WOODLAND OWNERS OF THE SOUTHERN ALLEGHENIES
STRATEGIC PLAN
Adopted 05/22/2015
Preamble: This plan is designed to serve as both a guide and a vision generating process to help the Woodland Owners of the Southern Alleghenies (WOSA) maintain its vibrancy, relevance, and efficacy as a grassroots organization committed to the promotion of sustainable practices on private forestland in Southwestern Pennsylvania. This document is divided into two sections. The first section lists general goals for WOSA. The second section lists strategic actions designed to help WOSA achieve its stated goals. This document is to guide the development and implementation of a more structured strategic annual plan for WOSA.
Section I - WOSA Goals:
1) Educate woodland owners on stewardship and sustainable use of forest resources.
2) Partner with Community and Government agencies in the interest of forest stewardship and woodland
management.
3) Promote local, state, and national legislation dealing with forest stewardship and sustainable use of forest
product resources.
4) Promote sustainable practices on private forest lands with emphasis on members' properties.
5) Build WOSA membership and encourage active involvement of members in the overall goals and activities of
WOSA.
6) Raise funds to carry out the WOSA purposes.
7) Provide mechanisms for receiving and exchanging information on Best Management Practices in forestry,
taking into account both economic returns and environmental protection of the resource for the future.
8) Develop and implement an Annual Work Plan and Annual Report to encourage short-term strategy
development.
9) Conduct periodic surveys of members’ experiences and stewardship activities.
10) Identify and address critical issues and concerns:
- Property/Community rights
- Logging/timber harvesting Ordinances
- Deer management
- Taxes
- Land-use planning
- Promotion of “high end” or “value added” forest products businesses
- ATVs and other recreational access issues
- Eco-tourism development
- High grading
- PA Game Commission policy on support for private landowners
- Green junk, i.e. undesirable and interfering vegetation (striped maple, ferns, multiflora rose, autumn olive, etc.)
Section II - Strategic Action Plan:
1) Education - Provide learning opportunities to members, forest professionals, and the public
A. Hold an annual Conference for members and the public.
B. Hold annual meetings in compliance with WOSA Bylaws.
C. Publish a newsletter. Improve communications within WOSA through timely distribution of newsletters,
minutes, reports, articles, and other items of interest.
D. Conduct workshops for members and the public i.e. walks, tours, tree planting, chainsaw training.
E. Schedule events geared towards audiences to broaden WOSA's impact birding, hunting, landscaping with
native plants, mushroom gathering, agro-forestry, history.
F. Publish Fact Sheets and/or develop a "resource" library.
G. Encourage members to write articles for publications.
H. Conduct Landowner Visits.
I. Improve communications within WOSA through timely distribution of newsletters, minutes, reports,
articles, and other items of interest.
J. Provide educational opportunities for and improve interface with industry foresters, loggers, and
timber\companies.
K. Provide educational opportunities for youth and school groups.
L. Develop a consumer’s guide to foresters, loggers, and specialists.
M. Maintain a WOSA web site.
2) Partnerships - Work with agencies and groups to strengthen WOSA's effectiveness
A. Identify Co-operating Agencies and Community Groups and utilize their resources/strengths through
strategic involvement/interaction.
B. Interact with other woodland owner associations.
3) Government Outreach - Promote local, state, and national legislation dealing with forest stewardship and
sustainable use of forest resources.
A. Interact with appropriate legislative committees at the State and Federal levels.
B. Provide direct input to local legislative jurisdictions on matters relating to forestry.
C. Maintain a legislative committee within WOSA.
4) Organizational Growth - Build WOSA membership and encourage active involvement of members in the
overall goals and activities of WOSA.
A. Use Geographic Information System (GIS) and tax records to identify and reach forest landowners.
B. Set annual membership goal.
C. Keep member list database up to date.
D. Use committees, including non-board members, to accomplish Annual Work Plan Objectives/Activities.
E. Recruit highly qualified members to the board.
F. Survey members periodically to solicit strategic recommendations/ideas.
i. Use electronic media as feasible.
ii. Use results to develop annual work plans.
iii. Results will be summarized in the newsletter.
5) Financial Means - Raise Funds to carry out WOSA purposes.
A. Prepare and distribute Annual report summarizing WOSA's yearly growth and achievement to cooperating
agencies, members, and funding sources to increase publicity.
B. Seek out grant opportunities available to fund WOSA events/operations.
C. Establish dues for membership and charge fees for selected events.
6) Methods - Promote implementation of sustainable practices on private forest lands with emphasis on
members' properties.
A. Assess members' accomplishments through periodic surveys.
B. Institute an annual achievement award.
C. Develop a member "Demonstration Sites List" (riparian buffers, habitat projects, timber harvests,
reforestation, etc.)
D. Provide mechanisms for receiving and exchanging information on Best Management Practices in forestry,
taking into account both economic returns and environmental protection of the resource for the future.
E. Use the newsletter, web site, and other information approaches to share information.
F. Encourage cooperating agencies and organizations to promote Best Management Practices for forestry
through their programs and educational publications.
G. Develop and Implement an Annual Work Plan and Annual Report.
i. Use member survey to set goals/priorities.
ii. Publish a Work Plan and calendar of events in newsletter to solicit volunteers and provide advanced
notice of WOSA events.
iii. Use Calendar of Events to set deadlines for committee formation/action.
iv. Use Annual Work Plan as benchmark for Annual Report and for securing funding for activities.
H. Review and prioritize critical issues annually.
i. Annually review critical issues and develop policy positions.
ii. Communicate policy position through newsletter and electronic media.
iii. Communicate policy positions to the public, as appropriate, through press releases and other media.
WORK PLAN - Could be done at Annual conference to save cost of a mail survey. Post Annual Report, Calendar of Events, and Annual Work Plan at conference to encourage membership participation in WOSA.