Annual Stand Exam List

What is an Annual Stand Exam List?

The DNR plans forest stands to be evaluated for potential timber harvest or other forest management activity on a 10-year basis. Annual Stand Exam Lists (ASELs) are derived from this 10-year plan. An ASEL is a work plan that consists of a pool of forest stands on DNR-administered lands on which timber harvest or another management activity is being considered during the upcoming fiscal year (July 1–June 30).

Each stand on an ASEL has a preliminary management prescription (e.g., clear-cut harvest with reserve areas, uneven-aged regeneration harvest, and thinning). These preliminary prescriptions are developed during planning using the best available data and reflect general prescriptions considered appropriate for various forest cover types. Management decisions for actual prescriptions are determined based on examinations of conditions on the ground, site objectives, department direction that applies to resources present, and Section Forest Resource Management Plan goals.

After conducting a field examination and developing a final prescription, DNR foresters appraise some stands identified on the ASEL for a timber sale. However, field staff may also find that some stands or portions of stands are unsuitable for harvest during the field examination. In this case, the field staff will update the inventory data for these stands, schedule another field examination, or defer management to a future year.

2025 Annual Stand Exam List

This list of forest stands will be examined during the fiscal year 2025, which begins July 1, 2024, and ends June 30, 2025. DNR field staff will consider about 3,640 forest stands on 77,100 acres for potential timber sales. Of this amount, an estimated 45,000 acres will be offered for sale.


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For questions about Annual Stand Exam Lists, you can email questions to [email protected].

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