Have farm, will compute: One tree farmer's use of the computer
By Bill Lukens

When I retired in 1987, I had about 15 years experience in computer programming and 30 years in natural resource management. At this time my wife Faye and I moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, where we own 160 acres of forestland that we purchased in 1964. The land was logged in the early 1900s, and except for a fire shortly afterward, some minor logging by the previous owners, and cattle grazing by them and us, it was untouched since the burn-about 80 years.

With input from Tree Farm foresters and Idaho Department of Lands foresters, Faye and I determined we wanted to have a fairly complete Resource Basic Inventory (RBI) and that we would do it ourselves. I knew that when dealing with 160 acres of flora, fauna and abiotic resources, an RBI would require computers to be useful.

In addition, to satisfy federal tax code requirements, not only was a "basis" inventory required, but all income and expenses related to the forestry business would be needed. Computers were the answer.

Outlined below are the types of computer programs and how we use them in the operation of our tree farm.

FINANCES

Managing Your Money. This is an old, but effective program. It has provided continuity and consistent data format and reports since 1985. We can separate business (Schedule C, sole proprietor) from personal finances, yet combine for 1040 submittals and Tree Farm only.

This program includes planning (to dos), reminders, directory, budgeting, accounts including depreciation, insurance planning, and net worth with capability to handle capital expenditures such as timber (merchantable, pre-merchantable) by volume (board feet) and/or value ($). This program also generates journal records and can include basis and depletion records. We have 36 income and expenditure accounts for business. Capital expenditures and operating costs, beginning in 1964, are included.

TAXES

Commercial Software and Turbo Tax the last three years. All taxes since 1985 have been done using tax software. Consistency and continuity is important, and the software ensures that things aren't forgotten, such as obligations from Sec. 179. Depreciation for both past and future expenditures is included.

Electronic submittals and direct deposit or credit card payments speed things up. Refunds are processed and deposited within two weeks, generally within one week. Absolutely no paper work needs to be submitted, although Form T must be maintained for documentation.

WEATHER

Microsoft Excel. This program is used to keep 12 years of on-site data. This data includes maximum, minimum and current humidity (summer only) and precipitation, 24-hour snowfall, snow on the ground, state of weather (cloudy, p. cloudy, clear) and wind. Charts for visually comparing current month/current year with 30-year month/year (NWS-Sandpoint) are prepared. Other information that is tracked includes summer maximum and minimum creek temperatures for our trout; first/last freeze dates for garden planting; frost-free days for types of garden vegetables; ephemeral stream flow dates; and annual maximum snow on the ground. Averages, 10-year maximum/minimum annual maximums, and minimums for all categories are documented.

With 10 years of on-site data, I can now compare our data with Sandpoint, which is 10 miles away. A quick look indicates that our annual precipitation exceeds Sandpoint's by about three inches. Snowfall is also greater.

ENERGY USE

Microsoft Excel. Electricity, water usage (well, creek) and propane by amount and/or cost is documented, which also provides monitoring for excess use (water leaks).

WORK HOURS

Microsoft Excel. Twenty-one work hour categories such as bridge/road maintenance, silviculture and fence maintenance are maintained. This information provides backup data for "materially participating" and "at risk" when preparing your tax documents. It also answers the question, "What did I do last year?"

FLORA

Microsoft Access. This program is used to catalog plant species. Two hundred and five species of flowering plants have been identified and are in a herbarium. Family, genus, species, common name, size, handbook reference, flower color, fruit, location (by same acre plot as tree data), habitat type and other miscellaneous information, such as poisonous or edible, is included.

CRUISE

Microsoft Excel and Access. Both of these programs are utilized, and data compiled before 1992 used programs written by me in Basic. The data has all been transferred to Microsoft Excel or Access, but the older programs can still be used. We have complete data including species, dbh, number of 16-foot merchantable logs, height, board feet, basal area and location by area on all conifers eight inches dbh and over that existed in 1988/89 on the east 80 acres. Data includes trees harvested since 1989 (trees taken, trees left). I wrote a program that took the 1988/89 data and subtracted the average annual growth rates using growth data from about 50 trees harvested in 1988/89, which gave me the 1964 "merchantable timber basis." Future growth projections have been made to 2010.
SAMPLE TREE MEASUREMENTS Microsoft Excel. Since 1990, 25 sample trees from the east 80 are currently in a database, and eight have been harvested. Sample trees in the west 80 are added as time becomes available. While not statistically valid, this information is for general use and provides average growth data for individual trees. This year each grandchild chose a tree that matched his or her height. We measured height and diameter at base, took pictures and added these trees to the sample. Routed signs show the children's name and year.

MANAGEMENT PLAN Microsoft Word. Our management plan consists of 40 pages of general information plus 20 appendices. The plan includes summaries of goals and accomplishments, as well as thoughts, comments and quotes applicable to our management philosophy. Copies of basic section (not appendices) have been provided to the Idaho Department of Lands (Forest Stewardship) and the Bonner County Assessor's Office.

MAPS

Fontasy, a DOS program. I hand-digitized USGS topographic sheets in 1989 using 1980 pixel-based software. This was before GIS or economical software and hardware became available. This method still works, but it is time consuming. I have developed a base map with overlays for acreage grid, contours (topography), roads, trails, streams (both continuous and ephemeral), structures and scale.

IDAHO FOREST OWNERS ASSOCIATION

Microsoft Access. On and off for the past five years I have maintained the membership database for the Idaho Forest Owners Association when the executive director was unable to do it. This included label printing for Northwest Woodlands under the old system (the database is now transmitted via email), and generating labels for association use such as renewals and newsletters.

IS IT WORTH IT?

Is it worth it? Definitely. Can I keep up? Yes for taxes, accounts, energy use and weather; the rest is usually two years behind. At the very least, however, it will provide a good database for our kids and grandkids that are much better at keeping up to date on hardware and software than I am.

Bill and his wife Faye have owned timberland near Sandpoint, Idaho, since 1964. Bill is a past IFOA board member and president, and was the Idaho Tree Farmer of the Year in 2000.