I needed a new plan.

My original plan was to leave the forest alone, letting it do it’s forest thing (“Plan A”). But this proved unworkable because:

• It would start being taxed as “Residential” personal property, and that would be very expensive.
• In it’s current state, it was completely unusable. The large and small thorny bushes, poison ivy, nettles, and burrs made it impossible to walk through and enjoy. Leaving it alone would only allow that to get worse.

My next plan (“Plan B”) was based totally on the Forest Management Plan. That plan resolved the taxation issue, by returning the forest to the State Forestry Program. But it created some other problems:

• It requires active management from me, and I don’t really know what I’m doing.
• Arming myself with a backpack sprayer of Roundup, a chainsaw and weed trimmer, it would take me several lifetimes (if I survived the first few days) to clear the massive amounts of brush and invasive species occupying the 33 acres.
• The odds of achieving success with this plan were too small, and the odds too great for me getting hurt while tromping around the muddy, slippery, sloped, buggy, sticker forest with my power tools. Remember, I’m the “Reluctant Forester”, not the “Enthusiastic Forester.”

I definitely needed a new plan.

I recalled the advice given to me by the USDA District Conservationist, and my Professional Forester. They both recommended bringing in heavy equipment (operated by someone who actually did know what they were doing), to clear out a “staging area” at the opening of the forest, and then carve access trails through the woods. This would enable people to penetrate the forest and clear the brush, invasive species, and thin the forest to restore its’ health.

This could all be hired out, and then I could periodically ride through on my Gator or ATV to touch up areas with a sprayer, inspect, and perhaps hire more brush cutters. The Professional Forester had told me that lots of “Absentee Owners” did it this way and found they enjoyed the time they spent in the woods, freed from the tasks of heavy lifting.

The New Plan evolved:

• Hire a Forest Mulcher Guy to clear a staging area near the front gate.
• Have the Forest Mulcher Guy clear a circular trail through the forest (avoiding big trees), to enable access.
• Hire a Professional Forester to do the fine detail brush clearing and tree thinning necessary to re-establish the health of the forest.
• Use a Gator (and tools) for inspection and later touchups to the invasive species control.
• Build a small shed (garage) to house the Gator and necessary tools/supplies for the forest management.

I was comfortable with the New Plan. It was a little expensive, but affordable, and I hoped would provide enjoyment without anyone getting hurt trying to manage this forest.

As I was soon to learn, this New Plan had some unexpected complexities, and proved to be a little more expensive than I had thought.