Phasing and chunking: Land stewardship never ends, so your plan should lay out phases of work that will take place over several years, accounting for seasonal restrictions of certain practices and maintenance needs. Consider how to take manageable bites: whether it’s better in your situation to do all relevant practices in a location or locations (“chunking”) or to implement one or two practices over a larger area (“one layer of the onion at a time”). How to approach the work is often defined by access to Funding and needs for Permitting, so it is best to design your plan with these in mind.

Below are some example plans to work from. You’ll find that previous pages of this guide have already helped you think through the first several sections of a plan. The examples below are detailed, which is important if you’re seeking public funding and permits. You may only need a simple plan. Consider using section headings like those in the examples to ensure you cover all the critical elements.

• Example plan that emphasizes long-term ecological function: Wildlands Preserve Stewardship Plan
• Planning guides focused on forested sites:
  • A great plan that supports both timber harvesting and non-timber vegetation management 
  • RCD Landsmart Forest Management Plan Template

Resources for Implementing offers links to planning tools, mapping tools, potential planning and funding partners, and funding sources.

Remember that most plans will require you to cut some amount of woody material, and your plan needs to include methods for managing that material across different locations within the site. Get help making those decisions.