Conservation Forestry Program: Forest Operations Manual

The Forest Operations Manual is an accessible, comprehensive "how-to" book on conducting sustainable forestry in Appalachian hardwoods. Its principles are intended to help raise the bar for timber-management practices within the Clinch Valley and around the country.

Three purposes of the Forest Operations Manual:

Provide internal guidelines for operations
Provide a blueprint for independent certification, particularly from the Forest Stewardship Council
Provide guidelines to other members of the forestry community

A bound copy is available for $26.50 from the Clinch Valley Program office. Or download the manual in Adobe Acrobat format by clicking on the links below:

Title Pages & Table of Contents (.pdf, 591 kb)
Chapter 1: Introduction: The Need for Conservation Forestry (.pdf, 478 kb)
Chapter 2: Protecting Water Quality (.pdf, 633 kb)
Chapter 3: Protecting Rare Species and Communities (.pdf, 648 kb)
Chapter 4: Managing Biodiversity (.pdf, 653 kb)
Chapter 5: Maintaining & Enhancing Soil Health (.pdf, 576 kb)
Chapter 6: Addressing Social Concerns (.pdf, 600 kb)
Chapter 7: Writing Management Plans (.pdf, 660 kb)
Chapter 8: Writing Silvicultural Prescriptions (.pdf, 671 kb)
Chapter 9: Designing & Building Road Systems (.pdf, 641 kb)
Chapter 10: Timber Harvesting & Marketing (.pdf, 630 kb)
Appendix: The Planning Process (.pdf, 592 kb)
References (.pdf, 340 kb)