Legacy Forest Management: Where Forest Management Meets Purpose

Legacy Forest Management LLC was built on a straightforward idea: rural communities deserve forestry professionals who understand their land, their challenges, and their goals. That idea was sparked through lived experience in the rugged Gila region of New Mexico, where the complexity of natural resource management constantly collides with public policy, agency priorities, and public debate. It was further shaped by witnessing the dilemmas landowners faced in the San Luis Valley after the 2018 Spring Creek Fire, when many were left without clear guidance or professional support during a critical moment.

Across both landscapes, one trend became impossible to ignore: landowners too often fall through the cracks. Legacy Forest Management was created to close that gap by providing practical, science‑based, and locally informed forestry expertise for the people who need it most. As a veteran‑owned business, Legacy brings the discipline, resolve, and mission‑focused mindset of military service to the work of forest stewardship to help landowners navigate challenges, make confident decisions, and accomplish their goals on the ground.

We embrace the idea of “Be All You Can Be,” a former U.S. Army slogan that reflects a simple truth: mission success begins with personal excellence. To be top‑tier forestry specialists, professional excellence isn’t optional, it’s the foundation. By bringing our best to every project, we help landowners carry out their mission of forest stewardship with clarity, confidence, and results built to last. Whether it’s the infantry or forestry, excellence is how the mission gets done. From bark beetle management to wildfire mitigation, we lead the way.

What We Do

Forest management plans

A Forest Management Plan is a comprehensive, long‑range document that assesses stand conditions, inventories forest resources, analyzes fuels, wildlife, soils, access, and risk factors, and outlines a complete 10‑year schedule of recommended operations. A Forest Management Plan is commonly developed to meet the requirements of programs such as the Colorado Forest Agriculture Classification (Forest Ag) Program or the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

Forest improvement plans

A Forest Improvement Plan is a streamlined, project‑focused plan that provides a targeted assessment of stand conditions and delivers specific recommendations for wildfire mitigation, forest health treatments, habitat work, or other single‑project objectives without the scope or complexity of a full management plan. At the same time, a Forest Improvement Plan includes much of the essential bare‑bones content of a full Forest Management Plan, allowing it to be expanded into a comprehensive plan if needed in the future.

Forest Thinning & Hazardous Fuels Reduction

Forest Thinning & Hazardous Fuels Reduction focuses on improving forest health, reducing wildfire risk, and restoring resilient stand structure through the targeted removal of overcrowded or stressed trees. This service combines ecological assessment with practical, scientifically supported recommendations to reduce ladder fuels, decrease stand density, improve stand structure, enhance species composition, and create defensible space around homes, infrastructure, and high‑value resources. Treatments are tailored to site conditions and landowner objectives, emphasizing long‑term forest stability, improved access, and safer wildfire behavior across the property, and Legacy Forest Management can implement these treatments directly when appropriate.

Forest Inventory & Stand Exams

Forest Inventory & Stand Exams provide the field measurements needed to establish baseline stand conditions and support practical, well‑informed management decisions. Legacy Forest Management conducts systematic data collection to document species composition, tree density, size classes, tree health indicators, fuels conditions, and structural characteristics across the property. These measurements are organized into clear summaries and maps that guide treatment design, long‑term planning, cost‑share applications, and project implementation. A thorough inventory ensures landowners have reliable, objective information before moving forward with thinning, fuels reduction, habitat work, or other forest improvement projects.

Integrated Forest Health & Pest Management

Integrated Forest Health & Pest Management focuses on identifying, monitoring, and addressing forest health concerns before they develop into larger problems. Legacy Forest Management evaluates tree vigor, stand stressors, insect activity, disease indicators, and environmental conditions that influence overall forest resilience. This service combines field assessments with practical management recommendations to reduce pest pressure, improve stand vigor, and maintain healthy growing conditions across the property. By integrating monitoring, early detection, and targeted mitigation strategies, landowners gain a clear understanding of current forest health concerns and the steps needed to protect their trees from insects, disease, and other stress‑related issues.

Tree Risk Assessment & Hazard Evaluation

Tree Risk Assessment & Hazard Evaluation focuses on identifying trees that pose an elevated risk to people, structures, access routes, and other high‑value areas. Legacy Forest Management applies training from the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) program to conduct systematic evaluations of structural defects, tree health, root and soil conditions, species‑specific failure patterns, site factors, and potential targets. Each assessment results in clear documentation of observed conditions, likelihood of failure, and practical mitigation recommendations. This service provides landowners with a clear understanding of hazard trees on their property and the steps needed to reduce risk, improve safety, and maintain long‑term forest stability around homes, infrastructure, and frequently used areas.

Forestry Project Oversight & Implementation Support

Forestry Project Oversight & Implementation Support ensures that on‑the‑ground work is carried out safely, efficiently, and according to the approved treatment design. Legacy Forest Management provides field‑based operational guidance throughout the project, coordinating with contractors, verifying layout and specifications, and addressing issues that arise during implementation. This service focuses on maintaining treatment quality, protecting landowner objectives, and ensuring that thinning, fuels reduction, or habitat work is executed to professional forestry standards. By combining technical expertise with practical field coordination, landowners gain confidence that their project is progressing correctly, meeting expectations, and delivering the intended forest health and risk‑reduction outcomes.

Forestry Project Layout & Individual Tree Marking

Forestry Project Layout & Individual Tree Marking provides the detailed fieldwork needed to turn an existing forest management plan into an accurate, operationally ready project. Legacy Forest Management completes full project layout, including the delineation of management unit boundaries, treatment polygons, skid trails, and any operational constraints identified in the plan. Individual‑tree marking is conducted according to the recommended silvicultural approach such as thinning, group selection, sanitation, or hazard removal using consistent paint standards and defensible criteria that reflect stand conditions and management objectives. All layout features are documented with GPS and integrated into GIS maps to support contractor navigation, accountability, and long‑term landowner records. This service ensures that planned treatments are precisely translated into on‑the‑ground marking and layout, giving contractors clear guidance and landowners confidence that work will be executed to professional forestry standards.

Rangeland Health Assessment & Monitoring

Rangeland Health Assessment & Monitoring evaluates the condition, function, and productivity of rangeland ecosystems to support practical, stewardship‑focused management decisions. Legacy Forest Management conducts systematic field assessments to document plant community composition, ground cover, bare soil percentage, erosion indicators, grazing pressure, recovery periods, and invasive species presence across pastures and rangeland units. These measurements are organized into clear summaries and maps that highlight current conditions, trend indicators, and priority areas for improvement. Ongoing monitoring provides landowners with reliable information to guide grazing management, habitat objectives, restoration efforts, and cost‑share opportunities, ensuring rangeland resources remain healthy, resilient, and productive over time.

Geospatial Mapping & GPS Data Collection

Geospatial Mapping and GPS Data Collection provides high‑quality custom maps and accurate field data to support forestry, rangeland, and other natural resource management projects. Legacy Forest Management collects reliable GPS data in the field, capturing point, line, and polygon features relevant to project needs, including project boundaries, management units, streams or rivers, roads, and project‑specific point layers such as individual trees or infrastructure locations. This information is used to produce clear, professional maps tailored to each project’s objectives. Mapping products support operational planning, contractor navigation, landowner recordkeeping, and project documentation and tracking. The service emphasizes practical, field‑driven geospatial solutions, ensuring landowners receive accurate and useful maps without unnecessary complexity.

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