The New York Forest Owner - Volume 36 Number 2

The New York

FORESTOWNER A publication

ofthe New York Forest Owners Association Marchi April 1998

I C E

S T

o R M Volume 36 Number 2

THE NEW YORK

FOREST OWNERS ASSOCIATION VOL. 36, NO.2

FOREST OWNER A publication of the New York Forest Owners Association Editorial Committee: Betty Densmore, Chair, Alan Knight, Mary McCarty, Jim Minor, Bob Sand, and Eileen Schaefer.

Materials submitted for publication should be addressed to: R.J. Fox, Editor, R. O. 3,

Box

88, Moravia, New York 13118. Articles, artwork and photos are invited and are normally OFFICERS

& DIRECTORS

returned after use. The deadline for submission

for May/June is April 1.

Please address all membership fees and change of address requests to P.O. Box 180, Fairport, N.Y. 14450. Cost of individual membership/subscription is $20.

Jill Cornell, President 703 Johnsonville Rd. Johnsonville. NY 12094: 518/753-4336 Ronald Pedersen, Vice Preasident 22 Vandenburg Lane, Latham, NY 12110: 5181785-6061 Robert M. Sand, Recording Secretary 300 Church Street Odessa, NY 14869-9703; 607/594-2130 Don Wagner, Treasurer 5330 Graham Road.

Utica, NY 13502: 3151733-7391 Deborah Gill, Administrative Secretary P.O. Box 180 Fairport, NY 14450; 716/377-6060

1998 Jill Cornell, Johnsonville: 518/753-4336 Elizabeth Densmore, Machias: 7161 942-6600 Robert Sand, Odessa: 607/594-2130 Bob Sykes, Elbridge: 315/673-3691 1999 Harry Dieter, Honeoye Falls, 716/533-2085 Thomas Ellison, Manlius. 315/682-9376 Richard Fox, Moravia: 315/497-1078 David Swanson, Mount Morris, 716/658-4601 2000 Hugh Canham. N. Syracuse; 315/457-4972 John Hastings. Queensbury: 5181798-0248 Ronald Pedersen: Latham: 5181785-6061 Betty Wagner: Utica: 3151733-7391

CHAPTER REPRESENTATIVES Charlie Mowatt, Allegheny Foothills: 716/676-3617 Stephen Davison, Cayuga: 315/496-2392 Joan & Hans Kappel, Capital District: 518/861 -8753 Allyn Wright, Capital District: 518/239-6767 Tom Graber. Central New York: 315/255-3662 Elizabeth Nichols, Lower Hudson; 914/241-7289 David Daut, Northern Adirondack: 518/359-3089 Rita Hammond. Niagara Frontier: 7161 652-2857 James Durller, SE Adirondack: 518/747-5958 Larry Lepak, Southern Tier: 6071 656-8504 Don Schaufler, Tioga: 607/589-6095 Jack Hamilton, Western Finger Lakes: 7161728-5769 Dale Schaefer.

western

Finger Lakes: 7 J 6/367-1S49

All rights reserved. Contents aUf prior wriuen permission does not necessarilv support ucts, or opinions presented

may not be reproduced withfrom the publisher. NYFOA or approve procedures, prodby authors or advertisers.

COVER: Top: Conifer plantation showing extensive crown damage. Photo courtesy of Douglas Allen & Phil Siarkowski.

Bottom: Sugarbush showing maple top colliding with sap fine (arrows). Lake Placid photo courtesy Lewis Staats.

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A well-attended fall woodswalk of J 997 on Fat & Harry Dieter's woodland. (Western Finger Lakes Chapter)

Table Of Contents President's Message, Jill Cornell Ice Storm Guidelines, D.C. Allen, P.J. Smallidge, & L. Staats Beaver, Love Them Or Leave Them, John Braubitz SPRING MEETING & ELECTION, Building A Pond, Mary Binder Widow Makers, Peter Levatich LETTERS, Stumpage Price Trends, Jeffrey S. Prime This Thing Called Forest Management, Peter Smallidge Limiting Landowner Liability, Robert W. Malmsheimer & Donald W. Floyd And When You Die ?, Irene Szabo Bye-Bye, Bambi, Jane Sorensen Lord

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President's Message

By Jill Cornell

D

uring my childhood, many hours were spent in the woods of Westchester County and in Southern Vermont at my Aunt and Uncle's farm woods. It was not until 10 years ago that I had my own little forest to manage. All those years of walking in the woods, having friends picnic there, climbing trees, swinging on vines, even trying to get lost and exploring caves created a love of the woods, but no practical knowledge of how to manage them.

In 1992 when my "new" upstate old farm house was finally liveable (it's still not completely finished), I began to look around for information about woodlot management. A happenstance glance in a newspaper told me about NYFOA, and so began my involvement.

The more I knew, the more I realized I had to learn.

Because I am someone who jumps into deep water with both feet, I've rapidly been indoctrinated into the regional, state and national canvas offorestry related issues. And there are many issues that impact NY private landowners.

Close to your woodlot it can be the local assessor, the county or regional DEC state forester, private consulting foresters, Cornell Cooperative Extension, loggers, Soil and Water District and Natural Resource Conservation Service personnel. Statewide, it is all of the above as agency policies and programs impact woodlot owners. And, of course, pending state legislation has the greatest potential for impact. When the focus expands to the national scale, the USFS Budget and Congressional legislation can impact every small and large landowner.

Again, the more I learned , the more I needed to know. But I've never been afraid to ask questions, and once I have a question, I can be relentless in pursuit of answers.

As President ofNYFOA, I serve on several boards and committees, and am asked to review policies and positions. I believe that these contacts keep me on the forefront of issues. They also require me to: I.) Keep an opening and questioning mind, and 2.) keep communication channels open with everyone, no matter with which aspect of an issue I concur. There is always a place or a part of an issue on which everyone • NY FOREST OWNER 36:2

agrees. That part must be kept alive, or communication and cooperation ceases, and branches of the family tree atrophy.

Because forestry is a 90+ per cent male dominated community, I am often the only woman in a meeting room. (Once a waitress at the meeting place commented to me that she thought it was a great setting for a womanl) I didn't know how to explain to her that it can be intimidating too.

With enough of those meetings in my memory bank, I've realized that no matter who is there, or how articulate he is, I hold a very viable trump card: I represent you.

We are part of the 500,000 private forest owners of 14 million acres of NY forest, and we are the trump card for sustainable forestry, and for the NY wood products and the industry'S employees.

Now, I just have to make the trump card in my hand visible, for all of us.

You can help by learning the issues as presented in NY Forest Owner, in your chapters and on our web page, and in National Woodlands, and then expressing your opinion to agencies and to your government representatives.

President Jill Cornell

NEWYORKSAF ANNUAL AWARDS The New York Chapter of the Society of American Foresters at their Winter Meeting, January 1998 recognized the New York Forest Owners Association for their " ... extraordinary efforts or significant contributions which further the goals of the Society and profession." The Society similarly commended NYFOA in 1991.

Of special note was the FORESTRY COMMUNICATIONS AWARD. The POST-JOURNAL (Jamestown, NY) was the recipient of this award for a publication which contained a 12-page supplement dedicated to "Sustaining Our Woodlands."

The excellent articles and advertisements were provided by members of NYFOA's Allegheny Foothills Chapter.

Henry Kernan, a regular contributer to the NY Forest Owner was recognized for " ... outstanding accomplishmentas in forestry education, aimed at any audience, which increases understanding ... " Ralph Nyland was the recipient of the Forester of the Year Award.

NYFOA'S FALL MEETING

By Charlie Mowatt & Betty Densmore Save the second weekend in September for the ANNUAL FALL MEETING. The Allegheny Foothills Chapter will host the statewide NYFOA membership to review forests and forestry in Allegheny State Park.

Nature's clearcutting (a 200-acre blowdown), elderly growth forests and forest recreation are potential topics to examine.

We are exploring ajoint or overlapping meeting with the Society of American Foresters.

More information will be coming in future issues of the NY Forest Owner.

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Preliminary Guidelines for Forest Owners Following the January Ice Storm

By Douglas C. Allen, Peter J. Smallidge

and Lewis Staats

W

hen the "great blow" of July was comparatively little blowdown and 1995 marched through the probably little root damage to standing Adirondacks, most of us never trees. The principle impact was extensive imagined a comparable climatic event mechanical damage to tree crowns. would appear in our lifetimes. Yet, in January 1998 extensive areas of northern New Extent ofInjury Varied with aspect, speYork, New England and southeastern cies composition, elevation, and geoOntario were visited by a severe ice storm. graphic location. Although patterns varied Forestry organizations in New York, New across the region, in many areas hardwood England and Ontario caucused on several stands at lower elevations with a northeast occasions this winter to develop reasonable managementrecommendations for forest owners who suffered damage.

These discussions will continue as we learn more about the extent of damage and the manner 111 which forests respond to this natural event.

The guidelines below Sugarbush damage. Note arrow at whitewood reflect our current understanding of what happened and what exposure apparently received the most should or should not be done by forest damage. In some regions white pine also owners to cope with the aftermath. As we was damaged extensively. write this in early February, recommendations have yet to be finalized. However, The Short- and Lon2:- Term Consethere are a number of suggestions that evquences of the ice storm from a forest maneryone appears to agree with, and it seemed agement perspective obviously depends on wise to publicize them as quickly as posthe degree of crown damage. Less obvious sible. factors such as stand vigor, site quality and disturbances that may occur next summer Wind vs Ice - Both the microburst of will playa major role in determining 1995 and the most recent ice storm were whether or to what extent a stand recovers. climatic events affecting large areas offorFor example, if a woodlot experienced est land. The key factor in one was wind, heavy insect defoliation in 1997 trees probthe other was ice. Consequently, the results ably were stressed when they entered the of this winter's storm differed in that there dormant season. Similarly, if additional 4

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stresses such as drought, defoliation or intensive forest management activities occur to affected stands next summer it may be more difficult for surviving trees to recover from crown damage. Partially damaged conifers, especially, will be susceptible to bark beetles, woodborers and wood stain if they were not vigorous when winter arrived or suffer additional problems next summer. Comparably damaged hardwoods that remain standing are unlikely to be threatened by insects or to be invaded rapidly by stain fungi. Mechanical wounds are infection points for heart rot fungi, but these infections will not materially weaken standing hardwoods for many years.

Guidelines For Forest Owners: • Do not overreact or react too quickly and pay particular attention to safety issues when working in your woodlot. The ice storm left behind numerous human hazards, such as hanging dead or severely damaged branches and slash that makes for unstable footing.

• Clearly, in some instances crown damage is so great that trees will not survive.

In situations where crowns are only partially damaged, however, it is important to give these trees an opportunity to recover.

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Specifically, wait at least one growing season before you condemn trees with partial crown loss. Ice damage is not an unusual event in many of these forests and, within reason, trees will be able to respond. You can always remove questionable individuals next fall or winter.

• In the hardest hit stands, many trees have lost most or all of their crowns, have broken or severely split trunks, or were uprooted. Under these conditions owners may want to salvage some of the wood because survival is unlikely. When salvage is necessary, do it this winter while the ground is still frozen or next summer when it is dry. lfwork is done this spring when soils are wet, heavy equipment is likely to create site conditions that encourage erosion and will damage roots of trees that remain. Most trees with limited crown damage will recover with only a temporary reduction in growth if they are not further stressed.

Broadleaved trees rarely are killed by ice damage. They have dormant buds beneath the bark that typically sprout to form new branches and leaves following this type of injury. Even trees that appear to be extensively damaged will produce a surprising crop of foliage next summer. The major concern is decay fungi that enter wounds created by broken or twisted branches. From an insect or disease standpoint, there is no immediate need to salvage standing hardwoods. However, the timber value of downed hardwoods will be degraded by these organisms in only one or two growing seasons.

• Conifers, on the other hand, will not replace damaged portions of the crown and, if stressed enough by crown loss, will be susceptible to attack by bark beetles and woodborers this summer. Along with these insects will come blue stain, which may degrade the value of lumber sawed from infested trees. In this situation, removal this summer would be wise if the forest owner contemplates a salvage operation.

• In urban

situations,

homeowners

• NY FOREST OWNER 36:2

should obtain professional help to properly remove (prune) damaged branches to promote rapid healing and to minimize infection. In rural woodlots, landowners should work with a professional forester to get specific management recommendations and,

to close tapholes. Crown die back results from the accumulated effects of many stresses over several years and is different from physical damage caused by ice. We are not sure how taphole closure will be influenced by the latter, but in the absence of better information a conservative approach seems wise. The longer it takes these injuries to heal, the more likely stain and rot fungi will become established.

• If an operator is determined to tap an ice-damaged sugarbush this spring, trees with less than 10% crown damage can be tapped using normal guidelines. Where crown damage is 11% to 50%, tap lightly (i.e., no more than one tap!

12 inches in diameter and a second tap when tree diameter is 18 inches or more) and if51 %to 75% of the crown has been damaged, trees should not be tapped. When more than 75% of a crown is affected, the tree is not likely to recover and can be heavily tapped in anticipation that it will need to be removed in the near future.

That is, it is not likely to recover or, if it recovers, will have little value in terms of sap production.

Conservative tapping this year could reduce future losses by minimizing stress and associated mortality.

Damage in a conifer plantation if necessary, to obtain assistance with timber sales when salvage is appropriate. Contact your local DEC office or Cornell Cooperative Extension if you need help locating these professionals.

• Sugarbushes should be treated in similar fashion. Operators must realize tapping is a form of stress that moderately to severely damaged sugar maples may not be able to tolerate. Studies by the North American Maple Project indicate maples with significant levels of crown dieback require longer than the normal year or two

It is important to remember that these guidelines are based largely on intuition and limited first hand knowledge. We presently have little experience with a catastrophe of this type and magnitude.

More precise information will not be available until the short and long-term effects of this storm have been monitored and evaluated. .•.

Douglas Allen isforest entomologist, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse. Peter Smallidge is State Extension Forester, Cornell University, Ithaca.

Lewis Staats is Extension Associate, Maple Program, Cornell University, Uihlein Sugar Maple Research/Extension Field Station, Lake Placid, NY. The authors thank Paul Manion, forest pathologist, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry for reviewing this paper and providing helpful comments.

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Beaver, Love Them Or Leave Them-Part One

By John Braubitz When I was just in grade school, I spent get the camp ready for deer season? By the many evenings listening to my Uncle Joe way, you also can bring some traps along tell tales of bob cats, beaver and many other and try to catch a few muskrats and maybe exotic animals that he trapped when he was the beaver." That sounded good to me. The a boy. Those tales stimulated my imaginaweek passed, and I found myself up at camp tion; I dreamed of times in the past and what helping to clean. That is always a messy it must have been like to see beaver makjob, but we were done by mid-afternoon. ing dams and building ponds in some of Then I headed down to the fishing hole to the very streams where I was trapping look for beaver signs. There were a lot of muskrats. My Uncle Joe even pointed out trees chewed on or cut down and several some of the places in Irish Valley Creek Beaver Works active beaver slides. The beaver were still where beaver once had dams. But, at that there! I went back to camp to pick up m, time, I could only dream.

Wow, they were back! The day's fishing traps. I selected several No.2 traps and one The beavers were long gone! Trappers didn't seem that important. I could not conlarge NO.3 and headed back to the creek to like my Uncle Joe caught the last one trol myself I dropped everything and ran try my luck at catching a beaver. As I aptwenty or thirty years before I even cocked back to camp to tell another uncle we called proached the big trout hole luck or fate let a trap. We had to be content to catch musk"Chick" the exciting news. me see the beaver once more. The beaver rats, raccoons and an occasional mink. My The next day we both went back to exwas on the other side of the stream gnawfirst chance to see a beaver did not come amine the site. To our delight we spotted ing on a tree. I crouched down near the until 1953. I was fishing for trout in White the beaver. We crouched down near the base ground and watched it for about an hour.

Deer Hole Creek near Williamsport, Penna, '.. of an old-hemlock.treeand observed the This .is.whenslrfell.in love with beavers. I It was one of those special)noments\vhen beaver for several minutes. Itwasn'tahand-~kept thinking, "Are there more beaver in my mind was suspendedintime-The line some animal. It did not seem to bethatquick . the bankho\l~; or is this the only one left in from my fly rod floateds](nvly aC!:9ssmy but its motions seemed t98c;gelipc;rate,al1d i·the county?" favorite fishing-hole. 1was anticipating a it looked like itkriewwhatitwas&"iil .

Thi3bothere~Jne. I picked up the larger strike. All ofasqdden:ahUge blob offur .AfteraJ~~.Jp.inutes it spotted~s~ traps and headed back to camp to get some the size Qf(tWbQdchuc~appeared out of slapped its tail. in the water withaloud:is~allerN?I)muskrat traps and set them nowhere. The blob/disappeared so fast l"'spl?:,,~anCl disappeared.T~~ nex~we~§~e" . farther do~n stream. The next morning I wasn't sure what it~a~;putthe thought dis8?~c;red i~cwas living in·.~.hole.?eer!jl1 ght twgpmskrats. The beaver were still crossed nlymind that.it might be al:Jeaver the bank ~~~5my favorite fisringhole. re when we deft. I didn't come back to It was yearssince a[jyoneI kneW spotted lv1YUnel~<:;hick told me thatif I ..yant~d ~l11pul}W next spring. We looked for them beaver in the county;s() Iwas reluctantto tol1e\vouldiakemetip to tl1'ecalllp ., . . but they were gone! It is possible tell anyone about this untilI..yas absolutely before deer season to catch thebeaver. their own, or perhaps someone 11l sure. Besides that, I had-some self-ser"ing Area 1nightcome true;ImighfrealI)rcatS~Sh~t gun more than I did. This motivation I might want toCMththe beaabyavef!Fotthe restbfth mer leoul expenenc~CleftJne with an infatuation for ver before anyone else finds out it's there. l1?~~ppPtHat ~9Iy,fl1rba.ll ...,.,fmy mind; beavers that lasted most of my life. I never I revisited the area several times in the next I 99l.!lqirn.agin.e several largeTound beasaw another beaver in White Deer Hole few weeks but saw neither hide nor hair'of verpel~onthebarnwall and a lbfofjingle Creek for another twenty years. .•. the animal until about a month later. A tree in my pocket. A new 12 gauge Winchester next to the stream looked like it had been Pump just like my dad's seemed possible.

John Braubit: is a Professor in the Science Department of Cayuga County Community just cut down,and there were chips all The summer passed rapidly and school College. Web Page: hupi//www.cayugaaround the base of the tree. My heart started. When rabbit season was almost over cc.edu/braubitz/ pounded faster; I took a deep breath. This my Uncle Chick said, "Do you want to was really a beaver! come up to camp this week and help me 30+ Years Experience

ROBERT DEMEREE Professional

Forestry Consultant

Timber Sales· Management Planning Tax Law· Tree Planting 3987 Northway Drive Cortland, NY 13045-9317 Telephone: (607) 753-0497 6

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THE NEW YORK FOREST OWENERS ASSOCIATION

36TH ANNUAL SPRING MEETING joined by members of the Tree Farm System

Saturday, May 2, 1998 Marshall Hall, SUNY College of Environmental Science and forestry, Syracuse, NY

8:30: Registration and Coffee 9-30: Welcome: Annual Business Meeting: Jill Cornell, President, NYfOA; Donna RogIer, Chair, NY Tree farm Committee 10:00: Tips and Techniques for Outdoor Photography, James Peek, DEC Supervising forester, Bath NY 10:45: What Silviculture for Your Land?, Dr. Ralph Nyland, SUNY College of Environmenal Science and forestry 11:30: Markets for Low Grade forest Products, John Graham,

DEC Utilization and Marketing, Cortland, NY

12:15: Lunch: Nifkin Student Lounge 1:15: Awards - Robert M. Sand, NYfOA; and Donna RogIer, NY Tree Farm Committee 1:45: Concurrent Sessions (Speakers will be available throughout the day) 1. Outdoor Photography Meet with morning speakers for more detailed discussion and additional questions.

2. Silviculture 3. Markets for Low Grade Products

4. Green Certification - What does it mean to you?, Albert Brown, Stow, NY 5. Timber Theft - Preventing and Reporting,

Consulting forester, NYS DEC Law Enforcement Officer

6. Tax Tips for forest Landowners, Lloyd Casey, US forest Service. Radner, PA 3:00: Adjourn

DETACH REGISTRATION

MAIL BEfORE

fORM:

APRIL 18,1998

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_

Address:

C~it~v~:

Chapter/Affiliation

S~t~a~te~:

Z~i~

_

_

Please find my check for_registration(s)

at $16 each: $

(includes lunch and materials)

My/our aftemoon session preferences are circled, 1 2 3 4 5 6 Send registration by APRIL 18, 1998 to: Debbie Gill, PO Box 180, fairport, NY 14450for more information, call 1-800-836-3566 NY FOREST

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NOMINATIONS

FOR DIRECTORS

To Elect: FOUR DIRECTORS

OF NYFOA:

BIOGRAPHICAL

SKETCHES

for a three (3) Year Term (1998-2001), the following NOMINEES:

JIll CORNELL is a candidate for a 2nd. 3-year Board term. Joined NYFOA in 1992 and is a MFO-1993. Served CDC as V.Chair. She is NYFOA's PRESIDENT. Jill manages her 50 acre forest and resides at: 703 Johnsonville Road, Johnsonville, NY 12094; Phone: 518-753-4336.

ROBERT A. SYKES is a candidate for a 2nd. 3 year term on the Board. Together with his wife, Marge, they manage a 120 acre Tree Farm and a Bed & Breakfast operation. Bob, a retired G.E. Engineer, Bob is a MFO-1992, owns a sawmill and an exterior wood furnace. The Sykes reside at: 4786 Foster Road, ELBRIDGE, NY 13060; Phone: 315-673-3691

DAVE W. SWACIAK is a horticulturist-naturalist with the Cattaraugus Cornell Co-op Extension who also manages the 100 acre Co-op. Ext. Demo. Forest at Machias. Dave, MFO-1996, is a graduate of the Game of Logging, heats with wood cut from his 12 ac. woodlot. He and his wife, Lisa, have three children.

The family resides at: 2107 Rushford Rd, FRANKLINVILLE, NY 14737; Phone: 716-676-2349 (h); 716-699-2377 (w)

NICK R. POLCE is a long time member ofNYFOA and is a Logger, Forest Consultant and Timberland Owner with Tree Farms in Oswego, Oneida and Herkimer Counties. He has served both as a Dir.& V. Pres. of the N.Y. Timber Producers Asso. and on the Woodmans Field Days Committee. Dave is a mamber ofESFP A. He and his wife Diane own and operate West Canada Creek Logging, Inc., a broker of standing marked timber sales, operate a large firewood processor as well as a custom TSI contracting service. The Po1ces, parents of 3 sons, reside at: 10317 Joshlyn Rd. REMSEN, NY 13438; Phone: 315-831-5301

EUGENE J. MCCARDLE is a 15 year member ofNYFOA. He is a MFO-1996, serving as Historian and Vice Chair of the Cons. Com. of the 233 acre CAMPFIRE CLUB forest. A 450 member (Westchester County) Club now celebrating its centennial. Gene is retired and resides at: 70 Cabin Ridge Rd., CHAPP AQUA, NY 10514; Phone: 914-945-0504

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detach ... complete before APRIL 18, 1998 ... send to: ••••••••••••••••••• NY F 0 A P.O ..Box 180 F A I R P 0 R T, NY 14450-0180

Vote for FOUR (4 ) candidates ONLY Jill Cornell

( )

Robert A. Sykes ( )

Nick R. Polce ( )

Your Name:

Dave W. Swaciak ( ) Eugene J. McCardle

Address:

( )

Chapter -R. M. Sand, Chair

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BUILDING A POND-An Art As Much As A Science

By Mary Binder cost of the pond may be difficultto pin down until test pits are done. Ponds Unlimited, a company out of Syracuse, can provide engineering services needed to plan, design and oversee construction of a dam to create a pond or lake on your property. Richard McClimans, owner and designer of ponds, charges $350 to visit the site, conduct analysis, and then prepare cost estimates and a Part I-Siting Your Pond written report. Once the landowner has decided to the winter go ahead winds give and build way to the pond, slightly test pits will warmer be conbreezes, ducted, a our thoughts survey unturn to the dertaken, out-ofand a plan doors. We will be start to vidrawn up. sualize the W hen proj ects asked to we had algive a cost way s estimate for hoped to design and do but construcsomehow t ion , n eve r McClimans started. If gave an exbuilding a Gomez Foundation for Mill House; Marlboro, NY. Reconstruction of dam & bridge built to historical ample of a pond was architectural standards. Note stabilizing rock rip rap and straw mulch for seeding pond that he one such recently deproject, now is the perfect time to gather informasigned that is about one fifth of an acre. This tion about creating a slice of heaven right ing with pond weeds, it may be best to build pond has a small dam, is spring feed, and is a swimming pool. in your own backyard. Before you call the designed to be ten feet deep in the middle.

Other negative aspects of owning a pond excavator, you should consider the benefits, He will charge about $1600 to conduct the the negative aspects, and the costs of buildis the continued maintenance. Although initial field visit, survey the site, draw up pond weeds are a fact of pond life, they ing a pond. the plans, and spend about two days overcannot be allowed to overtake the pond, seeing certain aspects of the construction.

The Pluses and Minuses of Ponds therefore some method of control should He estimates that the pond will take about Backyard ponds have many benefits. be conducted. Since ponds may be an attwo weeks to dig and cost between $5000 Among those benefits are crop irrigation, tractive nuisance they are a safety concern to $10,000 to excavate. Building a pond is for small children and pets. Also, after livestock watering, providing water for not an investment to take lightly. However, firefighting, improving water quality and many years, a pond will need to be dug out for less than the price of a car, you can crewildlife habitat, providing for flood conagain, since it is continually silting in with ate added equity to your property, especially soil and decaying weed material. trol, and increasing the value of your propif you construct the pond on land marginerty. Most importantly, a pond will provide ally suited to agriculture or forestry. Some hours of nature discovery for children of What Will a Pond Cost? consider building a pond an investment. all ages, not to mention the fun of swimJust like anything to do with nature, the This is the first of a three part series on ponds to be published in consecutive issues.

Part I will review finding the best location to build a pond. Part II will give ideas 011 pond design and construction. Part III will give information on pond maintenance, safety, and fish stocking.

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ming, boating, fishing and ice skating.

Probably the number one complaint about ponds is the "pond scum" that keeps tangling legs while swimming. It is important to realize that a pond is a natural ecosystem. As soon as the bulldozer leaves the newly constructed pondsite, critters will make it their home and vegetation of all sorts will begin to grow. If you want a pond for swimming, and are adverse to coexist-

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Getting Help cavators who may think they can build a supplied by cold springs. A cold or warm Not everyones' property has a perfect pond only to find they have gotten in over water pond will determine the species of spot to build a functional pond. The most their heads when the dam springs a leak or fish you can stock. Bass can survive in important factors in building a pond are to they hit bedrock during excavation. warm water ponds, while trout must have make sure your site has the correct soil type Help is also available from consultants cold water, not more that 65- 70 degrees in and adequate water to keep the pond full and some engineering firms. "There's a the warmest spot. Those who can construct year round. The saddest sight is to see a reason for [our success in locating pond cold water ponds, or those who can have large hole in the ground with no water. sites] because we understand soils, waterone of each to satisfy the angling needs of Think how much it will cost to have the sheds, hydrology", says McClimans. "We all their friends and relatives, are lucky inempty crater filled in. To save some headbalance inflow and outflow and seepage deed. aches and money you should get some There are two different pond types; dug potential" to achieve the water level that knowledgeable help. the landowner is looking for in their pond. (excavated) or embankment (dammed) Help is available from several sources.

McClimans says, "We engineer to accomponds. Mother Nature has determined w h ic h Your local type of Soil and W ate r pond can Conservabe built on your proption Diserty.

A trict will dug pond sometimes is simply make pond an excasite investivated hole gations to that exdetermine p 0 s e s suitability. ground S 0 m e water or a charge a high water nominal tab le . fee and will So m e do necestimes dug sary reponds are search us~ filled by a ing the County ~ combina6 tion of surSoil Sur2 face runoff vey Book. ~ (rainfall) If you ~a n d haven't al0::: ground ready, I Gomez Foundation/or Mill House; Marlboro, NY. Oldest standing Jewish Homestead in u.s. water. highly recNote Devinshire cottage with thatch roo/built by Dard Hunter, noted architect.

Soils made ommend modate the conditions of the site." Most of a deep gravel aquifer make excellent dug getting your own soil survey book. This ponds, and the natural supply of gravel may ofthe ponds he designs are those with large book has aerial photos and detailed soil dedams that require a DEC permit. "[Those sometimes be sold to pay for the cost of scriptions which can be used not only for the digging. You may, however, need a who want to build] smaller ponds should pond suitability, but for siting the best pasNYS DEC mining permit to do this. Some ture land, tree growing land, and it contains go to Soil and Water Districts and get a dug ponds are constructed adjacent to a many other charts with useful information. good contractor", noted McClimans. small running stream, which is all right, as Again, check for pond building referThe field visit may include walking the site, ences and also for knowledge with soils. long as it is positioned far enough from the making watershed calculations, taking soil There are many engineering firms that stream bank. Many ponds have been "taken samples and recommending that test pits out" by high water as the stream washes know how to build excellent bridges, but be dug by a backhoe ifthe site looks promout one side of the pond. If the stream bank they have little understanding of soils. ising. Some Districts will come back to shows signs of erosion, the bank should be conduct the test pits.

Different Types of Ponds stabilized with rock to keep it in place.

If your County Soil and Water District Embankment ponds are built in a valley Warm water ponds are usually built in does not offer this service, you can contact with a narrow area at one end that can be clayey or mucky areas and use surface a reputable excavator who has experience dammed to have water back up behind it. water to keep them full. They are usually digging ponds successfully. An excavator shallower. A cold water pond is usually This type of pond is kept full with surface who knows the lay of the land is worth their runoff, and the existing soil must have the deeper than eight feet and is made in a gravweight in gold. Ask for references and ability to hold water. Clay or silty clay elly soil kept wet with a high water table, proof of insurance since there are some ex10

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NY FOREST OWNER 36:2

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works best, while avoiding any underlaying layers of limestone or shale will assure that water cannot escape out of cracks and crevices found naturally in these formations.

Sometimes a clayey soil can be "borrowed" from another site on the property, but this may increase costs. Water behind a dam has a tremendous amount of pressure and force, and therefore can find its way through any opening. Most dams will leak due to seepage, but those that are constructed correctly will keep leaking to a minimum. Ponds that have been full for years have been known to lose all their water overnight due to poor construction techniques. This is another reason to conduct test pits, as it can then be determined if a core trench is needed to reduce seepage from the dam. A core trench, to be discussed in more detail in Part II, will create a seal where the bottom of the dam (fill) meets the natural undisturbed ground.

There must also be a large enough watershed to supply water to the pond during the dry summer months. A watershed is an area of land from which all rainwater (runoff) runs to where it collects in one spot. In the case of a pond, that would be where your dam is. Caution should also be taken in damming up a large watershed. Inadequately-sized outlets can be destructively removed (a blowout) by swift flowing runoff during spring melt or an intense summer storm.

Do You Need Permits?

Permits may be necessary from several different agencies. NYS Department of Environmental Conservation may require a wetland permit or one to build a dam. The Army Corp of Engineers may require a permit to protect federal wetlands. There may be local zoning or erosion control ordinances for which you might have to apply. A phone call to each of these agencies may prevent some problems down the road.

Be sure to keep a record of the date you called, the person to whom you spoke and the phone number you called. Make yourself a pond folder to keep all the infonnation you accumulate.

It is also very important to know where your property boundaries. are. You don't want to conduct test pits or construct a pond partially on someone else's property. You should also have clear title to the land.

Conducting Test Pits Test pits should be dug during the driest NY FOREST

OWl\TER 36:2

part of the year; in New York that is July or August. The backhoe operator will be happier if his equ ipment doesn't get stuck and you'll be happier to know the lowest possible water level your pond may have.

Digging test holes will also tell you depthto-bedrock and allow the machine operator to determine the type of equipment they will need.

For a dug pond, three to four test pits should be placed in the pond basin, (less for a small pond). They should be dug at a minimum of eight feet or as deep as the backhoe arm can reach. For a dammed pond, two or three pits should be dug in the dam area with three to four placed in the pond basin. A map of the pond area should be drawn, with each test pit located.

The backhoe will expose a soil profile, showing different layers of the soil as it was laid down by the glaciers. Take notes as the backhoe digs. Do not stand on the side of the pit. thev tend to cave in easilv in wet areas. It is always safest to stand at the end of the pit facing the operator. This way you can make eye contact with the operator to communicate. Never get into a pit that is deeper than your thighs. Manv people have been buried alive. No one, including your contractor, should get inside the pit under any circumstances.

Look for layers of gravel, sand, clay or silt and make notes of at what depth you find the changes. Also look for water coming in at certain layers. Watch the hole fill and, if possible, time it. Once the holes are done and you have taken all your notes, have the contractor fill the holes back in.

Small animals or even children can fall in and drown. If you are unsure about available water to keep the pond full, have the excavator backfill around a four inch perforatored PYC pipe. This will allow you to note the water depth with a rock tied to a string. You can monitor the water level for several years if you are unsure. Share the map and the test pit information with whomever you hire to dig your pond.

A void underground cables and pipelines.

Your pond should be accessible to heavy equipment, even during the wet season, for fire protection and pond repair.

Also keep your pond away from septic fields and livestock areas. You do not want excess nutrients entering your pond causing excessive pond weeds. Finally, do not locate a large dam pond upstream from areas that could be damaged if the dam should fail. Many lawsuits have occurred because of the damage failed dams have caused.

Have fun dreaming of what your pond might look like. If you have the energy, finances, and motivation, you can start walking your land now to find that perfect site and begin to make your dream a reality. Don't forget to check references and ask for help where it is available. Remember, building a pond is as much of an art as it is a science, and constructing it the right way will give you many years of enjoyment.

Additional References: "Build Your Own Pond", by John Weiss, Country Journal, June 1993.

Book of Pond Information, Compiled by Dutchess County Soil and Water Conservation District, $ 3.00, P.O. Box 37, Millbrook, New York 12545.

Earth Ponds the Country Pond Maker's Guide to Building. Maintenance and Restoration, by Tim Matson, 1991. ..â&#x20AC;˘.

Mary, who lives in Westerlo, with her husband and two boys, is a NYFOA member and Vice-Chair of the Capital District Chapter. The mentioning of any names in this article is not an endorsement.

Get to Know your Land Walk your land in the wettest and driest times of the year. This will help you recognize potential pond sites. The presence of black or white ash, red maple, cattails, or sedges will indicate that soils stay wet through the year for these plants to grow.

Picking the best pond site involves looking up as well as to the ground. Do not locate your pond under power lines, as a fishing pole or backhoe could easily get caught.

NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566

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1998

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11

WIDOW MAKERS-ADVICE/EXPERIENCE

By Peter S. Levatich ©1998

Dave Taber is a good teacher and his article in the January '98 issue of the Forest Owner gives important advice. I keep looking at the picture of the cut tree hung up in the standing one. The cutter man is eying it and probably wondering what best to do. The tree crowns seem to be holding each other. How long before the cut tree comes loose and falls down? It can be ten seconds, or a year. There is no way to predict it. What should the cutter man do?

What would you do?

I do not like to talk about this, but twice in my 46 years of working part time in the woods, small hung up trees came down on me. They were both a mere 4 inches in diameter, about 40 feet tall. They both knocked me flat to the ground, instantly and absolutely flat. Our nice and familiar trees don't tend to look dangerous or heavy, but they are!

Dave's article describes dead branches up in the crowns of standing trees. In a felling course, once, we were told that most blood on the ground is found within eight feet of the stump. Insurance company statistics. But blood is not the whole story. I felled a big sugar maple once and all went as planned. The tree fell exactly, as intended, passed between two other large maples, down hill, to the ground. It arrived there, and it was over. Or was it? I stood the eight feet from the stump with the saw turned off and hanging at the end of my ann. Suddenly, the saw was no longer there.

It was on the ground as if sucked out of my grip instantly by a huge magnet. It was incredible. A dead branch had broken loose from one of the standing maples and had been flung, slowly arcing through the air, back to where I stood and hit the blade of

SUSAN J- KEISTER' Forestry Consulting Services -480A & SIP Management Plans -Forestry Inventory and Appraisals -Timber Sales -Cost Basis and Real Estate Tax Management Advice (716) 728-3044 7025 Harpers Ferry Road, Wayland, NY 14572 \.

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my saw. 1 found the branch lying there, itweighed only about two pounds. It missed my shoulder by an inch.

Prior to this accident, (an accident is any unforeseen event, whether you get hurt or not), I would have said that such a little stick could not possibly hurt anyone. But think again. (Consider the following scenario to which you may be able to relate more easily: A 2x2, two feet long, weighs a little over two pounds. How would you feel if such a piece of lumber got tossed out of a 4th story window and hit you on the sidewalk below? Can you believe that you would feel mighty sore and you could be dead?

The point is that we have no experiences with forces in such new situations. We go to work in the forest and we are told that it is dangerous. But we have no references in our set of life experiences as to what that really means, like when a branch or a tree hits us. Advice to be careful passes through our consciousness without a deep imprint ... until we experience these forces. Trouble is, we may not survive the first experience.

Unlike advice, experience establishes deep awareness and sets up response patterns, some of which become automatic, instinctive to guard us against reoccurrence. Advice, on the other hand, tends to go in one ear and out the other. It has a hard time sticking to us permanently.

There is only one way to increase your chances of survival while working in the forest. YOU HAVE TO MAKE A CONSCIOUS, ELABORATE, EFFORT TO LEARN FROM ADVICE: by exposing yourself willingly and repeatedly to it, by talking to yourself about it, by memorizing it, by establishing for yourself appropriate procedures which you follow with-

out exception while in the woods, by making for yourself check lists and following them Oust like airline pilots do, for example). You have done this before successfully when you learned to drive a car. You are successfully avoiding "widow makers" in traffic every day.

Widow makers! MY ADVICE to you is to take them seriously. MY EXPERIENCE is that this works for me and that it will work for you. ..•• Peter, a representative for Tompkins County to the NYSDEC Region 7 Forest Practice Board and a Master Forest Owner, is a regular contributor to the NY FOREST OWNER.

Jeff Jourdain Professional Forestry Services P.O. Box 3602, Pittsfield, MA 01202 413-442-9259 FAX 413-445-7688 email: jforest@berkshire.net *Timber Sales "Forest Management Plans *Trails *Wildlife Habitat Mgt. *Forest Products Marketing SERVING COLUMBIA & RENSSELAER COUNTIES NYS Cooperating Consulting Forester & SAF Certified Forester NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 - INFO

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LETTERS ~

j

\.

j

OPEN SPACE HEARING COMMENTS Assessment of property at its current use is needed. Sustainable forestry for private woodland owners is not possible in southeast NY state. Property taxes are ten times greater than the market value of the timber. The requirements of 480-A are financially unsustainable.

Programs like the Stewardship Incentive Program should be continued with more helpful financial support: Timber quality is improved. Use of chemicals is reduced by using physical removal of invasive species.

Best Management Practices conserve air, soil, water, plants & animals.

Human benefits, both physical and mental, are received from the educational and recreational trails and views.

A statewide Right- To-Harvest- Timber law is needed. (Using Best Management practices ).

The Appalachian Trail in southern NY conserves open space. In Dutchess County the trail passes through Harlem Valley Psychiatric Center State land (now for sale), and this is an opportunity to acquire buffer acreage. An easier way to transfer surplus state land for this heavily used recreational trail is needed.

Acquisition and protection of Great Swamp acreage and land in the TriState area is badly needed also. The long distance south Taconic Trail needs to be connected to the Taconic Crest Trail which would relieve overuse of the Appalachian Trail.

-John & Jane Geisler, Verbank

It is also important to address reform of the 480a Forest Tax Law to allow management for multiple goals including recreation, wildlife enhancement, and timber production, and to allow smaller than 50acre parcels to qualify. Too many rural landowners are finding it necessary to subdivide forest land for development purposes because of the pressure of high property taxes.

Provision of tax loss reimbursments to local governments would offset the impact of reduced property tax revenue, while society would receive the benefits of retained forestland (open space, water/air quality enhancement, and reduced need for infrastructure that developed land requires).

-Joan Kappel (Email), Altamont NY FOREST

OWNER 36:2

A BURL BUYER Jill Cornell recently, suggested that I might want to drop you a note. The subject was how to make better use of burled wood, and is there a market for burl? Jill's perspective the woodlot owner are interested 111:

(1) better utilization of a by-product of logging; i.e., burls, which are usually discarded; and, (2) more exploration of the feasibility of marketing burls as a wood product.

"Percy's Bowl", turned wood, willow burl 15"Hx 29"D As a professional woodturning artist, I can certainly appreciate the value of burls in my work. Most of the burls that most turners use are acquired informally-from friends, sawmills, loggers or even found at the side of the road. Sometimes burls are bought and sold, but its not unusual for people who know that I am a turner to just drop a nice burl off at the studio for free.

Now, this is good for me, but it doesn't make a wood lot owner any money. Most of the turners would pay a reasonable amount of money for a beautiful piece of burled wood. The question now becomes.

"Okay, I've got a burl, but what is it worth?" Remember, most burls are left in the woods. Owners and loggers should begin saving and storing burls with protection from the elements. If these wooden jewels could be gotten to a central location, then it might be possible to come up with a sensible way to market them. Pricing could be worked out as the cost ofharvesting, gathering, marketing and profit. I can almost envision a small scale co-op.

Most of the advertisements and most of the people that I encounter are asking exorbitant amounts for their specialty woods.

If an economically feasible system could be developed to get these burls to market, I think that both the wood lot owners and the artists would benefit.

-Hank Albro, Henrietta NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566

- INFO

SA Y IT ISN'T SO There is a serious typo error in the last issue (NYFO 36:1, 16): "Afull cord ... will equal. 79 cubic feet. " should have read: A full cord will equal .79 times 128 cu. ft. or 101 cubic feet.

-Robert Nowack, Earlville There is more to this than meets the eye!

Let's ASK A FORESTER Sometime ago NYFOA 's editorial committee insisted that your editor provide a forester/editor for the ASK A FORESTER column. This particular observation and letter from Robert Nowack has provided a compelling need for such a contributor to the NY Forest Owner.

Stephen Davison, aNYS DEC Senior Forester from the Cortland Office of Region 7 and Chairperson of the Cayuga Chapter, has agreed to write/edit the ASK A FORESTER column.

Perhaps he will address the conversion of a cord of stacked wood as erroneously describerd in NYFO 36: 1, 18 and partially corrected in the above letter, in the next issue. =-Editor AN NFC CHAPTER WOODSW ALK A most unusual and informative woodswalk was hosted by Bob Glidden in Appleton, nearly adjacent to Lake Ontario on Oct. 18.

"Unusual" because this 35-acre wood lot had formerly been a dairy farm and fruit orchard which had thrived until just a few years ago. When Bob bought the property, he decided to look to a forestry consultant for help with a management plan which would help him develop the 20 acres of woodlot, some open fields, an abandoned orchard and hedge rows.

Bruce E. Robinson, a forestry consultant from Jamestown, accompanied this woodswalk, which attracted more than 20 NYFOA members and friends. Bruce explained the various aspects of the management plan and what Bob could look forward in the near and distant future.

Among the wildlife on the Glidden "estate" are pheasants and wild turkeys which Bob hopes to continue to attract.

Because most of the NFC woodswalks are primarily in hardwood acreage, it was even more interesting to walk into open fields and along the hedge rows and learn how even these can be part of a good management plan for future hardwood lots.

-Barbara Tucker MARIAPR

1998

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13

Stumpage Price Trends (1973 to 1996) for Reporting Area L: Clinton, Essex, and Franklin Counties

By Jeffrey S. Prime Luppold and Baumgras, in their 1995 paper, reported a 5.0% annual rate of real price change for red oak stumpage in Ohio (Luppold and Baumgras, 1995). Their paper piqued my interest in knowing if similar trends in stumpage prices have OCCUlTed in the Adirondacks. Using the high, low, and most common prices reported by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in their semi-annual 'Stumpage Price Report', I calculated the compounded real rates of return for IS tree species and 4 types of pulpwood. The stumpage prices were obtained from the DEC's Reporting Area L which includes Franklin, Clinton, and Essex Counties. The price trends cover the 1973 to 1996 time period.

or International Y4) in the reports covering the 1973 to 1996 time period. A converted price was derived using the ratio of the difference in log scales for a 13" by 10' log.

Prices based on Doyle and International Y4 log rule were converted to a price based on the Scribner rule. Pulpwood prices, based on cord measure, didn't require a conversion. The following table shows the price conversion ratios: Converting from Converting to this price: Scribner price Doyle 0.850 International Y4 1.167 The second step was to deflate the converted prices using the Producers Price Index for all commodities. The index's base

The following table presents the compounded rates of return in an alphabetic format: Low

r2

SRecies

Avg

r2

SRecies

High

r2

ash

-0.34

0.027

ash

1.35

0.342

ash

2.12

0.440

aspen

-0.32

0.048

aspen

0.22

0.022

aspen

0.71

0.083

SRecies

0.73

0.172

basswood

1.81

0.596

basswood

2.69

0.578

beech

-0.25

0.017

beech

0.19

0.008

beech

0.096

birch, white

-0.49

0.085

birch, white

0.65

0.156

birch, white

0.99 1.48

0.434

basswood

0.231

birch, yellow

-0.80

0.182

birch, yellow 0.73

0.214

birch, yellow

2.29

cherry, black

-0.15

0.002

cherry, black 2.67

0.597

cherry, black

4.06

0.752

hemlock

-0.17

0.014

hemlock

0.66

0.154

hemlock

1.08

0.530

maple, red

-1.03

0.189

maple, red

0.27

0.020

maple, red

0.252

maple, sugar

-0.90

0.167

maple, sugar 1.65

0.351

maple, sugar

0.99 2.44

0.455

oak, red

1.60

0.276

oak, red

oak, red

4.82

0.813

-1.81

0.176

oak, white

3.51 0.47

0.802

oak, white

0.022

oak, white

2.60

0.151

pine, red

-0.55

0.031

pine, red

0.30

0.018

pine, red

1.36

0.186

pine, white

0.12

0.006

pine, white

0.96

0.424

pine, white

1.39

0.613

spruce, red

0.51

0.121

spruce, red

0.65

0.128

spruce, red

0.49

0.068

hwd pulp

-0.19

0.015

hwd pulp

-0.75

0.178

hwd pulp

0.14

0.011

hemlock pulp

-0.79

0.051

hemlock pulp 1.18

0.087

hemlock pulp

0.95

0.038

pine pulp

-2.06

0.610

pine pulp

-1.78

0.620

pine pulp

-1.43

0.434

spruce pulp

0.05

0.001

spruce pulp

0.52

0.160

spruce pulp

0.95

0.287

The r" values relate to how well the trend line fit the price series; an r" = 1.000 would be a perfect fit.

Three steps were involved in the calculations. The first step was to convert prices based on different log scaling rules to equivalent prices. The saw log prices for Reporting Area L have been based on one ofthree log scaling rules (Doyle, Scribner, 14

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NY FOREST OWNER 36:2

year is 1982. All prices were deflated to this base year. Inflation, as measured by this index, averaged 2.2% per year during the period ofthis study.

The third step was to determine the rate of growth in real price via the exponential NYFOA·

1·800·836·3566·

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growth model (P = Ae=bx). This step involved calculating the natural log of each price in a series, graphing the natural logs of the price series, and fitting a trend line using the least squares method. The natural log of the price was graphed on the yaxis, and its corresponding report date was graphed on the x-axis. The coefficient of this trend line is the rate of growth in real price for the individual tree species. Since the 'Stumpage Report' is published twice a year, the twice- a-year compounded rate was annualized.

Red oak had the highest returns, with real rates of return of 4.82,3.51, and 1.60 percent for high, average (most common), and low, respectively. Black cherry scored next (4.06,2.67, and -0.15% high to low). Basswood came in third place (2.69, 1.81, and 0.73% high to low).

All species showed a positive real rate of return for the high reported stumpage prices, except for pine pulp. Rates of return for the high prices ranged from -1.43 to 4.82 percent per year.

Most species showed a positive rate of return for the average (most common) reported stumpage price. Only hardwood pulp and pine pulp had a negative real rate of returns. Rates of return for the most common prices of the 16 species ranged from -1.78 to 3.51 percent per year.

Most species show negative rates of return for the low reported stumpage price.

Only five species, red oak, basswood, red spruce, and white pine, and spruce pulp showed a positive real rate of return. Rates of return for the low prices ranged from 2.06 to 1.60 percent per year over the 1973 to 1996 time period.

As Davies indicated in his 1991 article, trees grow in three ways: biological growth (volume growth), changes in log grade (grade growth) and in real rate of return (value growth) (Davies, 1991). This report looked at the value component of tree growth. In Essex, Franklin, and Clinton Counties, growing red oak and black cherry was advantageous during the time period 1973 to 1996. Growing basswood, white oak, sugar maple, yellow birch, and white ash yielded a lower rate of return than either red oak or black cherry, but still resu Ited in a real rate of return greater than 2 MARiAPR

1998

•

percent per year. Whether growing other species during this time period yielded an adequate real value return is more questionable. Whether these stumpage price trends will continue is, of course, unknown.

Currently, the foreign and domestic markets that underly these rates seem strong.

So the demand will continue. For the next decade or so, I believe that similar rates will occur, albeit with some up and down years.

There may be some rotation in which species obtains the highest rates of return. A rotation to the lighter, closed-grain woods, such as maple and ash, and away from the darker, open-grained woods, like oak and cherry is possible.

Literature Cited: Davies, K. 1991. Forest Investment Considerations for Planning Thinnings and Harvests. North. 1. Appl. For. 8(3): 129-131 Luppold, W.G. and J.E. Baumgras.

1995. Price Trends and Relationships for Red Oak and Yellow-Poplar Stumpage, Sawlogs, and Lumber in Ohio: 1975-1993. orth. 1. Appl. For. 2(3):168-173. .A

Deflated Prices, $/mbf 800:

1

700

,

--cherry

6001

-

- sugar maple

........... beech

50cJ

,,, , ,',

--pulp

40J 300~

I I" \,I

200!

I I

<r=>:' ..... ,.....-/\.

77

79

83

81

CREDIT

ome say obtaining a loan and buying is the most cost-effective \\"ay to finance expensive equipment.

Others say leasing equipment is the way to go.

In fact. each financing option has certain advantages with regard to convenience, flexibility and tax obligation.

To find out which makes most sense for you, talk to an ag business expert at Farm Credit.

When you do. remember this: Eligible borrowers can buy or lease through Farm Credit - a choice you won't find at manv other institutions.

S

Farm Credit gives you the choice.

OWNER

36:2

91

93

95 96

Chapter, the Newsletter (Winter Edition) of which

1. TREE PRO Tree Protectors Stop Die-

It depends ...

NY FOREST

89

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As an example, the chart, above, shows prices per thousand-board-feet (mbj) for 3 tree species andfor hardwood pulp. The prices are corrected for inflation with 1982 the base year. The pulp prices per thousand-board-feet were derived by multiplying the per cord prices by 1.5 cords per mbf

Jeffrey Prime is a Consultant Forester and member of the Northern Adirondack contained a part of this article.

FARM

85

back and Protect Trees from: • Deer Brouse and Rub • Rabbits and Rodents • Wind and Drought • Mowers • Chemical Sprays 2. MycorTree Mycorrhizal Root Dip Enhances Growth and Improves: • Stem and Root Growth • Survial Rate • Disease Resistance • Drought Tolerance For more information & sample call:

TREE PRO at 800-875-8071 3180 W. 250 N. W. Lafayette, IN 47906 www.nlci.com/treepro NYFOA - 1·800-836-3566

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1998

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IS

This Thing Called Forest ManagementDoes It Really Differ From Gardening?

By Peter J.Smallidge ewYork is over 60% forested, and many of you have noticed the growing activity associated with forestry and forest management. We think about the importance of forestry, for local economies and environmental concerns.

Many people are interested in forest management, but most may not realize exactly what is involved nor how it relates to other familar activities.

For my purposes here, let me characterize forest management as a process focused on the care and tending of forest vegetation, water quality, and the associated wildlife communities. This begins by recognizing landowner's objectives, identifying plans for short- and long-term accomplishments, and includes ample consultation with qualified professionals. This process also necessitates decision making about how to accomplish objectives within the numerous constraints of economics, soil suitability, and the surrounding forest areas. As such, forestry and forest management involve many of the same considerations as gardening.

N

But, as you will see, they also differ.

Gardening is truly a rewarding experience.

This applies to all types of gardens, from vegetable gardens to flower gardens and butterfly gardens. You spend considerable time during the year thinking about the steps you must take to establish your garden. You think about the crops you want to produce, how each plant can be arranged in your garden to allow for it best growth and development, and the fertility of your soils. Towards the end of the summer, you start thinking about the timing of harvests to collect your produce before frost. At times, you may also have to deal with other factors such as insect pests, weeds, and disease. The planning you complete for your garden is, in many respects, similar to forest management planning.

Forest management is also a truly rewarding experience. Forestry requires you 16

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spend time planning, thinking, and decision making. Like gardens, properly managed forests are capable of producing numerous benefits - all from the same acre of ground. Efforts to use forests to attain multiple objectives, such as wildlife, water quality, recreational opportunities, aesthetic qualities, soil fertility, and timber production are known as forest stewardship. Historically, forests were seen only for their timber production value, but this is not consistent with our current understanding of forest stewardship.

The activities and rewards you enjoy from your forest are numerous, but the first step requires you recognize your objectives.

A professional forester, or a Cornell Cooperative Extension volunteer such as a Master Forest Owner, or a NYSDEC Service Forester, can help you think through your objectives. If you want only to enjoy the solitude of walks through your forest then your objectives and planning will differ substantially from someone who enjoys bird watching, turkey hunting, and revenue from an occasional well-planned timber harvest that helps pay property taxes.

Just like garden plots, forest stands, or areas of forest having similar characteristics, are capable of producing renewable crops.

However, different from gardens, forest "crops" can be much more varied, and produce throughout the year (think about cross-country skiing in December, maple syrup in the spring, and the beautiful fall foliage) when managed with a stewardship ethic. Many of these crops are never really harvested or removed, others can be harvested every year, while some, like timber, may be harvested only infrequently - ranging from every few years to several decades depending on your management plan.

In gardens, you must plan ahead, arranging your plants to ensure your corn does not shade your tomatoes and that your carrots have sufficient room to expand. Similarly, in forests, trees need adequate resources to allow for adequate growth. The way that trees are arranged in your forest partially determines the type and abundance of the crops and benefits you can enjoy. Forests that are thick and crowded may be suitable for some types of wildlife, while forests that have been thinned may suit NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566

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other types of wildlife plus your needs for timber production and/or large-crowned sugar maple that provides you with brilliant orange fall foliage and abundant sap production.

With gardens, we frequently have the opportunity to test the soil for its nutrient levels, and provide additives like fertilizer or compost to compensate for deficiencies.

By amending the soil in gardens, we can grow plants that would otherwise not survive. We can test forest soils, but due to their greater extent and the economics of investing in a crop that may be decades from realizing a return, soil amendments are less commonly used. Rather, foresters are trained to match tree and shrub species with the appropriate soil types. For ex-

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ample, oaks may be best suited for droughty soils, cottonwood on stream banks, sugar maple and white ash on well-drained fertile loams, and Norway spruce on heavy or clay soils that are less well drained. Also, while many gardening "mistakes" can be corrected the following year, "mistakes" in forestry may take decades to correct. All the more need to obtain experienced help.

With the fall harvest just past, many of us have seen or been involved in the harvesting of numerous crops from our gardens (although our tomatoes were not as productive this year as last). Gardens are typically harvested on an annual rotation.

This cycle is based on the developmental stages and physiology of garden plants.

Similarly with forests, many of us have seen either the harvesting of a forest or logs on trucks bound for the mill. Your garden looks quite different following the removal of your vegetables, and forests look quite different after trees have been removed.

In both gardens and forests, we harvest crops knowing that we depend on plants for food, shelter, and numerous other qualities. Think about the quality of our lives if we didn't have tomatoes, potatoes, green peppers, black cherry, sugar maple, or white pine. We can appreciate the harvesting of gardens and forests knowing that we will replace or regenerate them in the next growing season. For forests, the changes following harvests will also benefit an entirely new suite of wildlife species not found in mature forests. Just as our gardens, our forests can be harvested and regenerated to produce the future crops and benefits we desire.

I hope I have provided some insights into the process of forest management. Forest management is similar in many respects to gardening, but because of the size of forests and the duration we manage them, our strategies are different. Forests are a wonderful renewable resource, some need to be preserved but others need to be skillfully managed so we can all enjoy their many benefits. Please feel free to contact your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office, NYS-DEC office, or professional consulting forester if you would like more information on forest management. .6.

Peter 1. Smallidge is the State Extension Foresterfor the Department of Natural Resources, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University. This article is available from Cornell Cooperative News Service (the series, Forests For Tomorrow.)

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WRESTLING WITH PLOUTOS

By Henry S. Kernan hose acquainted with mythology will recognize in the above title not Pluto, the grim, stern Lord of the Underworld, but the mischievous guardian and promoter of wealth, represented as a child for the whimsical caprice with which he distributes his favors.

His is clearly the tutelar presence at a conference to gather in Hagerstown, Maryland, this coming April 5-7. The subject will be opportunities for income from private forestland ownership. The purpose will be to inform owners of the opportunities and thereby become more zealous and proficient in their pursuit. Forestland owners are encouraged to attend as well as those who, through extension services and other means, deliver the message of fuller and more rewarding use of forest land.

Those who choose to attend need be in no doubt as to what the conference offers for time, travel and the registration fee of $95. The target area for inclusion is the northeast including the Virginias and Ohio, but not New England. The roster of speakers and subjects tells what the sponsors of the conference believe to be most useful in the search for profit and who are most adept to deliver the message of opportunity. Of the 39 speakers, 26 are employees of federal; and state governments. Four are owners of forest-based businesses. One speaker will be from industry, one-a tree farmer, and several experts will talk about estate planning, insurance, taxes, legal entanglements, liability and the like. New York will have five speakers, with a consulting forester chosen for the topic of land management.

As befits the title and purpose of the conference, the leading topic of discourse will be ways to make money from forest land.

Growing and selling timber are one, but more attention will go to recreation and forest products other than wood. Forest economics has long recognized that standing timber is a residual value with small power to bargain. For example, a nearby market sells packaged firewood for $480 per cord, of which the seller of the primary material may have received eight dollars.

Maple syrup is another example of the deft and nimble sell. A mail-order enterprise in Vermont puts the product in an elegant box and bottle "gift-wrapped" package, labels it "Fanciest Private Reserve In Limited Supply", and takes in dollars at the

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rate of$276 per gallon, while my neighbor down the road receives $32 for the same amount of the same product. Both pay about $3 for the sap.

Such entrepreneurial dexterity will clearly and correctly set the tone of the conference in Hagerstown, appealing, as it does, to the zest of competition and chance among the servitors of Ploutos. Several hundred will gather to hear the proceedings, and several; thousand will read the publication to follow.

Some of them may find Ploutos too severe and opt for Comus instead, the Greek god of woodland revelry, whose lighter touch may draw even larger crowds and many more readers, together, at another conference some day to come.

For information, call the Washington County Extension Office in Hagerstown.

Phone number 301-791-1304. .6.

Henry Kernan is a consulting forester in World Forestry, a Master Forest Owner Volunteer and a regular contributor to the NY FOREST OWNER.

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Limiting Landowner Liability Through Insurance Robert W. Malmsheimer & Donald W. Floyd ew aspects of owning forestland worry an owner more than the thought of being sued by someone injured on their land. Yet a landowner can easily and inexpensively limit her financial exposure by purchasing liability insurance. After describing circumstances under which forestland owners may be liable for injuries sustained on their property, this article discusses strategies for reducing landowners' liability.

F

Landowner Liability Before delving into methods of limiting liability, we need to spend a few moments discussing why a landowner may be liable to someone injured on her property. In New York State a property owner must use reasonable care to keep her property in a reasonably safe condition. This means an owner has a non-delegatable duty to prevent the infliction of reasonably anticipated injuries. The injured party must prove the landowner breached this legal duty by failing to make a dangerous condition on the property safe, or by failing to warn the injured party of the dangerous condition on the property that caused the injury. Courts determine the extent of a landowner's duty by examining two factors: 1.) the likelihood of the dangerous condition on the property causing injury to .another; and 2.) the foreseeability of a plaintiffs presence on property.

Forestland owners should be aware that New York courts have consistently held that "posting" your property does not reduce the likelihood of an injury occurring or eliminate the foreseeability of a plaintiffs presence on the property, Therefore "posting" does not decrease a landowner's responsibilities or potential liability.

Notice how nebulous words such as "duty," "reasonable," and "foreseeable" dominate this discussion. This is by design;

it allows the courts to examine the facts and determine liability on an individual basis.

Obviously, such a system promotes litigious resolutions to injured parties' claims for compensation since there are few hard and fast rules about when a landowner will be liable.

An Example A hypothetical example can illustrate liability rules. Assume a landowner owns forestlands containing a small stream that runs in a deep gully. A small bridge that she built fifteen years ago traverses this stream. On her last walk through the woods she noticed two things. First, the bridge is desperately in need of repair. Second, although she posts the land, deer hunters are regularly using her forestlands. Based on these facts, let us answer two questions. First, could a hunter injured by the bridge collapsing hold the landowner liable? Second, what should the landowner do to reduce this liability?

Depending on the circumstances, the landowner could be liable for the hunter's injuries, since she is aware of the problems with the bridge and the hunters. Notice that "posting" the property does not release her from liability because she has knowledge of the hunters' presence. Therefore it is foreseeable that hunters will continue to use the property. Given this, there are two strategies by which she could reduce her liability. She could make the dangerous condition safe, by fixing or removing the bridge.

Alternatively, she could warn the hunters (and anyone else) about the dangerous condition, by erecting signs or other notices warning of the dangerous condition. Obviously, the first option would be preferable and provide more protection from liability.

But before all forestland owners in New York race out to their lands and start tearing down all their bridges, they should call their attorneys and speak to them about the conditions that are on their properties. Only their attorneys, properly appraised of the individual conditions of their properties, can properly advise owners of forestlands on ways to limit their liability.

Methods of Limiting Liability Landowners can use various methods to limit liability. First, a landowner can manage her land to qualify under §9-1 03 of the New York State General Obligation law, which prevents a successful lawsuit if: 1.) The landowner has not acted

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NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 - INFO

"willfully" or "maliciously;" 2.) The injured party was conducting a "listed activity;" and 3.) The landowner receives no compensation from the person using her land.

Since Dinnie Sloman discussed this topic in the January/February 1997 issue of The New York Forest Owner (page II), we direct your attention to his detailed discussion.

The second strategy to limit liability is to purchase liability insurance. It is important to understand that even if §9-1 03 of th~ General Obligation Law applies, a landowner still should own liability insurance because a liability policy generally includes a clause requiring the insurance company to defend a landowner in the event of a lawsuit. This means that the insurance company's attorney (not the landowner's attorney) defends the landowner at no additional cost.

Liability Insurance Pitfalls While liability insurance will limit landowner liability, landowners should avoid two potential pitfalls: insufficient coverage and assuming that the liability provisions of an existing homeowner's insurance policy cover forestlands. The first of these pitfalls affects all landowners, while the latter is of special concern to owners of forestlands.

Directing our discussion to the first pitfall, it is imperative that landowners have sufficient liability coverage. What is sufficient? We cannot answer that question. It is the old problem of the cart before the horse, for it is only in the aftermath of a lawsuit that the landowner learns how much coverage is necessary. If the landowner is found liable by a court of law for more money than the amount of her liability coverage, she will be responsible for the excess. The lesson here is to have more than enough coverage. Fortunately, increasing coverage is relatively inexpensive. iability coverage can be increased by purchasing an Umbrella Liability Policy. These policies supplement existing insurance policies; they provide an additional one million dollars of coverage on top of the regular liability coverage. Fortunately, an Umbrella policy usually costs only a few hundred dollars per year (in addition to your regular insurance premiums) for a one-million dollar policy,

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which is usually more than enough coverage for most landowners.

Forestland owners must be especially careful to avoid the second pitfall, and should not assume that the liability provisions of an existing homeowner's insurance policy cover their forestlands. A landowner should check with her insurance agent to confirm that her policy covers all of her lands. This might seem like an incidental point, but depending on when and how the landowner purchased the forestlands, her homeowner's policy may cover only the property on which her home is located. In fact, there are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of New York forestland owners with this problem. Fortunately, some telltale signs can identify this situation. The most prevalent are when: 1.) the forestlands are on a different tax bill than the landowner's home; 2.) the forestlands are not adjacent to the landowners home; or 3.) the forestlands were purchased prior to or after the landowner purchased her home.

Of course, a landowner can always arrange with her insurance agent/company for her liability policy to cover all her forestlands. However, forestland owners must be proactive in these situations since insurance agents rarely know the full extent of their client's land holdings.

Conclusion We can boil this discussion down to an old adage: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Landowners heeding this advice should do three things. First, contact your local Come II Cooperative Extension Office. They offer several informative brochures discussing landowner liability, including "Recreational Access and Owner Liability." Second, inspect your property for dangerous conditions, and then contact your attomey to discuss your potential liability for injuries that might result from them. Third, call your insurance agent to confirm that your liability policy provides enough coverage and covers all your forestlands. By following these three steps, a forestland owner can reduce her potential liability for injuries occurring on her lands. £.

Robert W. Malmsheimer is an attorney and Ph.D. Candidate, and Donald W Floyd is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Forestry at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

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to think of all of the benefits you could enjoy from having a pond or a lake on your own property. This idea could become a reality if the right conditions prevail. From our experience it normally requires favorable watershed conditions, good site conditions, ownercommitment to stewardship for enhancement of forest land values, appropriate engineering planning and design, and good construction practices.

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By Irene Szabo

And When You Die

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hose tiny spruce trees you and your husband planted in rows on the west hillside forty years ago, the ones that make a dark quiet place for a walk now, or that woodlot you culled and fiddled with and noodled over for years, the one you got the DEC forester to walk with you back in the sixties for some sage advice and is now such a handsome maple woods with a white oak topknot what happens there after you're gone? All the special trees you've planted along the mowed lane to your favorite patch of oak woods (the one you should but just can't harvest), the oddities you've bought from nursery catalogs just to have one, or the memory trees you've planted on special occasions with your kids that border the entrance to that other woodlot you whimsically call Myrtle Beech because that's what grows there what happens THERE after you're gone?

Or suppose you have four kids - a computer nerd who Iikes Silicon Valley (it happens in the best of families), a real estate wizard whose husband stays home with her kids in suburban Atlanta, a single teacher in the nearest village, and one,just one, who turned out a lot like you, who wants to putter in the woods and take care of the places you love together. Or, perhaps harder yet, suppose you have no heirs? Or the one you've got has a bulldozer for a heart and can see no further than the housing development that could be built here once the damn trees are all sold.

Every fanner and forest owner who lives past the age of thirty-five starts having these inevitable worries. What will become of the places we have worked so hard to improve to their potential, into parcels of significant enough size that they will continue with wise management to yield both useful products and an enjoyable place for humans and wildlife alike?

Landowners who want their vision for their favorite places to have an impact past the end of their lives are turning to several sources for advice on protection of the quality of their bequests, on methods of avoiding splitting each property into multiple slivers, thereby often damning them all to biological uselessness. Conservation easements, as they are usually called, attach conditions to a deed that remain unchanged forever, no matter who owns a property or its remnants centuries from now.

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For example, dozens of rural properties in the Finger Lakes region of central NY have been protected by means of easements written up with the help ofthe Finger Lakes Land Trust, enabling owners to dictate the nature of that property forever. Individually desired goals, such as sustainable forestry or perhaps no tree harvesting at all, or more often, limits on the number of future buildings permitted on the total property in any potential mix of its future divisions are among the possible conditions which can be written into an easement.

These conditions are then recorded with the deed at the county clerk's office, and the easement is listed as being "granted" to a qualified holder of the easement. In the case of the Finger Lakes Land Trust, with which I am most familiar, the not-forprofit incorporated group is expected thereafter to monitor and defend the terms of your easement forever. Volunteer local stewards are assigned to keep an eye on properties to be sure there is no unwarranted building, bulldozing, forbidden farming practices, or other violations of your desired protections. Special posted signs are often used to mark the property lines and inform neighbors of the easement grantors' intentions. Stewards also watch for future ownership changes to be certain that new people adhere to the conditions in the easement.

The costs and effort required of a land trust in order to monitor conservation easements are not minimal. For example, within only a few years of accepting one easement, the Finger Lakes Land Trust took a logger to court after timbering trespass was discovered when the logger crossed the posted border into protected woods. In this case the owners certainly could have sued for theft whether or not they had granted an easement, but the land trust joined the suit as an interested party. Not only was the landowner helped by the land trust's presence and lawyer, but the land trust added to its own local stature by defending publicly the concept of an inviolable easement. erhaps the logger thought a bunch of tree huggers wouldn't dare stand up to him or even catch on to his skulduggery. Contrary to that mistaken impression, the Finger Lakes Land Trust, for instance, was founded by a forester, Mike DeMunn, and Carl Leopold, Cornell bi-

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ology professor and son of Aldo Leopold (author of A Sand County Almanac), and the current Board of the Land Trust includes Joel Fiske, a consulting forester who advertises in this magazine. In fact, most land trusts are committed to fostering wise and sustainable land use practices that preserve open space in areas at least potentially threatened by overdevelopment. can be seen from the timber tres pass example above, long term tewardship of easement properties cannot be performed entirely by volunteers.

In fact, a wise land trust needs to have a sizeable stash set aside to pay legal costs should a future owner ever challenge the terms of a conservation easement, just because Joe Entrepreneur decides that his dream of a convenience store and gas station at Bumptussle Corners outweighs the wishes of Ma and Pa Forest Owner way back in the dim 1990's. [In a moment of grim forecasting, let us imagine that intersection in 2120, with housing developments and a Wal-Mart in three out of four directions, and one 1OO-acre woods of old growth forest in the fourth, currently owned by ayoung family who live in the one house there and supplement their income by selling firewood to the housing tract dwellers who hunger for that cozy rural warmth of a wood fire on winter nights.]

In other words, because the current owner who wishes to have his or her plans for a property carried out into the future is asking a land trust or similar organization to take care of that task, the group that holds the easement usually asks an owner for a contribution to the stewardship fund of at least several thousand dollars. At first it seems odd to ask for money in addition to what amounts to a contribution to the neighborhood's open space and wildlife

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habitat preservation, but the hard reality remains that an owner is also asking a bunch of dedicated preservationists, mostly volunteer, to take heed of the owner's wishes in perpetuity.

A landowner often wonders if there is any financial benefit in the present for granting a conservation easement-yes, there can be income tax benefits for donation of a conservation easement, but the local assessor might not reduce the property taxes just because one has given up some of the resale value (in some buyers' eyes). Only in a few isolated areas, such as Suffolk County on Long Island, has incredible building pressure caused municipalities to embrace the idea of rewarding landowners who give up development rights.

There, in fact, the county will purchase farmers' development rights, becoming in effect the holder of conservation easements.

The Finger Lakes Land Trust has local chapters, and some of their specific projects have dovetailed beautifully with NYFOA chapter members' own dreams. For instance, two smaller Finger Lakes, Hemlock and Canadice, remain deliciously undeveloped, primarily because the City of Rochester owns enough of the adjacent wooded

hillsides to protect critical City water sources. The local Land Trust chapter aims to protect the private properties which remain undeveloped between the protected City forest lands by means of educating local citizens about the ecological value of their country properties. They have hosted an enjoyable and successful series of Talks and Treks featuring a variety of wildlife and woodland experts who have shared their knowledge through both indoor presentations and outdoor walks. Several members ofNYFOA's Western Finger Lakes chapter are among the HemlockiCanadice area landowners who are contemplating conservation easements to protect their properties from the pricey developments that have encircled most of the other lakes andtheir VIews.

NYFOA members who have shared any of the above concerns about the future of their land should contact an area land trust for advice on different ways to protect the place even after we are gone. The group I'm a member of, the Finger Lakes Land Trust is centered in Ithaca and covers a wide area embracing all the Finger Lakes, but other similar organizations abut our "edges" in all directions. In fact, there are

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groups with parallel goals all over New York, many of whose names end in Land Trust or Land Conservancy. For a complete list of organizations which could help in your neighborhood, contact the Land Trust Alliance of New York at PO Box 792, Saratoga Springs 12866, 518-587-0774.

Chances are excellent that such an organization exists in your region considering the likes of Tug Hill Tomorrow, Adirondack Land TrustlNature Conservancy, Scenic Hudson, Beaverkill Conservancy, Chenango Land Trust, Genesee Land Trust, Open Space Institute, Save the County (Onondaga), to name just a very few of the choices. The American Farmland Trust state office is at 511 Broadway, Saratoga Springs NY 12866,518-581-0078 ..

Furthermore, since all of these not-forprofit groups are operating on the goodness of volunteers' hearts and checkbooks and are mostly membership organizations, consider joining your local land conservation group that is committed to preserving the best of what's left. ..•.

Irene Szabo is a member of the Western Finger Lakes Chapter of NYFOA and a member of the Board of Directors of the Finger Lakes Land Trust; 202 East Court St., Ithaca, NY 14850; 6071275-9487.

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BYE-BYE, Bf{f\BI

By Jane Sorensen Lord, PhO, OTR, NO "Man, that does it!" I thought. The second day of deer hunting season the deer ate my seven year old mother rue plant....from two feet high down to less than a foot. And trimmed my spiky Scotch broom into a neat dome.

I went indoors straight to my desk, pulled out my calculator and crunched some numbers.

Deer had destroyed $2500 worth of medicinal plants, not counting the years, hours and minutes of my labor.

I called Dick Rommel, our DEC forester who gave me the extension of the wildlife division. I learned It is against the law to issue destruction permits during the hunting season, which between bow, rifle and muzzle season was al- •.... most a month away. Well, I reckoned, the deer can't eat much more now-they ate it alreadyand maybe we'll get a few from hunting.

Using Henry Kernan's method of exchanging deer meat for hunting privileges (NYFO 35:5, 15) we hoped we'd . cut down the Lord Tree Farm flank of the herb eater army.

Ron Langevin, OTR is our designated hunter for bow and rifle season.

Like me, he is an occupational therapist. But before he was an OT he retired form the New York City Police Department. I figured he was both humane and good with weapons. He would shoot to kill. Not just shoot like too many of the weekend hunters in this area do. We'veseen the sad examples from this trigger happy group--fawns shot in the belly who ran far into our property before they fell in pain and died, beheaded carcasses left to rot back in the woods. We wanted no part of that.

The first time he came up from Long Island, we showed Ron the well trod deer paths that lead to my gardens. We walked him up to the water shed pond where the deer drink back up in the woods.

Then we left him and crossed our fingers.

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He walked out at the end of the first day, head high, his huge brown eyes luminous.

"I stood up from the pine cover to shoot a 6 point buck. But I got so excited, the arrow fell off its rest! I ducked down again and when I stood to take

aim, he had moved just out of range. I didn't want to risk wounding him and have him run into the dark bleeding.

God, your woods are so beautiful!"

And, I thought, we've chosen the right man.

The next day he saw seven doe frolicking across a low rise. They stayed just out of range. But they were incredible and beautiful to watch, he assured.

The first day he was up in gun season, he heard snorts and rattles, but didn't see any.

The second day, was beautiful, sunny, clear, fresh, not too windy. All day long shots rang in the background through bordering properties. We heard nothing near. Twilight was beginning to show along the ridge of the Schawangunks across the valley. Gee, we hope Ron is okay.

A boom rang up our hill behind the barn. And dark came on with its mountain swiftness ...

A few minutes later, Ron was at the house.

"I got the lead doe on the way to your garden! I'm getting a lamp so I can dress her out." This time his eyes flashed with adrenaline excitement. I could even see a mild tremble in his hands. I threw on my jacket and followed him to hold the lantern.

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She lay dead facing the mountain, shot through the shoulders, both legs broken.

She fell almost instantly, he said, and died later before he got to her to make sure.

Sleek, well fed (tell me), her hide was beautiful. No signs of deer ticks around her eyes or leg pits (The deer taken in Harriman always were covered with ticks). She was bigger than the Harriman deer, too.

I held the light. With his small knife he cut swiftly through the skin. After pulling back the hide he cut neatly through the belly muscle layer exposing, "What?", he asked, looking up at me. "The peritoneum", I an.....11- swered instantly, mind flashing back to the class in human anatomy at Tufts thirty years ago.

He cut further, "And here is the linia alba, see." He probed it with his knife tip, looked up and grinned. Yes, he is definitely an Occupational Therapist.

And, yes, we definitely made a good choice of hunters! ..•.

Dr. Jane practices Holistic Coaching.

She is a Tree Farmer and MFO. Tree Eaters: Stories of Herbs, Forests and Well-Being, a collection of 31 of her articles, is $17. 95ppd. Call Debbie Gill at 1-800-836-3566.

Joel Fiske Professional Consultant Forester Woodla~a;~vent9ry& Appraisal ,;Maiiagem~ri~:J~lans {')VoodJand Taxanofl R~creation Development ." ,rJ'imber Sales ',.

3216"'QpuRty R~])te# Watkins"6f~f.\";1 91 607-535-7813 Professional Member SAF NY Cooperating Consultant Forester Member NY Forest Owners Assoc.

MARIAPR

1998

•

ADVERTISING RATES

The Marketplace

Per Insert:

ATTENTION small woodlot owners/part time loggers - For FARMI winches and VALBY chippers, write Hewitt's Hill Haven, Locke, NY 13092 or call (315) 497 -1266 (Before 8AM or after 6PM).

Display: $210 - per full page or 30 col. in.; $7 per col. in.

MEADOWVIEW NURSERY: QUALITY FIELD GROWN SEEDLINGS AND TRANSPLANTS for reforestation and establishing wildlife habitat.

SPECIALIZING IN NUT TREE & WETLAND VARIETIES. P.O. Box 241, Byron, NY 14422 (716) 548-2207 FAX (716) 548-9014.

Marketplace: $10 minimum for 25 words or less, 10c each additional word.

FOR SALE: 170 acres Allegany County; 80 acres pine and hardwoods; deer, turkey, grouse; call Henry Hansen, evenings (716) 334-3569; Good project for interested woodsman.

Contact:

GINSENG!!Did you know that by thinning your hardwood stands you could be creating the perfect environment for growing GINSENG? Start your own GINSENG garden with our PREMIUM SEED & QUALITY WOODSGROWN ROOTS. SOIL ANAL YSIS & FARM CONSUL TA TION SERVICES A VAILABLE. SVLV AN BOTANICALS AMERICAN GINSENG P.O. BOX 91, COOPERSTOWN, NY. 13326.

Phone: 607-264-8455.

Email: <sylvanbotanicals@hotmaiI.com>

(315) 497-1078 Circulation

2'71 County Road#9 Chenango Forks.NY13746

FOUNTAIN FORESTRY Quality Management of Land & Timber

(518) 359-3089

R.J. Fox, Editor RD 3, Box 88, Moravia, NY 13118 Fax/Phone:

1800.

E-Mai,:Snowhawke@AOL.com (607) 648-5512

ROY D. HOPI<E ConsuJtingForester Timber Appraisal Timber Sa,es Forestry Rea, Estate Sales Buying or Seiling Timbertenas?

Stewardship Plans Forestry 480-A P,ans Mapping Services CaIJ me!

• Timber Sale Administration • Timber Sale Marking • Forest Management • 480a Management

Plans Plans

HIGH EFFICIENCY.Il>nllr---",---m~_SYSTEM ...·

• Wildlife Habitat Management • Timber Appraisals • Expert Testimony • SAF Certified Foresters

FOUNTAIN FORESTRY, INC. 21 Cliff Ave., P.O. Box 1002 Tupper Lake, NY 12986 Please visit our Web site for complete information: www.tiac.neUusersffountforlindex.htm

E-Mail: ffidjd@northnet.org • NY FOREST OWNER 36:2

Home, Shop Barn Domestic Water Works With Any Pool Existing Heating System Greenhouse Etc. Hewitt's Hill Haven With, Clean, RD 1 Box 323;Locke, NY 13092 Safe, Efficient Phone 315/497-1266 Hot Water NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 - INFO

MARJAPR

1998

• 23

R.J. Fox, Editor RD#3, Box 88 Moravia, NY 13118 Fax/Phone (315) 497-1078 dfox@baldcom.net

Non-ProfitOrg. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Moravia, N.Y. 13118 Permit No. 21

NOTICE THE FOREST OWNER is mailed third class and will not be forwarded; notify Administrative Secretary Debbie Gill, PO Box 180, Fairport 14450 or call 1/800/836/3566 with a change in address!

CORRECTION New Meeting Date NYFOA Spring Meeting to be held May 2, 1998 at Marshall Hall, SUNY-ESF, Syracuse not on April 21

Custom and Stock Signs for the Forest Industry

-Vo~Signs~ Dept. NYF, Box 553 Manlius, NY 13104-0553 Ph. (315) 682~418 or 682-7332 Fax: (315) 682-7335

FOUNDED

1963

Send for Catalog and Free Samples

WOODLOT CALENDAR

Tree Seedlings for Conservation Planting

MAR3: CAY; 7PM; Timber Theft; SWCD Nat Res Ctr; Auburn; 315/497-1078.

To Order, Call:

MAR 10: SOT; Jointw/BCCTGA Potluck & Wetlands; Binghamton;607/656-8504.

(518) 587·1120

MAR 19: CNY; 6:30PM: Potluck Dinner.

• Spruce •Pine ' • Fir • Wildlife Shrubs

MAR 21: NFC; 7:30AM-3:45PM; FO Wkshop; Ed. Ctr, Lockport; 716/652-2857.

New YorkState Department of Environmental Conservation ~~~~~~~I:j Saratoga Tree Nursery

Lan d Ve s t

MAR21: CNY;Woodswalk;315/255-3662 MAR 23-24: NY For. Roundtable; DEC & SUNY-ESF: Syracuse; 315/470-6891.

MAR 28: CDC; 7:30AM-3:45PM; For. Owner Wkshop;Rotterdam;518/239-6768

The Next Level of Service

A company of experienced professionals dedicated to providing consulting and marketing services to owners of forest land. Our Timberland, Consulting & Marketing Divisions specialize in:

Adirondack Office 64 Park Street, PO Box 873, Tupper Lake, NY 12986; (518) 359-2385 OTHER LOCATIONS Boston,MA • Albany, VT • Concord, NH Portland and Jackman, ME •

NY FOREST OWNER 36:2

MAR 28: THRIFT; 7PM; Chile Nat. Resources; Dick Mark; 315/623-9476

• Timberland Management

APR 5-7: Nat. Res. Income Ops. Conf.; Hagerstown, MD; 301-791-1304.

• Forest Land Marketing & Sales • Real Estate Asset Planning

MA Y 2: NYFOA SPRING MEETING; Marshall Hall, SUNY-ESF.

• Land Use Planning

SEPT 12: AFC; NYFOA FALL MEETING; Western NY.

• Appraisal & Conservation Services NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566

- INFO

MARfAPR 1998

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