ODNR forester urges landowners to ‘call before you cut,’ outlines tax, grant and pest challenges

John Keane, Northern Service Forestry coordinator for the Ohio Division of Natural Resources, told a Lorain County audience on Oct. 12 that the state’s private woodlands require more professional management and that landowners should use state and federal resources before selling timber.

Keane said Ohio has about 6,800,000 acres of privately owned forest land and that the Division of Forestry directly manages roughly 220,000 acres. He emphasized the economic scale: "The forest products industry in Ohio is a $30,000,000,000-a-year economic impact," and said "85% of the timber sales done in the state are done without the advice of the forest." He said that mismatch of scale and staffing — 25 division foresters statewide and seven on his team — limits the agency’s ability to advise landowners across the state.

The Division of Forestry’s service-forestry program provides free site visits and advice under its "call before you cut" outreach, Keane said. He recommended that landowners and municipal officials consult foresters before agreeing to timber sales or signing contracts: "Never sign a contract presented by a buyer," Keane said, adding that consulting foresters inventory and mark trees, take competitive bids and protect the landowner’s interests.

Keane gave a concrete example to illustrate the stakes: a recent 80-acre overcut in Northeast Ohio that a consulting forester later valued at about $500,000 but for which the landowner received roughly $67,000. He said the loss of value can affect tax status and long-term stand productivity, sometimes for 80 to 100 years.

Keane described the Division’s partnership with federal programs and agencies, including the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). He said the Division is required to assist NRCS applicants by doing site visits, assessing projects and verifying work before vendors or landowners receive federal payments. That obligation has increased staff workload dramatically: "Last year we took in a thousand applications. The year before, 500," he said, and many applications require multiple on-site checks.

Keane discussed state tax programs that affect woodland owners. He described the Division’s role in advising landowners applying for Ohio’s Current Agricultural Use Valuation (CAUV) and the management-plan requirement the Division typically recommends. He told the group that county auditors apply CAUV rules inconsistently, creating uncertainty for owners: some counties interpret eligibility more narrowly than others, and turnover among auditors adds variability.

Keane also reviewed other Division resources: urban forestry coaching, a tree-commission academy for municipalities, and assistance with municipal tree-planting and young-tree training. He said urban foresters and certified arborists can help municipalities plan long-term canopy replacement and maintenance.

On forest health, Keane warned about invasive pests and diseases: hemlock woolly adelgid, oak wilt, and beech leaf disease. He advised municipalities and property owners to schedule oak pruning during the dormant season to reduce oak-wilt risk and to treat or monitor hemlocks where possible. On wildfire risk, he said Ohio’s annual wildfire numbers are relatively low ("600 to a thousand a year"), most are human-caused, and the Division channels federal funds to local fire departments for equipment and training.

Keane addressed workforce and education issues facing forestry in Ohio: limited degree programs in-state force some students to leave, and professional certification pathways differ for foresters and arborists. He said the Division is working with Lake Erie College and other partners to expand course access so more students can meet credentials for the Society of American Foresters certification.

He closed by pointing attendees to the Division of Forestry’s service-forestry directory on the ODNR website for local forester contact information and encouraged municipalities and private landowners to use the free services the Division offers.

Ending

Keane left his contact information and encouraged follow-up through county staff or the Division’s online directory. He said the Division will continue outreach and training and work with partners — including Holden Arboretum, Cleveland Metroparks and local municipalities — to improve planning and forest management in Northeast Ohio.