Columbus Day brought nice weather and 30 people to a woods walk at the Miner Institute in Franklin County, NY.  The tour was hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Franklin County and the NY Forest Owners Association.  (see story by Richard Gast).  Some of the features included: discussion of the Flat Rock Sandstone…

There is no shortage of interest and discussion in the personal use of woody biofuels, AKA firewood.  Without offering too much comment, I wanted to share some interesting links for those who spend time on this subject or are otherwise interested.

First, we (Connelly, Smallidge, and Allred) just finished a study on NYS Woodland Owners and their interest in woody biofuel.  A copy is attached to this blog or you can find a copy at this…

Hi All:

There has been a wonderful and significant subscription to this site in response to recent news releases.  It seems reasonable to share some perspective on how you can make use of the site.  I want to share a few specific ideas on how I think this site can be optimally useful, and what the ForestConnect team is planning to provide.  Please take a few minutes to acquaint yourself with the blog (your current location), the forum, pictures, and events…

There has been speculation that changing environmental patterns would result in a growth decline of trees in the Northeast.  An interesting study by Bill Leak of the USFS NRS looked at a comparison of growth rates for sugar maple and American beech from samples collected in the late 1800's with 150 or more years of growth data.  The conclusion of this study was that there was no evidence for a growth decline.  The historic records showed 10-year diameter growth increments of 1.0 to 1.7…

For those who missed the webinar on October 19, 2011, here is some background and the links to the recordings for "Introduction to Silvicultural Principles and Practices."

Description:

October 19, 2011.  An introduction to silvicultural practices for private woodlands. …

Nice video segmentof stand thinning, pruning, and more from the University of Minnesota Extension Forestry Program.  Includes information on both conifer and hardwood species.

Forest researchers from Michigan (working in Wisconsin) published on the results of a 12 year study evaluating the effects of elevated carbon dioxide and ozone on tree growth (story here).  Previous thinking assumed that althought he elevated CO2 would increase tree growth, that soil nitrogen would become limiting and the growth enhancement would be truncated.  The MI study found elevated growth even…

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation announced its tree planing "trees for tribs" program.  The tree planting program is a partnership of the DEC and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.  More information on the program is available here.

Note, you prospective tree planters, CCE has a…

The state of Maryland, via the governor and state department of natural resources has released its final report on a market based approach to recovering ecosystem services.  MD's connection to the Chesapeake is perhaps obvious and the report seeks to document equitable offsets when forest land is developed, and proposes programs that will encourage private sector involvement. 

Here is a link to the…

The Society of American Foresters shared a news storyabout the interface of North American forest products and European markets as relates to wood pellets.  There has been significant growth recently that is attributed to the European goal of reducing emissions by 2020.  The story reports on the relative environmental…

Here is an interesting story from central CT and the practice of sustainable forestry on private lands (link to story).  It is nice to see some stories from the eastern US where private owners are unabashedly deciding to manage their forest in a fashion that is productive, aesthetic, conservation-minded, and sustainable.  But, I would argue, all the forestry we practice on private (or public) lands…

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The ForestConnect webinar on September 21, 2011 by Mark Whitmore was on the status and management update for emerald ash borer.  The archived webinars are now available. 

The noon webinar link is http://breeze.cce.cornell.edu/p48568789/

The 7PM webinar link is …

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There is something special about eastern white pine (Pinus strobus).  It is some combination of its rich history in making America, the beauty of the tree growing among other white pine or mixed with hardwoods, the softness of the foliage, and its ability to colonize disturbed sites and grow, in some cases, to awesome…