Strategic Framework of the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association

New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association

New Hampshire Timber Harvesting Council

New Hampshire Project Learning Tree

New Hampshire Timberland Owners Education Foundation

Strategic Plan  — final

2026 to 2032

Date adopted:  February 25, 2026

Mission: The New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association (NHTOA) promotes working forests, supports responsible forest management, and ensures a strong forest industry. 

Goals:

1. Foster a legal and regulatory environment that supports and enhances timberland ownership, timberland management, and a thriving forest industry.

Advocacy and public policy work drive the NHTOA’s mission. The NHTOA is proud of its history of nonpartisan and collaborative work on behalf of timberland owners and the forest industry.

• Promotes New Hampshire’s tradition of strong support for timberland ownership, timberland management, and a vibrant forest industry.
• Represents the interests of New Hampshire’s timberland owners and the forest industry at the state, local, and (as it pertains to New Hampshire) national levels.
• Is attentive to the unintended consequences of proposed laws and ordinances.
• Works to ensure that legislative and municipal actions do not undermine forests, landowners, or the industry.
• Responds and reacts to demographic, economic, and political change.

• Advance professionalism, safe practices, sustainable forestry, efficiency, and productivity throughout the forest industry. Cultivate a future workforce while educating NH’s residents about the benefits of sustainable forestry, natural resources management, and use of forest products.

The NHTOA’s success relies on the professionalism, efficiency, utilization, and safety of all those involved in growing, managing, harvesting, transporting, and processing timber. To achieve this success the NHTOA provides landowner and industry training and outreach. Through our logger, industry, and landowner training and certification programs, we will promote:

• The value of managing forests.
• High industry safety standards.
• Increased efficiency and productivity in New Hampshire forests and mills.
• Responsible forest management.
• High utilization of New Hampshire forest products.

NHTOA’s success also relies on a well-trained and robust workforce, residents who recognize the benefits of sustainable forestry (forest products, clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat, etc.), and the NHTOA’s ability to identify potential demographic and property ownership/transfer (including intergenerational) changes before they occur. To this end, the NHTOA’s education and outreach work will include efforts to broaden participation in New Hampshire’s forest industry and provide/promote forest and natural resource conservation education for New Hampshire students in grades K-12 and others. We will:

• Promote understanding and appreciation of the ecological, social and economic values of New Hampshire’s natural resources.
• Stimulate critical and creative thinking.
• Develop the ability to make informed decisions on environmental issues.
• Instill confidence and commitment to take responsible action on behalf of the environment.

• Recruit and retain members by providing responsive and high-quality support and services that support organizational health, active land management, and forest products utilization.

The NHTOA is a membership organization. Through a robust and active membership, the organization will be an effective advocate and trainer/educator. NHTOA members are active land stewards, land managers, and efficient forest products businesses that appreciate the benefits of timberland management and forest products utilization.

To retain existing members the NHTOA will:

• Listen and respond to the needs of landowners, and representatives of the forest industry.
• Provide its members with strong support and value.
• Invest resources into relevant and useful programming.
• Provide assistance.
• Advocate on members’ behalf.  

To recruit new members the NHTOA will develop, approve, and fund a goal-driven recruitment strategy using:

• Multimedia communications.
• Assistance from directors, volunteers, and existing members.

• Promote the value of working forests, responsible forest management, and sustainable markets for all grades and species of timber.

We advocate for forests, the forest industry, and those who own, manage, make their living from, and enjoy them. Managing forests responsibly makes timberland ownership more economically viable, while helping ensure long-term sustainability of forests and the forest industry.

The NHTOA also advocates and promotes creating new timber markets – especially markets for low-grade timber. Without markets for all grades and species of timber, sustainable forestry is not economically viable.

We will work to ensure that:

• Landowners, government officials, and the public recognize the significant environmental, recreational, and economic benefits of working forests.
• New Hampshire’s youth understand and appreciate the ecological, social and economic values of New Hampshire’s natural resources and the careers within the forest industry.

Our promotion will:

• Target specific audiences.
• Use a multi-media platform that includes print, electronic, and social media to convey the organization’s message.

Working with the University of New Hampshire, state and federal agencies, and other non-government organizations, the NHTOA, through the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Education Foundation will:

• Provide fiscal assistance for new market research and development
• Provide training to help existing markets remain competitive.
• Assist members with developing new markets.
• Work to recruit new timber businesses to New Hampshire.

• Ensure the financial and organizational vitality of the NHTOA through increased fundraising and membership, staff development, and attentive governance.

Our goal is to build a fiscally sound and resilient organization for long-term success. We will anticipate and identify new membership and fundraising opportunities emerging from the demographic and property ownership/transfer (including intergenerational) changes occurring in New Hampshire.

• The NHTOA relies on members to support operations, programming (including NHPLT), and its mission.
• We commit to consider judicious expansion of resources (including staff) so the NHTOA can respond to needs as they arise and assure organizational continuity.

With the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Education Foundation, the NHTOA will:

• Increase the number of individuals making charitable gifts and charitable commitments in their wills.
• Grow the endowment.

Our boards will work to attract capable new directors for the NHTOA, NH Timberland Owners Education Foundation, NH Timber Harvesting Council, and NH Project Learning Tree boards. The NHTOA board will focus on strategic and development issues, and to take an active role in financial oversight and other governance responsibilities.