Timberland Management

DDFSI Timberland Management

Dougherty and Dougherty Forestry Services (DDFSI) manages forest land for private forest landowners in the Southeastern US. Our land management staff is composed of college-educated, field-trained, and licensed forestry professionals. All staff members share a vision of achieved excellence and a stated goal of reaching each individual landowner objectives. Collectively, our desire is to achieve our well-established mantra of “Progressive Forestry Management on Private Land™”.

Our client’s primary objectives may include timber revenue production (from hardwood or pine stands; of natural or plantation origin), wildlife habitat management, ecosystem conservation, soil and water conservation, aesthetics, other recreational use, other supplementary income production, or some combination of these.

These goals are reached by implementing a management plan. DDFSI can serve a client by providing comprehensive management (all consulting services needed) or a single service. The following is a list of services provided:

Why DDFSI

Vision and understanding of ownership objectives, project planning, implementation, and feedback loop results; of an absolute commitment to customer service; and of how to communicate to private landowners.

Basic:

  • Timberland Inspection - DDFSI professionals can complete an  inspection of a property, provide an initial assessment of the resources, and address any listed concerns, i.e. pine beetle attacks, storm damage, growth levels, trespass, etc.
  • Annual Inspection Program - DDFSI professionals can complete a property inspection during a given quarter on an annual basis and report on property status. This is a particularly beneficial service for absentee landowners.
  • Timber Inventory - DDFSI can design and complete a timber inventory for all types of SE US Forests. This service includes report or presentation of the timber volumes present in tons, cords or thousand board feet by species and product class. All reports can be generated to quantify the standard error and confidence intervals for all estimates.
  • Timber Appraisal - DDFSI can provide an appraisal of standing timber values once a statistically valid timber inventory is completed.
  • Timber Marketing - DDFSI professionals can prepare and oversee the proper marketing and harvest of timber for landowners. Sale methods may include negotiation or sealed bid. Payment types may include lump-sum-in-advance or per-unit-with-partial-advance. Harvest types may include clear-cut, select-cut, or thinning. This service often includes inventory, mapping, logging inspections, and use of our Timber Security and Tracking System and Reconciliation.
  • Boundary Line Marking - DDFSI professionals can mark and paint boundary lines so that they are clearly identifiable and maintained over the years to dissuade others from trespass and adverse possession.
  • Prescribed Burning - DDFSI professionals complete prescribed understory burning for aesthetics, improved wildlife habitat quality, competition control, and fuel reduction.
  • Plantation Establishment - DDFSI professionals make and implement solid establishment recommendations based on site-soil limitations. They lineup contractors and oversee and document work quality that is completed.
  • Seed Source Selection - DDFSI, through its Center of Forestry Research and Applied Management, specializes in the understanding of loblolly pine genotypes and the appropriate management regimes, soils, and climate for their planting deployment.
  • Mid-Rotation Management - DDFSI professionals recommend, line-up, oversee, and document mid-rotation services including understory hardwood release, understory burning and fertilization.
  • Old-Field Spraying, Scalping, Disking, and Seedling Planting - DDFSI professionals can complete site preparation spraying, disking, and scalping for old-field establishment of loblolly, longleaf, or slash pines, as well as for hardwood species planting. DDFSI can also complete the actual machine planting of the species, as well as any follow-up herbaceous weed control sprayings needed.

Advanced:

  • GIS Mapping and Data Storage - DDFSI professionals can digitally and spatially map timberland. Stand delineation can be completed, with historical and current stand data attributes stored by stand type. Custom maps can be created and printed for special projects.
  • Growth and Yield Modeling - DDFSI professionals can complete growth and yield modeling for pine and eucalyptus using proprietary models. Estimates of growth, resulting yields, and estimated values can be used for budgeting, discounted cash flows, or stand level decision making.
  • Harvest Scheduling - DDFSI professionals can create harvest schedules for a property or land base given quality stand-level inventory information.
  • Forest Investment Analysis - Combining services of GIS Mapping, G&Y Modeling, Harvest Scheduling, and Discounted Cash Flow Analysis, DDFSI professionals can evaluate potential timberland purchases or leases.
  • Forest Management Planning - A DDFSI forestry professional and/or Registered Forester can prepare a long-term, written plan to include GIS maps and forest activity schedules tailored specifically to your management goals. Such a plan provides much needed direction and organization of activities so that you and your forester work toward goal satisfaction. A forest management plan is often required by government organizations for forestry cost-share programs as well as County tax office's for forestry-use property tax deferments, when available. We are certified Forest Stewardship Program (FSP) plan writers in North Carolina. Coupled with timber stand inventory, timber appraisal, and growth projection modeling a professionally prepared forest management plan and forestry consultant are invaluable tools.
  • Wildlife Population Samples - A DDFSI forestry or wildlife professional can develop and execute a plan for sampling target game populations to determine a base-line population of a target game species by which a wildlife management plan can be implemented to improve the population for preferred trophy characteristics. Those passionate about white tail deer and wild turkey would have interest in sampling and determining availability of food sources, shelter, and brooding habitat.
  • Food Plot Establishment - A DDFSI forestry or wildlife professional can assist you with proper location and quantity of food plots as well as conduct the establishment with chosen vegetation to complement your wildlife management goals. Using in-house tractor equipment or supervising contractors for larger jobs, we have professionals on staff with wildlife management degrees and practical experience. Once food plots are established, we can provide a GIS map showing plots, stand / blind locations, hydrology, timber and vegetative cover, roads and ATV trails, buffer zones, etc.