Book Description

"Someday" Big Fred Hewett used to say in his Humboldt Saloon in Aberdeen, Washington, "these pictures will show how the boys used to do it." He knew the day would come when the Pacific Northwest's "Big Woods" would be only a fog-blurred memory and the cry "Logs! More Logs!" would no longer be heard ringing up and down the skidroads. With the superb views of timber photographer Darius Kinsey, comprising more than 200 pictures made from wet plate celluloid negatives, 11" x 14", and processed by his pioneer wife, Tabitha, author Andrews dramatically presents a panorama of lumbering's great days in these woods from 1890 to 1925.Shown in sharp detail are the first axes, 12-foot crosscut saws, the first oxen and horses, the first donkey engines and "lokeys". Then the story continues into the "highball" days, the high production period with the steel tower skidders and miles of steel rigging. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

I think I read it many years ago. Question: see below--
I thought this was a photography book on log-ing in Northwest Washington. My grand- father was in one of the photo's. I can't re- member the photographer's name. Lost book, sadly, and would love to replace it. John Oftebro ... Read more

Book Description

A practical guide for growing healthy trees.

As the most dominant and permanent feature in any garden, trees establish a landscape's character more than any other plant. A well-chosen tree in the right location adds color, form, and dimension.

Moreover, trees can filter the air of pollutants, muffle noise, screen the sun, calm the wind, attract birds, reduce soil erosion, raise the water table, and increase property values. Knowing which varieties to grow and how to maintain them is a must for anyone who owns trees or is considering planting one.

The Tree Doctor is a comprehensive manual for tree selection, care, and maintenance. The authors cover the options to consider before buying and what to look for when making your selection.

Other topics include: tree placement; choosing a healthy tree from a nursery; proven urban varieties; detailed planting, pruning, and watering instructions; protecting trees from pests, disease, and weather; diagnosing problems; identifying hazardous trees; and how to hire qualified experts when needed.

The Tree Doctor is an easy-to-understand guide for growing healthy trees that will benefit generations to come. ... Read more

Book Description

This comprehensive field guide includes all the flora and fauna you're most likely to see in the forests of California and the Pacific Northwest. With 53 color plates and 80 color photos illustrating trees, birds, mammals, wildflowers, mushrooms, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, moths, and other insects. ... Read more

Book Description

As remote sensing data and methods have become increasingly complex and varied - and increasingly reliable - so have their uses in forest management. New algorithms have been developed in virtually every aspect of image analysis, from classification to enhancements to estimating parameters. Remote Sensing for Sustainable Forest Management reviews the literature and provides the tools for understanding and choosing remote sensing solutions for management problems.The book presents methods and operational examples of forest change detection, forest defoliation monitoring, forest classification, and forest growth modeling. The concluding chapters discuss research issues and the future of remote sensing technologies. The author draws a comprehensive picture of the state of the art in remote sensing data and methods applicable to sustainable forest management issues.Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, the author addresses the 'I tried that once, didn't work, so the whole thing is useless' syndrome that has created institutional inertia in some management agencies. We now know the proper processing steps, the most efficient algorithms, what kinds of maps can be generated, and by whom, and what level of confidence managers can invest in the resulting products. We know under what conditions aerial remote sensing missions should be executed, what are the limits, and where investments in equipment and training should be made.This authoritative book explores the remote sensing methods that need to be adopted and adapted to the forest science issues that are emerging through the sustainable forest management approach. This approach is not driven by technology, but by questions about its fundamental processes. Remote Sensing for Sustainable Forest Management shows you how this technology can be used to answer these questions and achieve the goals of sustainable forest management. ... Read more

Book Description

Perched high on mountains, sometimes even above the clouds, are lookouts, the people who staff the fire towers located throughout our national forests. Most have one thing in common. They have taken the road less traveled.

Captured by the author are the life experiences and insights of 18 remarkable lookouts. Their stories are fascinating and often humorous. The many photographs show views of the landscape that are breathtaking, but the lookouts share views on life that etch equally deep impressions.

Throughout the book, readers are entertained and inspired --- entertained by vicariously experiencing unique adventures, and inspired by refreshingly clear-sighted perspectives that light new paths for the journey through life.

These intrepid guardians of our national forests have reached the top - but by climbing a much different ladder. Now it's a ladder they enjoy climbing every day. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Views from the Top of Arizona Forests
A timely look into Arizona fire towers and the men and women who work in them. After visiting fire tower lookouts over a four-year period, the author treats us to a rare insight into the people who have chosen to work in the isolation of fire towers surrounded by the grandeur of some of Arizona's spectacular forests, illustrated here with beautiful photos. The "lookouts" prove to be diverse in their views of life and their reasons for chooosing this occupation.Their stories are introspective, filled with adventure and told with humor.A thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking read. ... Read more

Book Description

In the first book to review the nature of the Northeast's forests, their significance, and policy issues for a general audience, Lloyd Irland tells the story of the changing forests of the nine northeastern states. He reviews their history from the original European settlements through the age of shipbuilding to the retreat of farming and regrowth of the forest in the twentieth century. Emphasizing the continuity of the history and varied uses of the forests, the work summarizes the forces shaping past farming and land abandonment, forest cutting practices, insects, winds, diseases, and land development patterns. ... Read more

Book Description

National Forest Scenic Byways from Alaska to Southern California meander through old-growth forests, trace salmon-filled rivers, and cross trails leading deep into wilderness areas.National Forest Scenic Byways Far West takes you on these spectacular routes and provides all the information you need to spend a weekend or two-week vacation exactly as you want to spend it.Each of the 33 byway descriptions includes information on the best season to travel, historic sites, geology, and the endless recreation opportunities that exist along these routes.A travel map for each byway shows campgrounds, special features such as visitor centers and recreation areas, connecting roads, and nearby towns.Most of the officially designated scenic routes are paved and all are easily navigated by passenger cars. ... Read more

Book Description

During the Green Revolution in many developing countries, agroforestry systems tended to reflect modern agricultural systems by their intensive use of fertilizers, pesticides, and site modifications to fit the desired crop. Since the 1980's, agroforestry has learned from traditional indigenous systems to work more closely with the fertility of marginal lands through the use of less intensive cultivation and fallow periods.True to its title, this volume provides a silvicultural framework for thinking about the design and practice of agroforestry systems. Unlike many general agroforestry books, The Silvicultural Basis for Agroforestry Systems emphasizes research and thoughts from a forestry perspective rather than an agricultural one. Many of the examples used in this reference are based on the ecological theory of forests that concern the competition for resources of plant-plant and plant-animal mixtures. This guide also uses the knowledge gained about the temporal and spatial dynamic and productivity of forests as the basis for silvicultural applications in agroforestry systems. The Silvicultural Basis for Agroforestry Systems contains three parts: ... Read more

Book Description

The ravaging fires in Yellowstone National Park in 1988 caused grave concern among scientists about the possible short- and long- term repercussions. This book provides the first comprehensive scientific summary of the actual response of the Yellowstone ecosystem to the fires. Written by experts in wildlife biology, ecosystem science, landscape ecology, and forest science, the book shows not only that many things changed after the fires (for ecological components of the system are interactive) but also that some things did not change. The largest effects of the fires were felt at the smallest scales, and the long-term devastation predicted did not come to pass. The resilience of this naturally functioning ecosystem to these huge fires has important lessons for heavily managed regions. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Colorado and its neighboring states battle thousands of wildfires every year, scrub and sagebrush blazes often ignited by lightning strikes in the dry, hot days of summer. A vast, intertwined firefighting infrastructure combining local resources with agencies like the Forest Service and the BLM, reacts to these flare-ups as if going to war--and in theory, the coordination and communication ensures that fires are fought in the most efficient and safe manner possible. But while most wildfires in Colorado end up costing just over $60,000 on average with no loss of life, the catastrophic South Canyon fire of 1994 burned for 10 days, at the ultimate cost of $4.5 million and the lives of 14 firefighters. OSHA would later describe the coordinated action flatly as a "management failure," and concurrent investigations would reveal a tangled web of jealous rivalries, bureaucratic bungling, and severe morale problems. (One of the early on-scene supervisors would later tell investigators, "Leadership in this state sucks.")

John Maclean (son of Norman Maclean, who wrote both A River Runs Through It and an award-winning account of Montana's deadly 1949 Mann Gulch fire) skillfully unfolds that summer's foreboding blow-by-blow. Fire on the Mountain weaves together a tense narrative of almost cinematic action, starring ballsy cowboy smokejumpers, frustrated federal middle managers, seasoned "hotshots" flown in like commandos, pissed-off tanker pilots, and well-intentioned but spin-wary politicians. Maclean's well-sketched personalities bring the action on the ground convincingly to life--and knowing up front that many of his main characters won't survive South Canyon makes this tragic tale that much more compelling. --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (34)

WHEN TRUTH AND TRAGEDY COME TOGETHER
John Maclean's "FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN" is subtitled "The True Story of The South Canyon Fire," and it is indeed the true story. Because the truth about what happened on that awful day in 1994 is so convoluted, so complex and multi-layered, and so strewn with conflicting viewpoints and cumulative errors and circumstances, writing the true story would have been impossible for anyone intimately involved with the fire. Maclean, however, brings his formidable background as a 30-year journalist to the story, and he makes the setting, the background, and the tragedy come alive for his readers.

With meticulous attention to detail and the unflagging search for facts that only a professional journalist can bring to bear, Maclean waded through stacks and years of documents, reports, interviews, and background material to produce a book that exceeded all expectations. The subjects of the book - wildland firefighters and wildland fire managers in state and federal land management agencies - nearly all agree that it's an accurate portrayal of both the South Canyon Fire and also the world of wildland fire. It's honest, it's well researched, and it's a compellingly good read. It explains and answers the many questions that nagged those of us in fire after the 1994 season.

If you're in fire, or you know someone who is, this book is mandatory.

The Standard by which others will be judged
If there is one thing I have learned over the years of reading and writing book reviews, it is that not all newspaper reporters can write and not all writers are good newspaper reporters. However, once in a while someone comes along that can do both, sometimes very well. John Maclean, a former writer, reporter and editor for the Chicago Tribune for 30 years, is such a person. He has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes and has written the definitive story of a wildfire near Glenwood Springs, Colo., in July of 1994 that resulted in the death of 14 men and women from Montana and Oregon. It is destined to become a classic, much as his father's books, "A River Runs Through It" and "Young Men and Fire." With the extensive media coverage of the wildfires burning in the West and the attendant cost in both property and lives, including the tragic death of a firefighter assigned to an Oklahoma crew, this book is timely and prophetic. This is the story of a wildfire that got out of control on Storm King Mountain near Glenwood Springs on July 6, 1994. Fourteen elite firefighters, both "smoke jumpers" and "hotshots," ultimately died in an inferno which was eerily similar to a fire in Montana in 1949 that claimed the lives of 13 firefighters. They all died by "inhaling fire," which leaves little to the imagination. The question is if such a "blowup" occurred in 1949 why did it happen again in 1994 to 14 of America's finest firefighters who had the training, equipment and experience to survive such an event? Maclean has meticulously researched the events leading up to the tragedy, beginning with the weather reports available to the supervisors on the ground and closing with the installation of the granite crosses on Storm King that mark the location of each body. The answer to the question of why the fire, which started with a lone pine tree and clearly visible from Interstate Highway 70, was not extinguished days earlier is enough to make your blood boil. The actions or more appropriately the inaction of government agencies is alarming and shameful. The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service are singled out for their role in the tragedy which some say borders on the criminal. Readers not familiar with these agencies will be amazed at their ineptitude, petty bickering and callous disregard for their employees and human life. To learn that two government agency managers that failed to fight the fire in the early stages were later given pay raises and public commendations by their superiors will be a real eye-opener. This for so-called experts who couldn't even get the name of the fire's location correct. Maclean has written not only an excellent account of the tragedy but has provided the reader with an inside look at the culture of modern wildfire fighting. He explains in a riveting manner how recent incidents in Los Alamos, N.M., as well as Storm King Mountain, can and do occur with alarming regularity. That he is able to objectively provide insightful analysis and credible conslusions while at the same time exhibiting sensitivity and compassion for the victims and their comrades is a testament to the skills of this master storyteller. The book is well researched, superbly written and will be the standard by which future accounts of wildfire incidents will be judged. His father would have been proud.

Resubtitle : One of the Versions of the Storm King Fire
Gee -- this isnt the fire I remember fighting!! How eloquent and backbiting a report from someone who wasnt even there and who, while researching this book, appears to have devoted most of his time to the federal offices groups. To spend so much energy on the inability of politicos to get along when a fire is truly fought on the ground... And the truly amazing players, the local fire officers and firefighters who stepped up to the plate after the firestorm (prior to the arrival of the overhead team)and saved homes and each other -well, John you missed it, you missed most uplifting part of the story. So this isn't the "true" story of Storm King; it is one version, by someone who wasnt even there.

A disservice to the memory of his father and firefighters
Norman Maclean, himself a former firefighter and woodsman, wrote an excellent account of the Mann Gulch fire. His work was tempered by the distance of time, benefit of age, and experience in the woods. This is obvious through his interaction with the survivors and his search for what happened on that hill.

In contrast, John Maclean's account of the South Canyon fire is riddled with accusations, contradicitions of his own statements and interpretations, and a generally muckraking tone. There is searching for truth and then there is searching for animus. I wish he had left this story to those with a little more time in boots than in Chicago.

Punctuation seemed OK - 1 star is generous.

We hiked Storm King...
It was the hardest hike I have ever done for a few reasons. The book very accurately depicts the conditions of the mountain and the fire fighters working the fire. It's such a moving story about those that were lost on Storm King and their last day. Have Kleenex handy, but definitely read this book. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Indispensable Reference & Training Resource
A valuable resource for wood products professionals, distributors and novices.This book has proven to be an important training tool, as well as an indispensable reference resource.As a member of the woodworking industry for the last 18 years, both in Operations and Procurement, I would highly recommend adding this book to your reference library.

Beginner to Expert, Any Woodworker's #1 Resource
If you have a question regarding hardwood plywood, this book has the answers!As a Purchasing Agent for a large cabinet manufacturer I reference this guide on a weekly basis.No doubt it has eliminated confusion countless times in meetings with Project Managers.A must for Architects, Designers and anyone involved in the Sales aspect of the industry.

Specifically written for wood product manufacturers
A Complete Guide To Hardwood Plywood And Face Veneer by wood processing expert Ang Schramm is an indispensable and valued resource specifically written for wood product manufacturers, educators, construction industry experts, and do-it-yourself woodworking project enthusiasts needing details on the nature and manufacture of hardwood plywood and face veneer. From grades and product standards to trouble-shooting common problems such as panel movement, adhesive contamination, and insect infestation, A Complete Guide To Hardwood Plywood And Face Veneer is a practical, all-encompassing, highly recommended reference. ... Read more

Book Description

Agroforestry in Sustainable Agricultural Systems examines the environmental and social conditions that affect the roles and performance of trees in field-and forest-based agricultural production systems. Various types of ecological setttings for agroforestry are analyzed within temperate and tropical regions. The roles of soil, water, light, nutrient and pest management in mixed, annual, woody perennial and livestock systems are discussed. Important new case studies from around the world offer innovative strategies that have been used successfully in raising forests and tree products on a sustainable basis for commercial harvesting and for providing other environmental services in land conservation and watershed management. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Superb Ecological Review of Western Habitats
Once again, Peterson field guides has provided a user-friendly and comprehensive review of the habitats in the Southwest/Rocky Mountain region of North America. As a graduate of the conservation biology program at Arizona State University, I find this guide to be an invaluable field resource and a practical, detailed survey of the habaitat types most commonly encountered in the western region. The ecology concepts are presented in a clear and organized format and the illustrations effectively convey more challenging concepts. I find Peterson's ecology series to be the choice reference guide for students of ecology and conservation and an enriching counterpart to the range of Peterson's field guides. ... Read more

Book Description

Published in August 2000, this book is the result of more than 30 years of research on the Catskill forest. It includes 25 maps showing the distribution of species and forest-products industries in addition to a full-color, large, fold-out map that shows the extent of the first growth forest, second and third growth forest, agricultural lands, burned areas, reforested areas, and landslides. Five sections look at plant migrations to the region following the last glaciation, the impact of people on the forest, the forest regrown, mountain ranges, forest industries. A must for anyone who loves the Catskills. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Indispensable
I don't think there's anyone who has hiked over more of the Catskill Mountains than Michael Kudish. Having written his doctoral dissertation on the history of the Catskills forests, he is THE expert on the subject. Every one else learns from him.

But for too long, you had to do that learning through the mimeographed sections of his dissertation handed out by the Catskill Center, or at public appearances at Catskill 3500 Club gatherings or NYSDEC public-education meetings.

No more. The knowledge that he has spent the decades since his dissertation gaining and improving upon, he has now shared with the public in this highly readable and accessible volume. It's too cumbersome to put in your backpack, but that's the only problem I have with it.

Everything you might have wondered about while hiking, whether on- or off-trail, Kudish can answer for you. Why is Graham Mountain's summit covered in that scrubby cherry and birch without a trace of the thick balsam fir that covers adjacent lower summits? Where's the Brant fort, near Roundtop? He knows and he'll tell you (but I won't because you should buy the book).

Kudish painstakingly delineated all the first-growth forests of the region (there are many), looked through old reccords to establish when and where fires occurred, and in general found and logged many things merely thought to exist deep in the woods (the stocks of mature American chestnuts, apparently blight-free, on Tremper and Carl mountains is a real stunner).

I have hiked these mountains thoroughly over the past several years. I have done all the peaks of the Catskill 3500 Club and then some. I learned a lot.

But this book told me many things I didn't know, solved many mysteries (and actually deepened my enjoyment of the woods). Without denying what I learned on my own, it opened up whole new worlds, as if I'd only just begun.

A little basic scientific understanding, of the sort one could pick up in, say, a high school biology class, is helpful but not required. Kudish has a popular audience firmly in mind, and in fact can even bring a smile to your face (particularly when he sticks up for much-maligned Eagle Mountain as his favorite peak). And the research is of course exhaustive.

What Alf Evers did for the region as a whole, Kudish did for the woods. If you love the Catskills enough to have read Evers' work cover to cover, I'd strongly recommend this as a supplement (though a pretty hefty one at that). ... Read more

Book Description

The edition includes significant changes while maintaining the features and strengths so highly valued by adopters for more than four decades!Forest Management retains its unique focus on analytical and quantitative ways of thinking about forest resources management.Its central aim is still to provide decision-makers and stakeholders with comprehensive, quantitative estimates of the consequences of various choices in land use and planning. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

OUTSTANDING
A basic book for anyone that requires to make decisions and quantitative modelling in Forest Production. ... Read more

Book Description

In a book destined to become a classic, biologist and acclaimed nature writer Bernd Heinrich takes readers on an eye-opening journey through the hidden life of a forest. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Meanders a bit, but otherwise very good
Imagine combining the wisdom of a trained naturalist with the heart of a caretaker - a healthy love and respect for trees on one hand and a trained eye for and the knowledge of how and why a forest operates on the other. Now throw in a large patch of land that serves as a giant laboratory, playground and limitless teacher and you have a cool concept.

"The Trees in My Forest" is like a series of informative, meandering walks through the woods with a wise, old Grandfather. From the mostly misunderstood and much maligned fungi which recycle tree roots into soil fo new trees to grow, to the structures which allow some trees to grwo to the top of the forest canopy and others which survive at only a few inches off the ground, the mystery of trees amd forests are opened up.

Much like Tom Brown, Jr. did for impressions in the ground in his playground in the New Jersey Pine Barrens in "The Tracker", Bernd Heinrich does for trees in the forests of Maine. I don't like it as much as Brown's Tracker series, in part because it occassionally loses me on the trail. Still, an interesting (if difficult to follow, sometimes) tale.

An inspiring book
I enjoyed every chapter and I especially appreciated the author's hand drawn illustrations. I also learned a lot about how forests develop and the importance of biological diversity. I think that I will now see a lot more when I walk in forest. Like the other reviewer, I feel inspired to acquire some acres of logged out land up North and let the forest grow!

I'll never look at a tree the same way again
Heinrich is a wonderful writer; while his work may lack the scientific vigor of a true academic text, this is natural science on a personal level. He brings his personal passion for the natural world to his writing, and the result is a really engaging work that will appeal to any lay person interested in the natural world. When I was done with the book, I wanted to run off and buy a dozen acres or so of Maine forest myself.

This book is a good place to start with Heinrich's overall works--he takes a similar, personal approach to the natural sciences with his "Mind of the Raven" and "One Man's Owl."

A fascinating introduction to forestry
The Trees in My Forest is an excellent book for anyone interested in the woods. If you have ever wandered down a wooded path and wondered about the trees that you see, this is the book that will explain their roles in the ecology of the forest. In addition, Heinrich's experience inspires the reader; ever since I read this book, I've had a burning desire to grab a plot of deforested land somewhere up north and nurse it back to healh as he did.

A magical book to be read by anyone who loves plants
Okay, if you are a plant lover as I am, you have to read this book. But anyone can read it and enjoy it. It tells of this man's experiences in the woods around his property. Also, don't skip over the introduction. It is extremely interesting. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great History of the Heydays of Northern Michigan Logging
Highly recommended if you have any interest in the timber industry's history. Book includes commentary on the results of some poor management practices and the attempts to farm clear-cuts. A good history of logging and the lessons learned. Lots of interesting characters and stories, as well. Obviously a well researched book. ... Read more

Book Description

A Pine Barrens Odyssey is a detailed perspective of the seasons in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Meant as a companion to Howard P. Boyd's previous title A Field Guide to the Pine Barrens, it continues the comprehensive look at this natural region in New Jersey.

A Pine Barrens Odyssey includes descriptions of plant and animal life along with coordinating illustrations, but is primarily focused on the chronology of the natural features of the Pine Barrens. Boyd includes little known facts about the events that occur throughout the year to give the reader a look into his insight on the area.

Boyd's Odyssey and Field Guide books are a complete collection for anyone interested in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. The Field Guide can be used as a reference tool for the types of flora and fauna and the Odyssey as a calendar of what to expect and look for in this beautiful natural area of New Jersey. ... Read more

Book Description

Owning and managing forest lands is an inherently legal endeavor. From forest acquisition to deeds and boundaries, from timber sales to bequests, few things can be done without confronting laws, rules, regulations, and traditions that define acceptable and unacceptable practices. For most owners, managing forests is a learn-as-you-go proposition, and too often a crash course in law follows a disagreement.

Legal Aspects of Owning and Managing Woodlands is both an accessibleoverview of the privileges, rights, and obligations that accompany forestownership, and a guidebook to help active forest managers use laws totheir advantage and avoid the pitfalls of expensive and exhausting litigation.

Chapters examine all aspects of woodland ownership and management, from generalissues to specific concerns, including:

• private property and public interest
• acquiring and owning forest lands
• surveys and boundaries
• managing and using forest lands
• forest management contracts
• ethics in forestry practice
• forest taxation
• planning for woodlands in your estate
• settling disputes and shopping for a lawyer

The book breaks new ground by examining legal matters in practical,everyday language. It provides clear and concise descriptions of oftenconfusing concepts and difficult subjects, and addresses issues in a competentyet conversational tone. It is not intended to take the place of legaladvice, but it will help forest owners understand an essential body of law,enabling them to ask the right questions of their attorneys, consultingforesters, and all those they encounter in the complex task of owningand managing land. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Fantastic Book!!!
Looking at buying some forest land for recreation and for long term investment. Got on the internet and found that Thom McEvoy is regarded as one of the nations leading experts on this. The source of that info also listed Thom's email address - so I typed him a message asking if he might be able to give some advice. He responded personally with references to this book and other sources which he did not author.

I found his book to be very simple for the beginner, but at the same time very informative on how to make sure you are doing the right things as your approach timeberland ownership. Absolutely a great book and highly recommend it if you are looking for a good way to educate yourself on this process. For the person who already owns timeberland - great resource on topics such as dispute settlement and estate planning.

Only reason it is rated 5 stars is because there is no 6 star rating.

A very helpful reference for the private woodland owner
Thom McEvoy, associate professor and extension forester at theUniversity of Vermont has written a very helpful reference for theprivate woodland owner. It deals not only with legal issues but also covers taxes, estate planning, management, surveying, ethics and current perspectives on sustainable forestry. It gives enough background and detail to clarify confusing legal concepts but not so much as to burden the reader. Throughout it carries a wonderful point of view: it is often wiser and more productive to solve issues without the law than to get adversarial. As a bonus the book has some very useful appendices which include lists of extention forestry specialists, attorneys general, an extensive glossary and suggested readings.

It has changed the practice of this woodland owner. I have become serious about estate planning. I am less threatened because I understand it better. I was also motivated to contact my lawyer about what I had thought were minor legal items. They were not. Thanks Thom McEvoy.

The book will remain a primary reference. A comfort and guide the next time I have a timber sale, hire a forester, buy or sell land or discuss boundaries with my neighbors. ... Read more