Families & forests A newsletter for Arkansas Tree FarmerS
Spring cleaning on your tree farm By: Caroll Guffey, Ext. Forester Communication Committee Chair Tree Farmer (Grant County)
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pring cleaning is not just for your home, it’s also good for your Tree Farm. Sometimes we have small trees or sprouts that we want to remove on some of our property. These could be undesirable species that don’t fit into our management plan or perhaps there are trees that are less desirable and are overtopping more desirable trees. They could be growing in a place we don’t want or need them to be. How do we clean up these areas? The most common method is to saw down the unwanted trees. While this shows some pretty immediate results, many trees will resprout if we only saw down the stem. So, this is what could happen: this year you have one unwanted sprout, so you cut it down; next year it resprouts and you suddenly have three or four unwanted sprouts. Have you actually helped your problem or made it worse? There are ways to make your hard work have a longer lasting effect. One
thing that you can do is use herbicides. There are several methods of applying herbicides that will allow you to reduce brush problems for longer than just one growing season. The three methods I want to discuss are applying herbicide to the freshly cut stump, hack and squirt and basal bark spraying. In the cut stump method, soon after the trees/sprouts are cut off (within one hour for best results) the outer 1-inch of the stump is treated with the herbicide. For a 2-inch or smaller diameter this would mean treating the entire cut surface of the stump. For a larger stump, let’s say four inches in diameter, only the outer half of the stump would need to be treated. There are several herbicides that can be used. Please refer to the labels to determine which are best for your situation. The hack and squirt method involves making cuts completely through the bark and inner bark usually using a hatchet or machete (the hack) then spraying the cut surface with an appropriate herbicide
Spring 2016
THE TREE FARM PROGRAM...
is administered by the Arkansas Forestry Association (AFA) and its Tree Farm Committee. AFA’s goal is to provide relevant, timely information about the Tree Farm program and forestry resources.
using a spray bottle (the squirt). After the initial hack and squirt the next cut is made and herbicide is applied in a systematic method around the trunk. Some herbicides require the hacks to be overlapping which will completely girdle the stem. Other herbicides allow you to hack and squirt at various intervals. This information will be on the herbicide label. This method can be applied to trees of any size and can be done at any height from ground level to five feet or whatever is the most comfortable for the applicator. This method is effective most of the year except for April-May.
Tree Farm Conference scheduled for June 9
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he Arkansas Tree Farm Program will host its second annual Tree Farmer Conference on June 9th at the Clark County Fire Training Facility, Arkadelphia. The day will start at 8 a.m. and consist of one half-day indoor educational programs; followed by a tour of the Ross Foundation Demonstration Forest near Gurdon. Transportation will be provided to the Ross Foundation property and back to the Training Facility. The cost to attend the conference is $25 per participant. The morning program agenda for the Convention will include: • Discussion on the survey that all Arkansas Tree Farmers will be receiving in the mail soon. • A presentation on “Harvesting Considerations from a Loggers Perspective”. Mr. Allen Morgan with Hunter Wasson Timber Services, LLC will discuss what landowners should consider before harvesting trees from their property. • Dr. Kyle Cunningham, extension forester, will give a presentation on, “Using Herbicides in Pine and Hardwood Management”. He will discuss the most common herbicides used for both pine management and hardwood management.
• Dr. Becky McPeake will present on “Leasing your Property for Hunting”. She will discuss the pros and cons for leasing woodlands for hunting purposes and what landowners need to think about if they are considering this venture. • The Coley Family from McRae, last year’s Tree Farmers of the Year, will talk about what their Tree Farm has meant to them and what challenges and successes they have seen in owning a Tree Farm. Attendees will be treated to hamburgers and hot dogs cooked by Farm Credit of Western Arkansas. We also plan to have plenty of time for Tree Farmers to network. After lunch we will travel to the Ross Foundation Tree Farm property (buses will be provided). Mark Karnes, Director of Operations for the Ross Foundation will help conduct the tour and describe several demonstration areas, including: • Different herbicide application methods including, hack and squirt, backpack basil bark spray, ATV sprayer applications that many Tree Farmers can use on their property.
harvested and which trees should be left. • Wildlife management activities on the Ross Foundation. Much of the Ross Foundation management activities have a wildlife habitat focus. The work they do and what wildlife species they highlight will be discussed and demonstrated. We will return to the Gum Springs facility after the outdoor tour and travel back to our homes with new ideas and new Tree Farm friends. We will keep our eyes and ears open for possible weather changes that might force us to switch the outdoor and indoor portion of the Convention, but we will plan to hold the meeting rain or shine. Please remember that we will be outdoors for part of the meeting so plan to dress accordingly. Registration brochures have been mailed. For further convenience, register for the conference at www.arkforests. org/event/2016tfconference.
• Prescribed fire for brush control and wildlife habitat improvement. • Selecting trees for harvest, how to determine which trees should be
More than 50 participants attended the 2015 Tree Farm Conference.
Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage PAID Little Rock, AR Permit # 2686
Ask House Reps to join new working forests caucus
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1213 W. 4th St. uring the week of March 21, Reps Westerman (R-AR), Peterson (D-MN), Herrera-Beutler (R-WA) and Bishop (D-GA) launched Little Rock AR 72201 the Working Forests Caucus to create awareness and facilitate discussions on America’s private-owned working forests 501.374.2441 including family-owned forests. The co-chairs are seeking other House members to join the Caucus. Members who join
the Caucus are not committing to any specific policy positions, but are rather expressing their interest and support for America’s www.arkforests.org working forests, including our family and individually owned forests. Please reach out to your Members and encourage them to get in touch with one of these offices to join the Caucus. See the letter from the co-chairs, asking their colleagues to join here. http://tinyurl.com/j93vzsy
Spring Cleaning Cont’d Basel bark sprays use hand pump-up or backpack sprayers to direct the herbicide mixture onto the lower 12-18 inches of the stem until the stem is wet and just starts to run off. In my experience it allows me to cover more ground in a short period of time than either of the other two methods. It also has the he Arkansas Tree Farm Program advantage to get is partof ofnot the having nationally andwithin touching distance ofrecognized the stem. This is internationally American important in thicker stands allows Tree Farm System (ATFS). As and a part
you to use the reach of the sprayer instead of “busting through” the brush to get to each individual stem. This method can be used at any time of the year as long as the bark is not wet from rain at the time of application.
herbicide on a per acre basis. This can help reduce the potential of harming non-target trees in the vicinity because you are directing the herbicide to individual stems not the entire stand.
Your input needed on membership structure
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All of theresults herbicide application andthree the survey will be extremely methods control your unwanted valuable towill thehelp membership subcommittee brush/tree problem. Each has the as they work to establish the new extra bonus of using a very low volume of membership structure.
In Arkansas, the Tree Farm program is administered by the Arkansas Forestry Association (AFA). The Arkansas Tree Farm Program is directed by the Arkansas Tree of the association with the ATFS, the All Arkansas Tree Farmers manage to the Farm Committee, a volunteer group made Arkansas Tree Farm Program is required up of(R-WA) Tree Farmers like yourself and forestry to be financially sustainable for all costs American Tree Farm System Standards uring the week of March 21, Reps Westerman (R-AR), Peterson (D-MN), Herrera-Beutler and Bishop (D-GA) launched Non-Profit Org professionals. associated with the state program. of Sustainability so our Tree Farms can the Working Forests Caucus to create awareness and facilitate discussions on America’s private-owned working U.S. forests Postage be certified ATFS as being managed Industrial sponsorship and support are aThe co-chairs including family-owned forests. are by seeking other House members to join the Caucus. Members who PAIDjoin sustainability. The standards provide If youinterest are interested in volunteering to be part of being financially sustainable, but the Caucus are not committing to any specific policy positions, but are rather expressing their and support for Rock, America’s Little AR for third party certification in which an involved with the Tree Farm Committee, industry cannot be expected to cover all Permit # 2686 working forests, including our family and individually owned forests. Please reach out to your Members and encourage them to independent auditor evaluates on-theplease contact Jennifer Johnson, Arkansas the costs for a program that is intended get in touch with one of these offices to join the Caucus. ground management of randomly selected Tree Farm Administrator, at the following to support individual and family forest 1213 W. 4th St. landowners as well as industrial forest Tree Farms to verify they are managed address. See theRock letter to join here. Little ARfrom 72201the co-chairs, asking theirincolleagues a way consistent with the standards. landowners. http://tinyurl.com/j93vzsy 501.374.2441 Products from ATFS-certified forests can Arkansas Tree Farm Program be considered as certified content for 1213 W. 4th St The membership subcommittee of the www.arkforests.org Little Rock, AR 72201 Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) label Arkansas Tree Farm Program developed 501-374-2441 a short survey to obtain input related toor use by products industry. Basel bark sprays use hand pump-up you to the usewood the reach of the sprayer herbicide on a per acre basis. This can a membership structure that the will herbicide include backpack sprayers to direct instead of “busting through” the brush to help reduce the potential of harming mixture onto the lower 12-18 inches get toiseach individual stem.Tree ThisFarm method non-target trees in the vicinity because some small financial participation from There a small cost to each jjohnson@arkforests.org of theTree stem until the stem is wet can be usedassociated at any time of third the year as you are directing the herbicide to in Arkansas with party each Farmer in Arkansas. Theand survey just to mailed run off.to Inall my experience long as the bark not wet from rainFarm at individual stems notanthe entire stand. certification evenisthough every Tree Thank you for being Arkansas Tree was starts recently Tree Farmers, itand allows me towho cover more ground inthe the time of application. is not audited each year. To be financially Farmer and for managing your land and for those prefer to complete asurvey short online perioditof time of sustainable, the Arkansas Tree Farm timber sustainability. It is what is expected can be than foundeither at: http:// the other two methods. It also the All three has of the herbicide application of those that care for their lands and want goo.gl/yGpVu2. Responses needhas to be Program to cover the certification advantage havingby toApril get within methods willashelp control your unwanted costs as well to fund enhanced program to leave those lands in a better condition completed of andnot returned 15, 2016. touching distance the stem. This is brush/tree has the extra The purpose of the of survey is to obtain activities forproblem. membersEach of the Arkansas Tree than when they were acquired. important in thicker stands and allows bonus of using a very low volume of input from participants of the program, Farm Program.
Ask House Reps to join new working forests caucus
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Spring Cleaning Cont’d
Your input needed on membership structure
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he Arkansas Tree Farm Program is part of the nationally and internationally recognized American Tree Farm System (ATFS). As a part of the association with the ATFS, the Arkansas Tree Farm Program is required to be financially 1213 W. 4th St. sustainable for all costs associated the state program. Little Rockwith AR 72201 Industrial sponsorship and support are a 501.374.2441 part of being financially sustainable, but industry cannot be expected to cover all www.arkforests.org the costs for a program that is intended to support individual and family forest landowners as well as industrial forest landowners.
The membership subcommittee of the Arkansas Tree Farm Program developed a short survey to obtain input related to a membership structure that will include some small financial participation from each Tree Farmer in Arkansas. The survey was recently mailed to all Tree Farmers, and for those who prefer to complete the survey online it can be found at: http:// goo.gl/yGpVu2. to be he ArkansasResponses Tree Farmneed Program completed and returned by April 15, 2016. is part of the nationally and The purpose of the survey is to obtain internationally recognized American input fromSystem participants thea program, Tree Farm (ATFS).ofAs part
and the survey results will be extremely valuable to the membership subcommittee as they work to establish the new membership structure. All Arkansas Tree Farmers manage to the American Tree Farm System Standards of Sustainability so our Tree Farms can be certified by ATFS as being managed sustainability. The standards provide for third party certification in which an independent auditor evaluates on-theground management of randomly selected Tree Farms to verify they are managed in a way consistent with the standards. Products from ATFS-certified forests can be considered as certified content for Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) label use by the wood products industry. There is a small cost to each Tree Farm in Arkansas associated with third party certification even though every Tree Farm is not audited each year. To be financially sustainable, the Arkansas Tree Farm Program has to results cover the and the survey willcertification be extremely costs as well as to fund enhanced program valuable to the membership subcommittee activities for members of the the new Arkansas Tree as they work to establish Farm Program. membership structure.
Non-Profit Org
In Arkansas, the Tree FarmU.S. program is Postage administered by the Arkansas PAID Forestry Association (AFA). The Arkansas Tree AR Farm Little Rock, # 2686 Program is directed by thePermit Arkansas Tree Farm Committee, a volunteer group made up of Tree Farmers like yourself and forestry professionals. If you are interested in volunteering to be involved with the Tree Farm Committee, please contact Jennifer Johnson, Arkansas Tree Farm Administrator, at the following address. Arkansas Tree Farm Program 1213 W. 4th St Little Rock, AR 72201 501-374-2441 jjohnson@arkforests.org Thank you for being an Arkansas Tree Farmer and for managing your land and timber sustainability. It is what is expected of those that care for their lands and want to leave those lands a better condition In Arkansas, the Treein Farm program is than when they acquired.Forestry administered bywere the Arkansas
Your input needed on membership structure
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of the association with the ATFS, the
Association (AFA). The Arkansas Tree Farm Program is directed by the Arkansas Tree