A Forest of Your Own - by Kirk Hanson & Seth Zuckerman (Paperback)

About the Book

Discover the many rewards of forest stewardship with this comprehensive guide

Book Synopsis

"...impressively comprehensive, expertly written, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation." ― Midwest Book Review

• From the essentials of how to "read" a forest to the details of sustainable management
• Covers wildfire risk reduction and climate change adaptation
• Offers tips on ways to enhance wildlife habitat and watershed protection

Throughout Oregon and Washington there are several hundred thousand family forest owners, in addition to millions of forest acres under the care of community forests, municipalities, and Indigenous tribes, all of whom manage trees for sustainable wood harvest as well as recreation, inspiration, and a range of cultural connections. Yet there hasn't been a complete resource for Pacific Northwest forest stewards until now.

In this comprehensive how-to, authors Kirk Hanson and Seth Zuckerman explore all aspects of forest management--everything from how to evaluate a piece of land before you buy it through implementing long-term plans that may include establishing new stands of trees, harvesting mushrooms as well as wood, and protecting your forests far into the future through wildfire risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and conservation easements. Loaded with helpful tables and illustrations that address the pros and cons of various species and how to best care for wildlife and the land, A Forest of Your Own is a clear guide to the many rewards of ecological forestry.

Review Quotes

A Forest of Your Own has the potential to make landscape-scale improvements for wildlife, clean and cool water, and carbon storage--one forest at a time.--Kate Anderson "Sightline Institute Farms & Forests"

A Forest of Your Own: The Pacific Northwest Handbook of Ecological Forestry is impressively comprehensive, expertly written, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation.-- "Midwest Book Review"

An essential guide for anyone who loves forests, wants to be a hands-on champion for restoring all the benefits they can provide, or aspires to leave a loving legacy of forests for the future.--Laurie Wayburn "president of Pacific Forest Trust"

Brilliant. Eloquent. Authoritative. Seth and Kirk have written the only book you need in order to understand sustainable forestry in the Northwest.--Denis Hayes "co-founder of Earth Day and president at The Bullitt Foundat"

Hanson and Zuckerman see the forest for the trees. They show us, step by step, how ecological forestry can help sustain the diversity of the Pacific Northwest's forests while also meeting human needs at a human scale.--Chip Giller "founder of Grist"

With plentiful photographs and lively writing, A Forest of Your Own provides bountiful advice and inspiration.--Barbara Lloyd McMichael "Coast Weekend"

Within these pages, readers will discover a practical roadmap to nurturing the very forests we cherish, and in return, how those forests nurture us.--Ann Stinson "author of 'The Ground at My Feet'"

An accessible primer on forest stewardship.--Elijah Sussman "Sequim Gazette"

This is a very interesting book, and there's a lot of good advice in here no matter whether you own a couple hundred acres or you just own two acres.--Geoffrey Riley "Jefferson Public Radio"

Seth Zuckerman and co-author Kirk Hanson lay out a comprehensive and practical guide for current and would-be Pacific Northwest forest stewards -- a book that aims to help readers truly see the forests for the trees.--Elizabeth Shepherd "Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber"