Documents Every Woodland Owners Needs to Keep
Do you know where these seven documents are?
- Deeds—Your deed records your ownership and the location of your property boundaries.
- Your management plan—Your plan serves as an inventory of what is on your property, a work plan for its future, and proof that your Tree Farm is a business if you are claiming a profit or loss at tax time.A detailed map of your property—This should include every important feature of your woods, including boundary lines, walls and fences, vegetation types, streams, and historic structures. The larger the property or more intensive your operations, the more detailed your map should be. You can hire a surveyor to create a map for you, or use the mapping tool in MyLandPlan.org to identify and map your land’s important features yourself.
- Permits—Keep permits for any activities that require them. Whether it is harvesting or planting trees, building roads or stream crossings, using pesticides or conducting controlled burns, permits are your proof that you follow the law.
- Contracts—Always have a written agreement with any contractor you hire to do work and keep it, along with the contractor’s proof of insurance. Why are contracts important, learn more.
- Landowner liability insurance policies—Obtain insurance for yourself, your property, and any structures on it, and keep copies of each policy. Learn more about why insurance for your land is important.
- A copy of your state’s best management practices (BMPs)—Find your state’s BMPs on the ATFS Woodland Resources.
How Long Should I Hold on to Contracts, Permits and Other Management Documents?
It is a good practice to keep documents like contracts, permits, stocking guides, and other materials used in your stewardship for about three years, although some landowners will hold on to documents much longer. This helps demonstrate your conformance to the ATFS Standards of Sustainability.
