Hi Kim:
Well, I always have a difficult time with anything "perfect." Plus, there is a big difference between "perfect forest" and "perfect land".....we have mostly pasture at the farm and its allowing us to choose what trees we want to plant. We also manage a grove of beautiful sugar maples and in my opinion, is the perfect forest...for us. (see www.wellspringforestfarm.com) It is where we do maple syrup,
mushrooms, raise our ducks, and recently begun planting ginseng.
So, it really comes down to your personal goals, mixed with some research into the forest types that exist around the area you are seeking land in. In addition to the species composition, age
class (how old the trees are, and how diverse the age ranges are), the quality of the seedling regeneration in the forest, and the health of the trees in the stand.
Its worth hiring a forester and talking to your
local extension to get more specific in terms of the local scene. But I do think that a clear articulation of your personal goals for land is foremost in being able to find the things you want. We walk through this in Ch 10 of the book.
cheers,
Steve