FORESTRY ASSISTANCE REFERRALS

Forestry Assistance Referrals
The Forestry Assistance Program works to provide an initial professional contact with landowners who are interested in forest management on their property. Our role is to provide general guidance and information and facilitate referrals to other public and private resource professionals.

Qualified foresters interested in pursuing the project(s) described below should respond to the Osceola-Lake and Mecosta Conservation Districts by email within two weeks of the posting. You may include additional relevant information in your responses pertaining to the project. Forester Rick Lucas will then forward all emails received to the landowner. Landowners are encouraged to contact all of the consultants who reply in a timely fashion, but the choice remains with the individual landowner. Our office will follow up with landowners to ensure they get the assistance they need.

Please contact us if you would like more information on any project. We may have other information such as notes, maps, or digital photographs.

See our Qualified Forester List to view foresters available for assistance.

Service Requests


Referral Number: 67-23-01
Date Sent: September 20, 2023 
Location: Osceola County, T20N-R8W; Section 21
Acres: 160 total (not all forested)
Forest Type: Mostly mixed northern hardwoods with some aspen component
Respond By: October 5th, 2023 3:00 EST
Contact: Rick A. Lucas at rick.lucas@mi.nacdnet.net
Additional information: Property owner needs timber sale preparation assistance from start to finish including; timber marking, bid prospectus, contract and supervision of operations.  

Referral Number: 67-23-02
Date Sent: September 20, 2023
Location:  Osceola County, T17N-R9W; Section 9 (12 acres) and 10 (40 acres).
Acres: 52
Forest Types: Mixed northern hardwoods with oak and aspen.
Respond By:  October 5th, 2023 3:00 EST
Contact: Rick A. Lucas at rick.lucas@mi.nacdnet.net
Additional information: The property owner was approved through USDA NRCS to fund a forest management plan for his property consisting of 2 parcels ( 40 acres + 12 acres) which have touching corners. Interested individuals will need to be TSP certified in order to respond. The Cat Creek runs along the west side of the 40 acre parcel. 

Referral Number: 54-23-01
Date Sent:  September 20th, 2023
Location: Mecosta County, T17N-R9W; Section Section 5
Acres: 93 acres 
Forest Type: Mixed northern hardwoods, some oak, red pine plantation and mixed swamp conifer area.
Respond By: October 5th, 2023 3:00 EST
Contact: Rick A. Lucas at rick.lucas@mi.nacdnet.net
Additional information: The property owner has been approved through USDA NRCS for funding to develop a forest management plan. Interested individuals will need to be TSP certified. The property is under a conservation easement.  

Referral Number: 54-23-02
Date Sent:  September 20th, 2023
Location: Mecosta County, T14N-R9W; Section 21
Acres: 91
Forest Type: Aspen, mixed northern hardwoods with oak, and some grass openings.
Respond By: October 5th, 2023 3:00 EST
Contact: Rick A. Lucas at rick.lucas@mi.nacdnet.net
Additional information: The property owner  has been approved by USDA NRCS for funding to develop a forest management plan. Interested individuals will need to be TSP certified. Furthermore, he would like to use the plan to apply to the Qualified Forest Program in advance of the next September 1st, 2024 deadline. He would like the plan to be prepared for a 20-year period. 

Referral Number: 54-23-03
Date Sent: September 20, 2023
Location: Mecosta County, T13N-R10W; Sections 4,5,9.
Acres: 360 total (approximately 60 acres is in grassland cover).
Forest Types: Mixed northern hardwoods with oak and aspen.
Respond By: October 5th, 2023 3:00 EST
Contact: Rick A. Lucas at rick.lucas@mi.nacdnet.net
Additional information: The property owner was approved through USDA NRCS to fund a forest management plan for their property. Interested individuals will need to be TSP certified in order to respond. 

Referral Number: 54-23-04
Date Sent: September 20, 2023
Location: Mecosta County, T15N-R7W; Section 27 and T14N-R8W; Section 3.
Acres: Approximately 100 acres of forest.
Forest Types: Mixed northern hardwoods with oak and aspen; red pine plantation
Respond By: October 5th, 2023 3:00 EST
Contact: Rick A. Lucas at rick.lucas@mi.nacdnet.net
Additional information: The property owner in this case is a School District with school forest in two separate locations. They would like to utilize Forest Stewardship Program funding toward the cost of plan preparation. I have already reached out to Mike Smalligan at the MDNR and he indicated he would allow $1500 plus $2.50 per acre not to exceed $3000 to go toward the preparation of a school forest management plan. 

Referral Number: 54-23-05
Date Sent: September 20, 2023
Location: Mecosta County, T16N-R8W; Section 31; T15N-R8W; Section 6 (2 parcels); T13N-R9W; Section 20.
Acres: approximately 110 acres on 4 different parcels.
Forest Types: Mixed northern hardwoods with oak and aspen.
Respond By: October 5th, 2023 3:00 EST
Contact: Rick A. Lucas at rick.lucas@mi.nacdnet.net
Additional information: The property owner was approved through USDA NRCS to fund a forest management plan. Interested individuals will need to be TSP certified in order to respond. There are 4 parcels in all. Three are located on parcels found across the road from each other and the fourth is located on the owners homestead nearly 20 miles south. 






 


















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