Green Horizons

Caring for your woodland is a long-term proposition where one decision can have impacts for decades. A new outreach effort, Call Before You Cut, is one way several forest resource agencies and organizations in Missouri are striving to help Missouri landowners who are interested in harvesting trees and ensuring a healthy forest legacy.

The Call Before You Cut campaign features a toll-free phone number (1-877-564-7483) landowners can call to receive free information. A live operator is available from8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, except holidays. Callers will receive a packet of information to assist them in understanding the steps involved in a timber sale and other management information for their woodlands.

"Woodland owners know a lot about their woods, but often don’t have the critical information they need before selecting someone to harvest their trees," said Brian Schweiss, Conservation Department Forestry Field Programs Supervisor. Call Before You Cut gives landowners the tools needed to make informed decisions about their woods."

State Forester Lisa Allen says the Call Before You Cut campaign isn’t about not cutting trees - it’s about how and when you cut them. The program puts landowners in touch with professional foresters who can tell them how much their trees are worth, trees that should be harvested soon and those that can be grown for greater profits later. Call Before You Cut gives landowners options they may not have considered.

"Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about how to keep my woods healthy and beautiful, but I’m smart enough to know that I don’t know everything," says Dave Murphy, a landowner from Clark County. "I didn’t want to make any mistakes with my own land. By working with a professional forester, I was able to make money, maintain healthy woods, and improve food and cover for turkeys, one of my favorite wildlife to view and hunt."

Private landowners own 83 percent of Missouri’s 14 million acres of forest, which covers roughly one-third of the state. They are key providers of trees that produce some of Missouri’s most sought-after wood products such as flooring, white oak for wine barrels, and eastern black walnut products. Call Before You Cut can help ensure healthy, productive woodlands for landowners and a healthy forest industry for years to come.

Additional information is available on the campaign’s website, www.callb4ucut.com. Call the toll free hotline to get your packet 1-877-564-7483.

Sobering Statistics

• One-third of Missouri is forested; ~14 million acres
• 85% of Missouri forest land is privately owned
• Only 1 out of 20 private forest landowners actively manage their forests!