Classes offered for forest, farm owners

Upcoming workshops will introduce forest and farm landowners to topics including estate planning, marketing environmental services and low-impact logging techniques.

Upcoming workshops will introduce forest and farm landowners to topics including estate planning, marketing environmental services and low-impact logging techniques.

_ The first, "Ties to the Land," will help attendees with estate planning for land and land-based businesses. "Ties to the Land" was developed by family forest owners, forestry Extension agents and business experts from Oregon State University. The award-winning program leads participants through case studies based around forest land. The program also has received great acclaim from farm and ranch families. "Ties to the Land" is 6-8:30 p.m. April 29 and May 13 at Peninsula College, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd., Port Angeles. $25 per family covers the cost of a "Ties to the Land" workbook and DVD.

Two additional workshops are available free.

_ Forest landowners will learn about local groups that provide technical and financial resources at a workshop from 6-8:30 p.m. May 20, also at Peninsula College. This features a presentation by the Northwest Natural Resource Group on the Forest Stewardship Council certification program and Northwest Neutral, a new program that connects forest landowners with businesses to buy and sell credible local carbon offsets.

_ Greg Lange, of Draftworks Horse Logging in Port Angeles, will demonstrate low-impact logging techniques using his team of Belgian draft horses at 1 p.m. May 30 in the Forks area.

The workshops are sponsored by the Clallam Conservation District, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the North Olympic Peninsula Resource Conservation & Development Council.

Call the conservation district at 452-1912 ext. 5 for more information and to register for these events.