Flis Forest and Land, LLC

08/21/2026

TSI

Timber Stand Improvement can be one of the most beneficial things you do for your woods, but it can also do more harm than good if it isn’t done with a purpose.

Every tree you remove changes the amount of sunlight, competition, cover, and growing space in that stand. If the wrong trees are removed, or too much is cut at once, you can end up favoring species you never wanted, creating problems with regeneration, or setting the stand back instead of improving it.

The first question should always be..

What do I want this stand to look like in the future?

From there, you can decide which trees should be favored, which ones are competing with them, whether enough desirable regeneration is already present, and how much canopy should actually be opened.

A good TSI treatment should improve the growth and quality of your better trees while also setting up the next generation of the forest. That may mean releasing good oak, cherry, or maple crop trees, controlling undesirable competition, improving wildlife habitat, or creating the right conditions for regeneration.

The important part is having a reason for every tree you cut. You can always remove another tree later. It’s a lot harder to put one back.

📌Flis Forest and Land, LLC
📲814-330-9861
📧[email protected]

07/02/2026

A good reminder this morning of why it pays to know your plants.

I got into some poison ivy unknowingly, but luckily, there was jewelweed nearby. I crushed the stems and leaves and rubbed them on my arms in a cold stream. Within about 2 hours, the irritation had settled down and was gone.

Jewelweed is often found in damp, shaded areas and has long been used as a natural remedy for poison ivy. The “soapy” watery sap can help wash the urushiol oils from the skin and may help calm irritation after contact.

Good information to share in case you get in a pinch like I was earlier.

*not medical advice just sharing my experience

06/19/2026

What’s your move here?

You walk into a stand with scattered big red oaks (some sugar and red maple too), a light midstory of pole size undesirables, and a forest floor full of red oak seedlings… but also a heavy mat of hay scented fern.

To most the goal is simple: get those red oak seedlings to 5+ feet out of deer reach.

The move isn’t always to cut hard right away. Opening the canopy too fast can make the fern problem worse and leave those oak seedlings stuck.

Some options to consider when you’re the landowner:

Option 1: Treat the fern first, then release the oak seedlings once competition is knocked back along with better deer management.

Option 2: Remove scattered black birch poles to let more filtered light reach the oak without shocking the site and again with better deer management.

Option 3: Protect the best oak patches from deer browse with fencing, slash, and better deer management.

Option 4: Wait for the appropriate time for a thinning (could be a generation) or until the oak seedlings are tall enough to compete if they ever get there on their own.

In my opinion, I would select multiple different options over a 2-3 year period for better results. Can you guess which options?

Good forestry isn’t always about cutting more trees. Sometimes it’s about knowing when not to harvest.

📌Flis Forest and Land, LLC
📲814-330-9861
📧[email protected]

06/02/2026

Summer is a great time to take a walk through your woods and look beyond the big trees.

One of the first things to pay attention to is how much sunlight is reaching the forest floor. Without enough light, young trees don’t stand much of a chance. You may have a healthy looking overstory, but if there’s no new oak, maple, cherry, hickory, or other desirable regeneration coming up underneath, the future of that stand may be lacking.

Summer also makes browse pressure easier to see. If seedlings and sprouts are getting hammered by deer, sunlight alone won’t fix the problem. Forest regeneration takes both proper light and a deer herd that allows young trees to grow past the browse line.

Good forest management and good deer management go hand in hand.

Take a look around this summer. What’s growing on your forest floor?

📌Flis Forest and Land, LLC
📲814-330-9861
📧[email protected]

05/28/2026

What are your goals for your property?

The first question you should ask yourself and from there, a plan can be built around improving forest health, wildlife habitat, timber quality, long term value, and so much more.

Your woods do not have to be managed like everyone else’s. They should be managed for your goals, your land, and the future you want to see or your kids to see.

Get on the right track by contacting me today!

📌Flis Forest and Land, LLC
📲814-330-9861
📧[email protected]

05/13/2026

What’s the regeneration of your forest look like? Maybe it’s been 5, 10, 20 years since it was last logged or maybe not at all. Maybe it feels stuck like nothings changed for the better.. Wouldn’t you want to nudge it in the right direction or have a forester write you a management plan on how to properly manage it yourself?

Let’s open up a conversation by giving me a call!
📌Flis Forest and Land, LLC
📲814-330-9861
📧[email protected]

05/08/2026

1 whole year in business! I was blessed with my clients and their respected properties my first year. Lots of knowledge shared and goals met! Here’s to more!

*email has since changed to
[email protected]

Welcome to Flis Forest & Land, LLC!
We’re excited to officially introduce our forestry services and consulting business, dedicated to restoring and improving privately owned forests across Pennsylvania.

With a strong foundation in sustainable forestry and a deep respect for the woods, we partner with landowners to unlock the full potential of their woodlands. Whether it’s developing long-term management plans, improving wildlife habitat, or enhancing timber value, we’re here to help you enhance your forest for generations to come.

Follow us for updates, forestry tips, habitat improvement ideas, and ways we can support your goals. Let’s grow together!

Get in touch:

Call or text (814)330-9861
[email protected]

04/15/2026

I recently had the opportunity to evaluate a nice 45 acre woodland that had been previously managed. Based on what I observed, the past treatment appeared to be a single tree harvest where a few higher grade overstory trees were removed. In other words, this was essentially a high grade.

That said, the stand still has a lot of potential.

The new overstory is now made up predominantly of black cherry and sugar maple, with some great promise for the future. Most of the trees are already beyond roughly 1.5 log merchantable height and now have the opportunity to continue developing into solid diameter, higher quality trees.

That disturbance also allowed enough sunlight to reach the forest floor, which helped establish a decent layer of desirable regeneration in this case, sugar maple and hickory saplings.

In the photo, there are also a few beech saplings present. That is perfectly fine from a diversity standpoint, but they should be monitored periodically so they do not begin crowding out the more desirable stems. There are also plenty of Rubus species present, which is great for berry production and wildlife value, but not so much that they are becoming overwhelming. And finally, the dreaded black birch is present as well, though in this case it does not appear to be growing as aggressively as is often seen.

The landowner’s primary goal is to improve the woods over time, with deer hunting for the grandchildren as another objective.

So what are the next steps to help reach those goals?

There may not be much that needs done right now, but this is certainly a great time to capitalize on existing stand conditions and guide this property toward becoming the highest quality woodland possible.

📍Flis Forest and Land, LLC
📞 (814)330-9861

04/08/2026

🚨Breaking the ice for 2026 with an extremely important message for landowners!🚨

Spring is here, and people are ready to get outside and start projects on their properties. With that comes an influx of businesses advertising their work and services. That can be a good thing, but it is not so good when misinformation is being spread.

Recently, I saw a post directed at Pennsylvania landowners that needed to be addressed. In that public post, it stated that ironwood (Ostrya virginiana) was invasive in Pennsylvania. That is completely false. Ironwood is a native hardwood species found here. Misinformation like that can be detrimental to your property. What if that tree was providing food for turkeys, songbirds, or small mammals, not to mention the vertical habitat it offers wildlife?

Next, it may be hard to see, but every mast producing, large timber hardwood was marked for harvest. This is what high grading looks like. This property stood out from neighboring lands because it was one of the last to retain that kind of value, especially aesthetic value. It is rare to find a quality forest like that. Unfortunately, the property owner unknowingly hired a logger without first consulting a forester and lost it all. This property will now likely transition into a grove of multiflora rose, oriental bittersweet, and invasive honeysuckles.

Lastly, this property is in the beginning stages of takeover following a disturbance such as a thinning. It shows how, earlier this year, a thinning was completed, and within just a couple of months an invasive species moved in and began trying to establish itself. Japanese barberry is every bit as bad as multiflora rose. It can spread quickly and must be managed properly.

All of these examples point to one main problem: a qualified professional was not involved to help manage the property the right way. With a consulting forester involved, each of these properties could have been improved with a few extra steps, and the landowner could have been properly educated on what they actually have on their land.

📍Flis Forest and Land, LLC
📞 (814)330-9861