The New York Forest Owner - Volume 30 Number 5

The New York

FOREST OWNERA publication of the New York Forest Owners Association

September/October 1992

Pat Kernan

Large Twaybtade

1993David J. Colligan, BuffaloVerner C. Hudson, ElbridgeMary S. McCarty, RochesterSanford Vreeland, SpringwaterDonald. J. Wagner, Utica

THE NEW YORK

FOREST OWNERVOL. 30, NO.5

OFFICERS & DIRECTORS

Stuart McCarty, President4300 East AvenueRochester, NY 14618(716) 381·6373

Donald Wagner 1st Vice PresidentRD #1, Box 203CUtica, NY 13502

Robert M. Sand, Recording Secretary300 Church StreetOdessa, NY 14869·9703

Angus Johnstone, TreasurerPO Box 430East Aurora, NY 14052

John C. Marchant, Executive Director45 Cambridge CourtFairport, NY 14450(716) 377-7906

Deborah Gill, Administrative SecretaryP.O. Box 180Fairport, NY 14450(716) 377-6060

1994Norman Richards, SyracuseRobert M. Sand, OdessaCharles Mowatt, Savona

1995Elizabeth Densmore, MachiasRichard J. Fox, MoraviaJohn W. Krebs, Honeoye FallsStuart McCarty, Rochester

AFFILIATE REPRESENTATIVESCharles Sprague-THRIFTKathleen Farnum--Catskill Forest Assoc.

CHAPTER REPRESENTATIVESPeter Childs--Allegheny FoohillsWendell Hat/ield--CayugaIrwin King--Capital DistrictThomas L. Ellison--Central New YorkRobert S. Davis-Lower HudsonWes Suhr-Northern AdirondackTom Casey-Niagara FrontierErwin Fullerton-Southeastern AdirondackLarry Lepak-Southern TierPatrick J. McGlew-TiogaGeorge Appleton-Western Finger Lakes

All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced with-out prior written permission from the publisher. Opinionsexpressed by authors are their own and do not necessarilyreflect the policy of the publisher.

COVER:Large Twayblade (Liparis lilijolia),a composite by Patricia Kernan for theBiological Survey of the New YorkState Museum.

NY FOREST OWNFR

FOREST OWNERA publication of the New York Forest Owners Association

Editorial Committee: Betty Densmore, Richard Fox, Alan Knight, Mary McCartyNorm Richards and Dave Tabar.

Materials submitted for publication should be addressed to: R. Fox, R.o. #3, Box 88,Moravia, New York 13118. Articles, artwork and photos are invited and are normallyreturned after use. The deadline for submission for Nov.Dec. is Oct. 1.Please address all membership fees and change of address requests to P.O. Box180, Fairport, N.Y. 14450. Cost of individual membership subscription is $15.

CAY Cayuga, 1985 70STC Southern Tier, 1985 117TlO Tioga, 1986 91WFL. ...western Finger lakes, 1988 253AFC Allegheny Foothills, 1989 106NFC Niagara Frontier, 1990 125CDC Capital District, 1991 78SAC Southeastern Adiorndack, 1991 76lHC lower Hudson, 1991 44CNY Central New York, 1991 72NAC Northern Adirondack, 1991 69

CFA Catskill Forestry Assoc., 1982 80THRIFT Tug Hill Resources, Investment for Tomorrow, 1982 136

With membership as of August 1,1992.

Table of ContentsPresident's Message 3Letters 4New Legislation? David J. Colligan 5Endangered and Threatened Plants, Henry S. Kernan 6Woodsman, Share That Tree, Bonnie Colton 8Invasion of Beaver, Floyd King 9Chapter Reports 10Right-To-Harvest Law, Peter S. Levatich 12Landmar1<Tax Ruling, Martin Harris 13Hidden Crisis In The Forest, Carl Wiedemann 14Common Tent Caterpillars, Douglas C. Allen 16The Forgotten Land, Bruce Penrod 18Ask A Wildlife Biologist, William F. Porter 19

2 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1992

President's Message\

By Stuart McCartyThe late George Nakashima, an interna-

tionally known American woodworker,has given me new insights on how to lookat trees in a woodlot or forest. As anamateur woodworker I suspect that only afew of us look at a tree and say "would thatever make a great table!" I have a tendencyto visualize the possible use of a goodlooking oak or cherry, butl must admit myimagination is pretty limited when it comesto the final product.

One of my hobbies is making adaptiveequipment for the handicapped. This in-cludes trays of all sizes and shapes forwheelchair bound patients. When I pickout a piece of birch plywood at the shop tocut it for a tray I look at the grain and decidewhich side would be the most pleasing tothe eye and which way the grain shouldrun. I hope that the patient will enjoy thebeauty of the wood in the tray and some-times he or she actually does comment onit!

Going to the other end of the spectrumof enjoying beautiful wood and spotting apotential piece of furniture in a standingtree is found in George Nakashima's work.Much of it shows the outer silhouette of thetree and in some cases the flaws. One of histables might be quite irregular in shape touse the natural flow of the tree as it cameoffthe bandsaw cut into slabs two inches ormore thick. As described in the dust jacketof his book, "The Soul of .a Tree," heimpresses us with his devotion to discover-ing the inherent beauty of wood so thatnoble trees might have a second life asfurniture."

It is fun to know that there are peoplesuch as George Nakashima who appreciateour trees from start to finish and have thetalent to fashion that appreciation intosomething of beauty. In your next walkinto the woods look at some of your maturetrees and try to visualize how he wouldhave used them for unique furniture. Itmight lead to something special and a bitmore understanding and appreciation ofthose unusual trees in your woodlot.

NY FOREST OWNER

•... ; .• 11 .. 1

Three of the dedicated volunteers who build adaptive equipment in the woodworkingshop at Monroe Development Center for the one-of-a-kind needs of the handicapped:Howard Rogers. Herb Chamberlain. and Stu McCarty.

HONOR ROLLANNOUNCING A NEW INCENTIVE

Beginning on September 1st, for each new member enrolled the referring personwill receive $3. Thanks to an anonymous gift of$300 specifically for this program,there will be no cost to NYFOA. The plan will run until December 31,1992 or until100 new members have been recruited, whichever is earlier. What an opportunityfor NYFOA!

For the past two months (through July) new members signed up has waned.Summer doldrums? The following deserve our thanks for enrolling one membereach during this period:

Jack McShane, CFARon Cadieux, SACStephen Eaton, AFCRita Hammond, NFCGeorge Hutchinson, AFCJohn Krebs, WFLBamber Marshall, LHCMrs. Elmar Nuth, WFLDaniel Parrant, NFCWes Suhr, NACJoseph H. Walter, NFC

72111

11


Chapter AwardR. Dean Frost has recen tly been awarded

the first Service Award from the SouthernTier Chapter of the New York Forest Own-ers Association (NYFOA). Dean operatesFrosty Mountain Farm, located on BullCreek Road in the Town of Barker. TheService Award is for his lifelong commit-ment in promoting proper forestry and landstewardship practices on lands locatedthroughout New York State.

Dean was the founder of the SouthernTier Chapter of the New York Forest Own-ers Association and is active with theBroome County Christmas Tree Growers'Association. He is Chairman of the NewYork State Forest Practice Board, a statu-ary board defined by representation fromthe 9 NYS DEC Regional Forest PracticeBoards, the members of which are ap-pointed by the respective counties. TheState Board advises the New York State tion on forestry issues. Dean is an active wholesale Christmas tree operation, 10-Department of Environmental Conserva- tree farmer with a choose and cut and cated at his Frosty Mountain farm.

Letters .RE: SIP hardwood tree planting progress

Dear Editor:

I decided to try my luck at plantinghardwood seedlings on some abandonedpasture as part of my SIP Forest Steward-ship Plan. I purchased 200 black walnutseedlings and 300 hybrid poplar rootedcuttings from the NY State Saratoga nurs-ery. This Spring I cleared the brush andprepared 2 acres for planting. I used a 12"dia. posthole auger on my John Deere 40 todrill 2' deep holes. This worked out quitewell allowing me to hold the seedling at theproper level while pushing loose soil backinto the hole. I spaced the walnuts 10' apartin the row with 12' between rows andstaked a 5' Tubex tree shelter over each treeto prevent wildlife damage and provide theother benefits of tree shelters. I am usingstakes without tree shelters for the poplarshoping they will grow fast enough to getout of reach of the deer.

I also planted about 150 red oaks afterbeing inspired by Wes Suhr's column inthe Forest Owner last year. The consultingforester at Tubex convinced me that plant-ing sprouted acorns directly on the site and

NY FOREST OWNER

Chapter President Lawrence Lepak presents R. Dean Frost with Southern TierChapter Service Award.

protecting them with Tubex shelters wasfeasible and would eliminate the trans-plant process. I collected red oak acornslast fall from both Liverpool, NY andTichborne, Ontario. I somehow got theacorns mixed up during the stratificationprocess in the leaf pile last winter so I willnever know whether any given tree is ofNew York or Canadian heritage. Most ofthe acorns sprouted and with help from allthe rain I have found only 3 or 4 oaks andmaybe 10 walnuts that have died.

I have been quite busy mowing andtrimming and so far have not used anyherbicide although I may need to applysome next year when I increase the size ofthe planting. Trimming around each treetakes so much time.

I wish to thank Bill Burlingame myDEC forester for his advice and ideas. AlsoI appreciate the education I receive by. reading the Forest Owner and communi-cating with other NYFOA members.

Bob Sykes

4

Dear Edi tor,Thank you for granting the Canadian

Forestry Association permission to use Dr.Allan's paper on Biodiversity in our nextspecial issue of Forestry on the Hill onBiodiversity and Monocultures.

The Canadian Forestry Association is anon profit organization and we have beenpromoting forest awareness over 90 years.Recently, we started publishing specialissues of our bi-monthly publication ofForestry on the Hill on controversial sub-jects such as Clearcutting, Herbicides andnow Biodiversity and Monocultures. In thefall we will be preparing another on Fire inthe Forest.

In October, Don and Bonnie Colton ofTHRIFT will be hosting the Canadian For-estry Association's 24th Annual WoodlotExtension Specialist Seminar. We arepleased to be able to have our seminar inLowville, and from the cooperation andhospitality that Don and Bonnie have shownus so far, I'm sure that we will have a goodone.

Mrs. Roxanne ComeauProgram Co-ordinatorCanadian Forestry Association

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1992

NEW LEGISLATION?By: David J. Colligan

The heightened interest in ecology andthe environment by the general populationhas created many new legislative initia-tives aimed at "protecting" the environ-ment through further regulation and limi-tations. As private land owners, most ofthese regulations and laws will in effectlimit or otherwise hinder the use of ourproperties. In New York State alone, thereare thirty-three laws pending in the StateLegislature which mention "Forestry" inthe bill context.

We, as members ofNYFOA, should notview this current legislative onslaught in acompletely negative context. Many of thelaws introduced have the best of intentionsand will in fact further the goals of both themembers of our organization and the pub-lic at large. Therefore, your writer willattempt to comment on legislative occur-rences from two points of view. First,recent legislation, both in this state andother states, will be reviewed for the pur-pose of identifying exceptional (good orbad) that has actually become law. Second,I will try to identify current legislation thatmay be of some interest to our members.Occasionally, a salient piece of legislationthat needs support or a troublesome pieceoflegislation that needs further input frommembers of our organization will be iden-tified and highlighted.

This writer agrees with the NationalWoodland Owners Association (NWOA)which recognizes that regulation is com-ing, but it must be reasonable for landowners to continue to make investments ingood forestry. They have identified selectbills which help assure public benefitswhile protecting private concerns. Eachyear they recognize the best new state lawseffecting forestry and forest practices. The1991 winners were both developed andpassed with the support of NWOA's stateaffiliates. The 1991 co-winners are ex-plained below: (The texts of both of theselaws have been obtained from the localstate foresters and can be copied and sentto any member requesting a copy.)

I

I,

Oregon was singled out for SB 1125.The bill revised the Oregon ForestPractices Act in five important ways:I)Logged areas must be regenerated

NY FOREST OWNER

sooner; 2) Expanded protection forfish habitat zones; 3) Improved re-sidual habitat for wildlife; 4) Size ofharvest areas regulated; and 5) For-est corridor management zones es-tablished along 29 state scenic high-ways. The Law was signed by Gov-ernor Barbara Roberts on August 7,1991.

Across the nation in Connecticut,Governor Lowell Weicker signed,on June 28, 1991, a bill regulatingforest practices and certifying forestpractitioners. The new law has fourthrusts: I) It requires certification offoresters, forest technicians, and log-gers; 2) It empowers the statc Burcauof Forestry to regulate forcst prac-tices; 3) Will allow municipalities toregulate forest practices only if theirordinances conform with statewideguidelines; and 4) Establishes a For-est Practices Advisory Board to helpdraft and implement the program.

The 1992-93 National Woodland Own-ers Association Position Statementin Non-Industrial Private Forestry Issues was re-cently published in that organization'snewsletter, The Woodland Report (August1, 1992Vo1.9,No.5). The National Wood-land Owners Association maintains posi-tions on the TOP TEN issues affecting thepractice of non-industrial private forestry,and updates them every year. The date inparenthesis is the year the position was firstadopted. The number in brackets [I] is theranking of the issue last year. This yearTAXES remain number one, butby a slimmargin. PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTSmoved up from eighth to second place:

l.FEDERALINCOMETAXES--TIM-BER (1986) [1]NWOA supports federal and state capitalgains treatment for timber, or a forestryreinvestment tax credit. NWOA also sup-ports the deduction of annual forestry ex-penses (passive losses).2. PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS(1991) [8]NWOA recognizes the public interest innon-market resources (wetlands, wildlifehabitat), but strongly maintains that legiti-mate private property rights must be up-

5

held under the law, with just compensationfor takings.3.BESTMANAGEMENTPRACTICES(1988) [3]NWOA prefers voluntary acceptance ofBM?' s, but recognizes that mandatoryregulations may be necessary so that alllandowners provide environmental pro-tection at the time of timber harvest.4. RIGHT-TO-PRACTICE GOODFORESTRY (1985) [7]NWOA endorses the passage of laws at thestate level that recognize the benefits ofgood forest practices and the rights oflandowners to manage & harvest trees.5.FORESTSTEWARDSHIP(1989) [21NWOA supports the expanded objectivesoi forest stewardship and urges full federalfunding.6. PROFESSIONAL FORESTRY AD-VICE (1985) (4)NWOA encourages multiple sources offorestry advice and supports licensing andcontinuing education of foresters. NWOAcontinues to provide forestry referrals.7. LANDOWNER LIABILITY (1987)[10]NWOA supports the development of amodel landowner liability statute that allstates can use for their insurance rules andregulations relating to non-industrial pri-vate woodlands.8. FORESTRY EXTENSION EDUCA-TION (1985) [5]NWOA supports appropriations for for-estry under the Renewable Resources Ex-tension Act (RREA), and other programs.~LOGEXPORTSANDFREETRADE(1990) [6JNWOA believes that America has a world-wide advantage in timber growing andsupports free markets for logs and otherforest products.10. FORESTRY ON WETLANDS--SOIL CONSERVATION (1986, revised1992) [9]NWOA strongly maintains that forestry isa compatible use of wetlands, and urgesthat wetland definitions be clear, reason-able and not unduly restrictive of forestry.NWOA also urges that professional for-estry expertise be available "in house"throughout the Soil Conservation Service.

David Colligan is the legislative liaisonforNYFOA and a member of a Buffalo lawfirm.


NY FOREST OWNER

ENDANGEREDBy Henry S. Kernan

(j rowing concern for the environmentand biodiversity caused Congress topass the 1973 Endangered SpeciesAct. The purpose was to protect

animals and plants whose survival the in-creasing pace and mobility of human ac-tivities have put at risk. The thought wasthat each species has an irreplaceable valuewhose loss diminishes forever the breadthof our natural heritage. Survival often needsmore than man's non-interference alone.Many plant species at risk, especially or-chids and ferns. are specific to disturbedconditions such as those which fire, graz-ing, mowing, soil erosion and the removalof forest cover bring about. Absent these,and the species that require those condi-tions for survival, are likely to disappear.The problems of survival thereby extendbeyond isolation from human factors alone.

The act gave the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService the charge to designate and list forprotection species as endangered, threat-ened or under review only after carefulstudy, a process particularly slow withplants. Animals and birds receive mostattention, grizzlies, timber wolves, con-dors and the like. Only in 1978 did federallaw list the first plant for protection on allproject sites which involve federal fund-ing. Listed for further study are over 3000more than receive protection, many ofwhich may disappear in the process ofstudy.

Much responsibility therefore rests withstate and local governments, with thosewho own land, and with those whose ac-tions and interests allow them to influenceplant life. New York followed Congress in

Wendell Hatfield(Over 35 years experience)

General Excavation,Road Construction,

Wetlands Enhancement,Ponds and Drainage

A.D. 2, Moravia, NY 13118(315) 497-1398

1989 with amendments to the conservationlaw which protect plants in four categoriesof urgency; namely endangered (89), threat-ened (78), exploitably vulnerable (273),and rare (142), making a total of 582. Bycommon law plants belong to the owner ofthe land on which they grow. The law doesnot restrict landowners. Their legal rightsin regard to plants differ from those regard-ing wildlife, which is public property. Anotable exception is ginseng, a commer-cial crop that is regulated by New YorkState and others.

As a matter of right and public order,landowners protect their property, includ-ing plants, from trespass and damage to anextent they cannot do in regard to wildlife.In their aid and in the public interest con-servation law gives them additional rightsto prosecute violators who take or damageplants without permission. The fine is $25for each plant stem illegally taken, appli-cable to the 582 species on the protectedlist. The law is difficult to enforce andtherefore requires for effectiveness the in-terest and cooperation of landowners. Forexample many ofthe species on the vulner-able list are common enough to be secureat present except from collectors who takethem without permission for sale and pri-vate use. The first listing of New Yorkexploitably vulnerable plants appeared in1974 as a discouragement to illegal col-lecting. Examples are flowering dogwood,pinksters and wake-robin.

Current lists of endangered, threatenedand rare species present a different prob-lem. By definition the plants are too infre-quent to be exploitably vulnerable for saleor household use. Many of them grow inodd places which the routine activities ofagriculture and logging, or even most out-doorrecreation, do not reach: ledges, moun-tain meadows, chasms and swamps. Anexample is the beautiful northern monk's-hood, the first New York plant to receiveprotection under federal law .This memberof the buttercup famil y is known from lessthan twenty locations throughout the world.In New York the habitat is along a fewremote Catskill streams where subterra-nean ground water percolates through thesoil to keep the roots and tubers cool anddamp. Such a condition for survival isinfrequent, a relic ofthe Wisconsin glacierthat spread over New York and then re-


AND THREATENED PLANTStreated northward some 15,000 years ago.

That glacier's influence explains thepresence of many protected plants. Manyof them need full sunlight and low tem-peratures, the very conditions which ex-isted in the wake of the retreating glacier.The first plants to follow the glacier cameinto the state from prairies to the south-west. As soils built up and the climatebecame warmer, spruce and fir of theboreal forest type advanced from the southand suppressed the plants requiring sun-light.

Some rare plants persist under post-glacial conditions of cold and sun onthe flatrock around eastern LakeOntario. The botanical designationfor such vegetation is alvar. Anexample is the scarlet Indianpaintbrush Castilleja coccinea.The gradual suppression ofpost-glacial conditions doesnot mean that New York'sflora is becoming less varied.Appalachian species are stillarriving from the south. Humanmobility aids the process, as doesthe species' ability to land seeds infavorable conditions, grow there andspread.

The families that spread mostreadily and are most numerous onthe protected list are orchids, withtheir tiny, wind-blown seeds, andferns, whose spores are likewisenumerous, tiny and carried by wind.The rarity of some is due to thehighly specific conditions needed for sur-vival. Most of them are not on post-glacialalvar sites, but result from natural or man-made disturbance. With time, the effects ofdisturbance are almost certain to decreaseand the site become less favorable. Beaverponds become beaver meadows; old fieldslose their warm, sunny bogs, dry up and goto brush and trees; with time, fire scarsdisappear and eroded banks become stable.For such reasons orchid and other rareplant populations are often ephemeral. A

species appears, increases, dwindles anddisappears. butin the meantime millions ofseeds have blown about and found othersites to colonize. Orchids colonize well butcompete poorly. Burning, cutting, graz-ing, mowing and even herbicides may betheir allies in survival.

Unless that fact is understood, and un-less a species' site requirements and cyclesof growth are understood and measurestaken accordingly, a rare plant populationcan be destroyed as surely through misdi-

Pat Kernan

Large Twayblade

rected attention as through neglect or van-dalism. An example of the process is thelarge twayblade (Liparis lilifolia), an or-chid secure in the mid-west but imperiled inNew York. The principal habitats are oldfields and abandoned pastures in thickets ofhawthorn and forest tree saplings, bothtemporary conditions. As they change to

forest, the orchid must find other sites tocolonize.

Mostcommonly the forest toward whichold fields and pastures are evolving is acover of birch , beech, maple and hemlock,the northern hardwood type, The associa-tion originated in tertiary times some sixtymillion years ago and similar woodlandsonce encircled the globe. The trees areshade-tolerant, long-lived and stable.Hence, rare species are few among themcompared to zones between more unstableassociations, like pines and poplars.

Favored sites for rare plants in NewYork are limestone formations such as

those between Utica and Cherry Valley,and the sandy, marly soils of northernDutchess county. Oddly, the highest

concentrations are near centers ofpopulation: the Long Island counties of

Nassau and Suffolk, the environs ofBuffalo, Rochester, Syracuse,

Watertown and the length of the tidalHudson. Heavily forested Allegany

county has not one rare speciesindicated on the map. Evidentlyrarity is somewhat compatible

with the human presence.The case for rare plants has less ofeconomics than of sentiment, the

fascination and concern for what isunusual and perhaps about to be gone

forever. So long as land managers learnto favor diverse habitats, fisherman neednot give up their beloved trout streams in

the Catskills nor hikers their mountainmeadows, provided they control their

heavy boots and itching fingers.Awareness and restraint are a

small price for protecting our richand beautiful heritage of plant life.

Henry Kernan is a private consulting for-ester and a member of NY FDA's affiliate.The Catskill Forestry Association. A list-ing of protected native plants may be ob-tained by request of NYS DEC Bureau ofForest Management. 50 Wolf Road. Al-bany. N'Y. 12233-4253 .

. , .:--., ..:- ,........... .. ':-." ",

Dr. Clifford A. Siegfried, Chairman of the Biological Survey Teamfor the N."Y.S~MuselllllandPatil~i~<·Kernan have agreed to provide a series of illustrated articles drawn from the publications of the Survey.The NY FOREST OWNER thereby highlights the valuable research efforts ofthisbiaIichoftheStateEducation Department in return for becoming more informed on Ne\VYorkStateisrt~mralheritage ..

NY FOREST OWNER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 19927

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.

forest landowner group called THRIFT.The letters stand for Tug Hill Resources -Investment For Tomorrow. Our member-ship has given us a continuing educationin woodland potentials, managementprac-tices, forest and wildlife ecology, and thehistory of the region.

THRIFT eventually became affiliatedwith the New York Forest Owners Asso-ciation (NYFOA), a statewide organiza-tion which has grown to over 1600 mem-bers. THRIFT provides quality educa-tional programs and monthly newsletterto all NYFOA/THRIFT members inJefferson, Lewis, Oneida and OswegoCounties.

I tell you all this because I am trulyconcerned about the health of our forest.They give us life and beauty . We need tolearn more about how to care for themwisely.

Woodsman, Share That Tree!By Bonnie Colton

re loggers really "bad guys"? In

Athis area, where hundreds ofpeople earn their living, eitherdirectly or indirectly, from theharvesting of timber, it would be

hard to convince most folks thatloggers arethe villains of the ecosystem.

But one doesn't have to go far to findindividuals who think!lQ trees should becut. Some extremists even go so far as to"spike" trees to spite those who fell andsaw them.

This means actually driving spikes intothe trees. The results can range anywherefrom severe damage and downtime forequipment, to severe injury or death forsaw operators. Not only that, but spikesaren't healthy for the trees, either.

So where are these extremists comingfrom intellectually? Certainly it's not thetrees they care about, or they wouldn'tpurposely damage them. And even if theyare ignorant of the damage they are caus-ing, which isn't likely, their actions are farfrom noble.

First, they are trespassers; no one spikeshis own trees. Second, if equipment isdamaged, they are guilty of malicious mis-chief and of wilfully destroying the prop-erty of others. And third, if someone isinjured or killed, they are guilty of assaultand battery or homicide.

The sad fact is, most of them will neverbe apprehended. They are the terrorists ofthe forest. They do not love trees. Theysimply hate people who think differentlythan they do. And they love notoriety--aslong as they can remain anonymous. Inshort, they are social misfits as surely aspyromaniacs and serial killers are. And intheir twisted logic they fancy themselvessaviors of the world's forests.I realize that forests are living at the

center of widespread controversies today.Honest minded preservationists on oneside say the earth's forests are disappearingat an alarming rate, which is partially true.Timber harvesters say trees are a crop weneed to harvest to fuel our economy, buildour houses and furniture and supply ourpaper industry needs, which also is true.

So where does the answer to this di-lemma lie? To begin with, it lies in soundeducation about the nature of forests andtheir effect on the environment

In this area. we have largely mixednorthern hardwoods. They are as differentfrom tropical rainforests as our culture isfrom the culture of those who people theAmazon jungles. The ecological practices

NY FOREST OWNER

needed for the rainforests to survive andthrive are entirely different from the eco-logical practices required for northern hard-woods.

There are many bandwagon environ-mentalists who think a tree is a tree is a tree,and all should be treated alike. Since theyhave been the most vocal activists, theyhave influenced legislators to put more andmore forestland into State ForestPreserves.This means no trees may be cut in suchdesignated areas.

Over time, the result of this practice isfar from the park-like environment suchpeople imagine. Treetops eventually ex-pand to form a thick canopy, shutting offsunlight from the forest floor. Shrubs,grasses and tree seedlings, deprived ofneeded light, soon die off, leaving wildlifewithout the necessary browse to sustainlife, animal populations diminish. The trees,which are intended to be protected by thistype of non-management, are left vulner-able to fast -spreading disease, insect or firedamage.

At the opposite extreme is the clear-cutting of forests, wrought by greed, such aswe see in the rainforest crisis. There, treesare often slashed down and simply burnedto make way for grazing land which is soondepleted of its nutrients and abandoned.This also destroys the habitat of countlessanimals, plants, and birds. No wonder theenvironmental activists are up in arms!

But Reason and Common Sense know abetter way. That way is through workingwith the environment, both to reap thebenefits of abundant wildlife and forestproducts, and to improve those resourceswhile we are at it!

A working, managed forest begins witha vision and a plan. The vision must includethe broad view of any forest's benefit tosociety, not just to the individual land-owner. Those who own forest land holdmore than a valuable resource; they hold apublic trust, for their trees purify the airtheir neighbors breathe, their trees hold thetopsoil from blowing away, purify and holdgroundwater, and their forests add immea-surably to the beauty of the landscape.

The plan depends on the characteristicsof each individual forest and on the goals ofthe landowner. Some manage for timberproduction, some for maple syrup, some forwildlife habitat, some for firewood andfenceposts, some of recreation - hiking,fishing, snowmobiling, photography, crosscountry skiing, hunting, bird watching.Some plan for multiple use forests.

Nearly eleven years ago, we joined a

8

I own a lovely woodlandWhere snow lies quiet and deepAnd lilies-of-the-valleyAre snuggled in winter sleep,where timid deer are hiding,Where crystal waters run,And leaf buds wait in patienceFor warming springtime sun.

And yet I do not own it --I'm just a passerby.the ages own my woodland,My hill, my trees, my sky.And I am but a steward --I use my mind and skillTo make the best still betterIn my woodland on the hill.

Bonnie and her husband. Don re-ceived the 1992 Heiberg MemorialAward at NYFOA's Annual SpringMeeting.

ThoringtonForestry Service

******16 Years Experience

New Low Rates in EffectPLUS 10% DiscountFor NYFOA Members

1025 Skyh1gh Rd., Tully, NY 13159315-696-8002


Invasion of Beaver Disrupts Peace and Quiet of PondOSSIAN - There is a working beaver

pond, complete with a large beaver lodge,on my wildlife farm in this LivingstonCounty town.

These ambitious rodents used to causeme a great deal of annoyance. Gradually,that changed to acceptance and then toalmost affection.

All this began about 28 years ago whenmy late wife, Agnes, and I spent nearly$1,000 to have a pond dug about a quarterof a mile back at our farmhouse. The pondwas stocked with small-mouth bass andfathead minnows - fishing paradise in themaking.

Hours upon hours were spent smoothingand raking a lawn around the pond wherewe planned to sit and fish, watch wildlifeand enjoy the ever-changing moods ofnature. More hours were spent haulingstones and logs to build abridge across thetiny stream feeding the pond.

Finally all was ready to enjoy. Then abeaver moved in.

This was disconcerting but we finallydecided to accept our visitor. After all, thiswas a wildlife farm and one beaver wouldadd to the charm. Little did we know whatwas ahead.

Our new tenant spent all that first sum-mer enlarging the pond. The dam the bull-dozer left wasn't good enough. Graduallythe crest grew higher and our pond in-creased in size. First to go was my bridge.

Then, as fall approached, the beaverchanged its tactics and began cutting downtrees. This didn't bother us too much be-cause it selected only aspen and aspen ismostly a worthless tree. In fact, we found ita little amusing that only one tree specieswas cut.

Later it became apparent our one beaverhad become a colony. A tiny lodge, notmuch larger than a muskrat's abode, ap-pearedatone endofthepond. Never did wedream that one day it would be about 15feet across and 5 feet high so beavers couldsit in there communing and combing eachother's fur.

Long before the lodge reached its presentsize we had decided to shelve our exaspera-tion and enjoy. In fact, Agnes was charmedone day when she found a little beaverbuilding miniature ponds downstream fromthe main pond, apparently as a kindergar-

NY FOREST OWNER

ten exercise.Don't believe everything you read about

Castor canadensis. Unless beaver habitschange dramatically with their territory,there is a lot of misinformation printedabout them.

For example, I read in an esteemedpublication awhile back that beavers sel-dom venture more than 30 or 40 feet fromtheir home pond. That is nonsense. I canshow you on my farm where beavers havegone a good half-mile to cut a favoredaspen tree and dragged the branches backto the pond in an arrow-straight path.

Beavers eat mostly grass in summer,and so there is virtually no tree cuttingthen. Their diet changes back to trees inearly fall,justabout the time leaves start toturn.

When our beavers changed their tactics,we decided to change ours and reall y learnabout them.

I started by feeding them aspen branches.We had loads of small aspen trees and Iwould cut them, load them onto a trailerand pile them at just the edge of the pond.Agnes and I would come back just beforedusk and sit down in easy chairs close bywhere we could keep an eye on the brush.

You can almost set your watch on whenthe beavers come out at night. It's alwaysjust as dusk is drawing its veil across theland. The first thing you will notice will bea small head in the water with a V-shapedwave trailing out from it. The tiny crest ofthe wave makes the head appear smallerthan it is.

It has been said the first beaver out in theevening always makes a complete circuitof the pond to check on any leaks. That maybe so in an ordinary pond but it sure isn't iffood is piled on the bank.

Our first beaver took one look at all thatfood, gave the surface one mighty whackwith its tail and submerged. I have no ideawhy it did this, but it soon showed up withtwo others and they tackled that pile ofbrush. It was fun to see a tree branchmoving mysteriously across a pond underthe full moon.

We did nothing that first night exceptwatch and then left quietly. By morning,every branch had disappeared. I repeatedthis day after day and each night we wouldmove our chairs just a little closer.

9

Floyd King at NYFOA 1989 Fallmeeting.RREP photo by Taber.

By following this technique, you canalmost make a pet out of a beaver. I got toa point where a beaver would tug on abranch I was holding. They also get so usedto you that you can watch one felling a treeif you are quiet and careful.

Consider those two pair of large frontteeth every beaver is born with. They lasta lifetime and are kept the same length andalmost razor sharp by regular gnawing.(Rodent incisors grow continuously andmust be gnawed down.)

Then consider those front feet and legs.The feet are heavily clawed with two clawsespecially designed just for grooming. Theother claws have excellent dexterity forhandling small twigs and branches and fordam building. The back feet are entirelydifferent, being fully webbed to offer pro-pulsion in swimming.

Special respiratory equipment enablesa beaver to stay submerged for periods ofup to 20 minutes. During this underwaterperiod a beaver's special valves close toprevent water from entering the ears, noseand throat.

As the largest rodent in North America,a beaver will reach a weight up to 60 or 70pounds. Actually itseems everything abouta beaver is unique.

From the Rochester Democrat andChronicle, May 30, 1992


CHAPTER REPORTS<TI=;AL=/=b=E=(j=II=E=N="=/F=P=O=f=llIL=.·.·.·.·.=Jj=5""""<[)

Our annual picnic held this year atDavid Mowatt's in Franklinville on July 18was a resounding success. 32 AFC' ers metto tour the Ischua Creek Small WatershedControl Project dam across the street thenadjourned to barbecue meat and enjoy asummertime treat of the myriad dishesprovided by each attendee. Besides thegeneral good time and high spirits, anaward was made to Charlie and MarianMowatt for outstanding service to the AFC.We also discussed possible fundraisers andcollected a long list of those willing to joinin when we have a firmer schedule ofactivities.

On Sept. 26 at 10 A.M. we will meet atPrice Corners on Rte. 394 for a "Pleisto-cene Foray" led by Dr. Steve Eaton. Wewill tour various parts of the county toexamine the effects of terminal moraineson our county flora and fauna. While thissounds painfully technical, it's a good betthat Dr. Eaton will expand our knowledgeand we will have a great time learning. Abonus will be the chance to enjoy thebeautiful Fall foliage!

<S.NOR.1'II~R.N.~J>IgONf)r\CK.)NAC staff is in the mad planning! near

action state. Don Brown has set up a greatouting for Saturday, September 5 (10:30am), combining a field walk through theFernow Plantation witha "bring-your-own"picnic at DEC's Fish Creek Campsite.Fernow, "the man who brought forestry toAmerica", directed the planting of theconifers in 1904. The plantation is on theState's register for historic trees. It's 10-catedjust west of State Highway 30, about2 miles north of 30's intersection withState Highway 3 (6 miles NE of TupperLake). Why don't "ya all come" to theNorth Country for this superb outing?

Our next woodswalk on October 3,planned by Dave Daut, with Dave Fornessassisting, will be in Clinton County at theMacomb Reservation State Forest (meetthere at noon, have your own lunch, fol-lowed by tour). This is south of Plattsburghand just west of Schuyler Falls. Join us tosee the colors and to learn about a LakeChamplain timber type of pine/oak/north-ern hardwood which has been managed for40 years

NAC NEWS(letter) was distributed thelast week of July, so NACers should havetheir copy by now. Let us know what you

NY FOREST OWNER

think of it -- we know it can be improvedIt seems strange to many of us why

NYFOA (that's us!) cannot attract moremembers. We know the organization hasa lot to offer woodland owners, regard-less of their management objectives. Ifeel each member has an individual re-sponsibility to at least identify NYFOAto their friends and neighboring land-owners. In this process of identification,your chapter can supply you with a verydescriptive NYFOA brochure which de-fines our mission, objectives and activi-ties. Present this to your contacts, and tellthem what NYFOA has done for you.

We prize our members so much inNACIand that we're offering them a littleaward when they sign up a new memberthis year. The award is a free cap withNYFOA emblem ($5 retail value), plus afree NYFOA patch ($2 retail value). Thecap and patch are really nice, Kelly-greenagainst white. If other chapters are inter-ested, give me a ring (315-848-2136).

(i(}~N'l'ib\CNEW"QR~WOn August 29 a walk was held at

Heiberg Forest. All aspects of woodlotmanagement were discussed. The stafffrom ESF discussed timbermanagement,firewood harvesting, sugarbush manage-ment, genetic research and wildlife man-agement.

On September 12 we will again havea walk at Heiberg Forest. We will talkabout the topics from the August walkand feature Road, Pond and Trail devel-opment on your woodlot. Experts fromthe ESF college will comment on forestmanagement practices in Heiberg Forestas we walk. The walk will last from 10a.m. to about 3 p.m .. We may cover asmuch as five miles so wear comfortableshoes! Also bring a bag lunch. HeibergForest is in Tully, New York; informa-tion and directions can be obtained bycalling 315-682-9376.

In October we hope to have a discus-sion on Bird watching and wildlife habi-tat improvement, local experts will leadthe walk. All details have not been workedout but information can be obtained bycalling 315-682-9376.

( CAPITAVDISTRICt>«;yOur Fall woodswalk is scheduled for

October 17 and will combine an inspec-tion of an active logging operation and a

10

tour ofthe local sawmill that will eventuallyreceive the logs. We'll start at 1:00pm fromStempel's sawmill which is located onStempel Road, off Sawmill Road in theTown of Berne, Albany County.

Our Chapter is also alerting our membersto a possible windfall of SIP money that maycome along in August from are-allocationof funds originally set aside for other states.Constant contact with local ASCS and DECoffices will be useful as will an up-to-dateapplication.

Our summer woodswalk was a modestsuccess in terms of attendance. Memberswho didn't make it missed an outstandingtrip through a well-managed woodlot withan abundance of wildlife that has been caredfor by the Weinheimer family for manyyears.

c@ •••••••·)<sQurnEIiNTI~R ••·····iUJYA meeting of the chapter officers and boardmembers will be held on Wednesday, Sep-tember 9th at 6:30 P.M. at the NYPENNTrade Center on Main Street in JohnsonCity. This meeting is to plan and co-ordinatechapter events for the next year. The meet-ing is open to all chapter mem bers. If anyonehas ideas and/or recommendations for thenext year's programs, please contact LarryLepak at 607 -656-8504 so that these ideascan be included. Tentatively, a fall after-noon woodswalk is being planned for Octo-ber. Chapter members will receive a meet-ing notice for the first fall meeting.

<8~SfERNEtNGlti(Cl\.l<JtS •••••9There is a walk planned for Saturday,

Sept. 12 at Rush Oak Openings. The attrac-tion here is a few acres of remnant easternprairie grasses that flourished in the oakopenings throughout the North East. MarkKeister is the DEC person in charge of theattempt to perpetuate some of these nearlyextinct grasses. He, along with someonefrom the Nature Conservancy, will lead thetour.

After the prairie grasses the walk willproceed by auto to Log Cabin Road inFishers, New York to examine a 20 acreparcel that is reputed to have some of theoldest old-growth timber in the state.

Carol and Phil Fox have taken over theresponsibility for the chapter's video andprint library. The Foxes live on Calm LakeDrive in Farmington, New York. We'repleased to have the Foxes assistance inoperating the chapter.


@SQlJ'I'-H~.t\$+•.t\P'~()NJjA.tJj{i)Our chapter spunsoreda progressive "Car

Hop" in Saratoga County July 6. At the firststop John Hastings, Forester, showed us a 2acre experimental poplar plot which is threeyears old with different varieties planted onagricultural land. Some trees grew to aheight of 18' indicating possibilities forpulp wood use.

Next stop was Ernie Spencer's (MFO)red pine plantation showing active thinningand pruning of a 25 year old stand. The 10inch average diameter trees were beingculled, loaded and taken to a shaving mill.After lunch under misty skies we followeda truck loaded with 4 foot wood to HowardClark's shaving mill.

Here we watched a one man operationwith wood placed on a rack then rolled intoa shaving hopper. A diesel motor operatedplaner cut the shavings which were blowninto a pile for loading into trucks. Theoperator ably described the operation andselling of pine shavings for bedding.

At our last stop Richard Boice showed ushis wood processing and drying shed forfirewood. The hardwood logs were fed tothe processor at one end of a post and beambuilding where the logs are chain sawed,split and elevated to a dump truck. Fromthere the wood is taken and piled on racksfor drying, then sold for firewood to homesand campsites. This was a very impressive,clean setup with the equipment under oneroof and wood being dried in an open shed.The emphasis here is on satisfying thecustomers with clean, dry firewood, deliv-ered when and where they want it.

This tour showed how our poor qualitytrees can be used giving the forest ownersome income.

El>'fIIIUE'I'AFFII..IATF} )On July 18 Dick Mark led sixteen

THRIFT members and guests on awoodswalk at Joe Stephenson's woodlot,which consists of 85 acres located nearOsceola. We observed red and white pinethat Joe planted 70 years ago in 1933. Thisis a living statement that Joe was a "TreeFarmer" long before it became the "in"thing to do.

Mr. Mark gave a quick lecture on thetent caterpillar's life cycle. We observedthe damage they had done to deciduoustrees but noted they are recovering newleaves.

After two and a half hours of Tug Hillhiking we shared lunch at Cedar Pine res-taurant. A well conducted, instructivewoodswalk enjoyed by all.

NY FOREST OWNER

(C.i\.'l'$I{lLU ••FOREST ••.i\.SSOCJj)After a very busy July and August, SundaySeptember 27, CFA celebrates its 10thanniversy with a picnic at the Frost ValleyYMCA camp, complete with a cook-outand auction. Hikes, tours and talks will fillthe day where you choose the activitiesyou prefer. If interested, call CFA and we'llsend a flyer and directions.

Also planned for September is a trip toBob Bishop's property in Andes to observehis various seedlings and use of tree shel-ters. We will be able to see the improvedgrowth and protection provided by theshelters. A workshop on bluestone quarry-ing or stone wall building will be incorpo-rated into the same day.

Lower HudsonAs I write this Chapter Report I am just finishing up a review of the evaluation

sheets distributed to attendees of the "I Love Hudson Valley Forests Legislative BusTour" held on Thursday, July 23. As readers may recall, this was a "Stump toShowroom" tour in which we attempted to mix local, state, and federal legislators withforest landowners for a day to foster discussion of forestry related issues near and dearto our hearts. All in all I would have to say that the tour was a great success! Some90 legislators and landowners (as well as 10 or 15 DEC foresters and biologists andother interested parties) came along for the ride in spite of the rain that day. In fact,we couldn't have asked for a better mix. The ratio of legislators to landownersattending was approximately 1: l! Among those attending were Town supervisors,EMC and CAC representatives, representatives of several state assemblymen andU.S. Congressmen, assorted legislators from each of 7 Hudson Valley Counties,NYFOA members, Region 3 Forest Practice Board members, representatives fromthe Nature Conservancy, Scenic Hudson, The Black Rock Forest, and the U.S. Army(West Point).

Both landowners and legislators learned a great deal about each others concernsregarding the preservation of open space -and particularly working landscapes - in arapidly "suburbanizing" region. Many myths surrounding forest practice weredispelled during a tour of a DEC forestry demonstration area and a visit to an activelogging operation on the property of a local NYFOA member. Additional insight wasgained during tours of both a lumber mill and furniture factory. In fact, many of thelegislators attending commented that this day's outing gave them a perspective onforestry and forest based industries that they never had before, and were grateful forthe opportunity to view firsthand operations that had only been described to them(usually in unfavorable terms) by various groups opposed to tree cutting. One evenbought a chair at the showroom!

Many thanks are due those people who worked alongside members of the LowerHudson Chapter to make this tour possible: Sean Fl ynn of J&J Log and Lum ber Corp.,Shelby Hunt and Keith Bowlby of Hunt Country Furniture, Dan Weller, BobHerberger, Pat Vissering, and John Gibbs of DEC, and Dean Ryder of the Region 3Forest Practice Board. Thanks also to NYFOA mem ber Peter Woytuk and his familyfor graciously allowing us to tour their farm, and to Peter's forester, Doug Ramey ofEast-West Forestry Associates, and logger, Glen Rhodes of Turner MountainLogging, for their assistance and interpretive efforts during the tour.

In addition to the rave reviews we received from both legislators and landownersalike, we also received some excellent suggestions as to how to improve upon ourpresent efforts in future tours (currently the LHC is considering hosting this event ona regular, biannual basis). We would be happy to share these suggestions, as well asother lessons learned as a result of our experience, with other Chapters planningsimilar outings. Interested parties should contact me at 914-831- 3109 for information.

At this time I have no further activities to announce - I think I need a bit of a restafter this last one - though I expect we'll organize something between now andSeptember. Chapter members will receive announcements in the mail. I hope to havea newsletter up and running sometime this fall, though that will depend on how muchenthusiasm is generated among the membership. I'Il let you know what develops. -Robert Davis


A Right- To-Harvest Law in New York State?By Peter s. Levatich

As I work in my forest I often pause tolook up at the sky through the treetops atthe bigger pictures, thinking about largerissues. It is important!

One issue that frequently comes tomindcircles around the RIGHTS of the forestowner, you and me. Somewhere, a longtime ago, I read that rights come withcorrespondingresponsibilities,justasprivi-leges carry with them undeniable duties. Itmade things a lot clearer for me then, likea light bulb turned on. Accordingly, theprivilege of forest ownership means thatyou have the duty to pay property taxes;fair ones. The right of forest ownershiprequires, of course, responsible owner-ship. We are proud to be responsible forestowners, stewards of the land: we do whatwe can for the quality of the soil, the waterwhich passes through, wildlife, wetlands,the interested public (as long as they be-have responsibly also), the aesthetic quali-ties of the entire domain, biodiversity, andof course the trees. Now, if rights demandcorresponding responsibilities, then thereverse should be true. Correct? You, theresponsible forest owner. should have

Stop LosingYour Seedlings

Seedling trees needtwo things:Protectknand moisture.TubexTreesheltersgive them both.

over a 12 inch seedlingkeeps it safe from animals,herbicides, and machinIt also captures humidity,like a mini-greenhouse,increasing survival andgrowth ... everything aseedling needs to becomethe crop tree you want.

Call today for a FREEcatalog. Written byforesters, it explains howTree Farmers nationwideuse Tubex to make theirregeneration pans successful.

1-800-24TUBEX(1-800-248-8239)

etulbQX®NY FOREST OWNER

rights. What rights?One such right should be the RIGHT TO

HARVEST your trees. For firewood, forlumber, for space to plant new trees, forincome. You do not have to harvest, butyou should have the right to harvest. Well,you say, that is obvious: that is how italways was, that is what the person didfrom whom I purchased the land; societyneeds fibre. Harvesting is part of the re-newable resource concept. Besides, theright to harvest springs from one of themost important rules of the Constitution(*).

I had thought so, too. I was annoyed afew years ago when all the noise about theequal rights amendment came to my ear.Surely, I thought, the Constitution alreadygave everyone equal rights. Later I waspersuaded that, as times change, rightsneed to be defined in greater detail, some-times need to be reemphasized. Sureenough, we see many folks settling in thecountryside today who grew up in placeswith few trees. They don't know muchabout them, let alone about the forests, orforest ownership. Their definition of arenewable resource is the vegetable gardenat best. So, if all at once, unlike the comcrop being harvested annually before theireyes, a change takes place in their fineview with trees being cut down, they willthink of the destruction of the rain forestsand similar things and will get very upset.These folks need to be reminded of rights,even if they are already ant he books insome form, lest misconceptions escalateinto action. Such action is indeed going onaround us: laws have and are today beingpassed in towns and counties restrictingthe cutting of trees, and the harvesting offorest products. Never mind the historicalforest practices, your management plan,the work you have invested toward a future

harvest of yourrenewableresource on yourland! And you thought you hadrights?

What to do? Much has been tried invarious forms with various results(**).Several states, among them Connecticutand Oregon in 1991, have passed state lawsto supersede municipal codes so that uni-form and better laws apply statewide. Thebest of these attempts was promulgated inNew Hampshire in 1990, the landmark"RIGHT TO HARVEST"law. It, in effect,mandates that communities may not "un-reasonably limited" forest activities onprivate lands through the use of zoning andplanning powers.

You ought to take the time some findday soon to look at the sky through yourtreetops. Ask yourself: Is it necessary inNew York State to redefine your rights asa responsible forest owner? is this the timeto do it? Should we have a good RIGHT TOHARVES T LAW herein New York State?What is it that you the responsible forestowner, should be doing to cause this newdefinition of your rights to happen? Thinkabout it, discuss it, take appropriate action,al of which are your rights also. Yourrightsare like your treetops; you lose them if youdon't use them.

(*) The Constitution of the United States,Amendment 5, " .... nor shall private prop-erty be taken for public use, without justcompensation. "(**) SEVEN YEARS OF OUTST AND-ING FORESTRY LEGISLATION, Na-tional Woodlands, April 1992, pg. 5.

Peter Levatich, a past director ojNYFOA,represents Tompkins County at the 9 countyNYS DEC Region 7Forest PracticeBoard.where right to harvest laws have beendiscussed recently.

WANTEDVENEERTREES- R.O., W.O.,

H.M., Ash, Cherry and Walnut

* Any Amount of Trees* Low Impact* High Profit* Free Appraisals* Anywhere in NY and PA

CRAIG JOCHUM2668 South Apalachin RoadApalachin, New York 13732

607/687-1598

Nolan'sSporting Supplies

12

Outdoor Equipment Specialist

37 - 47 Genesee StreetAuburn, NY 13021

315/252·7249


Landmark Tax Ruling: Can't Assess at Speculative ValueBy Martin Harris

Farmers everywhere who struggle witha property-tax system that favors non-landed urbanites should be fascinated withthis court decision. It may yet become aclassic precedent.

Letme start by repeating what everyonealready knows: the property-tax systemdoesn't work well any more because it nolongerreflects income and ability to pay. Itmay well be that two condo-dwellers, onetaxed twice as much as the other becausehis condo is twice as big, fare well underthis system. In suburbia, dwelling sizealmost always reflects income level.

But it's far more certain that large-scalerural land owners -- farmers, mostly -- areforced to pay taxes based not on income butrather on the conversion value of their landto more urban uses. The polite phrase isfair-market value. Those less polite mightcall it speculative value.

Urban subsidyThe property-tax problem hasn't been

one that politicians have wanted to solve.After all, there are more urban and subur-ban voters than rural land owners in moststates. Even in Vermont, still most rural ofthe fifty states, urban voter power has keptin place a state-aid-to-education systemthat sends far more money, on a per-pupilbasis, to high-income urban and suburbandistricts than to lower-income rural dis-tricts.

A shift of use-value would, after all,commit the unpardonable political sin ofeliminating the rural subsidy of urban edu-cation; and so, much as they might extol itin theory, legislators have in fact treateduse-value as a form of leprosy, keepingsafe distance from its advocates and offer-ing only enough recognition to forestalloutright tax rebellion in rural areas.Vermont's use-value formula, for example,has always been set up to value farmland atfar more than the actual profitability of itscrops would justify. And typically, nowthat the State spending spree is over andretrenchment unavoidable, use-value istaking one of the major cuts.

But condemnation of tawdry policiessometimes comes from strange places.You'll recall that the progressive land-grabbing of the planning fraternity wasdealt a pair of severe blows by the courts in

NY FOREST OWNER

1987, when a pair of benchmark casesreminded social activists that individualproperty rights still exist, are still protectedunder the Fifth Amendment, and govern-mental takings must be compensated.

That was the U.S. Supreme Court, deal-ing with cases known as "First English"and "Nollan." This time, it's the New YorkState Supreme Court, in a case labeledGoldman v Commissioner of Finance. Andthis time, a major court has made justaboutthe clearest statement in support of theprinciple of use-value rather than FMV(fair market value) in property-assessmentmatters. Not that Goldman's land is farm-land; it isn't. It's apartment house lots inManhattan. But they're residential lotswhich may some day be re-zoned commer-cial' and so the speculative value of theland already reflects that probability. Youcan guess that New York City assessorswere quick to assess, re-assess and re-assess again based on each increase inFMV. That's just what typically happensin rural America all the time.

But this time the owner went to court,and this time the court ruled that suchassessment was illegal. The court criti-cized the city for assessing "based on a stillnon-existent theoretical use of the prop-

erty." Goldman's lawyer summarized theruling this way: "the court said you have totax based on current use."

The widespread practice of constant re-assessment (everywhere except Califor-nia, where Proposition 13 keeps assess-ments level between property sales) is notproper, said the New York State SupremeCourt, pointing out that Goldman's assess-ment had almost tripled over seven yearswhile the actual land use remained un-changed. (What rural taxpayer couldn'tidentify with that experience!)

Will the courts give rural America theuse-value tax formula that urban-orientedpoliticians have been too vote-hungry toadopt? I hope so. And perhaps it's not justpure hope. After all, no one expected thatthe US Supreme Court would ever againplace constraints on the land-use planersand force them to accept fiscal responsibil-ity for their actions.

Architect and one-time heifer producerMartin Harris champions rural causesfromhis Vergennes, Vermont, home.

from New England Farmer. Mar. '92 bypermission of the author and the editorAlan Knight.


,..

•

Hidden Crisis in the ForestBy Carl P. Wiedemann

In a recent article in the Journal ofForestry, Ralph Nyland stated that exploi-tation and greed were dominant influencesover timber harvesting practices during the1980's in eastern hardwood forests. Dr.Nyland, who teaches at the Syracuse Col-lege of Environmental Science and For-estry, was referring to "high-grading" - theremoval of the largest and the most valu-able tree species from the forest. High-grading is not easy to recognize. This typeof logging only removes the largest trees.From a distance many trees remain. Thecasual observer may not even realize thata timber harvest has taken place.

The consequences of high-grading areinsidious because the cut over forest usu-ally appears healthy. But many of theindividual trees which remain after awoodlot has been high-graded are defec-tive. In fact, according to the latest forestsurvey statistics, nearl y 80% of the maturetrees on forest land in New York State havedefects which significantly lower their tim-ber value.

Today, most logging in New York Stateis some type of partial cut. This is in partbecause markets for trees smaller than 12"in diameter are limited. Consequently, atypical logging operation removes only thebiggest specimens of the most valuablespecies. These are trees with straight, branchfree logs which have little or no internaldecay. The residual trees are often smaller,of poor quality, or of species, such asbeech, with alow timber value. These treesare the ones that will eventually grow intothe openings left where trees were cut.They also provide the only seed source fornew seedlings. Dr. Nyland's concern isthat we may be unintentionally damagingthe future productivity of our forests bythis type of selective removal of the bestgrowing stock.

One analogy I heard a few years agocompared "take the best and leave the rest"logging with the execution of the fastesthorses at the derby. If a horse breeder hadeach win, place and show horse shot afterevery race, how long would it be until hisstable had only held the slowest horses inthe race? To a breeder, that would be a verydestructive system for managing racinghorses. Yet, this is essentially how manylandowners manage their woodlots.

Should anyone care about timber pro-

NY FOREST OWNER

TIMBER QUALITYFrom NYS ForestSurvey - 1980

Grad" 219.1t/.

Crad" 3 a 44IiI.4y.

rees over 15" diameter

This chart shows that only one tree in five is good enough to make grade #1. Poorquality trees take up a large percentage of the growing space in New York Forests.

ductivity? For many individual forest land-owners, timber is often not high on the listof their reasons for owning the land. Thereare many important values of forest landwhich are not related to whether or notthere is good timber growth. These includerare and endangered species, wildlife habi-tat, and aesthetic values. Yet we, and fu-ture generations, all have an interest inmaintaining the productivity of timber fromforest land. Even though timber produc-tion is not usually considered an importantenvironmental issue, it should be. There isan indirect but undeniable linkage betweensociety's econom ic health and its ability toprotect environmental quality.

Our continued economic health is es-sential if we are to be able to afford cleanair and water, protection of rare species,parks, and wilderness areas. In povertystricken countries, the protection of natu-ral resources and environmental quality isoften a low priority. The basic necessitiesof food and shelter come first. Would NewYork State have been able to maintain theAdirondack and Catskill Forest Preserves,protect wetlands from development, cre-ate dozens of state parks and build thou-sand of miles of recreational trails withouta healthy economy? We need a healthyeconomy, and timber from local woodlotscurrently contribute billions of dollars to it.

There is another reason to keep our

14

woodlands as productive as possible. Cer-tainly, New York's economy is probablyrobust enough to survive even if our forestsnever produced another log. However, themarket demand for timber products willremain no matter what happens in thisstate. The volume of wood not harvestedfrom local woodlots will simply comefrom other forest areas around the nationand around the world. How much of thistimber will be harvested using environ-mentally sound cutting practices from wellmanaged forests is less clear. We have theopportunity to produce timber using soundharvesting methods which enhance theenvironment. Consequently, we can feelgood about exporting our home grownwood products to international marketswhere they will help offset the demand forlogs coming from more environmentallysensitive areas of the world.

It is important to point out that a woodlotwhich is growing high quality timber alsoprovides wildlife habitat, recreational ben-efits, watershed protection and aestheticvalues. With careful control, it is evenpossible to allow logging in sensitive areasand not harm endangered species or sig-nificant habitats. Some rare species de-pend on a certain amount of disturbance tocreate and maintain the environmental con-ditions necessary for their survival. AsJohn Marchant, Executive Director for


The New York Forest Owners Associationputs it: "Good forest management is reallya case of having your cake and eating ittoo!"

By failing to consider the long-termimplications of logging practices whichonly remove the biggest and the best trees,we are robbing future generations of abasic natural resource. Future timber cropswill be less valuable. It usually takes atleast sixty or seventy years for our hard-wood trees to develop to their full potentialvalue for sawlogs or veneer. Most land-owners don't own their woodland for morethan a fraction of that period. When thetrees are big enough to cut, some landown-ers only think of the immediate income,notaboutwhat effecttheir harvesting prac-tices will have on future timber quality.

As a result of past high-grading we havethousands, perhaps millions of acres offorestland in New York State covered withwhat one forester calls "green junk." DonPeterson, a consultant who has spent over40 years in forestry, compares high-gradedwoodlots to empty factories. From theoutside, the factories may appear produc-tive. However, if the machinery from in-side has been removed, itis only an illusionof productivity . Many of our forests are inthe same condition. They look good fromthe road but not so good on a tree by treebasis.

Assigning the "blame" is probably nota productive exercise. Many landowners,loggers, and even foresters have been caughtup in the economics of timber harvestingwhich in some cases do not allow manyalternatives. Loggers and procurement for-esters know that in order to pay top dollarfor cutting rights, they cannot afford toleave valuable timber behind withoutlow-ering the price they pay the landowner. Alandowner may get 10 to 20% more in-come from high-grading than by followingmore conservative methods. When a land-owner needs or wants money, he or shemay not be willing to leave future growingstock or go to the expense of removinginferior trees that take up growing space.

We have an opportunity as well as anobligation to turn things around. New Yorkhas over 15 million acres of forest landwhich are privately owned by individuals.Most woodlots have the capability of pro-ducing high quality logs from species thatare in demand around the world. For ex-ample, nearly 20% ofthe worlds supply ofsugar maple grows right here in New YorkState. In forestry, landowners today reap

!.

NY FOREST OWNER

Ash

LOG PRICES· By Species and GradeYo Average Delivered Price

299% _ .

Hard Maple

• 6rade *1 )16' ~ 6rade II <16' D 6rade.2 ~ Grade .3

Species

Timber quality is a very important factor in the stumpage value of a woodlot. Highgrade logs can be worth 2 - 3 times lower grade logs of the same species.the benefits or suffer the consequences of lowed to compromise future productivity.cutting practices that took place 15, 50 or A forester's services can include markingeven 100 years ago. Future woodland own- the trees that should be cut, advertising theers will either benefit or suffer from the sale, and supervising to make sure onlyactions we take today. marked trees are cut and there is no damage

The recently announced Forest Stew- to the residual stand.ardship Program incorporates both educa- If you are interested in having a Stew-tion and financial incentives in an attempt ardship Plan prepared or enrolling for costto motivate forest landowners to practice sharing, contact your county ASCS officebetter forest management. Forest Steward- or the nearest regional office of the DEC.ship is not limited to timber production, but The ASCS office is listed in most tele-includes wildlife habitat, endangered spe- phone books under United States Depart-cies protection, recreation, and esthetics. ment of Agriculture - Agricultural Stabili-

Forest landowners can start by having a zation and Conservation Service. DEC isStewardship Management Plan prepared listed under New York State Departmentby either a state forester or a private con- of Environmental Conservation.sultantforester. Once the management planhas been prepared, landowners are eligible Carl Wiedemann is the Regional Foresterfor partial reimbursement of the cost of for the nine county NYS DEC Region 4.forest improvement practices they under-take including timber stand improvement.Timber stand improvement practices in-clude the removal of inferior growing stockand thinning crop trees to accelerate theirgrowth. Cost sharing will be part of afederally funded Stewardship IncentivesProgram (SIP).

For landowners with mature timber tosell, the Stewardship Program provides anopportunity to get advice from a profes-sional forester before deciding what treesare to be cut. Hopefully, the landownerwill recognize that good stewardship meansthat logging practices should not be al-

Deli~ered /09 prices compared to a~erageprices of all delivered /09S by species.Ohio. September-Hovember 1985

159%

189%

59%

9%Cherry Red Oak

Custom Signs

-- VOSS SignsDept, NYF. Box 553. Manlius. N.Y. 13104

Ph. (316) 682-6418(Mon.· Fri. 9·5)

F'lmUy Owned & Opemterl.for ouer 25 y~


Common Tent CaterpillarsBy Douglas C. Allen

The caterpillar stages of moths andbutterflies produce silk in modified sali-vary glands. This material is used for avariety of purposes: orientation (every-where the caterpillar goes it lays a singlestrand of silk, which allows it to "back-track" to a nest or to relocate food, or thesilk may provide a trail for siblings tofollow); as a "parachute" that facilitateswind dispersal of small caterpillars; mothcaterpillars build a cocoon of silk to pro-teet the immobile and defenseless pupalstage within which the caterpillar trans-forms into an adult (raw silk for clothcomes from the silkworm cocoon, whichis composed of a single stand over 1000yards long!); and, finally, silk is used bya few species to build conspicuous neststhat provide shelter from adverse weatherand many natural enemies.

Eastern Tent CaterpillarThe most common tent maker in New

York is the eastern tent caterpillar. Thecaterpillars of th is species are gregariousand spend daylight hours in adensesilken"tent" that the colony spins in a stem orbranch crotch (Figure I). usually on cherry,apple, or flowering crabs. The white tentsfirst become visible in late April or earlyMay in central areas of the state. Larvae

TREEPROTREE PROTECTORS

Quantity 700+24"... . $0.9536" . $1.4548" . $1.8060" $2.35

Conifer/Seeding ProQuantity 7000+8" $0.22

12".. . $0.30

Oak stakesnaw available

May be applied to current tree plantingswithout damage to leaves.

1-800-875-8071445 Lourdes Lane, Lafayette, IN 47905

NY FOREST OWNER

Figure 1. Typical shelter spun by a colony of eastern tent caterpillars.

leave the nest to feed at dusk and throughthe evening hours.

DescriptionCaterpillars of both species are IS' to

2.0" long when full grown. Each is sparselyclothed with long, fine, light brown hairs.The hairs do not arise from wart-like spots(as in the gypsy moth) nor do the hairsoccur in tufts (like those of tussock moths).Fully grown caterpillars are often markedwith distinct blue and orange lines. Figure2 illustrates the most conspicuous differ-ence in the appearance of these two pests.Eastern tent caterpillar (Fig. 2) has a solidwhite to cream stripe along the center of itsback; the back of the forest tent caterpillar

Forest Tent CaterpillarThe closely related forest tent caterpil-

lar does not build a nest, so its commonname is misleading. During the day, thesecaterpillars aggregate on a matt of silkspun on the bole of the host tree, often nearthe ground. Unlike its cousin the easterntent, which is primarily a pest of ornamen-tals and shade trees, in the northeast foresttent can be a serious defoliator of sugarmaple, black cherry, and aspen.

Figure 2. Full grown tent caterpillar larvae: Left: eastern tent; Right: forest tent.


(Fig. 2) is distinguished by a row of "foot-step" or "keyhole" markings.

Eggs are deposited in shiny, cylindri-cal, compact masses that encircle twigs(Figure 3). Both species overwinter in theegg stage. Eggs hatch and larvae initiatefeeding in early spring shortly after hostfoliage begins to expand. Hence, defolia-tion occurs very early in the growing sea-son. Usually, feeding is completed by lateJune. Heavy defoliation in early summeroften stimulates the host to produce an-other compliment of leaves. This secondattempt to grow foliage stresses the treeand makes it very susceptible to drought,lethal secondary agents, such as root rotfungi, and other disturbances.

The DamageIf an outbreak of forest tent caterpillar

threatens your woodlot, a decision to takeaction depends on: i) whether or not thestand has been stressed recently; ii) grow-ing conditions that season; and iii) land-owner objectives.

Protecting foliage (i.e., spraying with achemical or biological insecticide) may becritical if the woodlot was subjected toanother major stress factor during the past2-3 years. Heavy defoliation that occursimmediately before, in concert with, orfollowing another disturbance such asdrought, a late spring frost that kills theyoung foliage, or a silvicultural activitysuch as thinning will at a minimumreducediameter growth and cause crowndieback. Often, a combination of theseevents will kill a tree.

Typically, light to moderate defoliationoccurs for a year or two before an outbreakmushrooms and removes 75% or more ofthe foliage. A vigorous stand ordinarilywill tolerate this sequence of events. Usu-ally, itis only after the second orthird yearsof severe defoliation thatsignificantcrowndieback and, eventually, mortality of sometrees occurs. A major reduction in annualdiameter growth will occur after a singleyear of severe defoliation. Owners of anoperating sugarbush or a northern hard-wood stand that has been exposed recentlyto another major stress factor should pro-tect foliage.bffur.e. the first year of severedefoliation.

Control OptionsTwo tools are registered for use against

forest tent caterpillar in woodlots and op-erating sugarbushes: a synthetic organicinsecticide called carbary Iand a microbial

NY FOREST OWNER

Figure 3. Tent caterpillar egg mass (actual length 0.4 to 0.5 inches).

insecticide, the bacterium Bacillusthuringiensis ("B.t."). Car-baryl (trade name Sevin) is a relativelyinexpensive contact insecticide that con-sistently provides high levels of caterpillarmortality. It can, however, temporarilydepress populations of nontarget insects,including beneficial predators and para-sites. B.t., sold under various trade names,such as Thuricide and Dipel, usually ismore costly to apply on a per acre basiscompared to chem icals. The microbial alsois less reliable. That is, it is difficult topredict results because many events re-lated to weather, foliage condition, insectvigor, and timing determine how success-ful an application will be. The bacteriumwill not affect natural enemies, but it islethal to other caterpillar species that con-sume it - and B.t. must be consumed, it hasno contact toxicity. If applied at the properdose, at the correct time, and under suitableweather and pest population conditions, itwill do a good job of protecting foliage.Carbaryl, on the other hand, has achieved

high levels of caterpillar mortality andfoliage protection consistently under awider range of conditions.

Several other chemical insecticides areregistered for aerial or ground applicationagainst both tent caterpillars on forest (non-sugarbush) and shade trees. Should youdesire to take action, consult with yourregional office of DEC, county extensionagent or call the Extension Office at theSUNY, College of Environmental Scienceand Forestry in Syracuse (315-470-6751).

I thankL. P. Abrahamson for reviewingthis article and providing helpful sugges-tions.

Professor Allen is a forest entomologistwith the Faculty of Environmental andForest Biology at SUNY ESF. This is hisfifth article in the continuing series ofinformative articles Dr. Allen has pro-videdfor the readers of the N.Y. FORESTOWNER.


land community and the wildlife it sup-ports is overlooked by laymen and profes-sional alike. It has and will continue tosuffer from neglect. What can be done?Just reading this article will do some good.At a workshop I once gave, a participantsummed it up quite simply, "It's no easyproblem." Certainly an understatement ofhow far we have to go in raising publicconsciousness and unearthing the unknowncritical needs of grassland species. We dohave a long way to go, but true stewardshipof our natural resources has to come froma public that understands the problems andseeks sound ecological and practical solu-tions.Let's take the first step! You can helpby learning about the grassland commu-nity, talking with fellow landowners, andexpressing your concern for the relatednatural resources. Communicate with thosein technical, management and legislativepositions to express how you feel and tolearn what's going on.

It's our resource. An African chief oncesaid, "Iconcei ved the human race to be onelarge family: a small number who havedied, a few who are living, and many moreyet unborn." Perhaps it is time to thinkabout the rest of the family.

THE FORGOTTEN LANDBy Bruce Penrod

As a youngster I used to wander thefields and forests of the Finger Lakes.Roaming the countryside I encounteredcreatures large and small, as well as a hostof plants I grew fascinated by. I constantlyleafed through the pages of Mother Nature'slandscape trying to learn what lived whereand when you could expect to seeaparticu-lar wildlife character. The sum of theseexperiences sent me on my way pursuingwildlife biology as a career and hobby.Biologists are always trying to figure outwhy some natural dilemma is the way it is,was, and will be.

Today's quandary is the decline in dis-tribution and numbers of wildlife speciesassociated with grasslands. Why? Not be-cause of a sinister toxic waste dumper'splot to make a few bucks. "Because noth-ing succeeds like succession", as one ofmy college professors used to say. Most ofthe land in New York, and the rest of theNortheast, eventually wants to have somekind of tree growing on it. From hay fieldto shrubs to saplings; you know the rest.There are many accounts that describe whywe are losing grasslands. The retreat ofagriculture due to soils and markets tooweak to sustain economic viability is prob-ably at the top of the list. Over 60% of theState was forested in 1980 and that numberis not on its way down. If you consider thatless than 40% of New York was forestednot too long ago, the decline of grasslandwildlife species is no surprise. Sounds likegood news for forest owners morewoods.

Certainly it's not bad news if forests areyour thing, but there is obviously more tothe story. It is very clear to me that the rankand file of NYFOA are not just interestedin trees. Members have often indicatedtheir wildlife resources were more impor-tant than a $5,000 timbersale. That reflectsan enlightened owner attitude as well as an

Ken Westfall (607) 693-1031

APPALACHIN FORESTRYP. O. Box 208 Harpursville,NY 13787SERVICES & TIMBER APPRAISAL

l.S.1. Work Done

Marketing Forest Products& Forest Properties''licensed for real estate

NY FOREST OWNER

opportunity to make more people aware ofthe situation grassland wildlife faces to-day.

To shed alittIe more light on ourcollec-tive view of wildlife habitat, take this test.What have you done, or what are you goingto do, for wildlife on your property? Themost frequent response would be: planttrees or shrubs. There is nothing wrongwith that except that nobody is talkingabout grasslands. Not the members, northose you seek technical assistance from.(God bless those who are!) If you like bob-a-links, northern harriers (or marsh hawksas we used to call them), mallards, bluewinged teal, bluebirds, ring -necked pheas-ants, the list goes on and on you prob-ably ought to think about grasslands. Grass-lands are critical as nesting, roosting, for-aging or escape cover for many species. Tosome the presence or absence of grasslandsis. the bottom line. No grass, no critter.Other species can get by without it, but itenhances their well-being; deer and turkeyare good examples.

Researchers on different fronts are see-ing the decline of wildlife associated withgrasslands. My experience with ringneckedpheasants for the State of New York is notatypical. Loss of grassland is not the solereason for the decline of the wily ring neckbut it's at the top of the list. Predation andweather are major factors in New York, buta good deal of their impact is related to thelack of high quality grasslands. For thepheasant, as for other species, the tale ofwoe is quite a bit more complex than a onesentence explanation. The key for the ring-neck is the presence or absence of goodresidual cover, especially as it relates to thenesting season. Thus it's not so importantwhat the grass looks like when it is grow-ing, rather what structure it provides whenit is dormant. Each species has differentproblems and many solutions still elude us.

Generally it can be said that the grass-

SANFORD VREELAND, PE.

CONSULTANT. 1-716-669-2250

P.O. Box 185Springwater, N. Y. 14560

Bruce Penrod is a wildlife biologist gradu-ated from the College of EnvironmentalSciences and Forestry who has workedfor20 years with the Dept. of EnvironmentalConservation. He has worked on wild tur-key and pheasant research and conducteda trap and transfer pro gram moving fisherfrom the Adirondacks to the Catskills. Helives with his wife, Julie. and threedaughters near Hemlock Lake .near Springwater. He enjoys i I .~the outdoors including. 1,,1 \'\~!hunti~g.fishing. ~) ~. \~ !\trapping an.d I~, \ (~dwoodswalking. ' ,~-I

StateMuseumEducationalLeaflet 26.


~,~----------=-==-==-=--=-=-==-::::..-=--=-=-=========- •••••••;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;•••••••••.••••..•••••••••••••••••••==-••••••-==....•••...••••••••=-.••..•••••..•.......~-----------.-I18

Ask AWildlife Biologist

The Eastern Coyote - At a GlanceDescription: The Eastern coyote looks

likeamedium-sized German shepherd dog,with long thick fur. The tail is full andbushy, usually carried pointing down. Earsare erect and pointed.

Length: 48 to 60 inches (including tail)Weight: 35 to 45 pounds (males usually

larger than females.)Color: Variable, from blonde or red-

dish blonde to dark tan washed with black.Legs, ears and cheeks usually reddish.

Habits: In winter, coyote pairs estab-lish territories, and keep other coyotes out.The pups, usually born in April, are nor-mally driven out of their parents' territorythe next fall or winter. This territorialbehavior lim its the nurnbers of coyotes thatcan live in an area.

Food: Coyotes kill some animals andalso eat dead animals they find, as well assignificant amounts of plant materials.Small animals and plants are important inthe warmer months; while carrion andlarger animals are used more in winter. Ananalysis of coyote droppings found 54different food items. The most frequentlyfound items were: varying hare, plant ma-terial, deer, chipmunks and squirrels, small

By Dr. William l;f. PorterI'm frequently asked, "How much im-

pact are coyotes having on deer popula-tions -in the Adirondacks?" Dr. RainerBrockeand I recently completed a study onthe Huntington Forest to answer this ques-tion. The results surprised us, and I thinkthey will surprise you, as well.

Our study involved putting radio-col-lars on about 20 coyotes and nearly 150deer. The radios allowed us to track themovements and the survival of these ani-mals for about 5 years. Each spring we alsoradio-collared coyote pups and deer fawns.

Studies done over the past 30 yearssuggested that deer constitute an importantfood resource for coyotes during nearlyevery month except July and August. Thisdeduction was based on the observation ofdeer hair in the scats of coyotes. What isuncertain is whether coyotes are killingand eating deer, or simply feeding on deerthat died from other causes.

Without doubt, coyotes in theAdirondacks are capable of killing deer.

[I

NY FOREST OWNER

However, it appears that to kill a deerrequires special circumstances. For in-stance, during the winter when coyotes areable to drive deer out onto open ice, theycan be very effective at killing deer. Wehoped that our radio-telemetry study wouldgive us an indication of the rate at whichcoyotes kill deer at other times of the year.

Interestingly, coyotes killed very few ofour radio-marked deer. Of a total of 148deerradio-tagged, 38 died from some cause.Of those that died, coyotes were respon-sible in 10 cases.

We suspected that coyotes might bevery efficient at killing fawns. We wereable to catch 48 fawns that were less than10 days old, and radio-tagged them withbreak-away collars. Of these, 19 fawnsdied within the first 30 days of life, and in12 cases the cause of death was predation.However, coyotes did not figure heavily.Bears were the number one predator, tak-ing 10 of the 12 fawns. A fisher took afawn, and coyotes took one.

There may be localized situations where

coyotes do take a significant number ofdeer. However, our study suggests thatcoyotes are not the major predator in theAdirondacks.

For further information, contact theAdirondack Ecological Center, SUNYCollege of Environmental Science andForestry, Newcomb, NY 12852.

rodents, and insects.History in New York: There are two

theories to explain the presence of easterncoyotes.

The first is that they were here beforeEuropeans settled North America. Earlysettlers, who had no word for coyote, wroteof "large wolves" and "small wolves."When settlers cleared most of New York'sforests the coyote nearly disappeared alongwith such animals as the wild turkey andbeaver, and later rebounded when condi-tions improved.

19

The second theory is that the easterncoyote is a relatively new species in NewYork. This theory suggests that westerncoyotes hybridized with timber wolvesand fanned a distinct subspecies. As habi-tat conditions became more favorable, theyspread to the eastern U.S. through Canada.

Whichever theory is true, coyotes arefirmly established over the northeasternU.S. They are here to stay.

NYS DEe Furbearer Management News-letter. Wildlife Resources Center. Delmar.


R.J. Fox, Acting EditorRD#3, Box 88Moravia, NY 13118

FOUNDED 1963

For Bats Only~--- i"----fl~

/0"-l~"

11 .>}/ ~.'1

r

15"

Crown Building, 100 E. Second StreetJomestown, NY 14701

JOHN GIFFORD 716/664-5604 (8)Broker 716/487-9709 (R)

Vice President - Real Estate

NY FOREST OWNER

_~ CLEAR CREEK"'~~ CONSULTING

Professional Forestry Services

TImber Appraisals • TImber Marking •TImber Trespasses • Forest Management Plans

And Other Forestry Services

PATRICK J. McGLEW(607) 699-38-46

P.O. Box 104Nichol., NY 13812

20

Non-Profit Org.U.S. POSTAGEPAID

Moravia, N.Y.13118

PennJt No. 21

WOODLOTCALENDAR

Sept. 5: NAC - 10 a.m. Femow Plan-tation "Bring Your Own" picnic. FishCreek Campsite. Call: 3l5-848-2l36.Sept. 12: CNY - 10 a.m. Heiberg For-est, Tully, N.Y. Road, Pond & TrailDevelopment for your woodlot. Call315-682-9376.Sept. 12: WFL Rush Oak Openingsand prairie grasses .Sept. 26: AFC - 10 a.m. Price Comers,Rte. 394, "A Pleistocene Foray" led byDr. Steve Eaton. Call 716-557-2529.Sept. 27: CFA 10th Anniversary Pic-nic, Frost Valley YMCA camp. Call914-586-3054.Oct. 3: NAC - Macomb ReservationState Forest. Call 315-848-2l36Oct. 9, 10: NYFOA FALL MEET-ING, Cornell's Arnot Forest. - See In-sert.Oct. 17: CDC - 1 p.m. Logging inprogress & Stempel's Sawmill Tour.Stempel's Road, Berne, N.Y. Call 518-872-1456.


NEW YORK FOREST OWNERS ASSOCIATIONFAIL MEETING OCTOBER 9th.-lOth., 1992 CORNEIL UNIV. ARNar FOREST

( Located 6 miles Southeast of CAY UTA , NEW Y 0 R K )

An overnight FIELD MEETING. Bring comfortable shoes, blankets, sheets, pillow, and towel.Cabins sleep from 5 to 8. Bunk assignment will be by gender There are excellent diningfacilities and modern bath and toilet accommodations at A R NOT. It is a well staffedteaching forest property used by many groups as well as Cornell students.

YOUR COMMITTEE SELECTED THE DATES AND LOCATION TO AFFORD THE BEST parENTIAL OPPORTUNITYTO TRAVEL AND ENJOY THE COLOR AND BEAUTY OF THE FAIL FOLIAGE HERE IN CENTRAL NEW YORK.We are limited to only 90 overnight accommodations. RESERVATIONS WILL BE FIRST COME--FIRST SERVE. Anyone not assigned Arnot overnight accommodations must make personalreservations at nearby motels. ( See back page ) We can accept MEAL ONLY RESERVATIONS.

AGENDA Friday October 9, 1992

4;30 - 6.30 p.m. Registration. Come earlyand take the self-guidedcar tour of the ARNOT.You'll enjoy the trip.There are several stops.

6:30 p.m. Buffet Dinner (BBQ chicken,etc.)All you can eat--so come hungry.

7:30 p.m. W E L COM I N G REM ARK SDonald Schaufler, Arnot ForesterA short introduction to the ArnotForest. A Cornell teaching unit.

7:45 - 8:30 p.m. S PEA K E RProf. John W. Kelley, Chairof the Arnot Forest Comm-ittee, will present a pro-gram dealing with " HabitatEnhancing Investments MadeFor Wildlife." ( Slides )

ENJOY A GOOD NIGHT!

AGE N D A Saturday October 10, 1992

7:00 - 8:00 a.m. "LOGGERS BREAKFAST"Guaranteed to please!

After you've had your fill, kindlyprepare your own "BAG LUNCH". All the"fixings" will be available to you.

8:15 a.m. Today's Itinerary. Bob Sand(Please listen carefully.)

8:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. FIE L D T RIPWe have planned an ambitious day.It will not be strenuous, but requiresrelatively short walks.We will be traveling by personal vehiclesa total of 40 miles.LUNCH will take place from about Noon toto 1 p.m. at the forest property ofBarbara and Peter Levatich. A personaltour of this outstanding property willlast until about 2:30 p.m.

D R I V E H 0 M E S A F E L Y !

Your Fall Meeting Committee is: PAT Mc GLEW, Pres. of the Tioga Chapter; WALT. HEATER,Forester with Cotton-Hanlon, Inc.; and BOB SAND. Our meals are being prepared byTown of Cayuta residents as a fund raiser for community projects. SEE ROAD MAP ON BACK.

-~--DETACH----COMPLETE----MAIL BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 1992--WITH YOUR CHECK PAYABLE TO:----N Y F 0 A c/o Deborah Gill, Admin. Sec'y. P. o. BOX 1 8 0 FAIRPORT,NY 14450

RES E R V A T ION FOR M FAIL MEETING ARNOT FOREST OCT. 9-10th., 1992

No. of eachPLEASE RESERVE OVERNIGHT (Oct.9) Arnot Cabin Bunks for : @ $12 each $ _

male femaleAlso, RESERVE The 3 meal package (Dinner,Bkfst.& Bag Lunch) @ $18 each = $ _

number

My home phone is : _ Enclosed is my check payable to NYFOA for $ TOTAL

addressname

addressname

---- -- ------

FAll \Y\ k ET \HGOC·\. q.~ 10; \ggG

MOT E L S Horseheads, NY

"

Cayuta, NY

4~ ••U< ·iG"lC~o.(.U!>

lI"l.H:S Tc~W

TO:

TURHHERE

Best Western Marshall Manor Phone:NY Route # 14 NORTHHoliday Inn Phone:Corning Road & NY Route # 17Redwood Inn Phone: 607-594-3397NY Route # 13 & NY Route # 224

607-739-3891

607-739-3681

. To:~ll6J£j{

NY 'rc3'-1~...r CO.RTl~l-lD

'.'/0 i~f{ 1)< 181,\•TTHACA

.;..•.. _ .•.

t{'/ <ice!..,-C---7c.c\,t~e[b. I :)i.{

Br., vC; E 'tTO'S 1'1:.fK( L jWAUtt((V

OLC~GO

TV~NH~K~

---ARNOTI-CRfST

i2.'-i

~\I\ES

l"'-i)C~'T T";~Hl .I l; t:Q.(

-"~I

L.C,-.. " ..,..~:;,I\t:

£HTI~."NcG"

S'WI~LLA l{ttl:J r S' iG t-'

rc ,,'.tho.! ~Tri:t-( luJr-,CH::"LV'

Documents

The New York Forest Owner - Volume 30 Number 5