For many Ohio landowners, performing conservation practices such as wildlife habitat management or forestry management is something that is of interest to them, yet can be hard to pursue.
One tool that has been developed to help with this is the Ohio Resource Connection statewide contractor database. This website database is a collaboration between Ohio Division of Wildlife, Ohio Division of Forestry, the Nature Conservancy and the Ohio Society of American Foresters.
The website provides Ohio landowners with lists of contractors as well as wildlife and forestry professionals who can assist with management on a landowner’s property. This comes in the form of management recommendations from skilled professionals as well as contractors who can carry out this work and input management practices.
In this database, there are labeled tabs for the Ohio Society of American Foresters directory, the wildlife directory, and TSI/ service provider directory.
Foresters
Within the OSAF directory portion of the website, one can find information on consulting foresters, industry foresters and even a local state service forester. So, what is the difference between these different foresters and what can they do for the landowner?
Consulting foresters are those who are self-employed or work for a private consulting company, and they provide forest resource management recommendation services for a fee.
Industry foresters, however, are employed in industries such as a logging company, a paper mill or sawmill. These foresters may provide services such as timber harvest planning, tree planting advice and forest management recommendations.
Finally, the state foresters are employed by the state of Ohio and can provide landowners with current information for long term management of their woodlands to meet their management objectives. This can be done by providing technical assistance and info on tree planting projects, woodland improvement activities, timber marketing assistance and assistance with U.S. Department of Agricuture financial incentive programs.
Wildlife
The wildlife directory portion of this website directs one to the state wildlife biologist information page and another information tab will assist one in finding their local state or non-governmental organization wildlife biologist.
These wildlife specialists include state private lands biologists, county wildlife officers and wildlife technicians who will be able to assist the landowner by providing wildlife management recommendations for their land. The landowner simply can navigate through this page to find the proper wildlife biologist for their county or region.
The website will then provide the landowner with the contact information so that they can inquire about getting wildlife management assistance. This would include wildlife habitat management, as the biologist would be able to give recommendations on how to manage the habitat on a landowner’s property for a desired species.
This can be any wildlife species from white-tailed deer to wild turkeys, to songbirds and even bats. Essentially any species, whether game or non-game, can be managed, depending on the landowner’s interests.
Service provider
The final portion of the statewide contractor database is that of the TSI/service provider directory. Within this tab is the Ohio forest/ habitat improvement vendor directory which lists different improvement vendors who will be able to assist in applying management practices on a landowner’s property.
Some of these vendors work statewide, whereas some work only within their county, and even the management practices which they can perform, vary. Some of the common practices which these vendors perform include those of brush hogging, herbicide and pesticide work, invasive plant control, tree planting, pollinator planting and chainsaw work.
So, next time you’re interested in having some wildlife or forestry management done on your property, check out the Ohio Resource Connections Statewide Contractor Database. This is a great way in which an Ohio landowner can get in contact with forestry and wildlife professionals who can give advice on how to manage their land.
Once you have your management recommendations, you can even find a vendor who will be able to assist in making these plans come to life.
