Proper management techniques

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  Understand the composition of your forest management area first.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Understand when and what to cut first. Know the species growing in the area you plan to manage. Is it native woodland or introduced species? Is it a deciduous hardwood forest or a coniferous (pine) forest? Typically hardwoods will regrow when severely cut, allowing the ancient techniques of coppicing and pollarding to be practiced, whereas a pine tree will not. Is the forest frequented by grazing animals or deer? Finally, make sure you have permission to cut the trees before beginning. Even on private property, in some areas felling timber may be forbidden and certain species or old growth trees may be protected.
  
  
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  Fungus growing on trees can indicate dying or diseased individuals.Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Walk the management area with an eye for dying and diseased trees to cull. Trees grow better when they are not overcrowded and competing, and removing diseased trees help protect the remainder. These trees will burn just fine when cut and require less drying. Cut down these trees first. Not all dead and fallen timber should be removed -- their nutrients enrich the forest soil. However, exercise common sense: excessive blowdowns and obstructions are ripe for gathering.
  
  
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  Forest fires can quickly destroy your firewood and valuable timber.Uriel Sinai/Getty Images News/Getty Images
  
  In areas where wildfires are common, the forest floor should be kept relatively clear of shrubby undergrowth. This is especially true on plantations and with oily trees such as eucalyptus. There is no sense in allowing nature to burn your firewood first. Clear out excessive scrub, pile it, and burn it when conditions allow. Larger trees are capable of surviving low-intensity forest fires and may even require periodic fires to germinate their seeds.
  
  
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  The U.S. Forest Service thinning timber.Kevin Moloney/Getty Images News/Getty Images
  
  Once you have scavenged the excess dead wood and culled the diseased trees, begin thinning those growing closely together. Preserve the straightest, tallest, and most valuable species for future timber while thinning the rest. Cut red maple or beech before hickory or black cherry. Cedar is more valuable than pine. Cut in late fall or early spring to allow sufficient drying time before the firewood will be needed. If managing a large area, divide it into sections and rotate your harvesting.
  
  
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  Ancient techniques have assisted firewood and charcoal production for centuries.Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Coppicing and pollarding are long-term management techniques that provide a steady supply of small limbs. Coppicing requires cutting the tree down to a stump, which then sends up fast-growing shoots. These may be periodically cut and new suckers will grow to replace them. Suckers are a favorite food of cattle, sheep and deer, and trees should be pollarded instead if any of these animals are present. Pollards are cut between six and 15 feet above ground, resulting in a permanent trunk called a bolling. This produces the same new growth as coppicing but is out of reach of livestock. Coppiced and pollarded trees can survive centuries in this condition, but make sure it is a species which will produce new growth (such as black locust or oak) before planning on using this method. While not suitable as cord wood, these limbs make great kindling and quick fires, and regrow swiftly to increase your firewood yield.