sometimes becomes harder to create viable land management options.

Although this may translate into less clearcutting of the forest, it also means that the land is often developed and thus does not have a chance to regenerate. If a landowner wants to cut timber to sustain it, then in most cases, it would be advantageous to let the trees grow to a saw log or veneer size. This not only brings a higher dollar value back to the landowner, but also uses methods that help to preserve the forest's natural character. For landowners who have smaller lots, growing more high-dollar timber provides a higher income off these lots, while at the same time allowing them to hold on to their land. Trends in forest harvesting can also be encouraged using lighter equipment which reduces serious impacts on the surrounding forest system.

We have also found over the past few months, that landowners need to have goals for their land and develop a forestry management plan that will help fulfill those goals. It is important to develop a plan that will include short-term as well as long-term forest management, thus providing a sustainable return on the forest. In Rutherford County, the tax structure often does not include the landowners' desires for what they would like to see done with their land. In North Carolina, the tax laws separate land which is managed as a forest, whether it be for aesthetics, wildlife, or land managed for timber or economic means, when in fact they are really the same thing. Those landowners with tracts of land that they would like to see preserved are finding it more and more difficult to comply with a forestry land use plan. While this plan allows the landowner to obtain a property tax deferment, county officials have now insisted that the only way to manage this plan and continue to fulfill the tax requirements is to clear cut their property, and turn the area into a pine plantation. It has become increasingly clear that landowners are concerned about forest practices as they relate to the current use evaluation for tax purposes. According to some officials, landowners using their land of the purpose of forestry are costing Rutherford County money, and are a "burden to the County." Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, it is the job of the landowner to pay his taxes, just like everyone else does, however, it is not the job of the landowner to be the sole supporter of the tax base in Rutherford County!

A Sustainable Forestry Resource List will be available in the near future to help landowners acquire pertinent forestry information. A letter to local landowners will be sent out that includes a sheet on the North Carolina Tax Deferment Law, an accompanying booklet to provide additional information about the laws, and a postcard with five forestry- related questions. CCRC intends to host more informational meetings to discuss: forest plans with certified foresters, talk with local sawmill owners, provide further options on a variety of land management plans and tax programs, and build a county-wide base of landowners who are interested in preserving the integrity of their forest land for their children and others to come.