Stewardship class helps woodland owners

EVERETT — Woodland owners from around the Puget Sound region are invited to attend a nine-week course on forest stewardship starting Feb. 24 at the WSU Snohomish County Extension Cougar Auditorium in McCollum Park, 600 128th St SE, Everett.

Presented by Washington State University’s Snohomish and Skagit county extension services, the “Coached Planning” series runs Tuesday evenings from 6 – 9 p.m., Feb. 24 through April 21.

Since wildlife is one of the highlights of owning wooded property, the class will teach landowners practical steps to attract more wildlife and biodiversity to their property. Participants will also learn about how to assess and maintain tree health, improve aesthetics, cultivate edible and other specialty forest products, as well as how to manage their timber resources.

During the course, participants will develop their own personalized forest stewardship plan. With an approved stewardship plan comes state recognition as a Stewardship Forest, eligibility for cost-share assistance programs, and qualification to become certified as a sustainable forest. An approved stewardship plan may also qualify owners of six or more wooded acres for significant property tax reductions.

The course includes nine evening sessions, a Saturday field day, a comprehensive Forest Stewardship Notebook and other educational reference materials, property maps, aerial photos, and an individual on-site consultation from a professional forester or wildlife biologist.

Registration information is available at snohomish.wsu.edu/ forestry or call Kevin Zobrist, WSU Extension Forester, at 425-357-6017. Registration fee is $175 per family/ownership. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.

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