The field of forest stewardship involves developing plans of how to best utilize the land in a sustainable and environmentally sound manner. Stewardship is different from preservation; forestry stewards do not propose that the land should be left alone in order to completely preserve it in its "natural" state. The view that "nature's way is best" is not necessarily the most accurate, and forests often require active management to maximize health and biodiversity (North Carolina Forest Service, 2001).

Forest stewardship plans may use techniques such as timber harvest, controlled burnings, strategic planting, or the placement of feed plots in order to maximize high quality output from the land. Such output may include products such as timber, crops, or livestock as well as different uses such as recreation or hunting. Other important principles of any forest stewardship plan are identifying and conserving critical habitat zones in order to protect and preserve wildlife. Forest stewards strive to sustainably diversify vegetation, achieve better wildlife habitat quality, and increase quality production from the land.