The New York

FOREST OWNERA publication of the New York Forest Owners Association

NovemberlDecember 1995

- THE FALL MEETING-

- HILLS & HOLLERS • THE BIG BLOW OF 1995 •

--~--~

THE NEW YORK

FOREST OWNERVOL. 33, NO.6

OFFICERS & DIRECTORS

Bill Minerd, President1123 Cold Springs Road

Liverpool, NY 13088; (315)451-3712

Peter Levatich, Vice President158 Bailor Road

Brooktondale, NY 14817; (607) 539-7049

Robert M. Sand, Recording Secretary

300 Church StreetOdessa, NY 14869-9703; (607) 594-2130

Clara Minerd, Treasurer

1123 Cold Springs RoadLiverpool, NY 13088; (315) 451-3712

Deborah Gill, Administrative Secretary

P.O. Box 180Fairport, NY 14450; (716) 377-6060

1996

Albert Brown, Stow; (716) 763-9067Verner Hudson, Elbridge; (315) 689-3314

Peter Levatich, Brooktondale; (607) 539-7049

Don Wagner, Utica; (315) 733-7391

1997John T. Hastings, Queensbury; (518) 798-0248

Charles Mowatt, Savona; (607) 583-7006Norman Richards, Syracuse; (315) 472-3696Elizabeth Wagner, Utica; (315)733-7391

1998Jill Cornell, Johnsonville; (518) 753-4336

Elizabeth Densmore, Machias; (716) 942-6600

Robert Sand, Odessa; (607) 594-2130

Bob Sykes, Elbridge; (315) 673-3691

AFFILIATE REPRESENTATIVESDick Mark, THRIFT; (315) 623-9476

Donna Rogier, Catskill Forest Assoc.; (914) 586-3054

CHAPTER REPRESENTATIVESMark & Joann Kurtis,Allegheny Foothills; (716)945·6012

Tom Hewitt, Cayuga; (315) 497-1266Barry Cornell, Capital District; (518) 797-3623

Bob Sykes, Central New York; (315) 673-3691

Jeff Wiegert, Lower Hudson; (914) 831-3109Bob Howard, Northern Adirondack West; (315)262-2692Herb Boyce, Northern Adirondack East; (518) 946-7040

Donald Fraser, Niagara Frontier; (716) 773-7011Ernst Spencer, SE Adirondack; (518) 792-1726

Larry Lepak, Southern Tier; (607) 656-8504

Don Schaufler, Tioga, (607) 589-6095

Eileen VanWie, Western Finger Lakes; (716)367-2849

All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced with-out prior written permission from the publisher. NYFOA

does not necessarily support or approve procedures, prod-ucts, or opinions presented by authors or advertisers.

COVER: NYFOA display,donated by Funds of the WesternFinger Lakes Chapter in memoryof Karen Anderson.

2 NY FOREST OWNER

FOREST OWNERA publication of the New York Forest Owners Association

Editorial Committee: Betty Densmore, Alan Knight, Jim Minor, Bob Sand,and Eileen VanWie.

Materials submitted for publication should be addressed to: R. Fox, Editor, R.D. #3, Box88, Moravia, New York 13118. Articles, artwork and photos are invited and are normallyreturned after use. The deadline for submission for JanlFeb is Dec 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 $20.

The Fall Meeting

Bruce Robinson addresses the woods walkers at NYFOA 's Fall Meeting onForest Management of the Rochester Watershed (see page 16).

Table of ContentsPresident's Message, Bill Minerd 3The Big Blow of 95, John Gibbs 4Hills and Hollers, Dick Fox 6Who Says They Don't Lend on Land?, Rick Percoco 8Chapter/Affiliates 12Letters 13Healthy Forests: DEC's Role, Michael J. Birmingham 14NYFOA's Fall Meeting, Mary & Stuart McCarty 16The Soft Scales, Douglas Allen 18Master Forest Owners, Gary Goff 20Some Buggy Management, Jane Sorensen Lord 22

NYFOA ·1·800·836-3566 -INFO NOV/DEC 1995

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGEBy Bill Minerd

Summer passes so quickly in the north-east, but what a great summer it was. Claraand I had a chance to spend some time withmy family and got in a few long weekendsin Maine, Boston, and Ottawa. Interspersedwith our personal life were a number offorestry related events that we attended. Iwill take this opportunity to review someof these activities and the people we got toknow along the way.

In July we attended the Tree Farm meet-ing at Paul Smith's College. It was good tosee the interest and support of the Tree Farmsystem and the revival of this annual sum-mer program. I was most pleased to learnthat a significant proportion of the attend-ees were active NYFOA members. Themeeting was very informative and high-lighted by the presentation ofthe 1995 NewYork Outstanding Tree Farmer's Award thatwas presented to Jack and NancyMcShane of our affiliate, the Catskill For-est Association. The McShanes own 254acres inAndes. Jack is currently serving asPresident of CFA and has been active on anumber of state committees. Our congratu-lations to Jack and Nancy.

The early morning of July 15, 1995brought to St Lawrence and northernHerkimer counties what has been describedas "the most catastrophic storm in 50 years"(for more see page 4 and 5 this issue). It isestimated in this area, alone, that 22,500acres of forestland were damaged in thestorm. Don Wagner, past NYFOA presi-dent, reported damage at his summer homeresulted in the loss of a number of maturetrees; and Dick Mark, the President of ourTHRIFT affiliate, reported the loss of about200 trees on his forested property. Esti-mated timber losses for this particular re-gion are put at $2.6 million before salvage.

The first of September, Cayuga County'sSoil and Water Conservation District cel-ebrated their 50th Anniversary by holdingan Open House at the new Natural ResourceCenter facility located just outside Auburn.The Cayuga and Central NY Chapters haddisplays along with NYFOA. Despite alight rain for most of the day, several hun-dred people braved the weather to join thefestivities which included exhibits, demon-strations, and a chicken barbecue. I wouldlike to express our gratitude,to DistrictManager Jim Hotaling and all the employ-ees of the District for inviting us to partici-

NY FOREST OWNER

President Bill Minerd examines the winning

quilt raffle ticket at the NYFOA Fall Meeting.

pate in this special event.WOW, what a great fall meetinglMany

thanks to Eileen Van Wie, Dale Schaefer,and the committee members of the West-ern Finger Lakes Chapter for their effortsin hosting the 1995 NYFOA Fall Meeting.A detailed report of this meeting appearsin this issue of the NY FOREST OWNER.A REMINDER: We have not received anychapter bids for the 1996 Fall Meeting; ifyour chapter wishes to bid please forwardit to Debbie Gill ASAP.

After dinner at the Fall Meeting, thedrawing of the winning ticket for the"Adirondack Beauty" quilt was made byPast President Don Wagner. I am pleasedto announce that Sue Mitchell from AverillPark was the winner. Betty Wagner, whocrafted and donated the quilt had the plea-sure of calling Ms. Mitchell to inform herthat she was the winner. A total of 5354raffle tickets were sold by chapters/affili-ates in this "all NYFOA" effort to raisefunds in support of our application for a501(c)3 not-for-profit Foundation.

Timber Theft is a potential problem forwood lot owners. What should you do toprotect yourself and your investment?Well,

NYFOA -1-800-836-3566 -INFO

Ron Pederson, Capital District Chaptermember, may have some answers for you.Ron has produced a slide program that willbe sent, free of charge, to all chapters thatwish to address these questions. Ron hasbeen working with Mike Greason, NYSDEC, on this project. I will send a letterexplaining this special project to chapterchairs by the end of October. A specialthanks to Ron for his efforts to keepNYFOA members informed.

The State University of New York Col-lege of Environmental Science and Forestryhas asked me to participate in a two dayconference entitled "The Empire Forest:Changes and Challenges" to be held onNovember 13-14, 1995, in Syracuse. Thisprogram will look at the most recent USDAForest Inventory and Analysis figures andexplore policy challenges we face today.This is one of several meetings to be heldin different states leading to the SeventhAmerican Forest Congress to be held in1996 in Washington.

Well, that's about it for this issue. Asalways, your questions and comments arewelcome.

NOV/DEC 1995 • 3

A FEW THOUGHTS ON THE BIG BLOW OF '95By John Gibbs

On the morning of July 15, a severestorm struck the Adirondack Region ofNew York State. Millions of acres were cov-ered by the storm path of which about onemillion acres were significantly affected.An area of approximately 125,000 acres inand around the Five Ponds Wilderness Areawas heavily impacted. In contrast, the 1950blowdown affected roughly 424,000 acresof the Adirondack Region.

An interesting array oflegal (NYS Con-stitution and Environmental ConservationLaw) and policy (NYS Land Master Plan)constraints regarding salvage and othermanagement activities enter the picture dueto the different designations of state land.Forest Preserve (wilderness, wild forest,etc.), ReforestationAreas, and Multiple UseAreas have different rules and regulationsthat apply.

Outside the Adirondack "Blue Line",Reforestation Areas in St. Lawrence andLewis Counties were hit hard and salvagesales are underway. Many of the damagedstands in these forests are not economicallyand biologically mature, but the forestershad no say in what areas got blown over.Black cherry and white ash werewindthrown more easily due to their domi-nant crown class and small root systems.Often these two species are a large compo-nent of the blowdown in partiallyblowndown stands.

I expect salvage operations within theForest Preserve to be debated for sometime. Although I feel it would be impracti-cal to salvage all the blowdown, to ban anysalvage is a mistake. At the very least thiswould offer research opportunities, but may

well prevent fires and reduce hazards inheavily used areas. I was dismayed to learnthe ESFPA's (Empire State Forest ProductsAssociation) position is to oppose any sal-vage in the Forest Preserve. After all theindustry's criticism of New York State lock-ing-up timber in the Forest Preserve, to re-pent on their principles is very disturbing.I do not feel the market will be flooded bysalvaging. Production is much slower, and.I have not seen harvesters who are migrat-ing to this region looking for work or localcontractors who are hiring many morepeople. On a local scale some markets havebeen swamped; and some people that onlywork in the woods during the winter arestarting a little early. The argument thatoperations will not be adequately controlledis something I take rather personaIly. As a

Conservationists Support Salvage .. The Adiro~dack Park Local Government Review Board, which represents 11 coun-

nes of the Adirondack Park Region, as a result of the July 15, 1995 storm by resolutionurged that Governor Pataki and DEC Commissioner Zagata "....promptly assess theext~nt and value of downed timber and to authorize the use of necessary men andequipment to. promptly salvage the down timber in a manner consistent with goodforestry practices and promptly re-open blocked trails ....".

.Th~ ~oard " ....believes that salvage of the down timber and clearing of the blockedtrails IS In the best economic and ecological interest of the Adirondacks, its residents,and the Pe~ple of the State of New York, because it will reduce the fire hazard, openblocked ~r~Ils,~reserve som~ of the commercial value of the down timber, and protectthe remammg timber from disease, insects and fire ...".

This resolution was presented to the 62nd Annual Meeting of the New York StateConservation Council held in Cortland, September 15-17, 1995 for their considerationand support. The NYS Conservation Council, the oldest conservation organization inNew York, represents sportsmen and conservationists and is very active on their behalfregarding legislation that affects natural resource management. NYS DEC Commis-sioner Michael Zagata was the keynote speaker at this year's meeting with 47 membercounties in attendance in addition to many other alternates and associate members.

The resolution as drafted by the Adirondack Park Local Government ReviewBoard was unanimously supported by the NYS Conservation Council.

4 NY FOREST OWNER NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 - INFO

professional forester, if given the proper au-thority, Ican control the operation. Grantedstaffing of state forestry programs is de-creasing, but if not overloaded, state per-sonnel will do a great job. Why not donatethe material to Habitat for Humanity - theyhave indicated that they are interested?

Although the possibility of a disastrousfire running from Harrisville to TupperLake is negligible, given the right weatherconditions (such as this summer) and thehigh level of public use, the risk of fire ishigh. A fire in one of the "brush piles" cre-ated by the storm will be unstoppable untilit reaches relatively undisturbed areas. Re-member suppression activities are legallyrequired, so a good plan will need to be in

. place. Trails running through these areasof heavy fuel will represent a safety con-cern not only from a fire standpoint, butalso from search and rescue. People willgo to Five Ponds, particularly to hunt,whether the trails are closed or not, andmore than likely, someone will get lost orinjured. It will be extremely difficult to lo-cate and evacuate anyone given the presentconditions.

Because of legal restrictions on motor-ized vehicles and policy restrictions onchainsaw use by the DEC, trails in Wilder-ness Areas have not been cleared (exceptby the public). Trail clearing in this areawill. require chainsaws and motorizedequipment in order to be cost effective andsafe.

An assessment report was requested byDEC Commissioner Michael Zagata andpublic input is required. I encourage thoseinterested to actively participate.

John Gibbs is a professional forester re-siding on his Beaver and Bedrock TreeFarm in Richville, NY.

NOV/DEe 1995

FOREST RANGERS WARN OF INCREASED RISKS TO HUNTERS

DEC Forest Rangers are warning hunt-ers of a heightened risk to public safetycaused by the blowdown of timber fromthe severe wind storm that passed throughthe area on July 15, 1995 according to Tho-mas Brown, Regional Director for NYSDEC Region 6.

Forest Rangers are particularly con-cerned for the safety of individuals whoplan on hunting in southern St. Lawrence,northern Herkimer, and Lewis Counties, theareas most severely impacted by the windstorm.

The area of primary concern is a126,000 acre tract of land south of Star andCranberry Lakes and north of StillwaterReservoir known as the Five Ponds Wil-derness. This area was most heavily hit bythe windstorm; while analysis is still underway it is likely more than 60 percent of thetrees have been blown down, with manyareas where 100% are down. Trees wereuprooted and snapped off and many otherssuffered major crown and root damage,therefore leaving leaning trees and hang-ing branches poised to fall at any time.

Any area where some blowdown hasoccurred will, of course, increase the riskof using the woods. The simple acts ofclimbing over, under, around or throughblown down trees heightens the risk of per-sonal injury, and increasing travel time.Also, the risk of getting lost is much greater,especially for hunters who venture offtrails. Even light blowdown changes the ap-pearances of an area, and can hide or elimi-nate familiar reference points used to guidepeople through the woods. The traditionalhunting drives for deer will be virtually im-possible to carry out in some areas. Thedowned trees will interfere with search andrescue efforts should anyone get injured orbecome lost in an area of blowdown. Ini-tial notification time, response time byRangers and emergency personnel, andextrication will take much longer than nor-mal. Risks to rescuers will also be in-creased, particularly where helicopters areneeded to remove people, since the urgencyof a rescue situation causes rescuers to re-spond even when the flying conditions areless than ideal.

The Five Ponds Wilderness is the mostheavily damaged area, although there arestrips of 50 to 100 percent blowdown southto McKeever (south of Old Forge) and scat-tered throughout the Adirondacks to theeast. In the Five Ponds, two examples oftrail conditions exemplify the problems oftraveling through blowdown areas. Imme-diately following the storm, an Assistant

NY FOREST OWNER

Blow down in Five Ponds Wildnerness Area.

Photos by Ed Tuthill, through helicopter plexiglass.

Ranger hiked from High Falls to the FivePonds and then to Wanakena to look forstranded or injured hikers. This hike, whichnormally takes a half-day, took two daysand fifteen hours of hiking (not includingrest stops). Secondly, a group that hikedfrom Janack's Landing on Cranberry Laketo Cat Mountain, a 45 minute walk that tookfour hours. There are other examples wherethe trail entirely disappears under heavyblowdown, and no one has been through todate. Most trails into the Five Ponds Wil-derness are virtually impassable, and willlikely not be cleared until decisions aremade on clearing, relocating, or leavingsome trails closed.

Forest Rangers recommend hunters takespecial care this year wherever they hunt:

* Check out the area ahead of time soyou know if there is significant blowdownthat will affect how you can hunt anarea.

* Bring and know how to use a com-pass.

* Tell friends, relatives, or fellow hunt-ers where you are going and when you willbe back.

* Avoid areas of moderate and heavyblowdown. Even with a compass, travel willbe difficult through these areas.

* For the Five Ponds Wilderness, spe-cifically, avoid all but the periphery, andcheck any location you plan to hunt aheadof time to be sure hunting is feasible.

NYFOA -1-800-836-3566 -INFO

If you are adjacent to an area of mod-erate to heavy blowdown, be especiallycareful with fire; while much of the ma-terial on the ground has not dried outenough to present a major fire danger,there is clearly more risk of fire now thanbefore the storm.

For further information, contact Re-gional Forest Ranger Captain PaulHartmann at 315/866-6330 in Region 6 orRegional Forest Ranger Captain JohnGillen at 518/897-1300 in Region 5.

Fire Cherry (Prunus pensylvanica)

NOV/DEC 1995 • 5

HILLS AND HOLLERSBy Dick Fox

The more I learned about forestry in thestate of Ohio, the more I was reminded offorestry in my own Cayuga County. Agri-culture is the principle land use in both ar-eas to which government resources are ap-propriately directed; and both have had anancient history of agriculture practiced byIndians.

The geography has a passing similarity:the southeast areas of both political enti-ties are the beginnings of the Appalachian(Allegheny) Plateau and, currently, repre-sent relatively much more forested land;and both regions have wetlands in theirnorthern parts. It is the former prairie landsof Ohio that has determined the use to be

Crop tree management exercise of tulippoplars led by Ohio State Dept. of NaturalResources Foresters Tom Berger and DaveSchatz under shade of giant sycamore.

* * *agriculture and it is the Lake Plain/glacialeffects which extend between the FingerLakes that provide the agrisoils in CayugaCounty.

The history and distribution of forestsis similar: Ohio's forest has increased froma low in 1940 of 12 % to 27% in 1979;and, according to the 1991 USDA ForestSurvey, Ohio presently has 7.9 millionacres, 30% of the state, in forests. CayugaCounty is 35-40% forested while about

6 NY FOREST OWNER

John Simon & Company (above) entertainOhio forest owners (above and right) withbluegrass folk music.

* * *62% of the southeastern portions of landin both political entities are in forest.

The species composition is different, re-flecting the differences in latitude: the re-gion I visited, southeastern Ohio, showedmore sycamore, tulip poplar, dogwood, andsassafras; but significantly absent in the for-ests of my county are examples of pawpaw(As imina triloba, an understory shrub orsmall tree which bears an edible banana-like fruit) and Virginia pine (Pinusvirginiana, 30-60', "harder", will pioneerpoor sites, and is a significant componentof the forest there).

The occasion for the visit and the com-parison was the result of NYFOA's former

Executive Director John Marchant's manyoutreach efforts. It was through such effortsthat John and NYFOA became known toRon Miller, a cooperative extension for-ester charged with forest utilization andresearch at Piketon, Ohio.

Ron, as a facilitator, sought a speaker toaddress forest ownership organizationswhich might serve Ohio's needs.

Presently there are nine regional forestrygroups in Ohio representing over 300,000private landowners who own 93% of 7.86million acres of Ohio's forested land for amean average of 22 acres per owner, com-

The Quarters at Canter's Cave.

NYFOA· 1·800-836·3566· INFO NOV/DEe 1995

pared to New York's 500,000 owners of14.4 million acres for a mean average of29 acres per owner. Both states have 7% oftheir respective forests in public ownership;and, according to the 1991 USDA ForestSurvey, both states enjoy a net rate ofgrowth (growth less loss from disease,windthrow, etc.) 2112 - 3 times the rate ofremoval!The nine regional groups have been orga-

nized for from 2 to 22 years. NYFOA, astate-wide organization has been organizedfor over thirty years; but only during thelast third of that time has there been localor regional associations within the stateorganization. It has become clear toNYFOA that the role of a local group addsan inestimable significance to the future offorestry by advancing the mission and goalsof NYFOA in addition to the vision andspecial concerns and emphasis of the localgroups. Whereas, without loss to the au-tonomy of the local grouping, the state-wide organization may provide a commondenominator as to recognition and generalservices.

In order to stimulate the interest in Ohioto form a state-wide "umbrella"and to pro-vide a forum, two of the groups, SouthernOhio Forestlands Association and South-east Ohio Woodland Interest Group, agreedto sponsor the first WOW (Woodland Own-ers Weekend) at Canter's Cave in Jackson,Ohio, September 22-24, the weekendwhich preceded NYFOA's own Annual FallMeeting.

Canter's Cave was a superlative meetingplace actually owned by the 4-H Coopera-

Ohio State Parks manager, Phil Zito leads group in Wildflowerand Native Vegetation Identification Exercise.

tive Corporation. The 350-acre outdooreducation center serves both adult andyouth groups and is located uniquelyamong sandstone outwashes of the glaciers.Because there is no evidence of the glacieror marine fossils in southeastern Ohio andthe vicinity of Cantor's Cave; the cliffs,overhang, and rock out-croppings provideample opportunity for geological specula-tion and Druidic beauty.

Both the people in attendance (some 50or so) and the program the Ohio sponsorsput together, reminded me of NYFOAnsand what we do at our meetings except forsome small but special differences. The hillsand hollers of that region and the coinci-dence of the tracks of a raccoon were notsupported by the music of coon or foxhounds in chase, a former passion of mine,

Ohio State Parks manager, Phil Zito describes plant life associated withunique sandstone outcroppings of Canter's Cave.

NY FOREST OWNER NYFOA -1-800-836-3566 -INFO

although I persisted in listening for them.However, there was, equally as spine-

tingling and plaintive as the music of chas-ing hounds, blue grass music. CynthiaJenkins, Soil and Water Conservation Dis-trict Forest Technician, sang and playedguitar Friday night. For Saturday night,after dinner and my presentation, there wasa performance by a company of four musi-cians led by John Simon. This group sangand played folk music and selections fromthe audience on 12 different wooded stringinstruments; the woods of which were de-scribed and subsequently made availablefor examination. The Appalachian musicprompted some in the audience to dancealong a bit and one of the musicians pro-vided a typical dance solo. And Sundaymorning, also with music, an interdenomi-national worship of Stewardship by lifelongwoodland owner/manager Harold Jeffersconcluded the weekend on an inspirationalhigh.

I will treasure the memory of the firstOhio Woodland Owners Weekend even ifthey never have another. Thank you,NYFOA and Ohio's forest owners for pro-viding the opportunity and, for me, thehonor.

The state tree of Ohio is a commontree native to that area called OhioBuckeye,(Aesculus glabra) similar tothe asiatic naturalized species calledthe Horsechestnut (Aesculushippocastanum) found in New York.The wood is light and soft and may beused for pulpwood, woodenware,corewood, and occasionally lunber.

OHIO BUCKEYE

NOV/DEC 1995 • 7

Who Says They Don'tLend on Bare Land?

By Rick PercocoWalter and Phyllis want to buy 100 acres

from Lucy for $60,000, with a $10,000down payment. They ask the seller to holda mortgage for the $50,000 balance, at 10%interest payable over 20 years. The ownerrefuses the terms of the offer, wanting allcash.

It is common for landowners to be askedto "hold paper"; that is, act as a bank and

finance the buyer. Sometimes a seller wantsthe interest income, or creates a tax advan-tage by holding a mortgage. More typicallythe seller prefers the cash from a sale touse for another purpose and does not wantthe work and risk that comes with collect-ing the payments.

Is this the end of what looked like a goodbuy for Walter and Phyllis? Not necessar-ily. It is true that there are few options foroutside financing ofland purchases. Occa-sionally a mortgage broker can assemble a

syndicate of investors who will pool theirmoney and offer financing, but these groupsdo not often last too long and such financ-ing is not uniformly available.

It was problems like these that led to thestart of the Farm Credit System, 78 yearsago. Now the short answer to the questionraised is that Farm Credit will lend on land.But some restrictions apply.

Loan restrictions typically apply accord-ing to the type of property. As an example,let's say that Walter and Phyllis want to

borrow the $50,000 to buy 100 acres. As-suming they can afford to pay back the loan,they must have sufficient equity in this oranother agricultural asset to secure theloan.

Agriculture is a broad term, including:cropland, forestland, pasture, barns, or thehouse. To borrow from Farm Credit, eitherthe person or the property must be "eii-gible".

In the last 10 to 20 years, Fannie Maehas made fixed rate mortgages widespreadand popular. The Farm Credit loan wouldmost likely be variable, which is that theinterest rate would change. Rates are setrelative to the Federal Index, usually mir-

8 NY FOREST OWNER

roring the changes in the more familiarPrime rate. The length of time to repay theloan, its "term", may be shorter than FannieMae's 20, 25, or 30 years.

Back to Walter and Phyllis. They arebuying the 100 acres from their neighborfor $60,000. Assume that it is a woodlotwith poletimber hardwoods so that it is aneligible agricultural asst, and they can af-ford the loan. The last hurdle is that theproperty appraise for an amount highenough, so that the loan is no more than85% of the property's worth. This is a lawthat restricts the Farm Credit System, al-though often times a loan officer expects alower loan to value ratio. Sometimes abuyer will hire the Farm Credit appraiserto give an opinion before setting the pur-chase price, for negotiating purposes andfor loan approval. A timber cruise may alsobe performed, if appropriate.

If the property appraises for their pur-

chase price of $60,000, then Walter andPhyllis may be approved by their loan of-ficer for $50,000. It may be a variable loanwith a ten year term, and may also containan assignment of timber during that time.

The key to working with most lendersis showing an organized approach to yourfinances, with a plan for your future. Theprimary goal of Farm Credit is helping sup-port agriculture across the United States.Woodlots, Christmas tree farms, orchards,sawmills, and nurseries are some of the tree-related businesses we finance. Last year inNew York State, Farm Credit had over $9million in timber loans alone. So it is pos-sible to borrow on land.

Farm Credit is a nation-wide system of co-operatives, owned by the borrowers and

operatedfor their benefit. This benefit is inthe form of better interest rates, credit whenit would not otherwise be available, and

many professional services. Rick Percoco

is a forester and real estate appraiser in

the Farm Credit office in Greenwich, NY.

For the location of the nearest Farm Creditoffice, call 1/800/234-0269.

NYFOA -1-800-836-3566 -INFO

1995 ProfessionalTimber Harvester

Award

Jeannel Lizotte (left) and John Courtney Jr.

The NYS Timber Producers Associationhas promoted the interests and well beingof the timber harvester since its formationin 1970. The NYSTPA presents a NYS tim-ber harvester once-a-year with the Profes-sional Timber Harvester Award. This yearmarks the 15th year the award has beenpresented. NYSTPA President JohnCourtney Jr. presented the 1995 award toJeannel Lizotte of Tupper Lake at ceremo-nies in Boonville.

This award is given to commend a tim-ber harvester for outstanding practices inareas of: Management, Safety Perfor-mances, Condition and Appearance of Log-ging Equipment and Woodlot, and Historyin the Logging Industry. This year's awardwinner is a veteran timber harvester of 30years.

Jeannel was born in New Brunswick,Canada and is the son of Leo and AurealLizotte. In 1965 he came to the U.S. andstarted work for Laurent Nadeau in TupperLake. In 1976 Jeannel started his own tim-ber harvesting business with only a skidder.In 1977 he added a truck and loader. To-day, he has 8 trucks, 5 skidders, loaders,and slashers. An American dream cometrue.

Jeannel's wife Cindy, daughter Amy, andson, Scott, help in the business.

NaY/DEe 1995

THE SEVENTH AMERICANFOREST CONGRESS

many VOIces, a common visionThe Seventh American Forest Congress

builds on a rich history. The first ForestCongress, held in 1882, laid the founda-tion for the conservation movement in theUnited States. The second, hosted by Presi-dent Theodore Roosevelt in 1905, solidi-fied the establishment of the national for-est system and led to the creation of theForest Service.

In January 1995, a group of citizens witha broad spectrum of interests in forests helda roundtable discussion at the Arbor DayFoundation in Nebraska. The meeting wasprompted by a clear recognition that thecurrent methods for making decisions onforest issues are not producing satisfactoryresults, America's forests are being sub-jected to increased and conflicting de-mands, a variety of regulations and incon-sistent judicial rulings, and poor manage-ment that puts their health and productiv-ity at risk. There is no set of guiding prin-ciples to lead away from these conflicts andtowards a vision that is aligned with theneeds of the American public.

The Seventh American Forest Congressis scheduled for February 21-24, 1996 inWashington, D.C.

Local roundtables held in each state willprecede the 1996 Forest Congress and areintended to solicit state-specific informa-tion that will form the basis for the nationaldiscussion. "The Empire State: Changesand Challenges", held in Syracuse on No-vember 13-14, 1995 will serve as NewYork's sounding board in preparation forthe Forest Congress. The goal of this localroundtable is twofold:

* To understand the present state of NewYork's forest resource and interpret infor-mation for multiple values and uses.

* To explore future possibilities andpolicy options for enhancing economic andenvironmental values in New York.

Michael Zagata, Commissioner of NewYork State Department of EnvironmentalConservation, is scheduled to kick-off theroundtable in Syracuse with a speech onthe history, values, and opportunities inNew York's forests. Other highlights of thetwo-day conference will be the release ofresults contained in the latest Forest Inven-tory, as compiled by the USDA Forest Ser-vice, and a banquet featuring BernadetteCastro, Commissioner of Parks, Recreation,and Historical Preservation.

NYFOA's President Bill Minerd willserve as one of the response panelists tofocus on Forest Policy, 1-3 PM Monday,November 13. He will provide a New YorkState Non-Industrial Private Forestowner(NIPF) response.

For more information on how you mayparticipate and contribute, contact: 1) forthe Seventh American Forest Congress inWashington D.C., call 203/432-5117; 2) for"The Empire Forest: The Changes andChallenges" conference in Syracuse callSUNY/ESF at 315/470-6539

Teasel(Dipsacussylvestris)

Fountain Forestry Acquires Consulting BusinessFountain Forestry, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has acquired 14 year-old Forest

Management Associates, a forestry consulting business based in Montpelier, Vermont,which currently manages 76,000 acres in the region and has been particularly success-ful at managing properties enrolled in the Vermont Use Value Appraisal Program.

Fountain Forestry, Inc. has been providing forest management services throughoutthe northeastern US since 1980, serving a range of private, institutional, and overseasclients. With the acquisition of Forest Management Associates, Fountain Forestry nowmanages close to 225,000 acres throughout the northeast.

NY FOREST OWNER NYFOA -1-800-836-3566 -INFO

Bruce E.Robinson,

Inc.FORESTRY

CONSULTANTS

• FOREST PRODUCT MARKING& MARKETING

• TREE FARM MANAGEMENT• URBAN FORESTRY &

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FOUNTAIN FORESTRY, INC.21 Cliff Avenue, P.O. Box 1002

Tupper Lake, NY 12986

Tel/Fax: (518) 359-3089

NOVIDEC 1995 • 9

Letter to Betty WagnerDear Betty:

On behalf of the NYFOA Board of Di-rectors and general membership, pleaseaccept our deepest gratitude for the timeand talent you devoted to making the"Adirondack Beauty" quilt. It is indeed alasting work of art that will bring warmthand beauty to generations of families formany years to come. It is heartening to con-sider that years from now, on a cold winternight, someone will follow the course offabric and thread from the cool blues ofwinter to the bright colors of summer andfall, a reminder of the eternal promise ofspring and the renewal of life in the forest.

I do believe that this quilt will possessan uncanny warmth that comes from yourheart and your willing to share with oth-ers. Your vision is an inspiration to us all.You have demonstrated that one person canmake a significant difference in the direc-tion of a larger organization. We all havespecial talents that we can bring to NYFOA;what we need to do is take your directionand learn to give.

I must admit that I was among the 5,353disappointed persons that did not hold thewinning ticket. However, my consolationprize was to participate in the first "AllNYFOA" project which was a success.

Thank you again for your leadership andcommitment to our NYFOA family.

Sincerely,

/s/ Bill Minerd, President, NYFOA

CongratulationsThe special prize money offered by an

anonymous donor to chapters/affiliates sell-ing over 500 raffle tickets was captured bythe following:

THRIFr $250Western Finger Lakes $100Niagara Frontier $50Capital District $25

Farm Credit

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worth?Buying or selling?Settling an estate?

Making a gift of land?

For whatever reason, when you need to know the fair marketvalue of your farm or country property, call Farm Credit, the

most experienced agricultural rural real estate appraisers in theNortheast.

Appraisals are available for anyone involved in agriculture,and not just for land and buildings, but for livestock, equipmentand personal property, too.

How much is your property worth? To find out, take the firststep today. Call Farm Credit.

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Claverack518/351-3313

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Rick PercocoConsulting ForesterNY Cert, Appraiser#46000015788

Middletown914/343-1802

10 NY FOREST OWNER

THE WINNERRon Pederson, my husband Barry, and I

enjoyed presenting the beautiful quilt madeby Betty Wagner to the raffle winner, SueMitchell of Averill Park in our Capital Dis-trict Chapter area.

We were in the faculty room of QuestarIII Park in Troy. Sue drives a school bus tothat facility; and she and her husband owna woodprocessor and have a fuel woodbusiness. That is why they were atWoodsman's Field Days in Boonvillewhere she bought the winning raffle ticket.

There were many "Ohhs and Ahhs"

from the surrounding people as the quiltwas unfolded. The best comment camefrom one of the school staff who said, "Itis so beautiful it takes my breath away; what

incredible talent to create such a spectacu-lar blend and contrast of colors!".

Many thanks to Betty Wagner for de-signing, making and donating this magnifi-cent creation to benefit NYFOA.

- Jill Cornell,Johnsonville

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NOV/DEC 1995

NYS DEC REDUCES SERVICE TOPRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS

Administrative changes, a reduction inservice by over 50 percent, to the imple-mentation of Section 480-a of the RealProperty Tax Law were recently announcedat the NYS DEC Region 7 Forest PracticeBoard. At the request of the Board a copyof the memoranda and relevant letters wereincluded with the mailing of the minutes.The memorandum detailing the change isherewith reprinted:

September 8, 1995TO: Regional ForestersFROM: Robert H. BathrickSUBJECT: Real Property Tax Law, Section480-a Administration

In light of our present staffing situation,it is necessary to reduce time spent onRPTL, 480-a administration from 5.5 workyears annually to no more than 2.7 workyears. In order to achieve this, we willswitch to a ministerial role and significantlyreduce field inspections.

Applications for new certifications andamendments will be accepted rather thanapproved. To accomplish this, we will pro-vide a stamp stating "accepted" to be im-printed on the face of the Certificate ofApproval. Applications will be "acceptedif they fulfill the requirements set forth inPart 199.6 of the Rules and Regulationsgoverning 480-a. No field inspections arerequired on these initial applications, ex-cept as outlined below.

Prescriptions for silvicultural actionswill be accepted as long as they are devel-oped by a forester. The acceptance stampwill be utilized on the Notice of Commer-cial Harvest form to indicate acceptance

Governor George E. PatakiExecutive ChamberState CapitalAlbany, NY 12224518/457-8390

Senator Owen JohnsonChairman, Senate Consv Com409 Legislative Office BldgAlbany, NY 12247518/455-3411

NY FOREST OWNER

rather than examination. Stumpage valueswill be certified as submitted as long as theyappear reasonable in the judgement of theRegional Forester.

Amendments will be approved if theyappear to be reasonable.

Notices andAnnual Commitment formswill be sent to all participants annually.Notice in this case will not be landownerspecific; rather all landowners will be in-structed to check their Certificate of Ap-proval for work needs and/or 5 and 15 yearupdate requirements.

A maximum of 5% inspections of allapplications and compliances can be made.Priority may be assigned on the basis ofcomplaints and first hand knowledge ofproblems as perceived by the Regional For-ester.

To implement this policy, the enclosedletters are to be sent to all landowners, for-esters and assessors involved in and apply-ing for 480-a. Until this administrative pro-cedure is changed, all future applicants areto receive the landowner letter.

/s/ Robert BathrickDirector of Lands and Forests

Considerable discussion attended theannouncement. Concern was expressed re-garding thefuture commitment ofNYS DECto providing services to the private land-owner. It was recommended that memberscontact the Governor; DEC Commissioner;and Chairpersons of the ConservationCommittees of both houses. Furtheractionwill await the outcome of transferring muchof the responsibility to the private consult-ing foresters.

Commissioner Michael D. ZagataExecutive Office50 Wolf RoadAlbany, NY 12233-1010518/457-7866

Assemblyman Richard BrodskyChairman, Assembly Consv Com625 Legislative Office BldgAlbany, NY 12248518/455-5753

NYFOA -1-800-836-3566 -INFO

1995 MapleSyrup Production

Production of maple syrup this year forNew York is estimated at 208,000 gallons,17 percent below the 1994 output of251,000 gallons, according to New YorkAgricultural Statistics Service. The num-ber of taps, at 1.56 million was up 15 percent from a year earlier, but the yield pertap was one of the lowest recorded. Tem-peratures, which determine sap flow andquality of syrup, were too warm in manyregions for optimal flow. Sap was belowaverage for sweetness, requiring an aver-age of 47 gallons of sap to make one gal-lon of syrup. A preliminary estimate placesthe value of this year's production at 5.2million dollars, down 15 per cent from the1994 crop.

Production in Vermont was 365,000 gal-lons, down 17 percent from a year ago.Syrup production in Maine was up 8 per-cent while production in Massachusetts andNew Hampshire decreased by 28 and 12percent respectively.

For a complete report contact your NYSDEC Forestry Office.

From SEA Chapter; NYFOA Newsletter.

Nolan'.Sporting Supplle.

Outdoor EqUIpment Speclol/st

37 • 47 Genesee StreetAuburn. NY 13021

315/252-7249

-- VOSS SignsUcpt. NYF. Box 553. Manlius. N.Y. 13104

Ph. (315)682~18(Mon.· Fri. 9-st

NOV/DEC 1995 .• 11

CHAPTERS/AFFILIATESSOUTHEASTERN ADIRONDACK

Dave and Jane Jenks of Schroon Lakehosted the woodswalks of July 15, the dayof the infamous blowdown. Adverseweather conditions could not deter about20 SEAC members and friends from at-tending. After some technical difficultiesat registration, including a brown-out de-laying coffee, we proceeded to HowardLashway'S tree farm where he is attempt-ing to maintain open fields by plantingChristmas trees of several species. Itemsdiscussed include the tremendous work inclearing 30-40 year old forests, site prepa-ration, and maintenance. An unforeseenrisk was the fact that part of the fields wasused as a permitted sewage disposal site.Instead of the extra fertility being an asset,mortality was increased due to suffocation,mold, and competition. Many other unfore-seen risks were discussed, includingdrought, pests, and time taken from a busyschedule to do maintenance and expense.

The next stop was Dave and Jane's TreeFarm where we had lunch and discussedtheir management goals and objectives.They are do-it-yourselfers that cut and skidtheir own trees for firewood, campwood,and sawlogs to run through their own por-table band-saw mill. A major topic of dis-cussion was logging aesthetics and work-manship. The adjacent property is beinglogged commercially and comparisonswere made on management goals and theresultant tree selection and visual impact

Above, members of the SEA Chapter listento Jane Jenks describe the managementgoals for the Jenks property, while havinglunch at their Adirondack-style lean-to.

At right, Steve Warne, DEC Forester pre-sents Howard Lashway with a Forest Stew-ardship sign at the July Woodswalk of theSEA Chapter.

Photos by Patricia Kay

* * *of a knowledgeable landowner doing hisown work and a more or less typical com-mercial cutting. Due to a right-of-wayagreement, the landing is on the Jenk'sproperty and will be made into a perma-nent wildlife food plot.

CATSKILL FOREST ASSOCIATIONThe Catskill ForestAssociation held its

Annual Meeting September 9th; over 40people attended the event held at theAshokan Field Campus of SUNY-NewPaltz.

During the business meeting, DirectorsRobert Bishop, John Ruchar, DougMurphy, and Scott Abrahamson were re-elected to the Board. President JackMcShane turned the meeting over to Ex-ecutive Director Dinnie Sloman, who high-lighted CFA's activities and accomplish-ments over the past year. Donna Rogler,Director of Education, briefly spoke to thegroup about the day's activities and thencongratulated President McShane and hiswife, Nancy, for being chosen as the NYSOutstanding Tree Farmers of 1995.

The morning workshop session, "Pro-tecting Your Property", began after a shortbreak and featured three presentations thatexamined current and future actions land-

12 NY FOREST OWNER

owners can take to safeguard their property:Richard Brooks, of Brooks & Brooks LandSurveyors of Phoenicia, described bound-ary line identification and maintenance;Dale Hughes, Land Protection Associate atthe Catskill Center for Conservation andDevelopment, discussed conservation ease-ments; and Norman Kellar, senior partnerwith the law firm of Kellar & Kellar inKingston, concluded with a presentation onestate planning.

After lunch, the Board of Directorselected: President - Jack McShane; Vice-President - John Ruchar; Secretary - Rob-ert Bishop; and Treasurer - James Dunbar.

When the participants reconvened for theafternoon session, the results of the raffleand auction were announced by CFA Pro-gram Associate, Dave Riordan. PresidentJack McShane made a special presentationto CFA founding member, Bob Bishop: aletter of achievement from the NYS Tree

NYFOA ·1-800·836·3566 ·INFO

Farm Committee recognizing his manyoutstanding contributions to forestry in theCatskills.

The much anticipated afternoon pro-gram, CROP TREE MANAGEMENT, waspresented by Arlyn Perkey, Forester withthe USDA Forest Service in Morgantown,West Virginia. Crop Tree Management is asystem of forest resource management thatoffers private, non-industrial forestlandowners a means of accomplishing singleor multiple stewardship goals. It focuseson releasing individual trees that have beenselected to produce benefits consistent withlandowner objectives. Mr Perkey gave aslide presentation and then led the groupon a woods walk to show how the techniquewould be applied to a forest. Participantswere so interested in Mr. Perkey's presen-tation that many elected to extend thewoodswalk an extra half hour in order topractice marking trees for the technique.

NOY/DEe 1995

Letters .ALLEGANY STATE PARK AND

THE COST OF AN OAK BOARDI am pleased that you published the story

about the creeks (Stream Corridors, Jul!Aug '95, 18). I think it is a story that neededto be told and you did it very well.

The matter about harvesting trees in the64 thousand acre Allegany State Park stillsmolders. Parks CommissionerBernadetteCastro, in a personal communication, has" ..restarted the dialogue on the MasterPlan .." for the Allegany State Park.

Recently I saw an oak board in a localstore; it was 5'xI2"xl" - 5 board foot; andwith sales tax it was priced at $36. Suchcosts make the price of a house or furni-ture very high.

- Homer Stennett, Jamestown.

THE LAMENT OF AWHITE TAIL DEER

We stand on the side of the South Shore Road,sometimes in the middle too.

Anxiously waiting those outstretched armsoffering us a handful of "goo".

Whether it's cookies, crackers, or fries,it's a brand new experience in our eyes.

Yourbread and your rolls are temptingly good,never saw the likes of this in our wood.

Apples and carrots may be finebut now we CRAVE the sweet greasy kind.

We have to take what comes our waywaiting on the South Shore Road all day.

"a mild protest against feeding deer junkfood"

M.S.B., Fourth Lake

Alcohol Inky (Coprinus atramentarius)

NY FOREST OWNER

CAYUGA CHAPTER

September 27, 1995, Cayuga Chapter Chairman Tom Hewitt is both host and cook(pancakes and sausage) at Hewitt's Hill Haven for the monthly meeting of the CayugaCounty Federation of Conservation Clubs, of which the Cayuga Chapter is a member.

Timber TheftUpdate & Help

After a year of research and preparation,

NYFOA has prepared a set of slides with a

written script to be made available to each

chapter and affiliate for outreach efforts.

There are 76 slides; the script is keyed as

to when to advance each slide and takes

about 30 minutes to read. The handout

booklet will be about 10 pages long, double

sided.

The presentation is necessarily quite

general; but complete and can stand on its

own. It is geared to an audience not as fa-

miliar with timber sales, consultant forest-

ers, etc., as many NYFOA members.

It is hoped that each chapter/affiliate in

the coming year will:

* make use of the slide presentation with

its members and provide copies of the

handout,

* make it publicly known that the pro-

gram is available to be shown to other

groups, and

* reach out to farm groups, cooperativeextension, rod and gun clubs, environ-

mental groups, service clubs etc. as

may be appropriate in each area and

offer to present the program.

NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 -INFO

THE NEMESISOF NOVEMBER

By Dorothy Darling

Time fashions ghostly forms in autumn;Yesterday a tall Poplar split the airAs though starch the blood of its veins;Today green from all the rains has gone,The long dance in the soft winds wanes.

Pretentious the sway where there's no lifeAs strident gales cut like a sharp knifeThe hollow trunk and hurl it downTo crush the garden's weathered fenceAnd sprawl across the adjacent ground.

The nemesis of November descends sansmerci,Flaunting the force of its will and powerAs the aged Oak, grown gray and growngaunt,Crashes down like a giant tower.

Trunks shorn of limb, disengaged and grimAs time fingers yet another ghost,Looming high above the garden wall,Brittle gray and aged into eternity,Pointing skyward, unbending and tall.

But November winds persist, gusty andcold,Assailing the bare and leafless limbs,And trunks that have lost their swayFall and resound like thunderous hymns.

NOV/DEC 1995 • 13

HEALTHY FORESTS: DEe's ROLEBy Michael J. Birmingham

This article may have as well have beenabout what the forest owner's role is in pro-tecting forest health. For ultimately, it is notthe state, but the forest owners who are re-sponsible for forest protection and collec-tively; they accomplish what no governmentcould do as well. However, the state has arole and DEC, as lead state agency in natu-ral resources, has a long history of helpingforest owners. Its role changed in 1982,when it discontinued funding the sprayingofforest lands. Today its role in forest healthis primarily data gathering and informationdissemination. The actual protection prac-tices, with few exceptions, are carried outby the forest owner or other agents, such asconsultant foresters and loggers.

DEC ORGANIZATIONFOR SERVICES DELIVERY

To understand better how DEC deliversservices, one needs to know the agencies'basic organization. There are nine regionsand 13 suboffices staffed with forestry per-sonnel.A call, letter, or personal visit to anyone of the centrally located offices will en-lighten you as to the forestry programsavailable to you. To bolster the regions, Al-bany provides a wide range of support inthe form of publications, training, researchfunds, and establishes guidelines to follow.The organizational structure puts serviceswhere the forest owners live.

SOURCES OF INFORMATIONON FOREST HEALTH

Before forestry staff can disseminate in-formation on forest health, they must be-come familiar with local conditions. Mostof the information is based on field obser-vations made while performing routine for-estry work. Observations are reported to one

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central place in the region, compiled, andsent to Albany for analysis and recording.The data is entered into the New York PestConditions Report, an electronic database.Reports generated by the database areavailable to anyone, frequently within min-utes of the request.

Another source of information isthrough research projects in cooperationwith universities and the US Forest Ser-vice. Some examples are: a five-year studyon agents responsible for spruce and fir de-cline in the New England States and NewYork; pine false webworm management,gypsy moth fungus distribution; andsugarbush health changes. In addition,DEC keeps abreast of research done byothers through professional journals andattendance at professional meetings. Spe-cial surveys are conducted to obtain infor-mation on location, degree of damage, andpotential for damage by a specific agent.Examples of such surveys are dogwoodanthracnose, butternut canker, oak wilt (itdoes not occur in New York), gypsy mothfungus, red pine scale, and hemlock woolyadelgid. Forest owners can access resultsof these surveys to determine conditionsin their area.

Additionally, regional maps of forestdamage are developed. Information gath-ered from surveys is recorded on topo-graphic maps which includes the New YorkAtlas and Gazetteer. Aerial flights are madeand ground inspections are conducted todetermine the causal agents of the visualdamage.

Notable this year is the July 15 windstorm which impacted a large acreage ofthe Tug Hill and western Adirondack Re-gions; and the large number of sugar mapletrees that died in the southern tier follow-ing forest tent caterpillar defoliation in

1994.And finally, there are many special in-

vestigations involving the collection ofsamples for laboratory analysis, shipmentto taxonomists, and inspections by special-ists. In one case, the world's renown ex-pert on mistletoes, a parasitic plant, visitedthe Paul Smith College. He observed east-ern dwarf mistletoe on red and blackspruces. Subsequently, a separate study re-vealed that more than half the spruces wereinfested with the mistletoe.

MAJOR PEST OUTBREAKSFor large problems such as the 1994-95

forest tent caterpillar outbreak in southernNew York, DEC sponsored workshops.DEC staff and Dr. Douglas Allen, SUNY,College of Environmental Science and For-estry provided maple growers informationon tree protection. DEC and the Collegealso hosted workshops this past summer onprotecting eastern white, red, and Scotchpines from pine false webworrn.

FOREST HEALTH MANAGEMENTMost forest protection is accomplished

through silviculture. You can regulate for-est health through cutting practices. You canchange the average diameter by.cuttinglarger or smaller trees, you can cut youngeror older trees and change the age of yourwoods, you can manipulate species com-position, and you can preserve or removetrees based on their physical condition orother problems you see. For informationon how to manage your forest to bestachieve your objectives, contact your localDEC forestry office. Local forestry staff canprovide you assistance in many areas suchas qualifying land under the Forest Tax Lawto prevent confiscatory taxation, direct youto federally subsidized programs for man-

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aging your forest, and provide advice on awide range of forest protection topics. Forexample, you might seek advice on whatto do about sugar maple mortality follow-ing forest tent caterpillar defoliation. Youwould benefit from learning about the pit-falls of salvage; this knowledge would helpyou avoid understocking while still captur-ing most of the value of dying trees.

CONSERVATION PROJECTSTO IMPROVE FOREST HEALTH

Studies have shown that butternut isdying throughout its range from butternutcanker disease. DEC adopted and recom-mended cutting guidelines developed bythe US Forest Service. Landowners canhelp the species survive by not cutting treesthat are symptom-free of disease. Similarly,DEC is working with the New York Chap-ter of the American Chestnut Foundationto establish American Chestnut Plantationsin every region. Butternut and chestnut aregrown at the State Tree Nursery, Saratogafor out plantings. Information acquired onthese conservation programs can help makeyour forest practices contribute to the re-covery of species.

REGULATIONS AS A MEANSTO PROTECT FOREST HEALTH

Often the best protection is through pre-vention. For this reason, regulations maybe in order. Some examples are: When aEuropean strain of scleroderris threatenedred and Scotch pines in 13 AdirondackCounties, DEC worked closely with NewYork State Agriculture and Markets and theUSDA APHIS programs to stem the spreadof the disease by regulating the movementof Christmas trees that might harbor thedisease. DEC administers the white pineblister rust regulation, which establishesdistricts where the planting of black cur-rant, a primary host of the lethal disease ofeastern white pine is prohibited. When thecommon pine shoot beetle arrived in theUnited States on dunnage, DEC workedwith the Geneva Experiment Station ofCornell University to discover the locationsin the state where the beetle occurs. DEChas long assisted NYS Agriculture andMarkets in regulating the movement ofhousehold articles and timber that mightbe infested with gypsy moths to prevent itsspread and to keep markets for timber opento New York producers. These regulations,while not onerous have helped stem the tideof pests potentially destructive of forest re-

NY FOREST OWNER

sources while at the same time making con-ditions favorable for New Yorkers to pro-duce timber and export without externalquarantines blocking their products.

One excellent example of how regula-tion improved the economic climate forNew Yorkers is ginseng commerce. TheNew York Ginseng Association requestedhelp from DEC in getting the federal banon New York ginseng lifted. DEC devel-oped a regulation that established conser-vation practices, certified ginseng, and per-mitted dealers. As a result, ginseng can nowbe exported from New York and more than$50 million annually is reported.

HOW INFORMATION GETSTO THE FOREST OWNER

DEC does not maintain a mailing list forforest health information. However, DECdoes honor requests for information and alarge supply offorest pest leaflets are main-tained in the regions. These leaflets are frommany sources, primarily the US Forest Ser-vice, Cornell University, SUNYIESF, andother states. To provide information on re-gionally important pests, DEC recently pre-pared Pest Alerts on cherry scallop shellmoth, pine false webworm, and is prepar-ing a leaflet on pitch pine needle miner. Tomaintain current information on pesticidecontrols, forestry staff are provided withannual updates of Pest Management Rec-ommendations for Commercial Productionand Maintenance of Trees and Shrubs. DECperiodically produces a forest health report,which summarizes the forest health condi-tions in the state and provides an historicperspective.

The news media disseminates a greatdeal offorest health information. Often themedia provides the forest owner the firstwarning of a problem and the departmentin turn receives requests for more informa-tion. A case at point is the chestnut newsrelease, which brought a torrent of callsfrom folks interested in the recovery workon American Chestnut.

WHAT YOU CANDOI have pointed out the work of NYS'

Department of Environmental Conserva-tion in forest protection and want to leaveyou with the message that help is availablefrom DEC. However, it's just a thumb nailsketch. For your part, the best advice I canoffer is to walk your woods. Look forchanges. Be curious. If you see alarmingchanges, get more information. For ex-

NYFOA -1-800-836-3566 -INFO

ample, if you see abundant egg masses ontree bark, defoliation, dieback of treecrowns, or other signs of potentially un-healthy conditions, get more information.DEC will assist you with your forest healthneeds; a dedicated and talentedworkforce is there to help you achieveyour resource objectives.

Mike Birmingham is a Supervising Foresterat NYS DEC, 50 Wolf Road, Albany, NY12233-4253.

30+ Years Experience

ROBERT DEMEREEProfessional Forestry Consultant

Timber Sales' Management PlanningTax Law • Tree Planting

3987 Northway DriveCortland, NY 13045-9317

Telephone:(607) 753-0497

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~

NOV/DEe 1995 • 15

SUCCESSFUL FALL MEETINGBy Mary and Stuart McCarty

Thanks to a lot of hard work and plan-ning by a number of people the NYFOAFall Meeting held on September 30 andOctober 1 was both fun and educational.Eileen Van Wie and Dale Schaefer, lead-ers of the Western Finger Lakes Chapter,recruited a stellar team of 24 volunteers tohelp do the planning and to provide theenergy to take care of all the details in-volved in the meeting.

There wasn't a miscue throughout theevent from registration at the headquarters,the Leasure Restaurant & Motor Inn inLakeville, 25 miles south of Rochester tothe dinner and breakfast served by Leasure.The happy scene at registration was en-hanced by Charlie Mowatt's NYFOA pro-motion board and his wood sample collec-tion. Active sale of chances for the quilt andthe sale of NYFOA items includingsweatshirts and T-shirts added to the usualhustle and chatter that makes NYFOAmeetings special. Transportation to andfrom the field trips was handled smoothlyand in good humor.

One stop on our afternoon walk - There were many white pine & Norwayspruce plantations planted many years ago - succeeded by hardwoods.

Over 100 people were sufficiently ex- ate, Barry Cunningham, on a portion ofcited by the announcement in the FOREST the 7100 acres owned by the City of Roch-OWNER to attend the meeting to hear ester.about, and see, first hand, the forest man- The management plan is unique in thatagement activities of Bruce Robinson, a the primary objective is to assure high qual-private consulting forester, and his associ- ity water for the city from Canadice and

Hemlock Lakes which are part of the acre-age. These two lakes, incidentally, are theonly Finger Lakes without buildings on theshore line.

One of the prime reasons for Rochester'sfine water supply comes from good man-agement of the watershed that we had thepleasure of visiting. On the shores of Hem-lock Lake where we had our welcomedlunch break, there were once over a hun-dred cottages and a hotel! People came bytrain and over the "Plank Road" (still caJledthat by the locals). Buying out the cottagesover a period of time has resulted in com-plete control of the shoreline. While stand-ing at the water's edge, one gets the feel-ing of being in the pristine wilderness.

In the afternoon, after a box lunch onthe shores of Hemlock Lake, the level ofwhich, by the way, shows the severe effectsof the drought, we had a woodswalk in anarea away from the lake. The parcel hadjust been logged, removing 25,000 hoardfeet of timber, mostly red oak, but includ-ing some white oak and maple. The log-ging road was subsequently reworked witha bulldozer and competently constructedwith several culverts to avoid erosion andto make the woods more accessible to thepublic with a no-fee permit for recreationalpurposes.

Bruce Robinson with a strong secondfrom Don Root, the city's watershed con-servationist, emphasized that the timbersale and others to come will make it pos-sible for the city to do a number of projects

Southern end (arrow) of Hemlock lake showing the result of NY's drought.

SOME ADDITIONAL NOTES ONTHE ROCHESTER WATERSHED

*The proposals designed by the Commission's original plan are currently beingfollowed.

*Plantations were mostly white pine and Norway spruce.*Varying hardwood mixes have supplanted the conifers due to treatments, wind,

and ice.*Visiting foresters distributed seeds of incidental variety, such as, pin oak and Chi-

nese chestnut, providing some surprising diversity.*Because of the steep terrain and a closed canopy, there is little Iitter on the forest

floor and often insignificant understory to hold moisture and soil. Therefore, deliberateeffort is made to use slash from logging operations (TSI) to catch and hold litter.

*Management is complicated by the presence of too much Autumn Olive anddogwood.

*GuJlies, of which there are many, wiJl receive no treatment.

16 NY FOREST OWNER NYFOA ·1·800·836·3566 ·INFO NOV/DEe 1995

with the 7100 acres that it couldn't other-wise do; such as, making trails for hikingand cross-country skiing and improving thewildlife habitat.

Bruce Robinson's slide show after din-ner on Saturday was a good recap of whatwe saw and heard during the day. After-wards, door prize drawings gave many inattendance another reason to smile. Andfinally NYFOA President Bill Minerd con-ducted a closely monitored drawing for thebeautiful quilt made by Master Quilter

Barry Cunningham pointing out the newcherry crop after both ice storm and

logging operation.

Don Root talks about water quality. - Photos by Mary McCarty

Betty Wagner. The quilt winner was Su-san Mitchell of Averill Park, NY. All themembers of NYFOA are winners, though,since they will benefit, albeit indirectly,from the over $5000 raised by the sale ofraffle tickets for the quilt.

Congratulations to Eileen Van Wie andDale Schaefer on ajob well done! They andthe volunteers from the Western FingerLakes Chapter did a fabulous job to makethe meeting a memorable one. And thanksto Bruce Robinson who carried the program

NYC Watershed Forest Ad Hoc Task ForceBy Dinnie Sloman

Watersheds play such an important role in our lives that I was delighted to attendNYFOA's Fall Meeting in Rochester to learn more about them. The Western FingerLakes Chapter hosted a well organized tour of the Rochester Watershed, which notonly sheds water for the city but also sheds light onto the connection between properforest management and water quality. I was impressed to see the wide variety of factorsthat were balanced to achieve not only pure water for the city, but also a working forestproviding many other resources to a community. While some foresters, timber harvest-ers, and landowners may argue that a greater volume of high quality timber could beproduced through alternative management schemes. others would applaud the integra-tion of wildlife, recreation, aesthetics, and, soil and water management goals. But inthe end, high quality water is the overriding product that the city must deliver.

Decades of research show that well managed forests produce the highest qualitywater. The Society of American Foresters has compiled this research into a booklet(Forestry Effects on Water Quality, Reauthorization of the Clean Water Act,SAF,Bethesda, MD, Feb 1995). It explains that erosion and sediment, the most commonform of pollution from timber harvesting, primarily originate from improperly designedroads, skid trails, and landings. Simple procedures, called best management practices(BMPs), can eliminate this source of pollution. Many BMPs were examined and dis-cussed during our tour of the Rochester watershed. These include engineered roadswith culverts, water bars and ditches, graded and seeded landings, corduroy streamcrossings, and buffer strips. These will help keep the water clean while allowing manyother uses of the forest.

Over the past year, I have worked closely on watershed issues. Within the watershedfor New York City, many persons with a stake in forest management came together toform the Watershed Forest Ad Hoc Task Force. I am a member of the Executive Steer-ing Committee. During the NYFOA tour, I noticed the many parallels between the twowater supply systems. Should any of the readers be interested in the work in the NYCWatershed with which I am familiar, such as the Task Force's Green Book, the docu-ment which guides our effort, please call me at 914/586-3054.

NY FOREST OWNER NYFOA • 1·800·836·3566 • INFO

almost single-handedly!

Mary (NYFOA President,( 1984-85) and Stu(NYFOA President, 1991-93) McCartywere awarded the NYFOA OutstandingService Award in 1988.

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to think of all of the benefits youcould enjoy from having a pond ora lake on your own property. Thisidea could become a reality if theright conditions prevail. From ourexperience it normally requiresfavorable watershed conditions,good site conditions, owner-commitment to stewardship forenhancement of forest land values,appropriate engineering planningand design, and good constructionpractices.

PONDS UNLIMITED CANEV ALUATE the site of yourchoice. We can provide all of theengineering services needed toplan, design and oversee theconstruction of a dam to create ahandsome pond or lake on suitableproperty. You can get additionalinformation by calling 315/422-POND or sending a letter ofinquiry to:

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NOV/DEe 1995 • 17

THE SOFT SCALESby Douglas Allen

The assemblage of organisms referredto as "scales" consists of creatures so un-usual in appearance it is difficult to con-vince people that they are insects. Severalfamilies (a family is a taxonomic subdivi-sion of closely related groups of individu-als) of these highly modified insects infestforest trees and ornamentals. All are spe-cialized for an immobile life attached tosome part of a host from which they re-move large amounts of sap. The commonname "soft scales" generally refers to mem-bers of one family, the Coccidae (cox-i-dee). The variety of forms and colors dis-played within the family, however, has re-sulted in more descriptive common namesfor certain groups of coccids; for examplethe wax scales, lecanium scales and tortoisescales.

DESCRIPTIONAdult coccids are relatively soft-bodied

compared to most other scales. Adult fe-males of the most commonly encounteredspecies are either slug-like (Fig. 3) or re-semble a piece of popcorn (Fig. 1). Malesare unknown for most species, and evenwhen known are rarely seen.

Adult females do not have wings, legsor antennae, and their bodies lack the dis-tinct segmentation typical of other insects.For most species, dispersal is accomplishedby the first stage nymph (the immature thathatches from the egg). This stage is calleda "crawler", because usually it is the onlyimmature stage of soft scales that has func-tional legs. The tiny crawlers can surviveseveral days without feeding and can move

Fig. 2. Pine tortoise scale. Note sooty moldfungus at bases of needles (arrows).

surprisingly long distances on the host plantor from one plant to another.

FEEDING BEHAVIORScales have very fine, threadlike mouth-

parts called stylets, which are insertedthrough the bark of a twig or the skin of aleaf or fruit and used like a straw to extracthost sap. Because plant sap contains exces-sive quantities of sugar and water, far morethan these insects need for nutritional pur-poses, scales have a specialized digestivesystem which allows large amounts of thissweet mixture to bypass the stomach. Thismaterial, called "honeydew", is quickly ex-creted and often covers plant parts (and ve-hicles parked beneath infested trees!), cre-ating a sticky surface and giving foliage andbark a spotted or shiny appearance. Fre-

Fig. l . COttOIl)' maple scales (brown objects) with egg sacs. Arrow indicates the front(" head") end of a scale.

18 NY FOREST OWNER NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 -INFO

quently, ants and wasps are attracted tohoneydew and utilize it as a food source.Sooty mold fungi also may take advantageof this substance as a source of energy.

EXAMPLESThree species of soft scales that the for-

est owner is likely to encounter are cot-tony maple scale, tuliptree scale and thepine tortoise scale. The general appearanceof these examples typifies many of thecommon soft scales.

The most conspicuous stage of cottonymaple scale looks like a piece of popcornattached to maple twigs or the twigs of sev-eral other eastern hardwoods, includingspecies frequently used as ornamentals.The female is flat and usually less than 114" in dia. with a median ridge. It is red-dish-brown and often possesses a large,white egg sac that can be twice as big asthe insect (Fig.l). Eggs are deposited be-neath this waxy covering in early spring.Newly hatched nymphs (the crawlers)leave twigs in early summer and move tofoliage where all nymphal stages feed.Adult females move back onto twigs inearly fall to overwinter. At this time, theyare not accompanied by an egg sac andare inconspicuous. They become moreobvious by late spring or early summer af-ter egg sacs have been produced. Rarelyis cottony maple scale abundant enoughto damage woodlot maples.

Pine tortoise scale prefers scots, jackand Virginia pines but also occurs on redand white pines. This species can be espe-cially troublesome in Christmas tree plan-tations. The convex (slug-like) adults areapproximately 114" in dia., dark reddish-brown or black, and marked on the back

NOV/DEe 1995

with reddish or cream colored blotches orspots (mottled) (Fig.2). The latter impart a"tortoise shell" appearance, hence the com-mon name. It spends its life on twigs ofseedlings and saplings. Adult females over-winter on host twigs where they depositeggs in early spring.

Like the two previous examples,tulip tree scale is native to eastern NorthAmerica. It prefers twigs and stems ofyel-low poplar and magnolia. Heavy infesta-tions are common and the large (114" to 112" in dia.), convex, grayish-green to lightorange adult females are very conspicuous(Fig.3). This species overwinters as an im-mature (nymph) on host twigs.

DAMAGEHeavy scale populations have the poten-

tial to kill the host, especially young plants.Generally, however, scale feeding resultsin chlorotic (yellowish) foliage, dead twigs,sometimes early leaf fall, and/or extensivegrowth of a sooty mold fungus that devel-

HONOREDFred E. Winch, Jr., of Warner Road,

Bradford, N.H., is one of seven recipi-ents of the 1995 Outstanding AlumniAward from the Alumni Association ofthe College of Agriculture and Life Sci-ences at Cornell University in Ithaca.

Maple syrup and the name FredWinch are synonymous in New York.Serving as the state's Extension Foresterfor more than 30 years, Winch almostsingle-handedly established the state'smaple syrup industry.

Winch joined the college as an ex-tension instructor in 1943 and was laterappointed assistant professor and thenassociate professor. He used his wideknowledge of maple syrup productionand marketing to help establish NewYork as a major producer of maplesyrup. Every year, he conducted morethan a dozen "Maple Schools" in thestate's maple-producing areas. An expe-rienced forester specializing in woodlotmanagement, he also worked exten-sively with Christmas tree growersthroughout the state.

At Cornell, Winch held a number ofpositions, including director of ArnotForest, associate director of CooperativeExtension, and acting chair and exten-sion leader of the Department of Natu-ral Resources. He acquired a wide repu-tation for his efforts in public forestryeducation and his teaching of youngpeople, especially through 4-H and Fu-ture Farmers of America.

In 1971 NYFOA awarded FredWinch the Heiberg Memorial Award.

NY FOREST OWNER

Fig. 3. A cluster of tulip-tree scales.

ops on the honeydew. This mold may beheavy enough on foliage to inhibit photo-synthesis. Generally, however, its principleeffect is to detract from aesthetic quality,because the black mold coats twigs andfoliage making the plant look as if dustedwith charcoal.

control of soft scales under forest condi-tions. However, heavy infestations in pineplantations (e.g., pine tortoise scale) or onornamentals (many species, including allthree examples described above) may re-quire action to preserve the value and/orappearance of the host.

When chemical control is required, tim-ing of the application is critical. Crawlersare most vulnerable to chemical controlbecause of their mobility and exposure,which enhance the likelihood that they willcontact spray droplets. Pine tortoise scalecrawlers are present in late June and thoseof the cottony maple scale appear in lateJune to early July. Crawlers of tuliptreescale, on the other hand, emerge from eggsand search for feeding sites in late Augustto mid-September. In all cases, the cherni-cal is applied to infested bark of twigs orstems.

I thank Kim Adams, Extension Specialistat the College of Environmental Scienceand Forestry, for commenting on this ar-ticle.

This is the 23rd in the series of articles con-tributed by Dr. Allen, Professor of ForestEntomology at SUNY/ESF.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••NYS DEC Region 7 Celebrates 100 Years

of NYS' Fish & Wildlife ServiceNYS DEC Senior ForesterSteve Davison holds Com-memorative WhiteAsh treeprior to planting. Steve,who serves private forestowners of Cayuga Countyin addition to particularsupervision of RegionalState Lands, dedicated thetree to Henry Brodnickiwho suffered a fatal strokewhile servicing a cooper-ating forest owner in Ca-yuga County.

by the dedicated professionals who areproud of their work and the history and ac-complishments of New York State's Fishand Wildlife management for the past 100years.

The effort was also supported by per-sonnel from the Region's Land & Forest.Lfee Signor represented the U.S. CivilianConservation Corps & Dick Fox, the Ca-yuga Chapter, NYFOA.

NOVIDEC 1995 • 19

MANAGEMENTIt is impractical to consider chemical

The Cortland Office of NYS DEC Re-gion 7 declared an Open House for the pub-lic September 16, 1995. There were manyexhibits and several presentations. Of par-ticular attention was a demonstration ofhow Biologists use the explosive-drivennets to capture upland game birds frombaited areas.

This effort was not funded by the De-partment; but represented volunteer efforts

NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 - INFO

NY's Corps of Master Forest Owner/COVERTS Volunteers Tops 130!By Gary Goff

The fourth class of NY Master ForestOwner/COVERTS volunteers were certi-fied this September, bringing the total num-ber of volunteers to 130 statewide. Enthu-siasm ran high in this year's new class of30 to fulfill their mission to "motivate andencourage neighbor forest owners to man-age their forest holdings wisely". One vol-unteer summed up the training workshopas "".one of the real educational experi-ences of my life. Fantastic! Really makesme want to learn more and especially tomake great use of what I've learned."

New York's program is similar to thoseconducted in about a dozen states nation-wide where qualified, experienced forestowners are given specific training on a va-riety of "forestry" topics with the overallgoal to interact with their neighbors on apeer basis to promote forest stewardship.NY's volunteers are available to meet withany forest owner in their woodlot typicallyfor a half-day tour and discussion. TheMaster Forest Owners (MFOs) are not pro-fessional foresters nor do they provide anyservice beyond providing personal insightand sources of assistance depending on theforest owner's needs. As such, however,MFOs fill an important niche in Coopera-tive Extension's overall forest educationprograms. A survey of forest owners whohad been visited by MFOs showed that thevalue of the information received from theMFOs was rated an average 4.2 on a 5.0scale!

This year's 3-day training, held at

Henry Huizinga, (right) of Finger LakesFirewood, addresses the 1995 class ofMFO/COVERTS volunteers regarding theimportance of written contracts and goodcommunications between loggers andforest owners.

* * *

Cornell University's Arnot Teaching andResearch Forest, included a variety of pre-sentations on topics such as forest ecology,forest economics, forest soils, communi-cation techniques, wildlife ecology andmanagement, and most importantly,sources of financial and technical assis-tance. Presenters included Cornell profes-sors, a Cooperative Extension Countyagent, NYS DEC state foresters, consult-ant and industry foresters, a local surveyor,a local logger and previously certifiedMFOs. One field trip was to the CoastalLumber Co. sawmill at Cayuta, NY where

Ron Pedersen, 1993 MFO/COVERTS volunteer, addresses the 1995 class on the subject ofTimber Trespass. The training workshop included a blend of indoor presentations and

outdoor exercises.

20 NY FOREST OWNER NYFOA -1-800-836-3566 -INFO

David Swaciak, (left)Cornell CooperativeExtension Aide fromCattaraugus County,leads afield exercise ontree identification aspart of the 1995 MFO/COVERTS training atCornell's Arnot Forest.

the volunteers reviewed the importance oflog grades, toured the mill operation andlearned of company policy.

NY's Master Forest Owner/COVERTSProgram is funded by The Ruffed GrouseSociety, the NY Forest Stewardship Pro-gram and the NY Renewable ResourcesExtension Program, with cooperation fromthe NYS Department of EnvironmentalConservation, Division of Lands and For-ests and the NY Forest Owners Associa-tion. Thanks, at least in part, to this year'sclass of volunteers who forfeited mileagereimbursement, the program will continuethrough another year and training work-shop, despite budget cuts primarily fromfederal sources.

For a complete listing of MFOs in yourarea, contact your Cornell CooperativeExtension County Office or your RegionalNYS DEC Forestry Office. For more in-formation on the program or to learn howto apply to become a MFOyolunteer. con-tact Gary Goff, Program Director, FernowHall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853(607)255-2824.

NOV/DEC 1995

Listing by County of MFO/COVERTS Volunteers attending the Sept. 1995 TrainingAlbany County Lewis County Mark C. DesmeryBob Greenman Don Colton PO Box 51718 Sunset Dr. 5595 E. Trinity Avenue Fishkill, NY 12524Delmar, NY 12054 Lowville, NY 13367 914-255-7758518-439-5057 315-376-5595

Broome CountyJerry Michael#12 Meadowood Ln.Binghamton, NY 13901607-648-2941

Livingston CountyWilliam and Kathy Henning7939 Schwab Hollow Rd., Box 456Wayland, NY 14572716-728-5783

Wayne CountyEugene Stephens7434 Knickerbocker Rd.Ontario, NY 14519315-524-8305

Richard Molyneaux217 Sherder RoadEndicott, NY 13760607-748-4251

Monroe CountyDon Wagner7015 4th Section Rd.Brockport, NY 14420716-637-4809

Donald MacDougall4140 Dix St.Rose, NY 14542315-587 -2773

Cattaraugus CountyMichael Ostrowski90 W. MaplemereAmherst, NY 14221716-632-3587

Ron Freese12 Brighton St.Rochester, NY 14607716-244-2049

Jim Miller6415 N. Geneva Rd.Sodus, NY 14551315-483-8454

Chautauqua CountyDr. Robert C. Kochersberger18 Lester St.Sinclairville, NY 14782716-962-4385

Oneida CountyRon Chauncey7871 Yager Rd.Blossvale, NY 13308315- 245-0296

Yates CountyGeorge Gardner179 W. Lk. RoadPenn Yan, NY 14527315-536-9650

Bob Glidden544 Homestead Dr.No. Tonawanda, NY 14120716-693-4870

Oswego CountyRichard Schoeck132 Holst Rd.Bernhards Bay, NY 13028315-675-3690

TREE SHELTERFEEDBACK

Gale E. Sauer5840 Damon Hill Rd.Sinclairville, NY 14782716-962-9585

Otsego CountyJim Curtis24 Chester St.Andover, MA 01810508-470-1293

In a recent conversation with JohnSolan, manager of the NYS SaratogaTree Nursery, some observations ofNurserymen from the midwest were re-layed, in regards to the use of tree shel-ters. It should be kept in mind that theseare observations, NOT formal research,are related to midwest weather andgrowing conditions, and relate prima-rily to their use in seed orchards andother high quality hardwoods.

1) Gypsy moth, forest tent caterpil-lars, etc. get trapped inside and the re-sultant defoliation goes undetected.

2) Birds often get trapped insidewhich requires netting over the top toprevent this.

3) The tree shelters do not seem tobreak down as expected and can resultin girdling a tree when a solid tube isused.

4) The main stem is not developingthe needed strength and rigidity to sup-port the future top growth above the treeshelter, resulting in breakage from wind,ice, etc.

Chenango CountyRobert J. Smith77 East State St.Sherburne, NY 13460607-674-9229

Columbia CountyAl Cibelli101 Old Mamaroneck Rd., Apt. 301White Plains, NY 10605914-946-1385

Schuyler CountyGeorge Bulin2529 Jennings RoadWatkins Glen, NY 14891607 -535-7055

Dutchess CountyRobert C. Davidge89 Oriole Mills RoadRhinebeck, NY 12572914-758-0330

Richard HuntHunt's Tree FarmStilwell Rd.Trumansburg, NY 14886607-387-9399

Erie CountyBob Preston450 Spruce Wood TerraceWilliamsville, NY 14221716-632-5862

Tompkins CountyDan Evett325 S. Geneva St.Ithaca, NY 14850607-277-3979

Diana Taber14 Taggart Rd.Newfield, NY 14867607-564-1082

Roy EmerlingBox 204Boston, NY 14025716-667-7270

Ulster CountyRay VaughanPO Box 258Stone Ridge, NY ]2484914-687-9165

NYFOA -1-800-836-3566 -INFO

The above was excerpted from SEAdirondack Chapter, NYFOA Newslet-ter, John Hastings, Editor.

NY FOREST OWNER NOV/DEC 1995 • 21

SOME BUGGY MANAGEMENTBy Jane Sorensen Lord, Phd,OTR,ND

It was green, sort of metallic looking, across between jade and emerald. It was asbig as my index finger - big enough to causea startle response on first glance. It hadsmall spots down its sides, and eyes at eachend with extraterrestrial knobs over eacheye. And in a day it ate a whole bunch ofmy Valerian!

As a rule, herbs are pest resistant. Butthis summer, with the long drought, ourherb gardens had more than their fair shareof intruders.

Eight years ago after we planted our firstChristmas Trees, a small red oak near thefield was attacked by gypsy moth caterpil-lars. Not willing to sacrifice the ten footsapling, I raced to the local feed and gar-den store to research the package sides ofall the pesticides and chose Malathion. Isprayed the tree copiously. I came backthree days later and the caterpillars weregone. But I found, one hundred feet awayfrom the oak in one direction and seventy-five feet away in the other, the corpses ofthe pair of bluebirds we had enticed to stayon our land with new nest boxes. Their ba-bies were eaten by and their nest box wasfull of thumbnail-size yellow beetles, whichsort of swarmed out, falling and running inall directions when I opened the box.

Let Mother Nature handle the wholedeal on her own, I decided on the spot. Ididn't like the loop I precipitated - fromgypsy moth caterpillars to carrion beetles!

But that decision made years ago meantI had to stand up to the giant green metal-lic caterpillar on my own, eyeballs to eye-balls .. I decided the thing would not bite,sting, or wrap itself around my arm like apython; so I gingerly plucked it off, put itin a jar, and took it inside to identify it. Myliterature search identified a Tobacco Hornworm (an interloper all the way from Ken-tucky!? - Valerian must be related to to-bacco).

I took the thing far from my garden, wayback under our white pine stand, and re-leased it. Nothing likes living under thepines. Within seconds one of the cats whohad been following me, leaped on and atehalf of the caterpillar. At least it doesn'tintimidate all predators.

I felt better when I went back to the gar-den to assess the damage objectively. Un-der the leaves of the remaining valerian,were three more Horn worms. But thesewere shrunken to about an inch in length.They were covered with the larvae of awasp, which suck life nutrients from thecaterpillar's body. The dying caterpillars

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22 NY FOREST OWNER NYFOA -1-800-836-3566 - INFO

continue to eat the plant, but not a substan-tial amount. I just left them.

I turned my attention to my seven foothigh blooming angelica. I noticed ladybugs, a beneficial insect. On closer look theundersides of the flowers were covered withaphids. The lady bugs were doing their best,but I thought the aphids were far too plen-tiful for the lady bugs to control; so Iplucked the most infected bloom and shookthe bugs into vegetable oil and water.

When I cut the flower, I noticed a babypraying mantis on the leaf notch below. Thepoor moisture-loving angelica was reallyin trouble! Indeed, it died early after seed-ing prolifically, as do many trees when un-der stress.

We had a lot of "tank" bugs throughoutthe gardens this past dry season. Mediumsized brown bugs that behave like littletanks, walking up and down stalks and overleaves stopping for nothing but to eatsmaller bugs.

A lot of my plants bloomed later thanusual and will get hit by frost before theycan go to seed. Calendula usually starts tobloom in July; this year they started in Sep-tember; or they came and went very fast.The Echinachea blackened with the firstlight frost. But overall, the garden did wellenough. And the bugs helped, were maybekey.

So, it was with great pleasure, I prof-fered a rescue stick to a praying mantis whohad slipped and upturned on a piece ofblack agricultural plastic. He kept holdgratefully as I carted him to a Cleome inmy largest bed. He had a great menu to se-lect from there. I thought, "I hope you stay:'And I swear he waved a pincer as I walkedaway.

Dr. Jane, a Master Forest Owner, is a regu-lar contributor to the NY FOREST OWNER,promotes the use of wild plants in our cul-ture, and serves as Comm'unications Liai-son for the NYS Tree Farm Committee.

NOV/DEe 1995

FOR SALE: 170 acres Allegany County; 80 acres pine and BEAVER PROBLEM?: Experienced trapper to do beaverhardwoods; deer, turkey, grouse; call Henry Hansen, evenings removal. Call evenings or write: Steve Schoonover; 7410(716) 334-3569; Good project for interested woodsman. East Lake Road; Homer, N.Y 13077; 6071749-7494.

The MarketplaceATTENTION small woodlot owners/part time loggers - ForFARMI winches and VALBY chippers, write Hewitt's HillHaven, Locke, NY 13092 or call (315) 497-1266 (Before 8AMor after 6PM).

MEADOWVIEW NURSERYQUALITY FIELDGROWN SEEDLINGS AND TRANS-PLANTS for reforestation and establishing wildlife habitat.SPECIALIZING IN NUT TREE & WETLAND VARIET-IES. P.O. Box 241, Byron, NY 14422 (716) 548-2207 FAX(716) 548-9014

ADVERTISINGRATES

For Sale - A well-managed timberland tract in Ellenburg,NY consisting of 191 acres near Upper Chateauguy Lake.Asking $85,000. For more details contact Ben Hudson atWagner Woodlands and Co., P.O. Box 128, Lyme, NH 03768(603) 795-2165.

Christmas Tree Grower seeking wholesaler. 500 ScotchPine in 1996. More coming. Spruces, Fraser Fir, Balsam Fir.Contact Black Forest Products, 3824 Pembrooke Lane, Vestal,NY 13850.Portable Sawmilling for central NY FOR SALE: 1990woodmizer model45HD sawmill with many extra parts plussharpner and setter, $12,000. Tim Roberson, 315/496-2253.

FOR SALE: 105+ acre Chautauqua County Tree Farm.Nice stream, black cherry and maple predominate. Call 703/631-1076 for details.

Display: $210 - per full page or 30 col. in.; $7 per col. in.Marketplace: $10 minimum for 25 words or less, 1Oceach additional word.

Circulation 1950.

FORECON, INC.

JAMESTOWN, NY OFFICE100 East Second StreetJamestown, New York 14701(716) 664-5602(716) 664-6648 Facsimile

CORTLAND, NY OFFICE11 North Main StreetSuite 202Cortland, NY 13045(607) 753-3113(607) 753-9170 Facsimile

TIMBERLAND REALTY OFFICE100 East Second StreetJamestown, NY 14701(716) 664-5602(716) 664-6648 Facsimile

SPECIALIZING IN:

• Timber Sale Administration

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FOrestry - Recreation - Ecology - CONservation

NY FOREST OWNER NOV/DEe 1995· 23NYFOA • 1·800·836·3566 ·INFO

R.J. Fox, EditorRD#3, Box 88Moravia, NY 13118FaxlPhone (315) 497-1078

NOTICE NEW YORK FOREST OWNERSDEBBIE GILLPO BOX 180FAIRPORT, NY 14450

THE FOREST OWNER is mailedthird class and will not be forwarded;notify Administrative Secretary DebbieGill, PO Box 180, Fairport 14450 or caIl1/800/836/3566 with a change in ad-dress!

Who does what: loggers, sawmillers,foresters, merchants, gov't agencies ....

Call our FREE information Databaseand Debbie will get the answers for you.

INFORMATION AT YOUR FINGERTIPS.1-800-836-3566

For Information On

NYFOA SPECIALS.The following promotional items especially designed for

NYFOA may be obtained from Deborah Gill, AdministrativeSecretary; PO Box 180, Fairport, NY 14450; (716) 377-6060or directly from and with support for your local chapter:

Shoulder Patches $2.00 50% Cotton T-Shirts $8.00Window Decals 0.50 100% Cotton T-Shirts 9.00Member Sign 2.00 Long-sleeved Shirts 13.00Pewter Lapel Pins 4.00 Sweatshirts 16.00

PLEASE PROVIDE SIZE & PHONE NO.

24 • NY FOREST OWNER NYFOA· 1-800-836-3566 - INFO

9511~~SSOC"

Non-Profit Org.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDMoravia, N.Y.

13118Permit No. 21

\" GROWING TOMORROW'S

TRIoI'S TODAY

I

FOUNDED 1963

WOODLOTCALENDARNOV 2: 2ND ANNUAL TREE FARMERCONVENTION; SLLouis,MO; 404/451-7106.

NOV 2: CFA; lOAM; Paul Steinfeld & 35years Forest Management; 914/586-3054.

NOV 13-14: THE EMPIRE STATE:CHANGES AND CHALLENGES; Syra-cuse; 315/470-6539.

NOV 18: NFC; lOAM; Herschell Carrou-sel Factory Museum; N. Tonawanda; 716/874-4074.

JAN 13:SEA;S kii ng/s nowshoei ng;Schreiner's woodlot; 5181798-0248

APR 27: NYFOA ANNUAL SPRINGMEETING; Marshall Hall, SUNY/ESF;Syracuse

Coming Issues-NY Forest Owner

BLOWDOWNS AND INSECTSBy Douglas Allen, SUNYfESF

RIVER OTTER RESTORATIONBy Robert Gotie, NYS DEC

WETLANDSBy Raymond Nolan

NOV/OEC 1995