Every forest needs a management plan that captures the owner’s vision of how the forest will be managed to provide resource values the owner wants in the future. Often those resource values include recreation opportunities, scenic vistas, timber income, and wildlife habitat – all set within a natural environment of healthy vegetation, clean water, and productive, protected soil. The forest provides many more values, however, and those values need to be identified and included in the plan if the owner is interested in pursuing them.

One of those values is the production of maple sugar and related products – refined from the capture of sap from trees – primarily the native bigleaf maple. Tapping the sap flow in maple trees can provide additional income, personal use products, and a form of recreation enjoyed by many during a time of the year that other recreational pursuits are not available.

Incorporating maple syrup production into the forest management plan consists of some simple steps:

1. Identify the maple trees in the forest that are suitable for tapping. They can be single trees or clumps originating from stumps. Ideally, they should be vigorous, with healthy crowns, and at least 5 inches in diameter (larger trees typically produce more on average).  They should also be accessible on a trail or road, since sap collection can involve frequent transport of heavy sap containers.

2. Determine how these potential maple sap production trees relate to the other resource values being managed. For example, if they are in an area scheduled for harvest, they may not be suitable. Even if left uncut during a harvest, they may not survive sudden exposure to sunlight. On the other hand, maple tapping trees or clumps may be a benefit to wildlife habitat modification for birds.

3. Identify the management actions needed to successfully produce sap from the selected trees:

   • Single maple trees – If the tree crown is crowded by other trees, remove some surrounding trees so that the maple crown can expand. The crown is the “factory” that produces the sap, so it needs to have full access to sunlight.

   • Maple clumps – clumps grow as sprouts from a previous “mother tree” that was harvested or died from other causes. Many sprouts (stems) are generally produced, all using the mother tree root system. Thinning the clumps down to a smaller number, will allow the remaining stems to have greater access, and they will be more vigorous – producing more sap. The ideal number of stems to keep can vary. On good soil, with plenty of soil moisture, 3-5 stems may be appropriate. On less productive soils, 1-3 may be the right number. Choose leave trees that are firmly rooted to the stump, and are the most vigorous of the stems.