WVFA Mountain State Forestry Winter 2021-22

T R E E F A R M N E W S 20 West Virginia Forestry Association Mountain State Forestry | Winter 2021–22 www.wvfa.org Local Landowner Gets Paid to Improve His Forestland, Says You Can Too JUST AS PARENTS INFLUENCE THEIR CHILDREN, landowners influence how well their woodlands grow. Unlike parents, private landowners can call in West Virginia service foresters to evaluate their woods, identify what the landowners want from their forests, and come up with a management plan to achieve it. “All non-industrial private woodland owners in West Virginia can use our services,” said Assistant State Forester Charles Copeland, Jr., WVDOF Landowner Assistance program. The West Virginia Division of Forestry (WVDOF) Landowner’s Assistance program services include: ƒ Forest Management Plan preparation ƒ Timber sale assistance ƒ Insect and disease inspections ƒ Financial assistance program guidance All services provided by WVDOF are free of charge to landowners. Some properties in the state have used Forestry’s Landowner Assistance services over several generations of the same family. The service foresters all hold an associate degree or bachelor’s degree in forestry. WVDOF also requires they attend 10 hours of continuing credits each year. John Cobb’s career thrived in big city, big business environments. At 25, he was general manager of four divisions of Bell and Howell Company. He became senior vice president for CBS in New York City. By the time he retired, he had achieved the post of senior vice president for McGraw Hill Publishing Company in Washington, D.C. In 2006, he bought 197 acres in Ireland in Lewis and Braxton Counties. Uninhabited for decades, the forest was overrun with invasive plants displacing the native vegetation. The unbroken tree canopy discouraged many types of wildlife from living there. Cobb’s initial goals were to carve a driveway through the forest and build a house atop the mountain. A keen hunter, he also wanted to attract more wildlife. In 2009, Cobb hired a private forester to assess his property. Among the forester’s recommendations was to contact WVDOF to develop a Forest Stewardship Management Plan. The plan helps landowners pinpoint their goals—such as better timber, wildlife habitat, or other benefits—assess the current condition of their forests and recommend actions to achieve those goals. The plan must be written by a Stewardship certified forester or technician. Eligible landowners can receive up to 75% of the cost of developing the plan. Cobb and WVDOF Assistant State Forester Travis Miller worked together on the Stewardship Plan from 2009 to 2015. The plan continued to evolve as Cobb increased his initial 197 acres to 365 contiguous acres, including four waterfalls. All except 20 acres operate as a tree farm. The Stewardship Plan was amended to reflect Cobb’s developing priorities: ƒ Wildlife protection ƒ Recreation ƒ Soil conservation ƒ Water quality ƒ Timber quality John Cobb of Ireland, West Virginia, creating a two-minute TV spot for the West Virginia DNR.