Randy and Koral Clum, of Hepatica Falls Tree Farm in Harrison County, Ohio, manage their 149-acre property for timber harvesting, educational outreach and recreation. The two met while working for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry, helping landowners responsibly manage their forests - addressing tree planting, erosion control, thinning and other resource concerns. In 1993, the Clums decided to invest in their own tree farm operation.
“We wanted to practice what we preached in good forestry management,” said Koral. “Having our own property to manage helped us become better educators and foresters.”
In order to achieve their land management objectives, the Clums work with both the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and ODNR’s Division of Forestry to plan and implement a climate-smart forestry management plan. This comprehensive plan helps the Clums schedule out conservation activities that help them sustainably harvest timber while improving wildlife habitat, water quality and other natural resources on their land.
“I like to refer to myself as a sunlight manager,” said Randy. “By using conservation practices, we are restoring a more natural forest structure which in turn decreases disease risks and directs more resources to quality trees. Quality trees are able to deliver greater environmental benefits including water filtration, wildlife food and habitat, and carbon sequestration.”
The Clums have used the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program to carry out these practices. The program provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers and non-industrial forest managers to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits.
They have also built on their existing conservation activities to further improve the forest with the help of the Conservation Stewardship Program, adding brush piles for wildlife habitat and a pollinator field to help boost beneficial insect populations.
Randy and Koral’s responsible management has paid off – both from an economic and environmental standpoint. They have been able to conduct five timber harvests, with a yield of 505,614 board feet of hardwood from 1,929 trees, and 1,478 tons of pine pulpwood. They've also seen an increase in diverse species in the woods - from native spring ephemerals such as trillium, hepatica and white trout lily - to wildlife such as turkey, deer, bobcats and more.
“Tree selection is important – what you leave behind is the future of the forest,” Randy said. “Because we’ve focused on harvests that also leave behind good-quality mature trees, over time, we are able to cut fewer trees and sell them for higher prices.”
Proper forestry management is an essential part of forest farming and can help a landowner achieve many objectives from hunting and recreation to timber harvesting, maple syrup production and more. If you are interested in learning more about resources available to Ohio forest owners, reach out to a local Ohio USDA service center or ODNR’s Division of Forestry.
