White Oak Management: Challenges & Resources

White oak is an important species for many landowners, but its management involves a few challenges. In the words of Chris Will, president of forestry consulting firm Central Kentucky Forest Management, “The number one challenge is that it takes at least a 75- to 80-year-old tree to make many white oak products, whether they’re flooring or whiskey barrels. If you lay out a management plan for growing oak, it has to be multigenerational: the land ethic and the philosophy about growing timber have to be passed down and the next generation has to buy into it.”

A second challenge is that white oak management is complicated, requiring attention and professional forestry assistance. “This expertise doesn’t come for free,” Will says, adding that landowners have ongoing costs such as gravel, taxes, and more. However, Will points out, “Taking a hands-off or an extractive approach is a recipe for disaster both financially and ecologically, in terms of sustainability.” Will explains that if a landowner wants to plan for future oak harvests, there are many factors to consider. “Not only do you have pretty restrictive requirements in terms of sunlight needs, but there are a host of non-native invasive species and other forest health issues,” he says. In most cases, oak regeneration will not succeed until the right conditions are achieved. “There’s a lot of focus on white oak in the White Oak Initiative,” Will observes, “but it’s really a healthy forest management initiative.”

Thankfully, landowners have several resources available to help with managing for white oak. “The first step is to collect information on your land,” Will says, adding, “This opens the door to funding opportunities and helps determine the best way to maintain your goals for the land.” Will suggests that landowners contact Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) regional offices for guidance, as well as university extensions and state and federal agencies for help in developing forest management plans. He also recommends a visit to the Association of Consulting Foresters website (www.acf-foresters.org) to find a local forestry consultant. Will explains, “A qualified consulting forester has a key role in the white oak harvesting process. You really need a technician who can apply local forestry knowledge to a property, highlight funding opportunities, and help the project to succeed.”

This story is included in Restoring Sustainability for White Oak and Upland Oak Communities: An Assessment and Conservation Plan.