University of Minnesota Extension will be conducting a Master Woodland Steward Course in Cook and Lake counties starting in August and ending in November 2023. The Master Woodland Steward program delivers a complete training program for those who own property with woodlands, steward woodlands, or who are looking to buy wooded property and wish to learn more about forest management. This comprehensive program teaches family forest owners and forest caretakers the ins and outs of forest health, timber harvesting, management for recreation and wildlife, estate planning, tax incentive programs and more.

The Master Woodland Steward course offers a flexible design with both in-person and virtual learning. Online topics are offered as a series of self-paced modules with exercises and group discussions. In-person events enable you to learn hands-on and engage with instructors and fellow woodland owners and stewards. The five-month course will include three in-person half-day workshops, three evening virtual learning sessions, and eleven online modules that participants complete on their own time.

The Master Woodland Steward course covers a comprehensive range of woodland topics. Landowners that participate in the course will be able to:

• Consider the different reasons and ways to manage their woods and wildlife.

• Identify common native trees and invasive plants.

• Select appropriate trees for your woodland and know how to plant them.

• Map your woodland and conduct a tree inventory.

• Meet and talk with local natural resources professionals.

• Discuss financial considerations of land ownership (including tax incentives and estate planning) with their family and financial/tax advisors, including marketing of timber.

• Develop specific actions that will provide a path to leaving their land in a better condition for future generations

• Serve as mentor to other private woodland owners and stewards.