Is your forest healthy? How do you know? When harvesting timber, what is your fair share? Is a handshake good enough? The Forest Stewardship Shortcourse will help you answer these questions.

Beginning Oct. 24 and continuing through Dec. 12, a series of weekly classes will be conducted for owners of small-scale family forests (typically 5-500 acres). Participants can become eligible for cost-share assistance to implement practices, be considered for reduced property taxes, and become a certified forest.

The program is known as the Forest Stewardship – Coached Planning Shortcourse, and is conducted by WSU Extension and the state Department of Natural Resources. It is called “coached planning” because a major part of the training involves “coaching” participants as they develop simple management plans for their forests.

Among the topics to be covered are: forest ecology; forest health; applied silviculture; reforestation; responsible timber harvesting; forest soils; riparian area management; fish and wildlife habitat; cultural resources; special forest products; and forest recreation.

Course fee is $75 per person, family or land parcel. Participation is limited to 30 registrants on a first-come, first-served basis upon receipt of the registration and fee.

Classes will be held on Mondays, 6 – 9 p.m., at the McCleary Community Center.

The course is taught by the state’s recognized experts from WSU, DNR and other natural resource agencies. The course has never been held in Grays Harbor and surrounding communities. If you are interested in this training, please call the WSU Extension office at (509) 667-6540. To download a brochure/ registration from the web, go to http://forestry.wsu.edu.