NewYorJr

Forest OwnerJuly-August 1977

GYPSY MOTH · HEIBERG AWARDPONDS · DO-IT-YOURSELF

SURVEYING

THENEW YORK FOREST OWNERS

ASSOCIATION

rvo!. 15 no.e

From a Cover Artist -

"Thank you for using myillustration (of the pileatedwoodpecker) on your cover.Had I known that I wouldhave done a better job. Ifyou need art work in the fu-ture, I would be more thanhappy to oblige your needs."

Brian Moss333 West End AvenueNew York, N.Y.I0023

Changes, Changes -

Because of the currenteconomic situation in NewYork State and the needfor the State to provide agreater number of servicesto its citizens at ever increas-ing costs, it will be necessaryafter May 16, 1977 to chargefor certain services provid-ed under the CooperativeForest Managemen t ProgramWhile we regret this action,we have no alternative asfunds to carryon the pro-gram as before are not in-cluded in the budget enac-ted by the Legislature forthe current fiscal year.

I have included a sched-ual of the charges that havebeen placed in effect. Pleasenote that with the exceptionof the preparation of a de-tailed forest managementplan, the services that willbe charged for are the onesthat produce income for thelandowner.

Some time ago you re-quested the assistance of aDepartment forester in themanagement of your wood-lands. We regret that be-cause of the backlog of sim-ilar requests, we have beenunable to provide that assis-tance before this.

We would appreciateyour checking and returningthe enclosed postcard so wewill know if you still wish

2

Letter to N.Y. Assembly-man Bersani -

" I am writing to urge youto support the State Envi-ronmental Quality ReviewAct(SEQR) without amend-ment.

"I have read the legislationwhich is pending and whichif enacted, would furtherdelay and emasculate SEQRTo do so would be false e-conomy, for the Environ-mental Impact StatementProcess (EIS) is one whichsaves developers, the State,and the people money, timeand frustration."The authors of the Nation-al Environmental Policy Act(NEPA) of 1969, the inter-preting courts, and the fra-mers of SEQR (which ispatterned after NEPA) ne-ver intended that the EISprocess formalized by NEPAshould be used to precludedevelopment. Indeed, in-dustrial and commercial de-velopment and governmentactivities in New York Statewill not be curtailed bySEQR as it now stands: incontrast, developments un-dertaken which incorporateenvironmental considera-tions in the planning pro-cess will be more econom-ical, more attractive, andwill be a long-lasting sourceof pride as well as income."Ideally, the en tire EIS pro-cess should be adopted atall levels of human endeav-or, wherever man and hisenvironment interact."

Peter E. BlackDeWitt, N.Y.

AssociationOffice rs

PresidentC. EUGENE FARNSWORTH

1219 Lancaster Ave.Syracuse, N. Y. 13210

First Vice-PresidentROBERT M. SAND

Odessa, N. Y. 14869

Second Vice-President

WILLIAM C. CRAIGRD 1, Sherburne, N. Y. 13460

Third Vice-PresidentGORDON L. CONKLIN

RD 2, Trumansburg, N. Y. 1484S

Membership SecretaryMRS, HELEN VARIAN

204 Varian RoadPeekskill, N. Y. 10566

Secretary

J. lEWIS DUMOND9 Grand St.

Cobleskill, N. Y. 12043

?reasurerEMIEL D. PALMER5822 S. Salina St .

Syracuse, N. Y. 13205

Directors

1978WILLIAM BALLAGHAllEN BRATTON

WILLIAM C. CRAIGKENNETH L. EBERLEY

C. EUGENE FARNSWORTHWILLIAM LUBINECA. W. ROBERTS

1979RONALD BALDWIN

ROBERT M. BRAMHALLGORDON L. CONKLINRICHARD C. FASSETTROBERT R. MORROW

EVELYN STOCKRAYMOND R. WALKER

1980ROBERT EDMONDSRICHARD V. LEA

BARBARA PITTENGERWILLIAM S. POWERSLLOYD G. STROMBECK

H. O. WARDKENNETH WILLIAMS

Opinions expressed in this publica-tion are not necessarily those of theBoard of Directors of the NewYork Forest Owners Association.

Materials submitted for publi-cation should be addressed to: AlanR. Knight. Editor, N, Y. ForestOwner. 526 Anderson Hill RoadR.O. 2, Candor: N.Y. 13743. '

Written materials. photos, andart work are invited. Although thereturn of unsolicited materials can-not be guaranteed, they are nor-mally returned after use.

The first day of the previousmonth is the deadline for inclusionof any item. Published: January,March. May, July. September,November.

IN THE MAILBOX ..... . letters posted, pilfered

or passed along.

to avail yourself of the for-estry services we offer.-Please keep in mind that thetypes of assistance we havealways offered, such as re-forestation and forest man-agement advice, and the ser-vices connected with thefederally-funded ForestryIncentives Program (FIP)and Agricultural Conserva-tion Program (ACP) con-tinue to be offered withoutcharge. These services arenot mentioned in the at-tached schedule.

We hope that your in-terest in good forest man-agement will not be affectedby this new development.May we hear from you soon?SCHEDULE OF SERVICE

CHARGES~~.!.i.!!lJ2~_M~1!DR - $6per acre, limited to 50 acres.

M~~BRQlE~~~Q~l~R~Q.Q9-,-fQ§!§-,-E.olel.- $2 peracre, limited to 50 acres.Pr~aration of Detailed Man-~1TI~!i!]~I~i---:-40c-Peracre. Limited to 3 days offield time.

Paul D. KellerRegional ForesterNew Paltz, N.Y.

I

more letters ...

An Opinion onForest Taxation -

"As a member of the asso-ciation 1 am writing you a-bout an issue which 1 be-lieve in the final analysis isthe most important one weas forest owners face today.That is the whole questionof the system of taxationon forest lands throughoutNew York State. The pres-ent version of Section 480Aof the General Tax Law dueto be implemented soonmay give some relief .. inthe southern section of theState, but as 1 and othersinterpret it, it will give scantif any relief to the northernsection, the Adirondack andTug Hill regions where themost heavily wooded areasoccur!" .. This situation becomesironic if we take into ac-count the fact that the TugHill and Adirondack areashave (or are proposed tohave) by far the most strin-gent zoning restrictions inthe state if not the entirecoun try. The market valueof the land has been drastic-ally lowered but this hasnot been reflected - as itshould be by tax law - in alowering of the taxes paidon the land. The Town ofMontague's temporary zo-ning ordinance basically pro-vided for zoning limits of

POSTEDPUBLIC

WATER SUPPLYMUtmtK, FISHING, TRAPPIN' ORTlESPASSING FOR ANY PURPOSE

IS STRICTlY FORBIDDENVIOlATOfIS WIU BE PROSf(UTED-~POSTEDNO HUNTING,FISHING,

TRAPPING,TRESPASSING or

MOTORIZEDVEHICLES-._,

3, 10, 25 and 42 acres.Yet this is not reflected inthe tax situation. Landzoned for 3 acres is assessedthe same on a per acre bas-is as land zoned for 42 acres.Additionally, each acre isassessed at $25 per acre,whether there be 5 acres or1000 acres. We have the in-tolerable situation of havingland which is impossible tosell because of the .restric-tive zoning, yet paying atax rate on the "highest andbest use" ,i.e. development."If this situation is allowedto remain unchecked it willresult in the practical ex-tinction of the private for-est owner in the wholeNorth Country region!"1 believe this should atpresent be the main goal ofour Association, for if pri-vate ownership of forestsends, so does our organiza-tion."

Peter V. O'SheaRD 6, Box 347Pleasant Hill Rd.Hopewell Junction, N.Y.12533

(Editor'S note: Mr. Shea'sletter was much longer, butI believe I've left the essenceof his views here.)

WANTED: Classified and displayads for Forest Owner Magazine,circulation 500. Ads appropriateto forest most welcome. $2.50 percolumn inch for display ads (thereare 3 ten inch columns per page. .. or $37.50 for a half page) or10 cents per word for classifieds.Chain saws, wood stoves, land,consultants ... you name it!

FOR SALE: What have you to sell,swap, or donate? Use this space.Submit ads with proper amount ofmoney to: Christopher BerthiaumeAdvertising Manager, Glenmary Dr.Owego, New York 13827.

WANTED: Original art work orphotographs suitable for use oncover of Forest Owner magazine.Illustrations capturing forest, na-ture, or rural themes desired. Nopayment Offered, just the free ad-vertising such use affords buddingartists.

45 Styles Permanent ALUMINUM Signs.Custom Signs & Name Imprints available

Send for Free sample & catalogJOHN VOSS

Dept. NYF,R.D.l, Manlius, N.Y. 13104orPhone(315)682-6418

I AM the heat of your hearthon the cold winter nights,The friendly shade screeningyou from the summer sun,and my fruits are refreshing,quenching your thirstas you journey onI am the beam that holds your houseThe board of your table.

The bed on which you lieand the parchment from whichyour mind is nourished.I am the handle of your hoeThe door of your home,the strength of your cradleand the shell of your coffin.You who pass by, listenand harm me not.

Publications Dept. of ConsolidatedPapers, Inc. Box 50 - Wisconsin Rapids,Wisconsin 54494 - Public Relations

iPOSTEDI~~~2!!.~E,~!,~!ITUSPASSIIK fOR AI, "'1~SIo

IS SnKTlT FOa ••••ytOLATOIS Will IE HOSKUTU

POSTE~IPRIVATE PROPERTYNUWTlIG, IISHIIK, TU"II" 01'IESPA,S,SI"' FOI An 'UII"OSI

IS STIKTlT FOIIllDO£IIVIOUTOIIS Will II 'IOSKIITID::,,_~I

3

MYSELF A TRELee Brummer

:WARNING'1 TREE PLANTATIONNO SNOWMOBILESMumIK. FISIUIK. TlA"'IIK oaTlESPASSUK J.Ot AMY PUIHSE

IS STIICTl Y fOIlIDDll

Got a question?

Ask a Forester

Cedar Extracts -I've heard rumors of demand for

cedar oil for use in a pharmaceutical product.What about this?

John StevensonEden, Vermont

Dear Mr. Stevenson:

I personally do not know of anypharmaceutical product based on cedar ex-tracts. I suggest you contact Martha C. Mapes,Div. of Nutritional Sciences, MVR Hall, Cor-nell University, Ithaca, N.Y. 14853.

James P. LassoieExtension ForesterCornell University

(Anybody else have an idea for our Vermontreader? - Editor)

Burning Softwoods -My 3Yz acre woodlot has numerous

white pine and some hemlock. I have readthat pine and hemlock and other resinouswood produce an accumulation of creosoteand is the source of most chimney fires.

Can seasoned white pine be burnedsafely? How much seasoning? Hemlock?

Robert W. Traver, Sr.Averill Park, New York

Dear Mr. Traver:

Generally I see nothing wrong withburning pine and hemlock as long as the com-bustion is complete and high temperaturesare reached. The best way to insure this is touse well seasoned wood. Seasoning outside ina covered situation for two years should beadequate. The enclosed publications mayprove useful.

James P. LassoieExtension Forester Cornell University

What About Pulpwood?

I saw in the American AgriculturistI could get details for the value and marketfor hard and soft wood .. mostly pulpwood.I have a lot of poplar trees to remove to makea place for reforestation. I hope you can ad-vise about a market for pulpwood.

Austin WormuthAvoca, New York

Dear Mr. Wormuth:The market for forest products varies

greatly from place to place in New York State.There has been a market for "poplar" (I as-sume you are referring to what is generallycalled aspen or popple) in the western part ofthe state.

Your best source for the latest infor-mation on markets is your local office of the-New York Department of Environmental Con-servation.

However, Iwould advise against plan-ting on land from which poplar or aspen hasbeen cut. Aspen sprouts very vigorously andprofusely from roots and stumps and wouldquickly crowd and shade out any trees youmight plant.

A. W. Roberts, Jr.NYFOA Committee onNatural Resources and Land Use

NYFOA to go exhibiting this summer

Exciting woodmen's events highlight theWoodmen's Field Days at Boonville, N. Y.This year's event will be August 20 and 21.

4

The Forest Owner's Association willhave an exhibit and float in the parade at 12noon on Satu rday, August 20th at Bonnville'sWoodsmen's Field Days. The Forest Ownerswill also sponsor a "nymph" in the parade.

For those who have never seen it, theWoodsmen's Field Days is quite an event:championship woodsmens' contests, canoeraces, log loading and skinning, axe throwing,chopping. And NYFOA will be there, part ofit.

NYFOA will also have a booth at StateFair this year, August 30-September 15.We'll be sharing the booth with the Collegeof Environmental Science and Forestry andsome 4-Hers who will be demonstratingchainsaw safety and firewood skills.

Contact Ken Eberley to volunteer tospread the word about NYFOA. (9 EdgewoodDrive, Whitesboro, N.Y. 13492).

THE GYPSY MOTH ANDITS NATURAL ENEMIESby Robert W. Campbell

MOST OF US have grown more or lessimmune to the sort of long-range, remote

threats that we read or hear about so fre-quently in this age of instant communication.But those who have seen a gypsy moth out-break can testify that the threat this insectposes seems immediate and sometimes almostterrifying.

Millions of dollars have been spent in ef-forts to control this pest or to eliminate itfrom this continent; yet it continues to spreadand to defoliate our woodland, park, and or-namental trees.

Gypsy moths, Porthetria dispar (L.), wereimported to the United States from Europein 1868 by a scientist who thought he coulduse them to make silk. They escaped, bred,thrived, and built up populations that soonbegan to damage trees in Massachusetts.

The gypsy moth is a defoliator. It devoursthe foliage of hardwood trees- especiallyoaks- which can kill the trees. From the firstinfestations in Massachusetts, the gypsy mothhas spread until it is now the major insectthreat to the hardwood forests of the north-eastern United States.

Some of our failures to control this pesthave had their roots in the long-standingnotion that we must at all times do something.This notion, in turn, seems to have been basedon the premise that doing anything is better

Occasionally, gypsy mothlarvae simply exhaust their available foodbefore many of them can pupate. In suchcases, the ground may resemble a mov-ing carpet as the insects wander throughthe defoliated stand. Many of these in-sects will eventually die in windrows asthey pile up against the bases of their.erstwhilehost trees.

than just sitting around and watching ourtrees be gobbled up.

For example, millions of forested acres inthe northeastern United States were treatedwith DDT in the 1950's, even though we hadfar too little factual information about eitherthe natural life system of the insect itself orthe possible interactions between the insect'slife system and this one-dimensional methodof treatment.

My introduction to this insect was based onthe notion that somebody should do nothingat all except sit on a stump and watch theinsect. The late Dr. Donald L. Collins, thestate entomologist of New York, offered me asummer job as "gypsy moth watcher" in 1957.I took that job, and found my niche, I guess,because I've been a gypsy moth watcher eversince.

Insect-pest management has been identifiedso closely with chemical pesticides in recentyears that we tend to ignore the fact thatthese pesticides are only a part of pest-popu-lation management. We should know ourenemy beforehand in enough detail so thatwe can use pesticides only in bona fide emer-gencies; and other methods-including doingnothing-would become much more promi-nent in the management scheme.The following notes about the gypsy moth,

its behavior, and its ecology have been col-lected during 17 years of observing this in-sect pest.

5

LarvaePredaceous ground beetles kill gypsy moth

larvae. Most important is a large iri-descent green importation from Europe calledCalosoma sycophanta (fig. 10). The adultbeetles begin to appear while the gypsy mothpopulation is still in its third instar, and mostof these adult beetles will have disappearedby the time the gypsy moth population haspupated (although their larvae will have be-come predaceous on the gypsy moth pupaeby that time).

These Calosoma beetles may be difficult tofind unless many are present, because theyseem to be more active at night than duringthe daylight. Each adult beetle, which hadspent the winter months in an undergroundchamber, apparently tends to establish arather restricted home range.

We have seldom found a Calosoma beetlein an area when the resident gypsy moth pop-ulat.ion was sparse, even t hough hot h g~'psymoths and Calosorna beetles had been numer-ous in that area in t he preceding year. Al-though beetle densities increase from year toyear if the density level of their prey alsoincreases, the gypsy moth populations Istudied have usually crashed before the lx-etlepopulation had time to increase to a level atwhich the beetles could consume a substantialpart of the gypsy moth population; and thebeetle population subsequently disappeared,

Mice, too, eat Calosoma beetles. Typically,they discard the exoskeletons of their prey inrather neat piles. These remains are usuallyfound on level spots near tree bases-

You may find both the nymphs and theadults of a stink bug (Pentatomid ) with theirelongated beak inserted in gypsy moth cater-pillars or pupae. Although I haw' usually inter-preted this activity as scavenging, rarely pre-dation, on the caterpillars, these bugs clearlydo prey on both gypsy moth caterpillars andpupae from time to time, although this parti-cular predator/prey relationship is probablyof little biological significance.

Other potential invertebrate predators ofthe older gypsy moth caterpillars, such as antsand spiders, have been watched :closely; but in 17 years of observation I haveseldom witnessed predation on the older cater-pillar stages by these organisms.

6

This braconid wasp, Apante/es me/anosce/us, is layingan egg in a small gypsy moth caterpillar. The wasp here is shownlarger than real life size in relation to the caterpillar.

Figure 10.- This ground beetle, ea/osoma syco-phanta, was imported into this country fromEurope. These beetles often hang head downfrom the tree bole as they prey on wanderinglarvae they have captured.

Figure 13.-Both the black-billed cuckoo, shown here, and theyellow-billed cuckoo are attracted to outbreak areas. They seemto specialize in eating hairy caterpillars such as the gypsy moth.

Birds, especially grackles-and perhaps alsostarlings and red-winged blackbirds-can beimportant predators on fourth-, fifth-, andsixth-instar caterpillars, but usually only whenthe prey population is sparse. My observationson the food-getting behavior of such birds inwoodland situations are sketchy, for two rea-sons. First, flocks of these birds are difficult toapproach closely under woodland conditions.Second, such flocks may range across severalsquare miles of woodland, presenting the ap-pearance of constant movement from placeto place.

Our evidence from a generally sparse gypsymoth population in northeastern Connecticutand adjacent Massachusetts indicated thatthese birds tended to find relatively high-density gypsy moth caterpillar populationsand that they then concentrated on thesehigh-density spots as food sources.

In 1971, as outbreak conditions developedto the south of this study area, I noted thatflocks of grackles were easy to find in thenorthern edge of the outbreak, but almostnever a few miles farther north under condi-tions of lower density. Unfortunately, thesebirds seldom have much effect on the gypsymoth under outbreak conditions, because un-der these conditions there are too many gypsymoth caterpillars per acre for the birds toremove a significant proportion.

One other bird should be mentioned in rela-tion to the gypsy moth: the cuckoo, or woodcrow (fig. 13). Both black-billed and yellow-billed cuckoos are noted as predators of hairycaterpillars, and they are always present insmall numbers around outbreaks of the gypsymoth. I always associate the unique call ofthese birds with gypsy moth outbreaks, prob-ably because I have rarely heard them else-where. These are relatively shy birds, but apatient observer with field glasses can assurehimself that they are eating gypsy moth cater-pillars.

7

Northeastern hardwood forests contain amore numerous and more varied communityof small mammals than most people, includingmany foresters, realize. The white-footedmouse, Peromyscusleucopus, is both a promi-nent member of this community and an im-portant predator of the gypsy moth (at leastwhile the prey population is sparse). Usuallythese mice prey much more on pupae than onolder caterpillars, for reasons that will be de-scribed. On the other hand, I have observed afew cases where mouse predation on the cater-pillars was extremely high.When a mouse finds a gypsy moth cater-

pillar, he sometimes grasps the insect in hisforepaws and pulls off its head capsule withhis teeth. He discards the head capsule, to-gether with the bright green upper digestivetract, then rolls the caterpillar skin back onitself-just as you might peel a banana (fig.14).

Only a small portion of the prey insect isconsumed. Under woodland conditions you

are most likely to find the caterpillar remainsaround tree bases, but if you happen to havea tree house in that old apple tree in yourbackyard, look for them there. We have foundthese remains at least 35 feet above theground, in tree crotches, which goes to provethat the mouse is an excellent climber.These mice are much more active at night

than they are during daylight hours, and atnight the older caterpillars are on the foliageand inaccessible to the mice. Thus most ofthe predation by mice is restricted to dawnand dusk.

Other small mammals, such as shrews, voles,and chipmunks, have not been significantpredators of any gypsy moth stage. In cageexperiments, both voles and chipmunks haveusually refused to eat the insect.

A FEW LAST WORDS

Pest outbreaks, like runaway fires, tend tobe spectacular. Our methods for suppressingboth insect outbreaks and fires tend toresemble a sort of man-against-nature mor-ality play, both dramatic and exciting.

Of course, any professional fireman will tellyou that the best way to cope with a potentialfire is to prevent it from occurring in the firstplace. Similarly, pest managers would muchprefer to contain potential pests at innocuousand manageable levels rather than have tocope with outbreaks. The problem in bothcases is that we have not yet found totally

8

effective ways to prevent either pest outbreaksor fires.The apparently spectacular success of mod-

ern pesticides gave many entomological re-searchers a feeling that a permanent pest-control solution, rather than a short-termemergency control, had been found. Now,however, as we seek new ways to live in rea-sonable harmony with our insect neighbors,we have found that we need to know a greatdeal more about their ecology in order todesign pest-management systems that arebroad and flexible as well as ecologicallysound. We need to know the enemy better.

Gypsy Moth Poses Threat to Many Areasin Southeastern and Northeastern New York

A gypsy moth egg mass survey wasconducted on high use forested areas, fores-ted communities and high value forests in 33counties in New York. The purpose of thissurvey is to predict defoliation before thefeeding season starts, allowing time to plancontrols. In 1976, the gypsy moth causedmedium or heavy defoliation on 2,944 hect-arest in the state (FI&DC, 76).

Plots were established in areas of pre-ferred hosts consisting mainly of oak, willow,poplar, basswood, apple and/or gray birch.

Table indicates that medium or heavydefoliation is expected on 5,746 hectares inNew York State, an increase of 2,802 hectaresover 1976. Statewide gypsy moth defoliationis on an upward trend. Two direct impacts ofthe gypsy moth increase are feeding damageto trees and shrubs and nuisance problemscreated by the gypsy moth and its activities.

The department of EnvironmentalConservation will not conduct a gypsy mothsuppression project in 1977, but will continueto monitor the gypsy moth population andprovide technical advice to affected landown-ers on management alternatives.

The department will release 1,000parasitic wasps and flies in two locations inNew York to increase the number of naturalcontrols of the gypsy moth. The gypsy mothparasite survey will be continued in 1977 forthe third consecutive year of a five year study.Knowledge gained from the study about thekinds, relative abundance and geographic dis-tribution of parasites is used in selecting para-sites for release.

TABLE - 1977 Hectares of forest subject to defoliation by the gypsy moth ..Areas expected to have light defoliation are not reported.

---------------------------------------------Counties Towns Medium (ha) Heavy (ha)

Defoliation*---------------------------------------- -----

Clinton Plattsburgh 368 400Franklin Constable 120 80

Malone 80 120Westville 30 50

Orange Deerpark 1264Highlands 256Tuxedo 8Woodbury 156

Rockland Stony Point 60Suffolk Easthampton 120 200Sullivan Bethel 246

Forestburg 262Highland 538Lumberland 780Mamakating 164Tusten 376

Ulster Wawarsing 68

t One hectare (ha) equals 2.47 acres* Medium defoliation equals 31 to 60 percent·heavy defoliation equals 61 to 100 percent. '

DECAY is a major cause ofdamage to trees. WOUNDS startthe processes that can lead to de-cay. Decayed trees are unsightly,hazardous, and low quality. Toprevent decay, first preventwounds, but if a tree becomeswounded follow these steps tominimize decay, and to help thetree remain healthy.

How to TREAT WOUNDSPREVENT DECAY

1. Clean wounds; trim awayloose injured bark.2. Shape the wound into a ver-tical oval when possible. Use asharp knife to make a cleanedge between vigorous bark andexposed wood.3. Remove dead, dying or weakbranches from the wounded tree.4. Water and properly fertilizethe tree.

5. Remove dead wood fromaround tree - practice sanitation.6. Remove less valuable woodyplants that may be crowding thevaluable wounded tree.7. Protect the tree from furtherinjury.8. Use a thin coat of a wounddressing only if it's needed as asign that the wound has beentreated. Otherwise do not paintthe wound.

9

Outstanding Tree Farmer Award

to Franklin County Residentby Dave Taber, Extension Specialist,College of Environmental Science andForestry, Syracuse.

Stewart Decker of Brushton inFranklin County was awarded the distinctionof being New York's Outstanding Tree Farm-er of the Year at ceremonies held at the Al-bany Quality Inn on May 19.

Fred A. Umholtz, chairman of theNew York Committee of the American TreeFarm System announced the selection ofDecker from competition consisting of some300 tree farms in New York.

Richard Lewis, manager of the Am-erican Tree Farm System which is nationallysponsored by the American Forest Instituteof Washington, D.C., presented Decker witha suitably engraved plaque noting the out-standing conservation accomplishment andannounced that he would be presented with anew McCullogh chainsaw at the New YorkState Woodsmen's Field Days in Boonville onAugust 20.

Peter A. Berle, Commissioner of theN.Y.S.Department of Environmental Conser-vation addressed the members of the EmpireState Forest Products Association where theOutstanding Tree Farmer award was presen-ted. Berle emphasized that "the forest pro-ducts industry is of great importance in NewYork from both economic and environmentalstandpoints." And after noting that he uses achainsaw to cut all his own firewood and sug-gesting that many people are beginning to re-alize the importance of New York's forestsby association with wood for fuel, Berle sta-ted that "it is our job to see that the forestindustry thrives in the State."

10

Stewart Decker (c) of Brushton (FranklinCounty) is congratulated for being the Out-standing Tree Farmer of the Year by JohnStock (r), Commissioner of the AdirondackPark Agency from Tupper Lake, and FrancisA. (Mike) Demerce of Bainbridge. Mr. Deckerwas recognized for over 50 years of forestmanagement.

Outstanding Tree Farmer StewartDecker's accomplishments were enumeratedby N.Y.S. Forest Practice Act Service Fores-ter Peter Grupe of the Ray Brook office ofthe N.Y.S.Department of Environmental Con-servation. Decker was selected for his interestand dedication to conservation, implementa-tion of good forest management practices,and use of the renewable forest resource tocontinually provide society with forest pro-ducts.

Decker, who has owned and operat-ed some 280 acres of woodland for over 50years, has had a detailed forest managementplan since 1947 when it was prepared withthe assistance of the present Bureau of ForestResources Management, N.Y.S. Departmentof Environmental Conservation. Over 50 yearsof woodland ownership and 30 years of for-mal forest management with professionalforestry practices, indicate how forests can beutilized and enjoyed while providing muchneeded forest products over the years andactually for perpetuity.

Mr. Decker, now over 70 years old,has lived on his Franklin County farm since1909 and has actively worked in the woodssince he was 15 years of age. His most recentaccomplishments include the elimination ofinferior trees on 5 acres by timber stand im-provement which stimulates the growth ofhigher quality residual trees. Last year 10 ac-res of woodland was cultivated by timberstand improvement practices conforming toadvice from Peter Grupe, service forester withthe N.Y.S.Department of Environmental Con-servation from Ray Brook.

Decker said that part of his enjoy-ment of tree farming under principles of theAmerican Tree Farm System comes from see-ing wildlife habitat in the forest. Decker hasalso established and maintained an extensivenetwork of roads throughout the woods forforest fire control and access purposes; hekeeps current on insect and disease infesta-tions with assistance from the N.Y.S. Depart-ment of Environmental Conservation techni-cians; and he has continually implementedwoodland improvement practices to cultivaterapid forest growth of quality trees through-out his property. ( )cont. on p.12

Four Steps to Managing

Your Stream or Pondby Neil H. Ringler

Whether your land was acquired forenjoyment during holidays and retirement,or for a solid investment in the future,thoughtful management of its streams and/orponds will almost certainly increase its value."Management"here refers to actions that youas land owner, choose to take in the enhance-ment of the watercourses on your property.Clearly such actions depend on the values tobe enhanced. Avid fishermen may wish to en-courage growth and reproduction of gamefishes; hunters may be interested in attractingwaterfowl; and just plain nature lovers maybe content to keep track of natural plantsand animals in their watershed.

Some courses of action should be con-sidered in managing your stream or pond.The first, and perhaps most exciting, courseof action is to FIND OUT WHAT LIVESTHERE. This endeavor may take either a fewdays or many years, depending on the detailwith which you carry out your survey andthe interest you may have (or develop!) inexploring aquatic life. Most aquatic creaturescan be collected with a kitchen strainer, min-now trap or fishing rod. Field guides to col-lection and identification are now availablefor most major groups of aquatic plants, fish-es, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals,molluscs, insects and crustaceans. The"Howto Know" series of nature guides publishedby the William C. Brown Co. are especiallyuseful, as is the booklet "A Guide to theStudy of Fresh Water Biology" written byJ.G. and P.R. Needham. The educational op-portunities of such a survey are almost limit-less for children and parents alike, and canprovide many summers of continuous enjoy-ment. For those looking for help, high schoolor college biology instructors often welcomethe opportunity to study a small stream orpond, and field trips may be possible to per-mit full class participation. An added advan-tage of school participation is that they maybe able to employ specialized sampling gear,such as hoop nets or an electroshocker, whichcan improve your survey.

An electric shocker can be used to stun fishtemporarily to help an investigator "countnoses",

A seine can be pulled through a pond in or-der to sample the size and species of fish in apond.

The second course of action is toDECIDE WHAT VALUES YOU WISH TOENHANCE. This depends on your own needs,and on your sense of esthetics. Managementvalues often conflict, but they do not have toparticularly if more than one stream of pond'IS located on your property. For streams,som~ landowners prefer to leave an uppersection ~n Its natural state, and make anychanges In a lower section.

The third course of action is toDECIDE WHETHER ANY CHANGES ARENEEDED. This decision depends on whatvalues you wish to enhance, it can be madebest after you have some knowledge of theexisting creatures and their environment.Fishes (and other aquatic creatures) retainsome flexibility in their living requirements,but there are limits of temperature, spawningsites, and food availability. Thus, trout maylive and grow but not reproduce in a coolpond lacking tributary streams or spring see-page. They ordinarily cannot live in ponds orstreams in which summer temperatures re-main above 750F for extended periods. Onthe other hand, a large mou th or small mouthbass can live and successfully reproduce insuch warm water environments, and whereadequate food species (sunfish, minnows,crayfish) are present the bass may attain alarge size. Brown bullheads are well adaptedto most pond environments, and they seemable to feed and grow on a variety of foods.Habitat requirements of virtually all NewYork's inland fishes are given in the book byW.B. Scott and E.J.Crossman, FreshwaterFishes of Canada, and management consid-erations have been discussed by G.W.Bennettin his book, Management of Artificial Lakesand Ponds. Here I wish only to emphasizethat one should be aware of what organismsare present before contemplating any man-agement plan, and that there are environmen-tal limitations on enhancement of popula-tions. Size and numbers of aquatic plants andanimals are related to the geology of a water-shed, because water chemistry, temperature,and streamflow are influenced by the soilsthrough which the water flows. Aland ownerc~nnot readily change geological features, buthis knowledge of them can help him decidewhat kinds of organisms can be expected tothrive in his watershed.

11

A fourth course of action is to MAKETHE DESIRED CHANGES. To improve fishin a pond or stream a lot can be gained sim-ply by eliminating activities that tend to re-duce the capacity of a watershed to supportfish. Thus, livestock should not be permittedto graze near the banks of a stream, becausetheir removal of vegetation and trampling ofthe banks reduces needed cover for game fish-es. Cutting of trees or shrubs along the banksshould be avoided, since in small streamsmore than 90 percent of the heat input re-sults from sunlight striking the water surface.The shade created by trees and shrubs helpsto control stream temperature. These plantsalso provide homes for insects and spiders,which fall into the water and the mouths ofwaiting fish. And in the autumn, leaves fall-ing into water provide a third or more of theenergy utilized by such fish food. organismsas caddisflies and stoneflies.

Small dams erected to provide a "swim-ming hole" or a fishing pond can result inwarming of stream water, and one must con-sider what effect such devices might havedownstream, or even on a neighbor's proper-ty. Pesticides should not be used where theycan contact the water surface, because theymay be toxic to fishes or food organisms.Use of live bait brought in from other re-gions should not be permitted, at least whereone is interested in maintaining natural(original) fish communities.

Besides eliminating detrimental activi-ties, one can also take positive action. Plantwillows and alders along banks denuded bygrazing or logging. A variety of devices con-structed of logs and stakes have been devel-oped to increase protective cover and modifystream flow characteristics. Landowners in-terested in a more detailed account shouldconsult the excellent booklet by R.l.Whiteand O.M. Brynildson, Guidelines for Manage-ment of Trout Stream Habitat in Wisconsin,(AVailable from Wisconsin Dept. of NaturalResources). Brush piles can be used in pondsto increase shelter and concentrate fishes.Productivity may sometimes be increased by

addition of agricultural limestone. Trees andshrubs planted on lake shores may have ef-fects beneficial to fish populations, in addi-tion to adding beauty. In rich ponds withmany summer plants and algae, winter icecover may be followed by reduced oxygenlevels, and dead fish may result ("winterkill").Use of fertilizers or grazing of cattle nearsuch ponds should be avoided, but these ac-tivities could benefit ponds low in nutrients.Your local Soil Conservation District can beof great help in answering questions relatingto ponds, and again G.W.Bennett's bookshould be consulted before launching an ex-tensive management plan.

The final course of action in stream andpond management is to KEEP TRACK OFYOUR RESULTS. Management changesshould be carefully recorded, along with thedate, site and worker's name (yours!) Effectscan be determined by keeping a record of thenumber, size and perhaps distribution of or-ganisms before and after the changes tookplace. For fishermen, a daily log of catchesprovides an index to the number and size offish present. Similar indices can be devisedfor bird sitings, aquatic insects collected, andso on. These records are really just a contin-uation of the first course of action: findingout what lives there. Finding out, and keep-ing track of seasonal and yearly changes inplant and animal communities is a specialtreat for forest landowners. In addition tothe practical value of these records, theywill add immeasurably to the enjoyment ofyour aquatic environment.

Tree farm award(continued)

Timber harvesting was conducted in1966 when nearly 200,000 board feet oflum-ber were removed for manufacturing intoconsumer products. This was equivalent tothe amount oflumber needed to built about20 houses.

Fuelwood from small diameter treesand tree tops from commercially sold sawlogsamounting to some 20 to 50 standard cordsper year has been used for home heating andfiring up evaporators for making maple syrup.

12

Of course, using naturally renewable forestsfor fuel reduces depletion of the world's lim-ited oil and natural gas reserves.

Food grown in New York's forestsis provided by Decker who now produces a-bout 600 gallons of maple syrup per yearfrom his 100 acre sugar bush, although pro-duction has varied from 300 to a high of 1800gallons annually.

According to Regional Forester Rus-sell C. Mulvey of the Warrensburg office ofthe N.Y.S. Department of EnvironmentalConservation's Bureau of Forest Resources

Management, "Stewart Decker is a man witha wide range of interests in trees and forestry.His entire life has been involved with maplesyrup production, and he is an advocate andpractitioner of reforestation and timber man-agement."

Information on how to become aCertified Tree Farmer in New York under theAmerican Tree Farm System for persons own-ing ten or more acres of woodland can be ob-tained from Fred A. Umholtz, N.Y.S. TreeFarm Committee Chairman, 3 Parkwood Drive,Cortland, N.Y. 13045.

Maurice Postley Receives 1977

S. O. Heiberg Memorial Award

The 1977 recipient of the HeibergMemorial Award is Maurice G. PostIey ofFranklin, New York. Mr. PostIey's accom-plishments provide an impressive example ofSignificant contributions made by dedicatedvolunteer citizen initiative.

Mr. Postley began his professionalcareer in 1918 with the Tarrytown Daily NewsHe moved to the New York Evening Journalin 1925. In 1935 he was appointed Secretaryto the New York City Department of Health,and in 1938 he became Secretary to the NewYork City Board of Education. He enteredthe public relations field in 1947. In 1963 heleft New York City and moved to a farm hehad previously purchased near Franklin, Del-aware County, New York.

'[ In Delaware County, encouraged bythe local Soil and Water Conservation DistrictMr. PostIey was a major factor in the organi-zation of the Delaware County ConservationAssociation, Inc. He has served as its presidentfor 14 years. The objectives of the Conserva-tion Association express clearly the values thatguide his efforts. In part, these objectives state:

"To promote and support the op-timum long-term conservation, developmentand use of privately owned rural land and itsrelated resources of timber, soil, water, wild-life and outdoor recreation in Delaware Coun-ty, New York.

Maurice Postley, of Delaware County, re-ceives the Heiberg A ward from Gene Farns-worth, President of the New York ForestOwners Association.

"To foster a fuller appreciation ofthe potentials and rewards of rural living.

"To employ directly and in coop-eration with other groups those educational,promotional, and other measures suitable forthe purpose of advancing the objectives ofthis Association within its areas of interest.These include, but are not limited to: the es-tablishment and improvement of woodland,the production and marketing of timber, theprotection and habitat improvement of fishand wildlife, the construction and reclama-tion of ponds and lakes, the conservation ofsoil and cropland, the protection of therights of rural land owners, and the minimi-zation of the risks and hazards of such owner-ship."

Mr. Postley provides vigorous anddedicated leadership to the Association andits programs. It now has over 350 membersand makes significant contributions to im-proved relationships and understanding be-tween property owners and the agencies in-volved with natural resources.

Mr. PostIey has been a citizen volun-teer with many organizations. His associationwith the Department of Environmental Con-servation contributed to making state ownedforest areas more accessible to the public. In1970 he participated in the formation of theAppalachian Timber Development AssociationInc., and served as its President. He served asPublic Relations Director of the South Central

New York Resource Conservation and Devel-opment Project for 10 years. He recently ac-cepted the Chairmanship of the Franklin TownPlanning Board, and he is also a member ofthe Delaware County Senior Council. He hasbeen an Associate Director in the DelawareCounty Soil and Water Conservation District.

On his 154 acre farm, Mr. Postleyhas planted more than 60,000 frees. He con-siders himself to be a "conservative conserva-tionist" and strongly believes that every ef-fort must be made to promote understanding,cooperation and friendship in a world that isboth idealistic and realistic.

The New York Forest Owners Asso-ciation is proud to honor this remarkable manand to recognize his contributions to forestryand to conservation in New York, by present-ing to him the 1977 Heiberg Memorial Award.

Presented April 23, 1977, Annual Meeting of theAssociation - Ithaca, New York.

CoverPainted by Wayne Trimmfor the U.~. Forest ServiceGypsy Moth Bulletin.

13

"Thence forty rodseast to achestnut tree."

by H. Peter Wood & Richard W. KulisMassachusetts Extension Service

If you can't find.------- what's lett of that

old landmark, read on

Accurate boundary location and marking areessential if a landowner plans to manage hisproperty - or eventually plans to transfer it toanother owner. He must know where his landbegins and ends and what belongs to him andwhat belongs to his neighbors. Boundaries alsoprovide one with the tools to determine totalarea or acreage which can be used to calculateland values, taxes and survey information. Wellmarked boundaries are a deterrent to timberand other trespass.

FINDING EXISTING BOUNDARIES

Reference should always be made to your deed.Every county has a registry of deeds which is asource of information on property located inthat county. This office is usually located in thecounty seat. The town assessor's office also maypave tax maps which might be of assistance.Deeds describe the property by providing infor-mation on such things as corner points, dis-tances, bearings, area, general location, and mayrefer to adjoining property ownership.

Stone walls and fences were oftentimesused in the early days as property dividers be-tween owners and to control livestock. Wireattached to trees or posts, commonly used tocontrol livestock, mayor may not have beenplaced exactly on the boundary line.

The following are typical indicators ofboundary lines:

1. Stone walls.2. Wire fences and evidence of wire fences.

Instances have been reported that rem-nants of wire on the ground can some-times be located with the use of a metaldetector. Also, wire may be seen embed-ded in trees.

3. Wooden fences and evidence of them.4. Blazes - old or new - may be found on

living trees, and on standing or fallen deadones. Blazes may not always have beenplaced on boundary line trees.

5. Streams, roads, ridge and cliff lines.14

6. Brushed-out lines. These may have re-sulted from past cutting for surveys orboundary renewal activities, but not al-ways. Cut stubs of brush or small treesmay remain as visible line indicators for20 years or more.

7. Visual change of vegetation sizes. A lineindicating different forest age and sizeclasses or different species resulting froma timber harvest or change in land use.This line might appear as an abruptchange in tree diameters or as a differencein vegetation.

THE BEGINNING POINT

It may be difficult to find the reference pointsas described in your deed. Some deeds are oldand may be vague. Corners and lines describedin them may not be found on the land. In otherinstances corners and lines can be located (seeDiagram 1).

11CEMENT ORGRANITE POST

STAKE AND STONES

PILE OF ROCKS WITHPROMINENT ROCK

CROSSES ON ROCKS DIAGRAM 1.

Typical boundary corner indicators are:1. A stake in a pole of stones.2. A pile of stones.3. A pipe driven into the ground, stone or

cement posts.4. Chisel marks on corner trees.5. Blaze marks on corner trees.6. Intersections of roads or joining of

streams.7. Distances and bearings from another ref-

erence point.

In some cases corner indicators may belong gone or buried' beneath forest lit~er. It isvery worthwhile to seek out older residents ofthe community, neighboring property ownersor the assessor to help in locating your boun-daries.

ESTABLISHING BOUNDARY LINES

UNIT OF MEASURE

Some boundary lines have been marked in ratherpermanent fashion such as stone walls. In suchcases they are self-evident and do not need tobe re-established - just found. In other instancesportions of walls may have been removed, ornever completed to the corner of the property.Occasionally, properties have been divided andcorner points have not been placed on theground, even when they occur along a stonewall. These corner points must be accurately lo-cated.

Many times there is not good or conclu-sive evidence of a boundary line. Caution: Donot mark any line with blazes until you are surethe line is correctly located.

To establish a boundary line the followingtechnique is sometimes successful.

1. First locate a beginning-point cornerthat you are confident is accurate.

2. When a bearing and distance is given inyour deed, measure the distance indicated in thedeed along the bearing.

A hand or staff compass may be used toindicate the bearing. Keep in mind that a com-pass points to magnetic north, which in NewEngland is approximately 14.5 degrees west oftrue north varying slightly from year to year.To convert from true north to magnetic northsubtract 14.5 degrees. Be sure you understandthe use of the magnetic north to true north, add14.5 degrees; conversely to convert from truenorth to magnetic north 14.5 degrees. Be sureyou understand the use of the compass. Asproperty values increase the transit survey, be-cause of its higher degree of accuracy, is beingused more and more.

When you reach the end of the measureddistance you should be in the vicinity of thecorner you are seeking. Only in the rarest of in-stances will you hit the corner "on-the-nose".

3. At the end of the measured distance(now called the test line), search for evidence ofthe old corner. This can be done by walking inan increasing series of circles (see D iag ram 2).

j)iAGRAiV/2.. - .•.• ,'( ,

~f~'!t.••.•. , .\.••.t~"- \/l %

~~-\\ I!~S~ S~\ \ C0~ Z'<f. rr, \ fTI

W. ~

~383INNI~6 CCRi"E.I~ 15

The following are common units of mea-sure found in typical New England deeds:

Foot = 12 inchesYard = 3 feet = 36 inchesRod = 16.5 feetChain = 66 feet - composed of 100 linksLink = 7.92 inchesMile = 5,280 feetAcre = 43,560 square feet

In measuring distances the following canbe used:

1. A tape - usually100 feet2. A chain - 66 feet3. A pace - length of one step (see foot-

note* )The length of your pace can be deter-

mined by walking in a straight line for twentysteps, measuring that distance and divid~g thatdistance by the number of steps. Do this threetimes to obtain your average length of step.

Example:

55 feet covered by 20 steps - 2 75Length of step = 20 steps - f~et to

the step

This length of step can be used to measure(estimate) distances. Some foresters and ot~ersfigure two steps to the pace and count each timethe right - or left - foot strikes the ground. Theprocess for figuring length of pace is the same asabove. Accurate measurements should always bemade with tape or chain and not paced, andshould be horizontal and not slope distances.

*Other definitions of the pace:The geometrical or great pace is 5 feet, representing thedistance from the place where either foot is taken up,in walking, to that where the same foot is set down.The Roman pace, reckoned like the geometrical pace,was equal to 5 Roman feet, or about 58 English inches.

4. If you are fortunate, you may find someevidence of the old comer as indicated earlier.Such evidence could be very meager, no morethan a pile of stones, rusted pipe, rotted stakeor slight irregularity in the terrain where thecomer once was.

5. When you have located the comer youare seeking, it will not likely fall along the testline. If it does, the test line becomes your perm-anent boundary line.

6. If the comer falls to either side of your-test line, it will be necessary to locate the perm-anent line from the comer back to your begin-ning point.

7. Never permanently mark the test line butuse flagging or strips of cloth. If you find thetest line is not the permanent boundary line,these markings will have to be removed.

8. There are several ways to locate thepermanent line using the test line as a reference.If the terrain allows for sighting between thetwo points, mark the line directly. If this is notpossible, a series of offsets from your test lineto the permanent boundary line can be calcu-lated. (see Diagram 3).

20-FT. DIFFERENCE

L\ 'tlC'l

";:::»~~\zt'lZoC -3

gz r

r\ zC'len00'llC'l:\ C'l

DIAGRAM 3.-3

A

BEGINNING CORNERSTATION

TOSTATIONA to B

B to CC to DD, Etc.

CUMULATIVEDISTANCE DISTANCE OFFSET

50 feet50 feet50 feet

50 feet x .04 = 2 feet100 feet x .04 = 4 feet150 feet x .04 = 6 feet

j20 feet =.04

500 feet

If a landowner wishes to have a surveyormark the boundaries between comers this con-dition should be stated in the agreement or workcontract.

Note: When a map or plat of one's prop-erty is to be filed with the deed by the CountyClerk the survey must be performed by a regis-tered surveyor and his seal and signature affixedto the map or plat.

PERMANENT BOUNDARY LINES

Once you are satisfied that the boundary linehas been located then it should be marked in aspermanent a manner as possible. It is a good ideato notify the owner of the adjacent propertyand obtain mutual agreement on the boundarylocation.

The blazing of trees is a common way tomark woodland boundaries. Many combinationsof blaze marks can be used, but the followingis suggested.

Few trees are actually on the boundaryline. For those trees that are on the line, foreand aft blazes should be made about five feetabove ground level. When a sufficient number oftrees cannot be found on the line itself, thenblaze trees within a few feet of the line so thatthe blaze marks face the line (see Diagram 4).

DIAGRAM 4. oo 0

9. Boundary work is more easily donewhen leaves are off the trees.

10. If you have any difficulty at all in find-ing your boundary call a surveyor for assistance.

Surveyors usually only establish the cor-ner markers in their work.

16

-Q-BOUNDARY-Q-LINE --,rl-----4If---{.

eeBLAZED TREES

Trees to be blazed should be healthy, vigorous,and not less than four inches in diameter. Withan axe remove a four- to six- inch square sectionof bark down to the live wood. This blaze can beespecially identified as a boundary mark by cut-ting one slash mark three or four inches below it.

In many instances individuals like to paintthe blazes for ease in identification. A bright oilbase paint is suggested. Wait until the blaze isdry before doing this. Nailing or tacking markersto trees is not recommended. r:I

EditorialThe Forest Owners' Tour of Switzer-

land, Austria, and Bavaria is now history, andan exciting bit of history for me it was, too.I'll never forget the people we met, theirhospitality, and the fine people who joinedtogether for this good-will mission.

Of course, the trip merely whet my ap-petite for another expedition, and Scandina-via seems awfully attractive.

Maybe we can muster some observa-tions and photos from our sixteen travellersto share in an upcoming issue of The ForestOwner.

* * * * * * * *The Fall meeting is set for October 8

at the Rogers Environmental Education Cen-ter, Sherburne. Details next month.

* * * * * * *I run into a lot of landowners in the

course of my travels. Some are farmers, someare executives or teachers or engineers. Itseems a lot of them are upset about "thoseenvironmentalists" and "all these environ-mental rules" like the wetlands act, SEQR(State Environmental Quality Review Act),the Catskill proposals, etc. Without commen-ting on the wisdom or possible impacts ofthis flood of laws, I'd like to share an obser-vation. And it goes about like this: in thelate 60s and 70s many people were upsetabout environmental problems. In my laborsI was joined by more than one farmer whowanted to strike a blow for environmentalquality. But how times have changed. Nowfarmers and landowners are in the fore frontof resistance to environmental regulation.

Did they really think they could escape?Do any of us really think regulations are onlyfor the other guy? How naive we are. Ourzeal has come home to roost in our own treeand we don't like it a bit. We built and un-leashed a branch of government to pinch thepollutin' rascals, never suspecting we werepursuing ourselves. Shades of Richard Nixon.Only we can't resign. We'll just grant our-selves immunity.

* * * * * * * *Woodcutting father to son on other

end of 2·man saw: It's not so bad that yourest every few minutes. But do you have todrag your feet on the ground?

Karl Borgula andFranz Imfeld,foresters for theLuzern area, explaintheir operationsto our group ofNYFOA travellers.

As freshman president of the NewYork Forest Owners Association, I anticipatethe year ahead with mixed feelings of chal-lenge, concern and anticipation. Probably ayear from now I will understand much moreclearly where I should turn my attention, andto what efforts I should give priority. At pre-sent, however, I find that I am reviewing what Iknow about the Forest Owners Association,what it is, what it hopes to be, how it is struc-tured, and how it functions. I have rereadwith interest the descriptive circular that wedistribute to prosp.ective members. Probablyall of us should do this more frequently thanwe do.

One aspect of NYFOA is reassuring.Perhaps each of us cannot clearly articulatewhat we want the Association to do, but weprobably know pretty well why we are mern-bers. We have a definite interest, common toall. We are interested in owning and enjoyingforested areas, and we would like to find waysto make that interest more rewarding, eitherin greater enjoyment or in greater material re-

Message from the President

turns· or both. These are appropriate objec-tives. We group together because we believewe are more likly to be successful in oursearch for returns from our forest if we com-bine our efforts than if we rely on our ownresources.

We hope that during the coming yearyour Board of Directors and your officers willbe successful in helping to increase each mem-ber's enjoyment in his forest. If you have sug-gestions for ways in which the Associationcan help, please tell us about them. We willrespond as well as we can, within our limita-tions, and we hope each member will in turnsupport the Association. It is basically a mat-ter of enlightened self-interest that, as mem-bers, we work to make our Association stron-ger in order that the Association can help usto be more effective as forest owners, and tobe better prepared to meet the challenges andproblems that are involved.

Gene Farnsworth

17

WOODSWALKSlated for Central New YorkAugust 13th

A "woods walk", sponsored by theNew York Forest Owners Association is to beheld on Saturday, August 13, in the southeastcorner of Onondaga County, at a Tree Farmcertified under the American Tree Farm Sys-tem. Utilizing both the plantation and forestof Emiel and Carol Palmer, (which was recent-ly designated "an outstanding forest", by theNew York State District Forest Practice Board)and the nearby county owned Highland For-est, the outing will provide an opportunityfor forest land owners to observe mixed hard-wood stands under selective harvesting, andplantations of red pine, spruce, and larch,which have been under various degrees of tim-ber stand improvement.

William Burlingame, Senior Foresterfor the State Department of EnvironmentalConservation will direct the program. Avail-able to answer questions will be a represen-tative of the American Tree Farm System andothers familiar with timber harvesting, con-servation and wildlife. Interesting forest prac-tices utilized at Highland Forest will be ex-plained by David Mele, Onondaga CountyForester. The Pioneers Museum will be openfor those who desire to look over the exhibitsconcerning farming implements, householdtools and artifacts of the nineteenth century.

Non-members are invited to attend,and there is no registration fee. All the par-ticipants of the "woods walk" will gather atPompey Center on Route 20. The tour willbegin at 10:00 AM. A "bring your own lunch"break will be about twelve thirty at TorbertShelter, Highland Forest. Hot and cold drinkswill be furnished. The tour will end at 3 PM.

From "The Friday Newsletter"U.S. Forest Service

18

4 1

FabiusTul

zenovia

X Palmer's woods

AVERAGE ENVIRONMENTAL-IST - A PROFILE: The January issue of the"Audubon" magazine reports results of a sur-vey of Audubon Society members that meritsour attention. It reveals that the average mem-ber is an executive earning $36,000 annually(26 percent in top and middle managementposts and 40 percent engaged in professionalor technical occupations). The median age is44 years and the membership comprises 58percent males and 42 percent females; 85 per-cent attended college and 43 percent attendedgraduate school.

Perhaps of more particular interestto the Forest Service are the environmentalinterests presented: 81 percent of the mem-bers are especially interested in wildlife con-servation, then in descending importance,wilderness preservation, water and air pollu-tion, land use planning, population growth,forestry (54 percent), energy, noise, poison-ous substances, and strip mining. Outdoorpastimes include - other than bird watching-photography, hiking, bicycling, camping, fish-ing, canoeing, skiing, and backpacking. The"Audubon"magazine is their principal sourcefor environmental information.

Music of the Forests:AVariable Feast.

(The following is adaptedfrom the script of a recentprogram in the series, "AVariable Feast," written andproduced weekly for radiostation WGMS, Washington,D.C., by Paul Hume, musiccritic for the WashingtonPOST. Mr. Hume, has kindlyprovided a listing of otherclassical music of the forestin addition to that selectedfor the program, which hethought would be of interestto "Greennmerica" readers.)

"There are so manyworks of music in all formsthat take us deep into woodsand forests that I could-shall we say-have re- .Photo; Marsha & Michael Burns

forested a one-hour program many times over: a songby Chausson, called 'A Forest of Charm,' the varioussongs about the woods by Brahms, several of theBrahms love song waltzes that talk about forests, thewood scenes by Schuman or a song by Schoenberg.

"The 'Song of the Forests,' is from one of theOratorios written by Dimitri Shostakovich followingWorld War II. In the first movement, we are remindedboth of the beauty of Russias' great forests and of thedevastation that sometimes overtakes them either bynatural disaster or because of wars. In this recording,the choir and orchestra of the USSR organizationunder Eugene Mavrinsky, look for the time when theirforests will grow again where they used to flourish.

(Shostakovich "Song of the Forests, Opus 81"-Angel S-40214.)

"A historical visit to another deep Russian forest,this time one which still stands almost impenetrable, iscontained in the last act of the great opera, 'A Life forthe Czar,' by Mikhail Glinka. In the final scene, whichI find one of the most moving and beautiful in all op-era, Ivan Susanin, a patriot peasant, has let the invad-ing Poles deeper and deeper into the woods to divertthem from the hiding place of the young Czar; whoselife they are seeking. The music is affected by thedeepness and darkness of the forest. In this recording,Nicolai Ghiaurov with the London Symphony underEdward Downes sings the final scene from 'A Life forthe Czar,' as he leads his enemies into this deep, darkforest where he knows his own life will be lost.

(Glinka "A Life for the Czar"-London 25769.)"For a bit of a change from the Russian forests, as

they were being reforested or as they stood centuriesago, we turn to 'North Country Sketches,' by Fred-erick Delius, a picture of wooded country in the northof England. This was a part of England Delius lovedvery much. The first of the four musical sketches iscalled' Autumn, The Wind Soughs in the Trees. '

"Here, Delius gives us a quieter, more pastorallandscape, but one in which the woods are the obvi-ous, dominant factor. The recording is by the Royal

Philharmonic Orchestraunder Sir Charles Groves.

(Delius- "North Coun-try Sketches" AngelS-37140.)

"Surely, the most fa-mous operatic music aboutour forests is that wonderfulscene in the second act ofWagner's 'Siegfried' inwhich the young herostretches himself out in theshade of a great tree andexamines the sights andsounds of this forest inwhich he has spent all of hislife to that time. For Wagner,the forest dictated the moodof the music, the very in-strumental colors he used.

He wanted the lights and shadows of the forest to enterinto the drama as it is portrayed on the stage. And inthe scene described here, as Siegfried lies meditating,he wishes he might once have seen his mother andfather. Of course he never saw either of them, since hewas an orphan. In the scene, his wonderment aboutwhat his father and mother were like is interrupted bythe singing of a bird. He cuts himself a reed from a pipeand tries to blow on it for a while. All the sounds ayoung man might hear or make himself in the forest arereflected in Wagner's music as played by the ViennaPhilharmonic Orchestra conducted by Georg Solti inWagner's 'Forest Murmurs' from 'Siegfried.'

(Wagner-" Siegfried" London 1508 [5-recordset].)

Surely the most famous piece of purely instrumen-tal music about a forest is the Johann Strauss Waltz"Tales From The Vienna Woods." The complete ver-sion opens with an unusual zither solo, in the recordingby the London Philharmonic directed by Antol Dorati.

(Strauss- "Tales From The Vienna Woods" Lon-don 21018.)

And even this shortest of samplings must not over-look the most obvious sylvan music of all, Handel's"Forest Music" for harpsichord-delicate, powerful,expressive of all the moods the forest evokes in thehuman observer, from delight and solace to somber re-flection and even fear.

(Handel's "Forest Music", harpsichordist IgorKipnis, Columbia M 7326.)

Among the most endearing of Beethoven's sym-phonies, the Sixth, to which the composer himself at-tached the label, "pastoral," was said by Beethoven tohave been written in part while he was sitting in a val-ley bordered with high elms. He told his friend Schin-dler that he wrote the movement called the "Scene bythe Brook," while seated on the ground, his backagainst one of the elm trees. He calls the entire sym-phony "a recollection of country life."

(Beethoven'S Pastoral Symphony, the Sixth, Lon-don STS 15161.)

19

bulk rateU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDOwego, N.Y.

13827Permit No. 30

Alan R. Knight, Editor526 Anderson Hill Road RD 2. Candor. N.Y 13743

.:; ~j ':«.~:,::r'~;...~ ~~;~~L~b Iid ":·l':!·.pr)el~ _;_J~ij{~~! i:~J: J..;.~')f~6

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE NEWYORK FOREST OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

(Please send to:)

Mrs. Helen Varian, Membership Secretary204 Varian Rd., Peeksk ill. N.Y. 10566

would like to help advance forestry in New York State.I enclose my check payable to the New York ForestOwners Association, Inc.

I own acres forest land in _County, N.Y.I do not own forest land but I support Associa-tion's objectives.

ANNUAL DUES

(Please underline choice)

Junior Member (Under 21) $1

Regular Member $7

Family Membership $12(husband, wife)

Contributing Member $12 - $29

Sustaining Member $30 - $99

Supporting Member $100 - $499

Sponsoring Member $500 and upName _

Address _

________________________ Zip Code _