Managing lands truly takes a team effort. Many landowners own multiple acres, which can include dense forest and a large variety of trees and flora. Gogebic Ontonagon Conservation District recently hired Sawyer Forbes to lead the forest assistance program and support landowners with management tips and connections with contractors.
I studied at the University of Vermont. I had a bachelor’s in forestry. And then after university, I moved out to Conifer, Colorado, and worked for the Forest Service for about a year there. And then after that, I realized it was a desert and decided to move to Missoula, Montana. – Sawyer Forbes, FAP forester, Gogebic Ontonagon Conservation District
Forbes felt more connected with her work while connecting with people. So she began looking for a role with a larger person-to-person aspect. Another draw to the region for Forbes was the familiarity with similar forest types and watersheds to her home state of Vermont.
Landowners will typically want to contact a FAP forester office after finding a known invasive species, or after noticing something off about the growth of some plants or trees on their property.
And yes, people are finding they have this crazy amount of invasive species. And they might want to pursue management. We see a lot of buckthorn and invasive honeysuckle in our counties. And so, then we can help you get in touch with somebody who can come out and help remove that. Or just a lot of products are available over the counter. So also, kind of helping to educate you on how you can pursue that management yourself if it’s a small-scale issue. – Sawyer Forbes, FAP forester, Gogebic Ontonagon Conservation District
In her role as the FAP forester, Forbes plans on expanding forestry education opportunities for the community. Another aspect of the FAP forester position is managing the qualified forest program.
And helping people, just like encouraging people to continue active management. It’s a tax incentive program, and you can enroll if you want to, but it just encourages people to continue that active forest stewardship – Sawyer Forbes, FAP forester, Gogebic Ontonagon Conservation District
Forbes adds that contacting the office before fall and later winter, returns can make sure a landowner has a plan in place to manage forests in the spring. She has already begun working with a handful of landowners this summer, including one landowner hoping to create a better space for yellow warbler nesting.
There’s a lot of opportunity for people to start looking at getting contractors onto their property to start some of that active forest management. So I’m available to write you referrals if you’re looking for somebody to do that work. And also, hopefully, I’ll be offering a couple of outreach events this fall that will be posted on our Facebook page. – Sawyer Forbes, FAP forester, Gogebic Ontonagon Conservation District
Those interested in learning more about the Ontonagon Conservation District and how an FAP forester can help manage lands can find more information online.
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