If you own a large piece of land, managing it can be challenging, whether forested, agricultural, recreational, or mixed use. If you have anything that’s over 50 acres, you need to incorporate specific strategies to keep everything in good condition so that if you do eventually want to sell, you can get a decent price for what you own. How do you manage your land properly?
Make sure you have a comprehensive management plan in place
You need to start by ensuring that you have a comprehensive management plan in place. The primary goal for this document is to understand what your land is for and the vision that you have for it. Often, you’ll have a mix of competing factors that you’ll need to consider if you have a large piece of land, including conservation, wildlife habitat, timber production, recreation, and so on.
You’ll need to inventory your land and record what’s actually in it. For example, you’ll need to highlight things like vegetation, water sources, and existing features. You’ll also have to have a written plan for your objectives for the land for the future, if you want to develop it and to see if it can qualify for tax benefits. Over time, your land management plan should be updated to reflect changes in the condition of your land and the most profitable things to do with it.
Prioritise soil and water conservation
The next step is to prioritize soil and water conservation. If you don’t do this, then your land can become less valuable over time and it may become more difficult to sell. You’ll want to conduct regular soil testing to ensure that the quality of the soil is being maintained over years. If it isn’t, then it’s usually because of an erosion process that’s occurring, often because of rainfall or poor water management. If there is a water issue on your land, then you’ll need to consider this in detail as well. It’s often worthwhile protecting wetlands unless you plan to dredge the area and then drain it. You may also need to rotate grazing if you have animals or livestock on the land to prevent compaction of soil and destruction of vegetation.
Manage your forests
Another thing you’ll want to do is look for forestry equipment for sale so you can properly manage your forests. Most landowners try to maintain a mix of different types of vegetation and forest ages so that they can benefit from more diverse ecosystems while also enabling a continual supply of lumber.
Controlling invasive species is also necessary and important. This involves sometimes burning pieces of land when permitted and safe, and targeted removal of invasive species.
Enhance biodiversity
The final step for better land management is to enhance biodiversity and wildlife where possible. If you can provide water, cover, and space for animals that are native to the area, create brush piles where the creatures can hide, and also plant native species that complement the animals and insects that you want to see.
