Master Forest Owner volunteer training is now over, and I can say that if there is one thing I learned, it’s that forest owners need to be familiar with the resources available to them. A free visit from one of Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Master Forest Owner (MFO) volunteers is a great place to start [a pdf list]. An MFO can sit down with landowners and help them consider the issues land owners face that might include agro-forestry, maple syrup production, logging and timber sales, pest and invasive species management, understanding wetlands, soil and water quality, developing a management plan, or just understanding a little more about the land they own. Those with a keener interest in their forested property should consider becoming a volunteer themselves. The next training will be held at the Arnot Teaching and Research Forest, September 9-13, 2009.

Here is a list of the stories I wrote while taking part in the training. We covered a lot more, but these stories provide some information, and more importantly, links to resources:

An Introduction to SUNY-ESF’s Adirondack Ecological Center at the Huntington Forest.

Access to DEC information about Adirondack forests and wildlife.

A field trip to the Tupper Lake Hardwoods Mill.

A “whirlwind tour” of Adirondack mammals.

Maple syrup production for forest owners.

Felling trees safely (with training info).

Agro-forestry: making money from your forest without logging.

Water quality best management practices.

Saw timber economics and timber sales best practices.