We offer a wide range of consulting services, including Forest Stewardship Plans, Expert Witness Reports and Testimony, Timber Sales, and Custom Landowner Services.
As foresters, our focus is on family-owned private forests. Whether it’s 160 acres of mixed hardwoods or 40 acres of white pine, we’re here to help you care for your land.
Forest Stewardship Plans
A healthy forest is a gift for many generations. To encourage forest stewardship, the State of Minnesota offers a reduced property tax rate for landowners who have a registered Forest Stewardship Plan.
Most landowners seek a Forest Stewardship Plan to be eligible to enroll in one of these property tax reduction programs (2c-Managed Forests tax class or SFIA, the Sustainable Forest Incentive Act). We know the details of these incentives and can provide you a free personalized comparison of the programs’ financial benefits before you start.
To prepare a Forest Stewardship Plan that aligns with your personal goals for your property, we do a thorough on-site assessment of your forest and create a detailed plan for the best management of your forest.
Your private forest land can provide many benefits; a place for recreation and relaxation, a renewable source of timber, a home for wildlife, support for soil and water quality, and a quiet world of natural beauty. Our multi-use forest stewardship plans are tailored to your specific goals to help maximize the benefits of your forest.
In nearly every case, getting a forest stewardship plan will save you enough on property taxes to pay off the plan costs in less than two years. The plan is good for 10 years, so your savings will be thousands of dollars over the life of the plan.
Please note: DNR-Forestry’s $300.00 cost share for Woodland Stewardship Plans is ending. DNR will continue to accept Cost Share Assistance Requests (CSARs) through June 30th, 2022. Applications received by that date will have until June 30, 2023 to get their plans completed by an authorized Plan Preparer.
Kroll Consulting Forestry is a DNR authorized Plan Preparer and is available to help forest landowners get their cost-share application into the DNR process by June 30, 2022 and complete plans by June 30, 2023.
We offer Forest Stewardship Plans for a fixed price of $400 plus $9 per acre of forest and other eligible land, such as wetlands, prairies, and other natural areas. Active agriculture and homesites are not eligible.
40 acres: $760
80 acres: $1120
120 acres: $1,480
400+ acres: Contact us for a custom quote.
Conservation Easement Assistance
When you think about your forest and what you’re leaving for future generations, a question comes to mind: “What happens to these woods after I’m gone?” One of the most effective steps to sustainability is long-term protection of the land from developers. A conservation easement is essentially a permanent means to preserve high-quality wilderness for future generations. As it alters the potential resale value of the land, there is significant financial compensation offered to landowners for conservation easements.
A conservation easement is certainly a major decision and an involved process, so you need a partner you can rely on. We are well-experienced in conservation easements and would be glad to discuss your options and guide you through the process.
For existing conservation easements, we also offer conservation easement baseline reports. These are the baseline reports every conservation easement holder needs to have done before the easement can be signed. We specialize in working forest easements.
Timber Sales
Wood is a renewable resource, which allows sustainable harvests in a healthy forest. We offer professional management of private timber sales, including stand assessment and harvest planning.
Wildlife Habitat
Whether you’re looking for white-tailed deer or red-shouldered hawks, we can help you turn your woodlands into a habitat heaven for local wildlife. We’ll work with you to create a custom habitat features in your Forest Stewardship Plan to encourage a healthy wildlife population in your forest.
Forest Regeneration
Every forest is unique, which means some forests may need extra help to get back to a balanced, thriving natural ecosystem. We specialize in forest regeneration, including oak restoration and invasive species management.
Sugarbush Planning
Great maple syrup comes from great maple trees. Kroll’s Pure Maple Syrup has been a family endeavor for 5 generations. We offer consulting to identify and nurture your sugar maples to create a “sugarbush” or “Zuckerwald” for maple syruping.
Expert Witness Reports and Testimony
Protecting forests doesn’t always happen in the woods. We are available to provide expert witness services including reports and testimony for legal proceedings.
Custom Forestry Consulting
Your forest is an incredibly valuable asset and should be a source of personal pride—make sure it’s in the best condition possible. If you have 35+ acres of private forest, you should have a professional forest management plan. Contact us and we’ll set up a personal consultation.