Developing a Land Management Program for Your Property

2024 is the 75th Anniversary of the publishing of A Sand County Almanac written by Aldo Leopold. This collection of essays serves as one of the cornerstones for modern conservation science, policy, and ethics. This is the third of three articles in the Savage's "Becoming a Conservationist" Serve the Land series exploring practical themes of modern day conservation, while celebrating Leopold and how we can implement his Land Ethic in our time. 

“There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace.” 
Aldo Leopold, “Good Oak” A Sand County Almanac 

“Conservation will ultimately boil down to rewarding the private landowner who conserves the public interest” – Aldo Leopold, Conservation Economics  

The Soil Conservation Service (SCS) was created in 1935 as part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal” programs. The SCS mission was to slow and hopefully stop "the wastage of soil and moisture resources on farm, grazing, and forest lands . . . as it is a menace to the national welfare.” The Dust Bowl years of the “Dirty Thirties” were a result of drought, outdated farming practices that encouraged erosion and a lack of understanding of conservation. The mission of the SCS expanded over time and in 1994 Congress changed SCS’s name to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to better reflect the broadened scope of the agency’s concerns. 

In 1933, Aldo Leopold became a Professor of Game Management in the Agricultural Economics Department at the University of Wisconsin and seized the opportunity to combine his new discipline (now called Wildlife Ecology) with this new Soil Conservation Service federal agency charged with controlling erosion. From this cooperative idea came the first large-scale demonstration of soil and water conservation. People from the SCS, Leopold and other UW professors planned practices which included improvements to prevent soil erosion, improve agriculture and enhance wildlife habitat. Most of the work was done on private farmland, farmers learned and worked with the government agents and university people to implement conservation practices on their land. There were financial and other incentives to be part of the program. The project was a short and long-term success, and many lessons were learned. Those lessons helped improve these types of conservation programs and projects and were the precursor of the Farm Bill Conservation programs that are used to improve private and public land management today.

Developing a Land Management Plan for Private Land  

Private landowners can and should develop a management plan for their property. There are lots of great resources and professionals that can help you plan and implement management practices. But, before you jump into talking to government agents or professional consultants, a wonderful place to start is to get your own ideas on paper and/or on a map.  

Maps: There are several services that will, for a fee, print and laminate large, to scale aerial photography with topography lines, maps of your property. Get one of these. It’s the single best reference tool you can have for dreaming, considering options and discussing the management of your property. 

Goals and Objectives: Write out your reasons for owning the property and what you want to do with it. These can be general goals like creating hiking trails, improving views, creating habitat, making a camping spot. Whatever you think you might want to do. Prioritize them. In a previous article, we talked about developing a conservation philosophy. This is where that fits in. General goals like “doing the best thing for the land” and “creating a family legacy” are examples. Include anyone in the discussion you would like to have input. If it’s family property, include them in the goal setting. These goals and objectives may change as you proceed and that’s fine. Goals and objectives and a management plan should be flexible. It seems like the only constant in life and nature is change. Land management plans should be adaptable.  

Resources for Planning and Implementing a Management Plan

Now that you have some general idea and thoughts about what you want to do with your land, it’s time to learn more and begin working with resource professionals. There are so many learning opportunities, and we encourage you to read about and watch videos about the subjects you’re interested in. Join organizations like a state woodland owners’ organization or prairie or naturalist group. But the biggest opportunity to gain experience and connect with resource professionals and get free or low-cost advice is by getting to know your local government conservation agencies.  

Stop in at your local, county, or regional natural resources government offices. Get to know these folks. Most counties have a Land Conservation Department, a State Forester, and a USDA/Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) office. Some of these offices, such as the US Fish and Wildlife Service, will be regional offices. These folks are paid for by your tax dollars so be sure to check into the services and programs they provide.  

The Natural Resource Conservation Service connects us back to Leopold and those early conservation efforts. The NRCS delivers conservation solutions to agricultural producers and other private landowners to protect natural resources and promote good land conservation. Pheasants Forever partners with NRCS by providing funding for over 250 Farm Bill Biologists throughout the United States whose primary purpose is to help landowners plan and implement conservation practices on their land.  

Through NRCS landowners can get a management plan developed that will allow you to apply for expertise and funding for a variety of conservation projects. Here are examples of NRCS programs:  

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is NRCS’ flagship conservation program that helps farmers, ranchers and forest and other landowners integrate conservation into working lands. EQIP includes financial assistance for developing and implementing a management plan.  

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) provides a yearly rental payment to landowners who remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and plant species that will improve environmental health and quality. CRP includes funding for planting prairies and other native species.  

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program  employs 220 biologists, located in all 50 states and territories, who consult with landowners to help them conserve and improve wildlife habitat.  

Other Resources Include non-profit organizations like The Aldo Leopold Foundation, American Forest Foundation, and My Wisconsin Woods. Be sure to investigate state and local opportunities and organizations specific to your area. There are private consulting foresters, land managers and habitat specialists who provide consulting and contracting services who you can hire to develop plans and complete projects funded by programs.  

 It is rewarding to work on a piece of land and improve it for all the members of the biotic community. As you move through the process of planning and implementing your management plan, enjoy the process and keep in mind these words from Aldo Leopold:  

"A thing is right only when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the community, and the community includes the soil, waters, fauna, and flora, as well as people."