I thought a discussion of woodland owners in G.B. was interesting (here).  The article give a brief profile of a few owners, why they bought their land, what they plan, and the arrangements of ownership. It seems there is some concern in that region about a fungus that is killing the ash trees, which they call "ash decline."  This seems to be different from what we know as "ash decline" in…

Today's ForestConnect webinar was on the topic of "Management for the Next Forest."  More simply stated, what barriers limit successful forest regeneration, and what management options will overcome these barriers.  This is a topic that attracts some broad attention.  However, patterns of forest regeneration vary across the Northeast, with fewer restrictions often where there are fewer deer.  Deer and interfering vegetation are the common barriers that many owners and managers…

The ForestConnect webinar on June 20, 2012 focused on understanding the legal implications of different options and opportunities for transferring land from one owner to another.  Typically this might involve transfers between generations, but other transfers were addressed.  Attorney Elizabeth Sillin offered an outstanding context to understand the different types of ownership transfer options, and provided examples for how those transfers might be implemented.  For those interested in this…

I recently had the good fortune to join a group hosted by the foresters at Landvest near Kane, PA for a walk and talk in the woods.  There were 8 of us in total, from Landvest, PSU Cooperative Extension, Cornell University Cooperative Extension, and Cotton-Hanlon. Beech is a nice species, but due to the confluence of invasive insect & fungus, the tree interferes with other species and a multitude of ownership objectives.  The question at hand, as a general context for the gathering, was…

Dr. Thomas Seeley never ceases to impress audiences with the clarity and richness of his presentations.  Today's webinar was no different.  Participants learned the key features of a desirable honey bee hive tree, how the scout bees communicate and debate the virtues of the tree they visited, and the process of moving the swarm into their new home. To quote one participant commenting about the quality of the webinar... "David Attenborough couldn't have done it…

My thanks to Mark Whitmore for a great webinar on EAB status, management and pesticide guidelines.  My apologies for the delay in providing links to the webinar recording.  As you will see, there are reasons to remain optimistic about the near term future of ash, but also some essential planning that must take place.

Noon webinar link here

Evening webinar link…

Insects rely on warm temperatures to grow, and thus their emergence and life cycle progression can be tracked by tracking the "heating units" that accumulate each day. This is referred to as growing degree days.

Growing degree days (GDD) are calculated by average the high and low temperature for the day and subtracting 50 (base 50). The positive remainder is added to the cumulative total of GDD. For more information on GDD and how to calculate the go to:…

Here is a nice story about creating lumber from your woodlot.  (here)  Tom Gavin has an interesting blog about a variety of topics. 

Below are some pictures of a fifth generation Wood Mizer, unrelated to the above story link.…

Recent news: The Emerald Ash Borer has been found in Dutchess County, across from the large Ulster and Greene County infestation. This is the first EAB find east of the Hudson River. See the 2011 maps at http://www.nyis.info/index.php?action=eab_maps

The new location is not yet on the map.

Arbor Day is Coming! Are you ready?

There are lots of things you can do to celebrate Arbor Day. Traditionally we plant a tree, have the Mayor read a proclamation, and get our picture taken by Frank with the paper. But, there are other things you can do. If you're, like me, concerned about the Emerald Ash Borer, or other forest health issue, you can use the day to bring some attention to it.

Here are some ideas:

1. Take part in an Ash Tagging event. Contact your local…

During the "How Pests Pester your Trees" webinar today, I was asked what references I use. I use a lot. Here is a short list. Some of these are for keying out, some would be used for verification of ID. Most of these do not include management recommendations; that's a different list!

Books I use (and I use mostly books for initial ID):

Insects that Feed on Trees and Shrubs. Johnson and Lyon. Cornell University Press:…

The maple syrup season at Cornell's Arnot Forest has been good so far.  We started production earlier than usual, and currently have about 60% of an average crop.  We average 500 gallons per year; currently we have 285 gallons with more as I type.  The weather is optimistically good through the beginning of next week.  We are looking forward to another great Maple Weekend on March 17 and 18.

The…

RAHMA EDIBLE FOREST GARDEN CAMPAIGN WEEK THREE UPDATE

http://www.indiegogo.com/Rahma-Free-Health-Clinic-Edible-Forest-Garden

FIRST, THANK YOU



First, a thank you to our newest donors who have helped us reach the 20% level of our funding goal, with $375 online and $25 offline donations. We have 47 days left in…

There is a new Emerald Ash Borer article out that evaluates different urban forest treatment options and weighs the pro and cons of each. And a recent tale from Fort Wayne, Indiana- which is trying to implement their plan.

This is a complex situation, all the more reason to stop, ask deliberate questions and make thoughtful decisions.

Economic Analysis of EAB Management Options:…

Forestry labeled herbicides can be an effective means of controlling undesirable forest vegetation and may present fewer risks to the forest manager when compared to the use of chainsaws or brush saws.  They are used for achieving many objectives including: establishing desirable regeneration, increasing tree growth and timber production, creating and enhancing wildlife habitat, and controlling non-native/invasive plants.  This webinar highlighted forestry herbicide application methods,…

Today's webinar on forest herbicide control of vegetation raised some questions about herbicides to control swallow wort.  I will provide a summary here, but note that herbicides are regulated and should not be used indiscriminately.  Read and follow the label.  Also, note that each state has differently label details, or may have, so review your state's regulations.  Feel free to post links to other states as comments to this blog.

It is important to note that the exemption labels…

Many woodlot owners and maple producers are interested in better sawtimber production from their land.  Ten core best practices will help maple producers or woodland owners improve the volume and value of timber on their property.  Participants will learn about principles and strategies related to topics such as: why fast growth is important, the role of foresters and loggers, avoiding high-grading, protecting against…

Forest Leaves Newsletter
http://extension.psu.edu/private-forests/news/newsletters/forest-leaves/winter-2012/at_download/file

At the biggest maple producer conference in North America, the NYS Maple Producers Association Winter meeting at the Veron Verona Sherill School, the woodlot/sugarbush management seminars were recorded as webinars to make them available to a broader audience.  This was a bit of an experiment, and we learned a few tricks, but also have something to share.

Following are the titles, links to the recording, and bit of a terse…

The latest Emerald Ash Borer maps are up at our NY Invasive Species web site: http://nyis.info/eab at http://www.nyis.info/index.php?action=eab_maps.

Included in the update is a new NYS Map and a new series of Treatment Zone maps based around each outbreak location. Treatment Zones are areas where we recommend considering your treatment options for EAB, as…