Virginia Tech forestry extension offers Woodland Options for Landowners course
Virginia Tech’s forestry extension office will be offering an online course aimed at providing new landowners the skills and knowledge needed to effectively and responsibly manage forestland. The Woodland Options for Landowners course will begin March 1, 2006 and lasts for 11 weeks. The course is self-paced and all course material is available online through August 2006.
The course is geared toward forest landowners regardless of whether the owner’s goal is preserving forestland or extracting timber for profit. The course covers a wide range of topics and techniques including the history of forest management in Virginia, tree species identification, and timber-harvesting methods. Course content also includes instruction on how to use helpful forest management resources such as deeds, topographical maps, and soil studies.
The non-credit, online course is administered by the Virginia Cooperative Extension at Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources. Registration begins Jan. 5, 2006 and the cost of the course is $60. Further information as well as online registration will be available at http://www.vto.vt.edu.
The College of Natural Resources at Virginia Tech consistently ranks among the top five programs of its kind in the nation. Faculty members stress both the technical and human elements of natural resources and instill in students a sense of stewardship and land-use ethics. As a land-grant university, Virginia Tech serves the Commonwealth of Virginia in teaching, research, and Extension.
