Coached Planning Coming to Vashon
If you’re an Island landowner who has a stand of trees on your property, one of the best things you can do as a property owner is take the upcoming Coached Planning course offered by WSU Forestry Extension.
“Coached Planning” is just a formal term for a series of presentations at the Land Trust Building that will help you learn to work with your trees to promote their health individually and as a stand. Over several Tuesday evenings from April to June, forest experts will offer instruction on developing a forest-health regimen, improving forest habitat for beneficial wildlife, using your woods to enhance privacy if desired, and generally enjoying your woods through recreating in them. The course includes a Saturday field trip and personalized help in creating a forest-stewardship plan for your property.
In the past, even Islanders without treed property, or any property at all, have enjoyed this class. It teaches you what to look for when you’re driving by a stand of trees and wondering if that’s the way they “should” look. (Quick answer: maybe.) All Islanders have a vested interest in the Island’s forests because forested landscapes provide so many ecological services we all rely on. (One big one is helping provide the water from your tap.) Take this class and learn all the other services Island forests offer.
If those aren’t benefits enough, the forest-stewardship plan you can write at the end of the course, once approved by a state forester, can be taken to King County and used to lower your property taxes. It’s a much simpler process than it sounds. Of course, you’ll need to stick with your plan if you want the tax benefits.
To register for this course, use the following link to a page hosted by WSU Extension Forestry, read details about the course, and follow instructions for signing up via Eventbrite: https://forestry.wsu.edu/nps/events/cpvashon/
