Vander Meer's Wildland Conservation Services
Vander Meer's Wildland Conservation Services

Forest Restoration


Jessie wires protective fencing around a newly planted cottonwood.

Vander Meer's Wildland Conservation Services leads in ecologically and economically sustainable forestry. We bridge the gap between current ecological concepts and on-the-ground forest practices. Our specialty is forest restoration, meaning we enhance forest and integrity and, when feasible, turn our forest products. Forest restoration includes restoring and maintaining natural forest processes, promoting appropriate native species, enhancing stand structural diversity, increasing tree vigor, decreasing fire hazard, enhancing wildlife habitat and enhancing overall forest integrity.

We not only write forest management plans, we do the work as well. There is no gap between forester and logger. We emphasize sustainable forest use, light-on-the-land logging, value-added techniques and resourceful product marketing. We promote rural job opportunities and economic stability by utilizing low-level mechanization that puts people to work in the woods instead of machines.

We are dedicated to applying and teaching ecologically and socially responsible forestry methods that restore and sustain long-term forest use and vitality. We offer classroom and on-the-ground training to landowners, agency personnel or any interested party. We can't turn you into a forester overnight, but we can provide you with basic knowledge and skills in sustainable forestry practices.

 

Long-term approach:

We prefer to take a long-term approach to restoration. Providing our services on a multi-year schedule has been the most successful approach and has several advantages:

 

* A long-term approach is aesthetically, ecologically and economically less offensive.

* Multiple visits give us the opportunity to learn the complexities of your forests, riparian areas, wetlands, ponds and streams. The best management is often based in familiarity.

* As the years go by, we can refine restoration techniques by identifying and monitoring successes and failures.

* Restoration activities can be modified if your goals and ideas for the land change through time.

Restoration Services
  • Biophysical Assessments and Surveys
    • Ecological & biophysical assessments
    • Forest health assessments
    • Soil surveys
    • Plant surveys
    • Wildlife surveys
    • Insect surveys
  • Land Use Planning
    • Sustainable development & land-use planning
    • Real estate biophysical assessments
  • Low-Impact Logging
  • Reforestation
  • Wildlife Habitat Improvements
  • Fire Hazard Reduction
  • Prescribed Burning
  • Tree Thinning & Pruning
  • Fruit Tree Pruning
  • Timber Inventory

Vander Meer’s Wildland Conservation Services
Physical Address: 1301 Scott St. - Missoula, MT 59802
Mailing Address: 902 Stoddard St. - Missoula, MT 59802
Phone (406) 541-2565