FOREST OWNER the VOICE of 255,000 forest owners in New York - representing an ownership of 11 IIlWioa acres
Vol. 12
February 1, 1974
No. 1
Editorial Committee Lloyd G. Strombeck, Chairman •••••••••••••• 57 Main St., Owego, N. Y. 13827 Helen Varian Dorothy Wertheimer William Lubinec David H. Hanaburgh Merle Wilson, Editor •••••••••••••• 24 Louisa St., Binghamton, N. Y. 13904 Index of Major Articles Article President's Message ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• New Deadline Date ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Annual Spring Meeting - April 6th ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Posting Against Trespassers - Hanaburgh ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Prosecution for Trespass - Hanaburgh •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Condemnation - Hanaburgh •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Tax Exempt Land in a Microcosm - Stock •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Rep~ Ed Jones Reports from Washington ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• On Transistors and Alaska Timber - Prof. Robert R. Morrow ••••••••••••••• Pile 0' Chips - Ed Moot ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• New York State Timber Producers Assoc. Censures a Member •••••••••••••••• Note & News Item from South Carolina •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Letter from Lloyd Strombeck ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Item submitted by Prof. Carlson ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Item from the National Assoc. of Conservation Districts ••••••••••••••••• Letter from Richard E. Mark ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Article from The Empire State Timberman ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Swedish Forestry ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
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Page 2' PRESIDENT'S COLUMN - Wm. Lubinec
A tumultuous year has just passed, Watergate, rising prices, and the severe energy crunch has left many of us bewildered and befuddled. ~e have been rather profligate as far as food and our natural resources are concerned and yet as a people, we have proved time and time again that we can become the most resourceful nation in the world when the chips are down. First we have to get motivated so that we as a nation of dedicated people can be galvanized into action before it is too late. We must all get behind our government and honestly support all the necessary energy conservation measures. Then we should write our congressmen and senators and tell them ~at we want them to do. This is a democratic country and power does belong and is in its citizens and their elected representatives. When we all do our job, we will find our way back to being the leading nation in the world. Then no nation will dare to intimidate us with either economic or military blackmail. Walk more, drive less, pool up for work, shopping, or Church. Take care of your woods, thethinnings are greatly in "demand for lumber, fuel and chips. In essence be as self reliant as you can. Those of us who are not certified tree f'armer s, should manage our woods to earn this certification if possible for our own" and our country's well being. By doing these things that have to be done, you will find that you will be healthier and quite possibly wealthier and your nation will be stronger. NEW DFADLINE DATE
The deadline date of the Forest Owner, for receipt of any item for publication, has been changed to the first day of the month preceding the publication date. The deadline date for the April 1st issue will be March 1st, for example. This change is due to more time felt to be required for the transformation to offset printing of the Forest Owner. ANNUAL SPRING MEETING APRIL 6th News Release - January 1, 1974 to The Forest Owner and other media. The 12th Annual Spring Meeting of the New York Forest Owners Association will be on Saturday, April 6, 1974 at the Northway Inn at the junction of the 7th North Street exit of Interstate 81 and the N. Y. State Thruway near Syracuse, N. Y. The theme of the meeting is Forests as Energy Resources. It will feature Wood: Its Value as k Fuel and How to Use It by Professor Fred E. Winch, Jr., Extension Forester, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. and Wood Fuel: Its Safe pre~ration and How to Market It by David Taber, Cooperative Extension Spe~alist, SUNY College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry at Syracuse University, Syracuse, N. Y., followed by a panel discussion of these subjects. There will be a display of wood cutting and heating equipment. Another educational feature will be Human Energy from the Woods - Wild Foods by James Briggs, Broome County Cooperative Extension Agent, Binghamton, New York. The educational program starting at 11:15 A.M., will be preceded by registration and the Association's business meeting and will close at 4 P.M. Registration starts at 8:30 A.M.
Page 3 The educational program is open to the general public. Each person bringing others with him will have his registration fee reduced by $1.00 for each of them. Registration blanks may be obtained from L. G. Strombeck, 57 Main Street, Owego, N. Yo 13827 in advance. They will be mailed to all members. The business meeting in charge of William Lubinec, NYFOk President will take up old and new business and hear committee reparts. Also newly elected directors will be introduced. The Heiberg Award will be made at lunch to an outstanding conservationist selected by a committee headed by Director Allen W. Bratton, Cooperstown, N. Y. Members of the Spri~g Meeting Planning Committee are L. G. Strombeck, Chairman; John Ridings, Syracuse; ThUel D. Palmer, SYracuse;: Renee and Frances Doster, Syracuse; Dorothy Wertheimer, Syracuse; Paul M. Strombeck, Kingston; and Prof. Alex Dickson, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Yo POSTING AGAINST TRESPASS - David H. Hanaburgh Under the Environmental Conservation Law an owner or person having exclusive right to hunt and fish upon enclosed lands or lands used in whole or in part for farming purposes, or an owner or person having exclusive right to take fish in private waters. Lands and waters may not be posted under the Environmental Conservation Law if stocked with game or fish supplied by the State, with the knowledge and consent of the owner, at any time since April 17, 1896. Lands posted under the Environmental Conservation Law are posted against all forms of trespass unless the notices or signboards along the boundaries indicate to the contrary. A person may post his land against some activities and not against others by including appropriate wording on the signs. A property can be posted against trespass by placing conspicuous notices or signboards close to and along the boundaries of the lands or waters to be closed to the public. These signboards must be at least 11 inches square. The word "POSTED" set forth in conspicuous lettering is deemed sufficient if it covers an area of not less than 80 square inches of the notice, exclusive of the name and address of the person posting. Such name and address must appear on all notices. At least one notice must be posted on each side of such lands and one at each corner, provided that said corner can be reasonably ascertained. Notices must be not more than 40 rods (660 feet) apart. The posting is effective as long as the person posting replaces illegible or destroyed notices at least once a year during the months of March, July, August or September. When a person does not desire to post his lands, an undesirable person may be kept off the lands by serving him personally in the name of the owner of such land with a notice in writing containing the same warning as the posted notice above described. All persons are prohibited from trespassing or entering upon private lands or waters after notices are posted as described above or after personal service in the name of the owner of a notice in writing containing a description of the premises and warning against trespassing or entering thereon. David H. Haraburgh Committee on Trespass & Condemnation PROSECUTION FOR TRPSPASS - David H. Hanaburgh It is not a crime to trespass on lands or waters posted under the Environmental Conservation Law. It is a violation.
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4
The Department of Environmental Conservation will only prosecute violators of the trespass law when the trespass committed consists of hunting, fishing or trapping, or disturbing fish or game. Simple trespass must be prosecuted by the person posting. A person found guilty of trespass is liable to a fine of from $10 to $50 for the first offense, and in addition thereto is liable to a penalty of from $25 to $100, together with costs of suit in addition to actual damages, all of which may be recovered in the same action. Even if lands are not posted the Environmental Conservation Law provides that any person who while hunting, fishing or trapping shall, without permission of the owner, lessee or lawful occupant, enter upon the land of another and while thereon shall kill or injure any dog, livestock or domestic fowl or shall cut, destroy or damage any bars, gates or fence or shall leave open arw bars or gates resulting in damage to the owner or occupant, is guilty of a violation, and in addition thereto is liable to a penalty of $100, one-half of which shall be payable to the owner the~eof, and in addition thereto is liable to the actual damages, which shall be paid to the owner. All fines and penalties under the Conservation Law are deposited to the credit of the Conservation Fund. A person who injures, defaces or removes a "No Trespass'" notice or signboard commits a violation and may be prosecuted accordingly. The owner or lessee of posted lands may charge for the privilege of entering upon the posted property but not for the amount of fish or game taken. If the owner of posted lands knOWingly perm5ts the stocking of his posted property with fish or game supplied ~ the Depar~ment of Environmental Conservation, the posting of his lands or waters whichever the case may he, under the Environmental Conservation Law is null and void. Except on licensed shooting preserves and licensed farm fish ponds, the same laws which regulate taking of game and fish on public lands and waters regulate such taking on private lands and waters. A person may not wade a stream which traverses posted lands unless the posted notices indicate that fishing is allowed even if the point of entry is not posted. A person standing on unposted lands may not fish in posted waters. A hunter who has wounded game which escapes to posted lands may not oursue it without first obtaining permission from the person in whose name the lands are posted. , vfuen an owner or lessee of posted property to prosecute a person for trespass he may make the arrest and prosecute the case himself if he witnessed the trespass. He may request an Environmental Conservation Officer for assistance in prosecuting the case providing trespass was for purpose of hunting or fishing. If the status of private lands and waters is such that they may not be posted under the Environmental Conservation Law, it may be posted under the penal law. In these cases the landowner or a police officer may initiate prosecution. David H. Hanaburgh Committee on Condemnation & Trespass CONDEMNATION
- David H. Hanaburgh
Eminent domain is the right of government to take private property for public use without the owner's consent. New York State has been expanding this power over the past few years to gradually socialize all natural resources. The exercise of eminent domain was of major concern to residents of the Adirondack Park, and their concern was expressed repeatedly during the
Page 5 public hearings which were conducted in the course of the development of the State Lands Master Plan, and the Adirondack Park Land Use and Development Plan. The questioners were repeatedly assl~ed that neither condemnation procedures nor the exercise of the right of eminent domain was contemplated in the acquistion of land to supplement the preserve. Recently there appeared in Bill Roden's column, Adirondack Sportsman, a letter from the First Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation to Regional Director Warren McKeon. The following quotations from this letter demonstrate the lack of good faith that the public can expect from arrogant politicians and entrenched bureaucrats. ~Our negotiation policy for interior or other essential Forest Preserve acquit ions is to initially offer the owner the appraised fair market value for an unencumbered fee title. Where the owner desires to retain the use of the property and has established an ability and commitment to carry out a stewardship program, we are prepared to negotiate on the basis of reservation of a life interest for continued compatible use, or, in the case of an organization, for a term of years, such as 25 years. The value of the period of continued use would, of course, have to be deducted from the appraised value. "In these instances, the owner would have to agree to pay local taxes, provide liability insurance and to adopt a management plan acceptable to the Department which would provide for the continuation of compatible uses while preserving the resource. There will inevitably be many specific questions relating to the management program which will have to be resolved on a case-bycase basis but it should be made abundantly clear that logging, pulping or timbering beyond that necessary to maintain the carrying capacity of the wildlife range would not be an acceptable use." "If after thorough exploration of these alternatives a:greement cannot be reached with the owner, the Department may then have to consider utilization of its eminent domain powers to assure the preservation of lands essential to the protection of the integrity of the Preserve." Commissioner Diamond, in his letter to Mr. Roden, says that he believes this letter clearly sets forth the policy particularly as it relates to interior holdings. TAX EXEMPT LAND IN A MICROCOSM - John W. Stock It is hard to think of an area of some 416 square miles as being any sort of a microcosm. But the Town of Long Lake, located on the northerly edge of Hamilton County, in the central Adirondacks, has many of the aspects of one. Certain things in its experience may be used as an indicator of the very real, and escalating, problems of tax loss on lands owned by various tax exempt groups. Long Lake is a Town of about 200 families, located in a county that has the rather dubious distinction of having Simultaneously, an unemployment rate that reaches 25%, and a per capita property tax that is only exceeded by that of Nassau. In the Town of Long Lake there are six Boy Scout camps in addition to the properties of various colleges and universities. The value of these tax free properties is over one and a half million dollars. This is in addition to the strictly local tax exempt properties represented by the churches, schools and cemeteries. The problem in this small town brings to light the basic inequity of our tax exemption laws. Why should these 200 families, in an area beset with chronic unemployment and below average income~ be forced to subsidize Boy Scout councils from other cities and states? Especial~ those from a 'state that does not grant
Page 6 them a similar tax exemption. What tangible benefit does Long Lake receive from the Boy Scouts from Suffolk County, who paid a reputed ~200 an acre for the land they removed from the tax roll? The Boy Scouts are not any more at fault than the various educational groups that rent out their tax exempt, summer resort, facilities for conferences, seminars, etc., usually to well heeled corporations. The Scouts just happen to be a member of a particular type of corporate entity. They must realize that they have some responsibility, because the National Council says they have a policy that all Scout Councils make payments to the Towns, in lieu of taxes. This was such a novel idea that I asked three local Town Supervisors where the money went. Pat Quinn, of the Town of Altamont had never heard of such a policy, to say nothing of ever seeing any payments. Dick Buckley, long time Supervisor of Piercefield, recalled that one of the camps, some time ago, made a $300 payment. This was to be in lieu of taxes on their thousand plus acre campsite, with several lakes and rather palatial summer recreational facilities for executives and major contributors. Charles Farr, who at Long Lake is blessed with six Scout properties, recalls that of them paid $500 one year for the additional strain they placed on the land fill facilities, but this was a one time, one council deal. The camps leave little in town. Their food and supplies come in by tractor trailer loads from the city. The Parents weekends occur at a time when the local motels are full with their normal seasonal summer business. The staff come out on weekends and give the local watering places a certain amount of business, at a:time when they are normally crowded without them. Some camps lease out hunting privileges on their posted lands, in direct competition to local taxpayers who count on this income to help pay their share of the Boy Scout's taxes. One council is supposed to be putting in trailer hookups this sUInlI1er for the use of parents of campers. Again in competition to the locally owned and operated campsites, who have all the competition they can handle from the State campsites, none of whom make expenses. Is there a solution?' Its not too difficult if it is taken in the context of solving an Adirondack problem. In the Adirondack Park there are many special rules applying to that locality. The State makes payments in lieu of taxes, special rules make private lands subject to the Adirondack Land Use Plan, special rules are in effect concerning forest fires, railroads, advertising signs, and many other facets of everyday life. Why not make one that takes care of this problem? Why not make a new rule that says that all groups, normally tax exempt, that are not set up and operated, demonstrably, for the benefit of residents of the Park, will be subject to certain modifications, as to who pays their taxes 'for them? Give each Scout Council, for example, a hundred acre total tax exemption, to recognize the local good they may do. Then assume, that if the Boy Scouts do enough good to justify their tax exempt status, this good is not just to the people of Long Lake, but accrues to the entire State. Then the entire State should share in paying for it, instead of, as at present, leaving this privilege to the lucky 200. Let the State make up, in increased State Aid to the Town, the revenue lost to the Town by the tax exeMption. If some change similar to this is not made, look at the possibilities for the future. There is nothing in the law to prevent tax exempt groups from owning a majority of the real property in Long Lake, or in any Town for that matter. Because the owner does not have to pay taxes, the major expense ot ownership, even the normal economic laws do not apply. The price quoted as being paid for the roost recent Scout purchase was twice that paid by Horizon and Tondalay for their potential deVelopments.
Page 7 Long Lake has almost twice the tax exempt land today, than it had six years ago, and a combined tax rate of over 8200 per thousand of assessment, and they have little choice in the matter. Where 'will it all end? CONGRESSMAN ED JONPS 7th DISTRICT of TENNE3SEE REPORTS FROM WASHINGTON The Seventies will probably go down in history as the decade of shortages. It seems like every week we are threatened with running out of another resource of some kind. Elaunining a list of resources that have recently been in short supply we find -- food, gasoline, heating oil, natural gas, and fresh water for our cities. Now, we are beginning to come to grips with another impending shortage. This time it is lumber that is presenting the problem. Recent recommendations of the President's Advisory Panel on Timber and the Environment have brought the problem to the forefront. The recommendation to increase timber cutting in our national forests by as much as So to 100 percent was not unexpected, but it is controversial. The Panel concluded that this could be done without compromising the environment or reducing the recreation potential. Many conservationists on the other hand feel this action will only aggravate the shortage for future generations and that certain practices involved such a. clear cutting will have a definite impact on the environment. The situation gets even more complex when we look at the world timber supply and international trade. The United States is the world's largest importer of lumber. About 22 percent of our lumber consumption is imported. At the same time we are exporting about 10 percent of our domestic production to foreign countries. It would be possible to ban U. S. comQanies from selling timber abroad; in fact, such legislation has already been introduced. However, we must consider such things as our balance of payments problem and the effect on international relations. Clear cutting is a logging practice of cutting every tree regardless of size in a designated area. It is efficient and economical but extremely controversial. One reason for the opposition is that some cutters take only the best logs and leave other felled trees lying. The General Accounting Office has recommended that increased use of these less desirable trees would hal.p alleviate the shortage and reduce environmental damage. However, government policy does not presently require this to be done. Our national forests account for about 27 percent of our forest land. Currently, about 24 percent of the annual lumber yield cames off this publicly owned land. Congress I feel sure, will sooner or later be called upon to deoide whether the harvest of publicly owned timber will be increased or decreased. As your representative I want to express your will through my vote in Congress. If you have strong feelings on this issue, please let me hear from you. It is really the only way I can be sure of your desires. ON TRANSISTORS AND ALASKAN TIMBER Ed Moot's comments on export of Alaska Timber to Japan, in the last Forest Owner, deserve muoh thought. However, there may be deeper issues than appear on the surface. The Japanese worker who makes all those electrical gadgets for us can't spend American dollars to improve his lot in life. But his or her yen can purchase goods floomthe U. S. If we do not export as much as we import, our dollars devaluate and prices of imports escalate. Thus timber is one of the commodities traded for many of our imported goods.
Page 8 With the prospect of continued energy shortages, some may argue that we don't need all those gadgets anyway. But an awful lot of life styles must be sharply changed to make this stick. On Expor ts and Imports. While the U. S. is nearly a self-sufficient country when it comes to wood, we depend mare on other countries than they on us. Our wood imports are double our exports; they consist primarily of Canadian newsprint and tropical woodso On Seward's Folly and Accidents of Birth. The argument on saving timber for our children implies that they are more deserving than the Japanese or other people. \-Thatif Seward had been a native of Nagasaki rather than Auburn, N. Y.1' The shoe may have been on the other foot. The point here is that Alaskan timber has not necessarily been earned by anyone. It is a valuable gift or heritage from the past. As such it is a resource to be used wisely. On Wise Use of Resources. To save timber for our children is not a good enough objective. Timber grown in successive stands for our children's children and their children's children, and so on, is the objective. Forest, along with farm, land is our most valuable heritage because continuous crops can be grown for generations to come (provided the numbers of people are in balance with the carrying capacity of the land and recycling potential of resources). I have not argued for increasing or decreasing exports of timber; I do not know all the facts. But all of us can demand that Alaskan timber harvest be accomplished wisely. We can demand assurance that the land is properly restocked for a coming generation. We can demand that sales meet important national needs, rather than quick profit for the few. We should assume a similar stewardship viewpoint for southeastern United States, the Far "'fest,and our own New York forests. Robert R. Morrow, Prof. of Forestry Department of Natural Resources, Cornell Univ. "PILE 0' CHIPS II
-
Ed Moot
New York State is selling wood for $3.00 a cord-is this farmer's cord or a regular wood pulp word. Let's hear some opinions on price and cord content. An EPk (Environmental Protection Agency) release that indicates we have 25 million tons of logging debris left in forests every year. It is time to inaugurate a "clean up" drive for our forests after each logging operation. Land misuse items from same EPA release stagger you A. 4 billion tons of sediment wash into streams annually. B. 1,687 acres of wildlife habitat are destroyed by surface mining. C. Surface mining has despoiled 3,187,825 acres. D. 1 million acres of forests are CLEAR CUT annually. E. 3.5 million acres will be paved over by highways and airports by the year 2000. Look out, your burial ground may be under that coverage. F. 492 power stations may be built by 1990 - they will require 2000 acre cooling ponds each. G. 1907 million acres (area equivalent to states of New Hampshire, Vermont, Mass., and Rhode Island) will be consumed by URBAN SPRAWL. Phew, get reaqy to move out of your forest area. H. This 1s the one which knocks you for a loop - 4 BILLION tons of raw material are consumed annually, MOST of Which is disposed as waste on OUR LAND of America. Read, weep and have nightmare. What can NYFOA members do to add some sensible thought to what we face in the years ahead - what 1s YOUR opinion?
Page 9 To the Forest Owner: Boy, Oh boy, will you get letters. When I sent in the material on Ameriean ships not hauling lumber from port to port in American harbors I included the statement that the maritime union of America, which gets much better wages than seamen on foreign ships, promoted the Jones Act to prevent any other foreign ship registry from shipping products from American port to American ports, unless the ship is manned by our maritime union. Thus any ship, with foreign registry, can slip into Alaskan harbors, load up with virgin Alaskan lumber and take the lumber to the highest bidder on the international market - thus our Alaskan virgin timber goes to Japan. This is NO slap against the maritime union, just a statement of FACT. Hope'the next forest owner includes a question on our efforts to discover a common, decent price, for a farmer's cord of either stove or fireplace wood. What do NYFOA members feel is a fair price in their area? Hope next issue promotes a membership campaign to begin with the NEW YEAR opening. It is so much better to have this membership begin with the opening of each yearo I note that executive committee desires the names of folks to whom the one issue was sent. It was sent to several folks who I KNOW are not members hoping they would join. I have a list of all of the present STATE groups, like our own, in a large majority of the states. If the executive committee approves a policy of sending issues to a list, outside of membership, I would like to suggest this group. I plan to attend the spring meeting, God willing, in Syracuse to bring up this point. Hope we get out an issue soon after or before Jan. 1, 1974. I still feel ALL timber, from state and national forests, should enter the American lumber market and not be scrounged by high bidders from other countries. How silly can we get in this drive for foreign trade. Earn a few dollars here and there and lose millions in our own econo~. Come on, lets write the editor. We have a great group - lets get real uppity and find out how, why and for what reason on all forestry matters. THE NFl-T YORK STATE Tnfi3~
PRODUCmS
ASSOCIATION CENSURES M!!lffiER
President Ronald Baldwin, of the New York State Timber Producers Association sent a letter and an article regarding the censuring of one of its members. The article was a special feature from David W. Taber, Co-Operative Extension Specialist of the Wood Utilization Service, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. The member so censured by a vote of the members, was penalized in this manner in accordance with the By-Laws and Code of Ethics of the logger's association to uphold such ethics and code of conduct, which is a credit to their group. The person so censured had cut and removed trees from a State Forest Preserve that had been ~wind-thrown路 by a tornado in 1972. The member acknowledged this action, and gave some reasons why he felt his action was justified. The Association conducted its own investigation and felt that censure was also justified, and so proceeded to carry it out. Membership was not revoked. :i.nthe investigation some remarks were included that were possibly of merit to the member who was censured, and his action, though the over-all effect was still such as to uphold the idea of censure. The member so censured was the first President of the Association, and was its founder. There is a note of regret that this action had to be taken to uphold the code of ethics of the organization. The report concludes with "However, it does prove that the timber harvesters of the New York State Timber Producers Association are sincere in their efforts to improve the standing and business
Page 10 practices of their own kind. It shows that no member is excluded from the ideals which they as a group promote and agreed to abide by." Our respect for the high ideals and ethics of this association could not be higher than they are after reading their report of this action. A
LETTER
AND A N1<}JS
ITEM
To whom it mayl Herels sompin we ran across in the local paper awhile back. Our hearts are still in New York State. We still own 179 acres. How could it be otherwise? They have an idea down here for what its worth. Sincerely, Warren E. Tutton FDRE5TS GET RENTAL FOOL TIP Columbia: Gen. William C. Westmoreland, chairman of the Governor I s Task Force for Economic Growth, says a rental pool of equipment would help small landowners make their forest land more productive. Westmoreland told the South Carolina Forestry Association Tuesday about three million acres of forest land in South Carolina need to be brought into productivity. He said much of it is owned by small land owners who do not have the capital to make more productive use of it. Secretary of the Interior Rogers C. B. Morton will address the 500 forestry officials today. In his keynote address, Westmoreland said South Carolina is producing about 5S cubic feet of timber per acre from forest lands "when we should be getting about 75 cubic feet per ae re ," He also said property taxes on forest land is being unfairly increased in some cases because of nearby developments and subsequent reassessment. "There's no reason why a forest landowner should suddenly see his taxes shoot up just because a condominium is built next door," Westmoreland declared. Clair p. Guess Jr., director of the South Carolina Water Resources Commission, said some bills now' pending in Congress dealing with land use contain restrictive provisions that could adversely affect states like South Carolina, which are in a period of economic development and expansion. tilt is time for all concerned to speak out on land use policies,· Guess said. ~Ilm not talking about nit-picking local policies, but policies of the state and a national land use policy, which is likely to be adopted within some form in two yearso LETTffi
OF LIDYD G. STROMBECK - December 1, 1973
Alex Dickson gave me copies of Information Bulletin 68 Growing Trees in Small Nurseries (30¢) and Information Bulletin 67 Growing Trees for Timber in New York's Small Woodlands (35¢). Both extension publications of Cornell Which you may mention in The Forest Owner. Copies may be obtained through local County Extension Offices. Bulletin 68 covers topics as follows: size of nursery area, nursery selection and soil preparation, seed, sowing and care lifting and transplanting, seed collection data, tree seed dealers and references. Bulletin 67 covers topics as follows: know your trees, mapping the woods, how valuable are your trees, Insects and diseases, wood culture, improvement and harvesting methods, selling your trees, tree volume tables, log volume tables. IJ.oyd G. Strombeck
Page 11 DISTILLATE
FROM BALSAM FIR (ABIES BALSAMFA) by J. M. Yavorsky
Howard Miller and I had calls this morning from a Mr. Jack Abeshouse, Vice President for Supplies and International services, UOP Fragrances, 43-23 37th Ave., Long Island City, N. Y. 11101. Mr. Abeshouse is desperately looking for a supply of the distillate from balsam fir needles and boughs to be used in the formulation of perfumes produced by his company. There is a market for 20 to 30,000 Ibs of distillate per year which would require something in the order of 10 million Ibs of needles and boughsL The current delivered price for this distillate is arou~d $5 per lb. Mr. Abeshouse is looking for farmers, woodlot owners, loggers and other forest industry operations who might be interested in collecting this material and distilling it on site or locally for shipment to New York. His company would assist in building the still, in resolving any technical problems, and will buy路 the entire output so that a market is guaranteed. He would welcome any suggestions as to suppliers and may be reached at the above address or by calling collect area code 212 - 361-8100, ext. 306. Mr. Abeshouse has already been referred to DEC personnel and I gave him Fred Winch's name as another possible source of information. YOUTH CONSERVATION
CORPS
Prof. Floyd Carlson suggested that the following item from the Dec. 7th, 1973 issue of the "Outdoor News Bulletin" of the Wildlife Management Institute might be of interest to the "Forest Owner" readers. The Senate has passed a bill expanding the youth Conservation Corps. It would increase the number of youths employed on public lands each summer to 150,000. The Act would provide federal support to states to administer the program on state lands. It also would permit YCC to use surplus or unused federal property and make YCC facilities available to local education institutions. The ICC program has been extremely popular since its creation three years ago. Young men and women are employed each summer to do needed work on national forests, parks, and wildlife refuges. They do such things as building and maintaining trails, improving wildlife habitat, and carrying out erosion control projects. The program serves a dual purpose by completing needed work on public land and educating young people about the realities of natural resource management. TIMBER NEEDS EXPANDING From the National
Association
of Conservation
Districts
- December
8, 1973
Timber needs expanding, says Forest Service; Pressures on private lands foreseen. A new 10-year projection by the U. S. Forest Service says that the nation's demands for timber are increasing much more rapidly than supplies. The outlook is for continued rising prices for timber and timber products as well as increased dependence on imports and substitute materials, they say. Major possibilities for increasing production are on the 60 percent of the nation's commercial forest area which is in small private ownershi~, says the Forest Service. With adequate technical and financial assistance in this area, plus intensified management of all other classes of forest lands, they predict that production can be doubled over present levels.
Page 12 Better utili~ation of existing timber is another factor in meeting future demands. This includes utilization of large volumes of logging and plant residues and greater salvage of timber killed by fire and insects. LETTER
:mOM RICHARD
E. MARK
RD #1, Box l78C Constantia, N. Y. 13044 Nov. 6, 1973 Mr.
William Lubinec
22 Cornish Ave.
Binghamton, N. Y. 13901 Dear Mr. Lubinec, Recently I have spoken with Erniel Palmer and Lloyd Strombeck concp-rning the spring meeting of NYFOA. They were kind enough to invite my participation in organizing the meeting, and I was sorry to have to decline this year, altho I look forward to having such an opportunity in the future. My work on the Tug Hill Commission is taking an extraordinary amount of my time, and leaves me with little opportunity to ~rticipate actively in other organizations, despite my interest. Speaking of the Tug Hill Commission, I have been wanting for some time to have the opportunity to discuss with the NYFOA Board the important public hearings that will be coming up around the end of the year and early next year on the future of the Tug Hill area. Tug Hill comprises about 2.6% of the state's area, but it holds about 5~ of the forestland of New York. Unlike the Adirondacks and Catskills, there is no blue line and the patp-rn of ownership of land is much different, with a much higher percentage held privately. It seems to me that NYFOk should have an important voice in assisting the Tug Hill Commis ion in formulating its recommendations. The hearings to be held are the first step in that process -- in other words, we are going to hear what the public has to say first, before we get too deeply into formulation of any recommendations; in the case of the Adirondack Commission, the reverse was done. They had a detailed plan drawn up prior to ever having any hearings to find out what the people wanted. As I see it, if the forestes in Tug Hill are not viable as forestlands, then forestry and the forest owners are in deep trouble in New York State. Because in Tug Hill there exist almost all the factors that foresters consider as essentlal to maintenance of economically viable forestry programs. Specifically there are the following particular conditions that form forestry in Tug Hill 1. Adequate moisture for timber growth is always guaranteed by virtue of the heavy snow and high water table. Summer rainfall is also adequate. 2. Little forest fire danger, for the above reason. 3. Land values are low 4. Taxes on forestland are low 5. There is little competition for the land for agricultural use, due to the fregnency of swamps, infertile soils and short grOwing season. 6 There are good outlets for timber harvests in the area, since there are many sawmills and other industries based on wood in the surrounding territory. â&#x20AC;˘ Despite all these advantageous factors, forestry is indeed in deep trouble in Tug Hill. Georgia-Pacific, which owns 72,000 acres in the area, is attempting to sell their entire holdings. An option on this land was taken up by Horizon 0
Page 13 Corp, the Arizona land development firm. Horizon did drop their option, but Georgia-Pacific is willing to sell to any other land developer or second home builder. They appear unable or unwilling to maintain the area as the raw material base for their mill operations despite the fact that the taxes are paid on most of their holdings by hunting clubs who lease their lands for hunting purposes. Georgia-Pacific lands are not the only ones being removed from forestry use. Several large blocs of land are being put together by developers from Boston, Phildelphia, Newark and other distant points. These blocs, running from 500 to 5000 acres each are all at present either farmland or forest, mostly the latter, and cover some of the most important parts of the watershed. I hope NYFOA will offer some constructive suggestions that might form the basis for our recommendations to the governor and the legislature. We have the opportunity, in Tug Hill, to be innovative and propose some alternative solutions to the land use problem -- solutions that might be best for Tug Hill, altho they might not apply to the Adirondacks or Catskills. I would welcome the chance to meet with the NYFOA board and discuss these matters more fully. Sincerely, Richard E. Mark From THE EMPmE STATE TIMB FRMAN Loggers' Congress in New York May 8, 9, 10 This Loggers' Congress is for the logging and sawmill industry. This year on May 8 - 10 it will be held at the Friar Tuck Inn located about 30 milles south of Albany on Rte. #87 in Catskill, N. Y.
Northern Logger Magazine offer Special offer to N. Y. loggers: To learn more about the Loggers' Congress as well as logging and sawmilling, here is your chance. According to George Fowler who is Associate Editor of ItTheNorthern Logger and Timber Processor,~ this magazine will be provided free of charge for a 6 month period to any timber harvester not presently receiving it. If you want to get this magazine, you should write to George Fowler, PO Box 27, Old Forge, N. Yo 13420 and ask for your free 6 month subscriptiono SWEDISH FORESTRY - Alan R. Knight Co-operative Extension Agent Sweden is a producer of vast amounts of forestry products. The country is attracting international attention as a leader in forestry techniques and forest management. The Swedish Forestry Association has produced a very informative booklet to give the rest of the world some insights into Swedish forestry. Here are S<:JDe highlights from that publication for our broad-minded forest owners. Realize first of all that Sweden is 55% forest land. Sixteen percent of the country's gross national product is the share attributable to forestry. With only 0.6% of the world's forest land area, Sweden produces 30% of the world's pulp exportso As in several European countries, forestry has a cultural connotation. This is also true in the Germanic and Alpine countries. For example, there is an expression in Sweden that "the forest is the poor man's shield". This, a
Page 14 reference to the ability of a man to make money from the forest when all ~se fails, also has roots in the old days when people extracted their food, clothing, and fuel from the forest. Twenty-five percent of the forest area in Sweden a~e owned by "the Crown", 25% is corporate held, and half is in private ownership. However, it is estimated that due to imbalances in monetary valuation of the timber, over 60% of the value of forest land is privately held. Cooperation between private forest owners takes place mainly through forest owner associations, of which there are twelve. They were set up to increase the profitability of their members' forestry and to look after the interests of The associations provide advisory and sales service. Also, management plans ~ich cross property lines have been worked out, in so called "working plan areas". Under expert leadership, the forest owners work partly for each other and partly making use of labor and machinery provided by the association for use in the area. The association also ensure the aarketing of member' forest products. This is done mainly by coordinating sales and negotiationg with the timber-buying industry on wood prices. Over one-third of the total forest land in Sweden is managed by association arrangements. There are some interesting laws governing forestry operations in Sweden. For example, the Silvicultural Act of 1948 states that a "forest capable of development may not be felled except by thinning.1t In other words~ no clearcutting. After a stand is felled, the owner is obliged to take such action that will ensure satisfactory regeneration after a reasonable period of time. This is required to maintain what the law calls "as even a yield as possible." There is pressure to shift to clear-cutting as a more profitable method, one more compatible with mechanization. One technique receiving more attention is the application of nitrogen fertilizers by air. The first application is 20 years before felling, then every five years thereafter. Recreational pressure in Sweden, like in the United States, is touching forestry. In fact, Swedish law permits the public to use any forests regardless of who owns it. One may walk freely, pick berries and mushrooms, but not take trees nor wild game. Our concept of multiple use has been embraced, even by the private forest manager in Sweden, in order to meet this demand for forest recreation space.
BULK RATE U. S. POSTAGE P A I D Binghamton, N. Y. Permit No. 132
DR.. RICHARD "V â&#x20AC;˘ LEA
905 WESTCOTT ST. S'!lMCnSE" N. Y.
,13210