Sustainable Land Management
Leonardo Academy provides Sustainable Management services that are tailored to your property’s needs. We work with woodlands, savannas, prairies, wetlands, and any other ecological communities you may have on your land. We base our plans on your vision for your property, as well as on the following types of information:

• Ecological communities present
• Historical vegetation and land use patterns
• Restoration and preservation goals
• Management challenges currently facing the property
• Waste Management

>> Sustainable Land Management (PDF)

A good Sustainable Management Plan will provide clear direction about the management activities needed to achieve your vision, and will help you make restoration decisions that are beneficial to your property in both the short and long run. This plan development can be provided as a standalone service or it can be combined with ongoing plan implementation, as discussed below.

Integrating the Federal and State Programs into Your Land Management Plans
The many state and federal programs that support various aspects of land management are often narrowly focused, each with their own particular objectives, rules and requirements. As a result, fitting them together with each other and your land management objectives so they all support progress toward your goals can be very challenging. Leonardo Academy can help put all these pieces together in a productive way. Our staff members can discuss the various programs with you, help determine which ones are applicable for your particular site, and then work with you to enroll your property in the programs that will most help you in achieving your goals.

Some of the programs we have experience with include:

• Managed Forest Law (MFL)
• Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
• Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP)
• Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (PFW)
• Wisconsin Forest Landowner Grant Program (WFLGP)
• Landowner’s Incentive Program (LIP)

Sustainable Land Management Implementation
Leonardo Academy can support or manage the implementation of your Sustainable Management Plan. We schedule regular work days for our own staff, and can help you engage appropriate contractors for larger projects or services outside of our scope. In addition, to allow landowners added flexibility, we can provide implementation of any of the individual land management activities listed below as a separate service from our integrated sustainable management planning.

Examples of Specific Services

Forest Management
Leonardo Academy can help integrate Managed Forest Law (MFL) land with other objectives like woodland and savanna restoration. Leonardo Academy can track MFL recommended and required practices and help you engage the appropriate forest management services as these are needed.

Planting and Seeding
Due to past land management practices, many areas have lost their native plants and seed banks, and it may be necessary to replenish the diversity of the site through planting and seeding. Leonardo Academy can determine what species of vegetation should be planted and seeded in each area, order plants or seed from appropriate vendors, and either install the vegetation or oversee contractors installing it, depending upon the size of the area.

Invasive Species Control
Invasive species are creating more of a problem now than ever before. Our staff can assess your property, point out invasive species of concern, and create a plan to address them based on the resources you have available and your overall goals for your property. Depending on the severity of the problem, Leonardo Academy staff can provide invasive species control services or work with you to find a provider who is right for you.

Site Inventories
Leonardo Academy can help locate and document areas of ecological significance. We can conduct site inventories listing the number of species present on the property and pointing out threatened and endangered species, as well as areas of greater species diversity, so that you can protect your biological resources. If you have large trees on your property, we can map their locations and help you determine whether they qualify for any state or national registries.

For additional information contact Leonardo Academy at: