I’ve done it a few times. Great program and ended up with some awesome timber plots. You have to leave the trees in piles on the edges for habitat and you have to work around bat nesting season, but pretty easy process.
Permanent Forest Openings
Anyone on here utilized the permanent Forest Opening cost share to open up some ozark timber? We recently acquired new property that has about 140 acres of timber and 50 acres of bottom ground in crops. We were wanting to create a food plot or two on the ridge tops and the PLC provided some info on JS-BIOL-16 Permanent Forest openings. It looks like from the job sheet we would be able to plant the opening in clover. We would have to maintain the opening for at least 10 years, and can have up to 3 acres per a 40 acre continuous tract. We have to remove all trees including stumps in the openings. Be nice to hear if anyone has experience with this program or the temporary forest opening program.
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What's not to like?
With this program you create permanent forest openings to act as hidy hole foodplots deep within your timber. I assure you, these plots will be utilized during daylight hours way more than your bottom land crop ground.
You are not restricted to just clover - you can plant any crop at any time or just let the opening lay idle as long as you mow/burn so that the opening remains and doesn't regrow into forest.
As MO-APE mentioned though, the opening must be created between Nov 1 and April 1 if the trees you are removing are 12" or greater due to bat issues.
With this program you create permanent forest openings to act as hidy hole foodplots deep within your timber. I assure you, these plots will be utilized during daylight hours way more than your bottom land crop ground.
You are not restricted to just clover - you can plant any crop at any time or just let the opening lay idle as long as you mow/burn so that the opening remains and doesn't regrow into forest.
As MO-APE mentioned though, the opening must be created between Nov 1 and April 1 if the trees you are removing are 12" or greater due to bat issues.
Thanks- the PLC did mention the timing with regards to the Bats. We need to decide if we are going to do any select timber harvest first because the one opening I marked off seems to have some good sized oaks. I guess you guys had a dozer come in to open it up since it can’t have stumps?
Highlift and a trackhoe here!
https://www.missouriwhitetails.com/threads/things-are-about-to-happen.228881/
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https://www.missouriwhitetails.com/threads/things-are-about-to-happen.228881/
I've used this program 3 times now. And like they said, what's not to like? Get paid about half of your costs for putting in food plots where you need them most.
Also, take advantage of their prescribed burn programs. Win, win.
Also, take advantage of their prescribed burn programs. Win, win.
On small plots like this I'm wondering why clearing the plot by hand then grinding the stumps wouldn't be more suitable than using the heavy machinery? It has a lot less negative impact on the plot and probably cheaper. Maybe even have a better result. I have done this successfully although not using "cost share." Maybe this method isn't approved by the mdc for cost share. Might be worth looking into.
Bat restrictions are on a county basis and in some cases you wont' have any restrictions. Most of the restrictions are North of the River. The permanent forest openings (PFOs) is a great tool, although the only available cost share is through MDC money. Currently, federal programs such as EQIP doesn't have PFOs as a cost share practice. Stumps and pushed trees do not need to be left by the plot for habitat. Actually, they may be more detrimental to smaller game species. Lazarus, I have also used a stump grinder for creating openings. This would be allowable under cost share, but could cost the landowner more money than a dozer, depending on access. Another downfall for some is that you would have to cut and clear the trees prior to the stump grinder. I like the stump grinding better as you don't remove any organic matter and top soil already there.
Maybe a logger would be a good start and get paid for the big trees, then cost share to open it up the rest?
That's the only way to go. My guys (Love & Sons Excavating) used a high left to dig out around trees and pulled them out, then graded the soil back. Worked out awesomely all three times! Here are some pics of some of the plots:Highlift and a trackhoe here!
https://www.missouriwhitetails.com/threads/things-are-about-to-happen.228881/
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perhaps, but as Cuivre stated the trees need to be piled up for habitat, believe that is part of the program.Maybe a logger would be a good start and get paid for the big trees, then cost share to open it up the rest?
We have done this and these plots are highly utilized by game....even in our ROCKY soil
Piling trees are not part of the program. What some may be confused about is the bullet point in the job sheet that says: "Consider using removed materials for downed tree structures. See Downed Tree Structures Job Sheet (JS-MO645Downed Tree Structures) for details. Stump removal is necessary so that proper vegetation planting/response can occur." This doesn't mean you have to leave in piles, it says if you do, it is suggested to create downed tree structures.
Here is the Description for MDC cost share for the current fiscal year:
MDC 300.B.3 - Permanent Forest Openings for Wildlife
This component is to be used when basal area is reduced from a full stocking of trees, often in excess of 100% to 0% utilizing heavy equipment such as a bulldozer. Cost-share is authorized as listed in "PRACTICE TABLE." A once-per-project $150 FLAT RATE mobilization fee may be authorized based on MDC planner discretion. Forest openings, which have no known history of soil disturbance and are not at risk of encroachment of invasive species, may be allowed to revegetate naturally to native herbaceous species. Prescribed burning is recommended to speed this process. Where soils have a history of disturbance and native revegetation is not likely, forest openings must be seeded to food plots or wildlife-friendly grasses and legumes (MDC 200.C may be used for this purpose). Stumps must be removed. This component is limited to blocks of timber greater than 40 acres in size with no more than 3 acres total of forest openings. The contiguous block of timber requirement can be met by including timber acres on adjacent landowner(s). Any number of openings can be created provided the total acres do not exceed 3 acres per 40- acre timber block and no opening will be larger than 3 acres.
Here is the Description for MDC cost share for the current fiscal year:
MDC 300.B.3 - Permanent Forest Openings for Wildlife
This component is to be used when basal area is reduced from a full stocking of trees, often in excess of 100% to 0% utilizing heavy equipment such as a bulldozer. Cost-share is authorized as listed in "PRACTICE TABLE." A once-per-project $150 FLAT RATE mobilization fee may be authorized based on MDC planner discretion. Forest openings, which have no known history of soil disturbance and are not at risk of encroachment of invasive species, may be allowed to revegetate naturally to native herbaceous species. Prescribed burning is recommended to speed this process. Where soils have a history of disturbance and native revegetation is not likely, forest openings must be seeded to food plots or wildlife-friendly grasses and legumes (MDC 200.C may be used for this purpose). Stumps must be removed. This component is limited to blocks of timber greater than 40 acres in size with no more than 3 acres total of forest openings. The contiguous block of timber requirement can be met by including timber acres on adjacent landowner(s). Any number of openings can be created provided the total acres do not exceed 3 acres per 40- acre timber block and no opening will be larger than 3 acres.
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