Woodland Management Plan NJ: Plans, Mapping and Plan-Directed Work
Wooded land can qualify for farmland assessment when it is managed under a woodland management plan approved by the State Forester, or an NJ Forest Stewardship Plan. Curated Nature Contractors, based in Hammonton, helps landowners get a plan in place and follow it. We work with woodland owners in Atlantic, Camden and Burlington counties, including the Pinelands.
Check if my land qualifiesHow woodland plans work
Each year you file a Woodland Data Form (WD-1) with your FA-1, signed by you and certified by an NJ Approved Forester, showing the plan is being followed. Woodland can qualify on its own with at least 5 acres under an approved plan and two years of active use. A woodland management plan also needs minimum woodland sales; a Forest Stewardship Plan does not, but you must carry it out.
The plan is written by an independent NJ Approved Forester we coordinate with. We handle the project around it, so you have one point of contact.
What we handle
- Woodland management plans and Forest Stewardship Plans, through the forester
- Property mapping (not a land survey) and woodland inventory support
- The ground-based work your approved plan calls for: trails, firebreaks, thinning, mechanical invasive removal, timber stand improvement
- Annual Woodland Data Form (WD-1) reminders and scheduling of your forester's yearly certification
Ground-based, plan-directed work
Our crews do ground-based work that follows what your approved plan calls for, with no climbing, aerial lifts, cranes or rigging. The plan comes first. See forestry services in NJ for the work we do.
Why start now
New Jersey's new woodland preservation law also calls for an approved plan. See the NJ woodland preservation program page for where that program stands.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a woodland management plan and a Forest Stewardship Plan?
Both can support farmland assessment on wooded land. A woodland management plan meets the farmland assessment criteria and requires woodland product sales. An NJ Forest Stewardship Plan meets the state stewardship program criteria; it has no sales requirement, but you must carry out the plan. Your forester can tell you which fits your goals.
Do you write the plan yourselves?
No. An independent NJ Approved Forester we coordinate with prepares the plan. We handle the mapping support, the field work and the yearly reminders.
Is your property mapping a land survey?
No. It is property mapping, not a land survey. If you need a survey, a licensed surveyor handles it and we coordinate.
I only have woods. Can I still qualify?
Often, yes. Woodland can qualify on its own with at least 5 acres and two years of active use. Under a woodland management plan, you also need at least $500 a year in woodland product sales (plus 50 cents an acre over 5). Under an NJ Forest Stewardship Plan, there is no minimum sales amount, but you must carry out the plan.
Related services
- Farmland assessment in NJ for the tax program your plan supports
- NJ woodland preservation program for the new SADC easement program
- Farm conservation plans in NJ for farm fields and operations
Grown right, the way nature intended.