F. FRANKLIN MOONLIBRARY

May-June 1983

2 New York Forest Owner

Vol. 21, No.3

THENEW YORK FOREST OWNERS

ASSOCIATIONEditor

Evelyn Stock57561ke Dixon Rd.Camillus, NY 13031

In This Issue

P. 3 The President's Message

P. 4-5 Dave Taber: RenewableResources Specialist

P. 6 Annual Meeting

P. 7 Fall Tour, 1983; Woodsmen'sField Day Contest

P. 8 Urban Forestry

P. 10 Ask a Forester

P.11 Cloning at E.S.F.; SpruceBudworm Impact Analyzed

P. 12 Forest Bookshelf

P. 13 On the Calendar; Gypsy MothProblem

P. 14 Professor Morrow to Retire;Cable Yarding Project

P. 15 T.S.I.: An EconomicPerspective; Study ShowsExcessive Taxes

P. 16 Sawtimber Prices in '82;Log Rules

Front Cover

Black locust at LorenzoThe house in the picture was built by

John Lincklaen of Cazenovia in 1810and named Lorenzo. It is located justoutside the village on the road to Syra-cuse and is an historic site open to thepublic.

The large black locust in the fore-ground was planted by him to com-memorate the marriage of his brother-in-law, John Ledyard in 1819. Blacklocusts do not usually reach this age.

This is only one of many interesting:trees on the property.

WelcomeOur New Members

Evon Sydney Antonio25 S. Portland Ave.Brooklyn, NY 11217

Russell BarnesRt. #1Windsor,. VT 05089

Howard W. Burden99 S. Main St.Homer, NY 13077

Donald J.BurghardtBox 107, Angell Rd.Silver Creek, NY 14136

Donald & Jean HowesRD #2Cincinnatus, NY 13040

Vera Konstantinoff475 FOR Drive, Apt. L-2106New York, NY 10002

James J. LangOctagon Rd.Tully, NY 13159

Barry LeifheitRD #2, Box 2435Phoenix, NY 13135

Edwin P. Russell, Jr., M.D.200 Maple St.Box 470Rome, NY 13440

Published by theNEW YORK FOREST OWNERS

Association

OFFICERS

PresidentPaul Steinfeld

First Vice PresidentMary S. McCarty

Second Vice·PresidentA.W. Roberts, Jr.

Third Vice-PresidenrPeter S. Levatich

TreasurerStuart McCarty

Recording SecretaryJ. Lewis DuMond

DIRECTORSNEWLY ELECTED

Nancy Finegan

John Kelly

Alan Knight

Bill Lynch

Linda Thorington

Al Roberts

GEORGE MITCHELLMembership Secretary

P.O. Box 69Old Forge, New York 13420

Individual MembershipsFamily Memberships1 Yr. Gift Memberships

$10.0015.007.50

May-June 1983 3

ThePresident's Message

This will continue the theme of mylast comments in The Forest Owner:Subsidies vs. a sense of husbandry asincentives to better management ofsmall woodlots. Over a period of twen-ty years I have received modest subsi-dies for timber stand improvement prac-tices approved by the Greene Countyoffice of the USDA's Agricultural Con-servation and Stabilization program,and the New York State DEC districtforester. The forester has given valuableadvice, has marked hardwoods for thin-ning, and indicated softwoods for prun-ing and thinning. Experience indicatesthe validity of these practices in up-grading the quality and value of mynative and planted forest stands.

Would I have done timber stand im-provement if there had been no sub-sidy? Yes - but not as much. Costsharing has enabled me to hire help,which otherwise would have been dif-ficult or impossible. I have done part ofthe work myself, but I could never haveaccomplished as much without the sub-sidy. Furthermore, it seems that much

of the economic benefit from timberstand improvement will accrue not tome, but to future gen'erations of ownersand to local forest industry operators.My personal investment in TSI of laborand money (the subsidies have not paidfull costs) may not yield financial returnsduring my lifetime, but they have givenother satisfactions. It is likely that wood-using industries and the general localeconomy will benefit. From this per-spective, subsidies are morally andpractically sound, a good investment ofpublic money.

I would like to see a better, more effi-cient system of using public money topromote good management of smallwoodlots. The trickle-down from USDAof approved practices and money topromote these practices seems cumber-some, rigid, and costly. I would guessthat for each subsidy dollar I receive,many dollars had to be appropriated tofeed the bureaucratic channels betweenme and Washington, D.e. The prac-tices approved by the USDA through itscounty agents vary from year to year

and often seem irrelevant to the needsof neglected and abused woodlots in theTown of Halcott. My rough guess is thatNew York State DEC could designpractices and develop economic incen-tives to implement these practices moreeffectively than the USDA. What aboutassigning a DEC forester to a small terri-tory, and delegating to that foresterresponsibility to learn about the forestecology, local industries and markets,and the personalities and capabilities oflandowners within his territory? Basedon this forester's intimate knowledge ofthe local scene, he should be authorizedto recommend subsidies within a broadframework authorized by DEe. Thiswould require a shift of funds fromWashington to Albany.

I conclude that subsidy and a sense ofhusbandry need not be conflicting polarconcepts. With proper administration,subsidies could be used to stimulate asense of husbandry which would yieldbenefits far beyond the investment.

Gilead Tree Farm

4

Mrs. Janet F. BourgeoisNew York State

Timber Producers Assoc.Box 134Boonville, NY 13309

Dear Janet:

I was surprised to hear about thechange which was mandated recently,in the status of Dave Taber's job.

Considering the size of the industry inthis state and the large number of land-owners who must be served, this seemslike a very shortsighted approach tobudget cutting or adjustment.

Not only has Dave been a movingforce in New York State, but he hasgained a regional reputation in doingso. Dave is on his second term on theBoard of Directors of this associationand has made many positive contribu-tions in that role. He currently serves onthe Safety Committee and has moldedthe entire thrust of our efforts in thatarea. Our first effort, a safety incentivepilot program, was started in New YorkState and if successful will be trans-planted to other areas of the Northeast.

Every year we sponsor the Northeast-ern Loggers' Congress. In 1979 at LakePlacid NY Dave started bringing theshow of his printed and video materialsfor display. His participation in the Log-gers' Congress has become a featurethat many, both from within New Yorkand from other parts of the Northeast,now look for.

Recently at a meeting of forestryassociation executives there was adiscussion of whether federally fundedincentive programs were all they werecracked up to be. Although some feltthat the FIP funds were important inroad building and as a device to getlands under management, more feltthat those funds would be better spentin landowner education and the trainingand education of loggers and researchand development in logging methods.

Dave has been doing these things inan exemplary manner to the ultimatebenefit of the loggers, landowners andsawmillers throughout the EmpireState. And now, I am shocked to hearthat his efforts in these areas will some-how be limited.

There was an old movie on televisionwhere a person wanted to commit sui-ctde and an "angel" appeared and took

New York Forest Owner

Dave Taber receives the Heiberg Award from Dave Hanaburgh for doing the most for forestry inNew York State this year.

him back through his life to see whatwould have happened to their littletown had he not lived. What has this lit-tle bit of fantasy got to do with Dave

Taber? I would suggest that the powers-that-be look back and see what wouldhave happened to our industry hadDave not been on the scene.

How many landowners would belooking at an ill harvested lot, wishingthey had never had it cut, if it were notfor the work that Dave has done withloggers? How many loggers would betied up in the miles of red tape at thestate level had Dave not cut through thebureaucracies and got straight informa-tion on sales tax laws, fuel tax laws,APA regulations, local ordinances andWorkers' Comp.? How many peoplehave been helped by his guides, such asthe "Landowners' Guide to SellingSawlogs" and his "Sales Tax Guide?"

Would the overall .harvesting jobdone in this state be as good had Davenot been there to drive home acceptablesilvicultural methods, harvestingmethods and pointing out firewoodmarkets? How many landowners wouldhave remained in the dark about timbersale contracts, timber trespass and man-agement methods if it were not forDave? The live FEED show held recent-ly at Glens Falls was a big help to severalthousand loggers, foresters and land-

owners. Would it have had the samevitality without a Dave Taber? I thinknot!

In the movie the "suicide victim"decided to live after he had seen what ahole his not living would have left. I amhoping that decision-makers will see thehole that Dave's absence will leave inthe logging and wood industry if his roleis restricted to minimize his contact withloggers, lumbermen and landowners.

I hope that examination process willresult in Dave's situation remainingbasically the same.

Sincerely,

George F. MitchellExecutive Secretary

When a man does not know whatharbor he is making for, no wind is theright wind.

******

The world has so many critics be-cause it is so much easier to criticizethan appreciate.

May-June 1983 5

After majoring in business adminis-tration with an interest in marketing andadvertising, Dave Taber earned aBachelor of Science degree in forestryfrom the University of Maine in 1961.He then spent five months with thePennsylvania Department of Forestsand Waters before being called to activeduty under the ROTC program whichrequired two years service in the Army.In the fall of 1963, after being releasedfrom two years of active military service,he accepted the position of AssistantUtilization Forester with the Maine For-est Service in Augusta, Maine. Threeyears later, he went to graduate schoolin wood products engineering at theUniversity of Maine; and upon gradu-ation in 1968, he took a position withCooperative Extension at The Pennsyl-vania State University as a RegionalUtilization Specialist in northeasternPennsylvania. After two years work in athirteen county region where Taber pro-vided information to woodland ownersand wood-using businesses, he ac-cepted employment with CooperativeExtension at Cornell University as aWood Utilization Specialist to be station-ed in Syracuse as a member of theWood Utilization Service which wasjointly sponsored by the SUNY Collegeof Forestry and Cornell University.

For about three years Taber devoted90 percent of his time to working withthe forest industry in order to assistthem in remaining viable; and he spent10 percent of his time in conductingconsumer education programs whichrelated to the wise purchase and use ofwood products.

Taber worked with the F.I.R.S.T.(Forest Industry Resource Study Team)in southwestern New York when itbecame established; and presented theF.I.R.S.T. educational program toabout 75 persons on the subjects of theNew York State sales tax law and log-ging safety with the use of facilities atCornell University and State Universityof New York College of EnvironmentalScience and Forestry to facilitate thetransfer of knowledge among people in-terested in forestry.

Although Taber has related to manydifferent audiences interested in forestryand conservation, he is probably bestknown for his work with professionaltimber harvesters. This is probably dueto the fact that few, if any, other peoplehave worked as diligently and closelywith timber harvesters in New YorkState to assist them with their timberharvesting businesses through educa-

DAVID W. TABERRenewable ResourcesExtension Specialist

tional programs. It took Taber over oneyear to obtain authorization for theprinting of a newsletter for loggers whenhe started "The Empire State Timber-man." Since September 29, 1972 hehas distributed 127 issues of thenewsletter which had its name changedin 1980 from 'The Empire StateTimberman" to "The Empire StateTimber Harvester" in deference towomen in the timber harvesting profes-sion. Actually, Taber initiated the firstloggers' newsletter called "The Timber-man" when he worked for The Penn-slyvania State University CooperativeExtension in 1967. Since then hisTimber Harvester newsletters have beenused as models for publications startedin North Carolina and Maine. Dave hasalso authored a great many articles andpublications.

Taber, who is a lifetime honorarymember of The New York State TimberProducers Association (an award hecherishes due to its symbolic meaning offriendship and mutually beneficial com-munications) has worked with loggers(professional timber harvesters) of thenon-profit educational group since itsorigin in October, 1970.

******

Today finds me in Syracuse, NewYork with an adjunct appointment as anExtension Specialist at the State Univer-sity of New York College of Environ-mental Science and Forestry which isassociated with Syracuse University:However, I am employed by CornellUniversity of Ithaca, N. Y., some 55miles distant, as a Wood Utilization andMarketing Specialist in Cooperative Ex-tension with statewide responsibilities.

Moonlighting and professionalresponsibilities in recent years havetaken me to such places as Colorado,Oregon, and Mississippi. Perhaps withsome luck future opportunities will in-clude China, South America, Africa,and Europe.

Although I no longer work in Maine, Iremain a Registered Professional For-ester under Maine state law.

My wife of 20 years who is the formerMarcia J. Tibbetts of Palermo, Maine,has traveled with me as career develop-ment took us after 1961's college grad-uations from the University of Mainewith a major in Forestry for me, andFarmington State Teachers College for

her to the following places: centralPennsylvania; El Paso, Texas; FortMeade, Maryland; Augusta, Maine;Orono, Maine; northeastern Penn-sylvania; and finally central New YorkState.

Our two children, Harriet F. who wasborn in 1962 and Mary E., born in 1966are dedicated students who enjoy learn-ing. Harriet matriculated in CornellUniversity's College of Arts and Sci-ences in the fall of 1980 with a probablemajor in Soviet-Russian studies. Marywill enter in the fall of 1981 The PutneySchool near Brattleboro, Vermont for 4years of high school. Harriet graduatedfrom Putney in June, 1980.

After Belmont Hill, I attended North-eastern University in Boston for 2lj2years majoring in marketing and adver-tising. This was followed by 3lj2 years offorest science education culminating ina B.S. degree in Forestry in June,1961. Then a short stint with the Com-monwealth of Pennsylvania's Depart-ment of Forests and Waters as a foresterwas terminated by military service as anROTC second lieutenant in the artillerybranch of the Army.

Two years of Air Defense Artillerywith Nike Hercules missiles defendingthe nation's capital yielded interestingexperiences and training.

At the culmination of my active dutymilitary obligation, I returned to Mainefor three years of experience as Assis-tant Wood Utilization Forester with theState of Maine Forestry Department inAugusta. This was concluded when Ireturned to graduate school for a M.S.degree in Wood Technology which wasreceived in August, 1968. During thefive years in Maine, I capitalized on mili-tary opportunities by participating in theMaine Army National Guard as an AirObserver in an aviation unit; Press Of-ficer, and finally Public Information Of-ficer in charge of the 121st Public Infor-mation Detachment which served theAdjutant General and the entire MaineArmy National Guard.

Then the Pennsylvania State Univer-sity provided a challenge for me as anArea Forest Industry Agent withCooperative Extension for two years,covering northeastern Pennsylvaniafrom Tunkhannock, PA.

In September, 1970 my work inPennsylvania was replaced by my posi-tion as Cooperative Extension Specialistin Wood Utilization and Marketing forCornell University, and now it haschanged again to Renewable Re-sources Extension Specialist.

6

Evelyn Campbell StockEditor

New York Forest OwnerBorn in Lima, Ohio, to Dewitt and

Mary Campbell March 2, 1910, I livedmy early years in Manlius, New Yorkand came to live in Camillus in 1920.During these years I spent most of myvacations with relatives on a farm nearCamillus and there I learned to love theoutdoors.

I was through high school in 1926and soon married George Stock ofElbridge. We went through that school"The Great Depression," and eventual-ly raised six children, five girls and aboy.

In 1946 we moved to a farm nearCamillus. We were surprised to learnthat it was expensive to raise most ofour living on the farm. My husbandworked for Rockwell Corporation inSyracuse as well as on the farm. Ourquality of life, however, improved andexpanded. The children found thecountry fascinating, which was anothersurprise. Among other things we did atthis time was to start an evergreen plan-tation on the side of a hill partly as a soilconservation effort.

By 1960 some of my children were incollege and it seemed like a good timeto take a job (I found one in a schoollibrary), and go to college, so I started atUniversity College in Syracuse.

My children were leaving home andafter a while the quiet library and theempty house inspired me to look forwork elsewhere. It was in 1967 that Istarted to work in the Extension Depart-ment of the Forestry College where Ireceived requests for publications andinformation from all over the world.Through the years (13), my work therebrought me into contact with many peo-ple who worked in forestry, as well aswith forest-oriented organizations. Atthe same time we continued to planttrees on the farm, and I received mydegree in 1973.

In 1968 I became interested in theNYFOA. Later, Alan Knight becameeditor and as so much current materialcame across my desk, I was able to keephim supplied with articles and pictures.My children were through college, mar-ried, and had children of their own.Now there are eighteen grandchildrenand nine great-grandchildren.

My college classes were chosen withthe idea of writing "some day." My of-fice had changed to that of "CommunityRelations" which did the publishing for

Evelyn Stock receives the N.Y.F.O.A. Award for outstanding service to the association.

the college. It was here that I becamefamiliar with the publishing process anddid a great deal of proof reading.

By now my family was all gone andas I was looking around to find some-thing to be enthusiastic about, I was alsobecoming more aware of the need forbetter forest management. So, whenAlan moved away and the NYFOAneeded an editor, I heard myself offer todo it. It did not seem possible that what Ihad dreamed of doing at seven years ofage would come to pass at 67.

My first issue came out in March-Aprilof 1978. A traumatic effort. Since thenit continues to be interesting and chal-lenging. It gives vent to my enthusiasmand I meet many interesting people.The NYFOA has now grown to about700 members in twenty-three states andthree foreign countries.

I hope the information and experi-ences that are published in the ForestOwner, added to that of other organiza-tions such as the DEC, SUNY ESF ofSyracuse, Cornell University, DaveTaber of Cooperative Extension, North-ern Logger, the New York Forester andmany others, will continue to influencethe upward trend of forest managementso that New York State can be proud tosay that future generations will inherit alegacy of the best managed forests.

I feel privileged to have a small part inthis effort.

Evelyn StockEditor

New York Forest OwnersAnnual MeetingApril 16, 1983

About 100 members attended theNew York Forest Owners annualmeeting held April 16 in Marshall Audi-torium at SUNY College of Environ-mental Science and Forestry. J.D.Karp, Professor of Law and Public Safe-ty at Syracuse University spoke on "TheForest Owners Legal Liability." Dr. EdKetchledge gave a slide presentation inthe afternoon on the identification andecology of the major tree species ofNew York.

At the luncheon in Nifkin Lounge,David Taber, Renewable Resources Ex-tension Specialist, received the HeibergAward for the person who benefited for-estry in New York State this past yearthe most, and Evelyn Stock, editor ofthe New York Forest Owner was award-ed the New York Forest Owners Awardfor her service to the New York ForestOwners Association.

A discussion panel with Peter Leva-tich as moderator gave some interestinglandowner experiences with reforesta-tion.

The meeting adjourned at 3:30.

A joy that's shared is a joy made dou-ble.

May-June 1983 7

A Forest Owners'Fall Foliage Tour

September 18-23, 1983Here is your chance! Come with

NYFOA to visit fascinating and friendlyforest land owners in Vermont, NewHampshire, Massachusetts and Con-necticut ... a do it when those Yankeewoodlots are at their glorious height ofcolor.

Your bus will leave from Naples, NewYork, on September 18th, the morningafter the Fall Meeting of NYFOA, thenhead to Ithaca, Syracuse, and Albany topick up passengers.

First stop will be the famed TrappFamily Lodge, operated by the vonTrapp family of "Sound of Music" fame.It just so happens Johannes von Trappis a forester. He says he'd be glad toshow us what he is doing with hisfamily's vast forests. And the Austrianfood is wonderful! You'll also have anafternoon to go hiking or poking aroundthe shops of Stowe.

Next stop will be Lebanon, NewHampshire, where you'll visit MerleSchotanus, a forest owner who dabblesin maple syrup, Christmas trees, timber,firewood, and even U-pick strawberries.That evening we will host a dinner forthe New Hampshire TimberlandOwners Association. We'll see whatideas of theirs we can borrow forNYFOA.

The next day we'll head to Bedford,New Hampshire, to visit David and Bir-gitte Cheever. They have been plantingChristmas trees, have a saw mill, andsell bundles of Christmas greens in theBoston area.

At lunch we'll hear from the NewEngland Forestry Foundation, a wellestablished service organization, muchlike NYFOA, which offers forest man-agement services through its staff ofprofessional foresters in half a dozentowns and a budget of over $700,000.It also owns 52 forests of its own.

That afternoon we'll take a woodswalk through the forests of Massachu-setts Agriculture Commissioner FredericWinthrop, last year's Outstanding TreeFarmer for Massachusetts. By late after-noon, you'll be poking around theshops and shores of quaint, old Rock-port, a picture post card of a fishingvillage and artists' colony. Next morningwill be free there, too.

In the afternoon we'll stop by theChristmas tree plantation operated byPhil Jones and family near New Haven,Connecticut. Christmas trees are a full

time enterprise here, drawing U-cut cus-tomers from metropolitan New York.

Sunset will find you taking in thebreathtaking beauty of Lake Wara-maug, Connecticut, its hills, and beau-tiful old country inn. Drink a toast toyour new friends at dinner, and get agood night's sleep before heading homethe next day.

Yorkshire Tours reserve the right tomodify arrangements as necessary tomeet changing circumstances withoutallowance of a refund.

DETAILS

Contest by New York StateWoodsmen's Field Days

$100 Reward $100 Reward-ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS-

Tour dates: WANTED:September 18-23, 1983. (Five In less than 950 words, using any

nights, six days) style of prose or poetry, and in a man-Tour price: ner which appropriately conveys the

$475 per person. author's message an explanation of theDeadline: following topic:

$200 deposit per person by June 1, "Private nonindustrial woodland1983. Balance due July 15, 1983. owners' rights, responsibilities,Price includes: and rewards"

Tour bus, all meals except three lun- as it pertains to the theme of the Newches, double room (singles cost $100 York State Woodsmen's Field Days -more. We'll try to double you up unless "Managed Forests Provide Forever."you ask for a single), all forestry visits, Contest Winner will receive prize ofNYFOA dues, and tour guide. $100.Group size: REQUIREMENTS:

28 people, first come, first served. The author will endorse and date theLuggage: entry attesting to the fact that it is an

Two suitcases per person, but you original writing which has not previouslycan probably get by with only one. been published or submitted for inclu-Bus: sion in any publication. All entries be-

Air conditioned coach with bathroom come the property of the New Yorkand public address system. State Woodsmen's Field Days for use asCancellation and refunds: it sees fit.

All cancellation of confirmed reserva- Deadline for receipt of entries is Junetions are subject to a $50 per person ad- 30, 1983.ministrative fee. An additional $50 per Winner will be notified by letter byperson is forfeited if the cancellation is August 11, 1983.made with fewer than 60 days before Prize of $100 will be announced pub-departure. To avoid misunderstand- licly and presented at about 2:45 p.m.,ings, please make cancellation requests Sunday, August 21, 1983 in front of thein writing. grandstand at the New York StateResponsibility: Woodsmen's Field Days.

Obviously, neither the New York For- Additional information and officialest Owners Association nor New York- announcement of the "Essay/Poetryshire Tours has full control over hotels, Contest" may be obtained from Ruth J.bus companies, or other chartered ser- Thoden, Executive Secretary, Newvices. As tour operators, both parties York State Woodsmen's Field Days,disclaim any liability for losses, injuries, Post Office Box Number 123, Boon-or losses of services. The New York ville, New York 13309 (telephone ACForest Owners Association and New 315/942-4593).r---------------------------------------

Registration: Please make check payable to New Yorkshire Tours and mail toNew Yorkshire Tours, 257 Owego Street, Candor, New York 13743.

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8 New York Forest Owner

A portion of the "urban forest" surrounding theauthor's home in Syracuse. The infrared photocovers an area of 38 acres, housing about 650people. There are about 170 different "landmanagers" In this area. About 58% of the areais greenspace; near the average for Syracuse.

For the many forest owners who livein urban areas - cities, villages andsuburbs, interest in trees and their man-agement can be an asset to their homecommunities as well as to their wood-lands. This first article in a series givesan overview of urban forest resources,values, and problems. Later articles willfocus more specifically on managementof street, residential, park, and other ur-ban tree resources.

All trees need satisfactory space inwhich to grow. The growth of ruralforest stands depends much on thequantity and quality of its space re-sources, below and above ground. Ur-ban areas, by definition, contain a con-centration of human structures and ac-tivities that further reduce the area andmodify the quality of growing space fortrees. Therefore, the growth of urbantrees is highly dependent on the natureof urban greenspace, defined as spacenot covered by structures and paving,

Its tree canopy cover of about 50% is above-average. This illustrates only part of the com-plexity of urban greenspace and tree resources.Dr. Richards teaches a course in urbanforestryat the S.U.N. Y. College of Environmental Sci-ence and Forestry.

and capable of supporting vegetation.Most urban areas in the Northeast

have substantial greenspace; generally50 to 70% of their total area. On closerview, there is usually an irregular gradi-ent of greenspace distribution within ur-ban areas, from small patches amongbuildings and paving near communitycenters, to a predominance of green-space in outer areas. Commonly, thelarger urban greenspaces provide condi-tions for tree growth rather similar tothose in rural areas. The smaller, inter-spersed greenspace patches and stripsattract greater attention in urban forestrybecause they present a paradox: Treescan be particularly valuable in magnify-ing the benefits from the small green-spaces, but growing conditions are likelyto be most limiting there. In addition toinadequate space, the smaller green-spaces often suffer more soil compac-tion, salts and other chemical contami-nants, and direct physical damage totrees.

URBAN FORESTRY:Greenspace and Urban Trees

by N .A. Richards

The range of greenspace conditions,from good to poor for tree growth, isgenerally reflected in the urban treeresources ranging from large masses,easily grown, to scattered small treessurviving only briefly or under specialcare. The total effect in most northeast-ern communities is significant treecover; a collective resource often term-ed "urban forest" in describing its im-pacts on urban areas. In terms of man-agement, however, urban forests are farmore complex than most equivalentareas of rural forest, because they arecomposed of so many and variedgreenspaces managed by different peo-ple for diverse purposes. While trees inthis forest are part of the property inwhich their base rests, their crowns androots often depend on and impact otherspaces as well. Both the values andproblems associated with urban treestend to be more intense than those inrural forests; hence the challenge of ur-ban forestry.

Greenspace and trees need to beevaluated somewhat separately indescribing urban forest resources. Ur-ban greenspace areas obviously supportother vegetation besides trees, and alsohave space values of their own. Urbangreenspace separates and interrelatesdifferent activities and structures, andserves as a space reservoir for contin-uing urban change, as well as providingmany on-site values. The latter includespace for visual perspective, absorptionand dilution of noise and air pollution,absorption and storage of precipitation,and outdoor recreation space, as well asspace for flora and fauna. Trees canenhance or otherwise change the valuesof greenspace. Therefore, the impactsof urban trees are best considered assuperimposed on the inherent values ofthe greenspace.

May-June 1983 9

The function of trees in an urban areais primarily on a different plane fromthat of greenspace surfaces. Trees usu-ally occupy little space near the ground,but their crowns can extend over build-ings and paving as well as greenspace.For convenience, urban trees are com-monly described in terms of canopyarea on a horizontal plane as viewed inaerial photos. Most older urban areas inthe Northeast probably have averagesof 20 to 50% canopy cover; new sub-urban areas often have less. A fullerdescription of urban tree resourcesshould include the variable crownheights as well as breadths, the densitiesand forms of crowns, and other distinc-tive features of tree species that affecttheir function in urban areas. Also to beconsidered are the ground surface con-ditions created by trees, and below that,the irregular extension of tree rootswherever conditions permit; usuallyover an area greater than that of the treecanopy. So far, we generally lack such acomplete description of urban tree re-sources.

Like all tree resources, urban treesmust also be described as dynamic, orconstantly changing. It is useful to viewthe growth of trees as a net process; thenet result of growth minus losses fromnormal plant processes, insects and dis-eases, climatic events, or human activ-ities. Trees or stands can be described asdeveloping when their growth exceedslosses; dynamically stable when growthand losses are approximately in bal-ance; deteriorating when losses are notrecouped by growth. Because it is dif-ficult to control all losses, favorable con-ditions for growth - especially duringthe developing stage - are the key togood net growth. Tree longevity is veryelastic: They may deteriorate whenyoung, or be healthy and stable formany decades, depending on the neteffects of their environment.

In forest stands, including those inlarger urban greenspaces, the growth ofindividual trees is usually affected byother trees. The isolated trees and smallgroups, or mini-stands, more commonon urban greenspaces tend to be less af-fected by other trees and more by otherfeatures of their environment. Becausemore urban trees are "edge" trees, theytend to have fairly good diametergrowth, but attain less height at maturitythan do trees in closed forest stands.Syracuse, for example, has many treesover 3 feet in diameter, but trees over80 feet tall are uncommon outside ofclosed forest stands.

Urban tree species composition is acomplex subject that needs more study.Some species are residuals from theagricultural landscape that generallypreceded urbanization in the Northeast.Several wetland tree species, includingsilver and red maple, box elder, elm,and cottonwood, have grown well inmany urban areas; probably because oftheir tolerance to poor soil aerationwhich also results from soil compaction.A great many exotic species have beenintroduced, with varying degrees of suc-cess. Norway maple, for example, hasvigorously naturalized, and is becominga major urban species through much ofthe Northeast. Some species generallygrow well but rarely self-seed; manygrow fairly well on certain urban sites;others are tried but fail. The slightlywarmer, more protected microclimateof many urban areas permits somemore southern species to grow wherethey cannot survive in the adjacentcountryside. Conversely, far-northernand alpine species tend not to do so wellon most urban sites.My general observation is that urban

forests are usually dominated by a rela-tively few, widely adapted species - asis the case in most rural woodlands. Butthere is likely to be much greater diver-sity of species occurring in small num-bers on urban sites. The term "native"has little meaning for urban trees; thecritical question is whether species areeither broadly or selectively adapted tothe diverse conditions in a particular ur-ban area. These mayor may not benative species of the region.

Urban tree resources, like rural for-ests, are usually a mix of trees that arevalued and cared-for, and those allow-ed to grow where and as they may.There is much popular information pro-moting the values of urban trees; notalways realistic. I think that a fairly criti-cal view of urban tree values is neededto better understand these resources.Probably the major value of urban treesis their visual impact in greening andscreening parts of the urban landscape.Trees must grow reasonably well to be avisual asset. Also, longstanding treesand buildings give a sense of stabilityand continuity to changing urbanscenes; the sight of either deterioratingcounters this.

Most other potential values of urbantrees are directly proportional to theirgrowth and mass; the values of poor-growing, isolated trees are dubious.Microclimate effects of trees in shadingsurfaces and reducing windspeeds de-

pend on their mass, as also does theireffect on transmission of noise. Treesare significant in their use of carbondioxide, release of oxygen, and trans-piration of water only when they aregrowing vigorously with adequate mois-ture supplies. Masses of trees can filte~air. Scattered trees in busy urban set-tings may only settle dust upon us, andmay be more damaged by noxious gas-ses than we are. Reduction of soil ero-sion by trees depends largely on their lit-ter accumulation; generally, grass offersmore protection to trampled sites.Masses of trees with a semblance offorest understory do more to enrich ur-ban wildlife habitat than do isolatedtrees in limited greenspaces.

Against these variable benefits, wemust list the obvious liabilities of urbantrees: They can be safety hazards, andcan interfere with buildings, paving,utilities, and the growth of other vegeta-tion. Their shade is often unwanted incool climates; removal of their litter is asubstantial expense in most communi-ties. In balance, it appears that the valueof urban trees depends largely ongreenspaces of sufficient size and qualityto permit trees to grow well and in somemass without seriously conflicting withother urban activity. The benefits/costsof growing trees in small, highly stressedspaces needs to be evaluated carefullyin each situation.

Next issue: Street Trees.

Another view of the area.

10

Ask A ForesterNew York Forest Owner

Real Property Taxes andHow They Got That Way

By AI Roberts

I liked it the way it was prior to 1975.Maybe it wasn't completely fair, butwoodland, so called vacant land, wasassessed at much less than its marketvalue. It really made sense, as wood-land can't grow enough wood to sup-port today's high taxes.

But in 1975 some wise guy namedHellerstein from Nassau County dugout a 200 year old law which said thatall property must be assessed at its fullmarket value. He sued to have the pro-visions of the old law adhered to andwon. That was one of a whole series ofchanges in the way property assess-ments are handled. Most of thechanges, I must say, are improvements.

I can remember when I was workingfor the then Conservation Departmentin the early 1960's and buying land toadd to the State Forests. There weren'tany county real property tax offices,only town assessors. So to locateowners and property boundaries Iwould go to the town assessors. If I waslucky, the assessor was an old-timerwho had been in office a long time, andwith an aerial photo that I supplied hecould locate most properties. But somewere newly elected and really didn'tknow much. It was pretty chaotic.

Even before the Hellerstein decisionin 1975 the state had begun to get moreinvolved in local property assessment.In 1971 a state law was passed whichpermitted towns to have a single, ap-pointed assessor instead of the previousthree elected assessors. If the townchose to have the appointed assessor hewas required to have training. The lawalso required that counties set up a realproperty assessment office with a coun-ty director. In 1982 another state lawwas passed requiring all assessors tohave training and be certified by theState of New York. It also repealed the200 year old law requiring full valueassessment. It is complicated, but itallows partial value assessment as longas all properties are at the same percen-tage of full value, which really doesn'tsolve anything. All this action since1971 has at least solved the problem ofthe chaos in the local assessor's office.The offices of the county directors ofreal property assessment have all the in-formation anyone would ever need toknow about property in their county.

They have a list of all properties, withnumerical designations which are keyedto maps showing the boundaries of allproperties. All owners have a right toexamine these records.

As I said, before 1975 woodlandsgenerally were assessed at a lowerpercentage of their market value thanother types of property. So to complywith the law, counties began to hire pro-fessional appraising outfits to do county-wide reassessments. Each property wasassessed at 100% of its true marketvalue. They arrive at the true marketvalue by looking up prices actually paidfor land sold during the recent past. I'veheard people bitterly complaining, andblaming their local assessors for theirhigh taxes. But the assessors are onlyobeying the law. It is the state law whichis to blame, not the local assessor.

The countywide reassessments didn'traise everybody's assessments or taxes.It lowered taxes on some types ofproperty but almost invariably raisedtaxes on woodland, which had tradi-tionally been under assessed and undertaxed.

Of course, the real problem is themushrooming costs of local govern-ment which is mainly financed by realproperty taxes. The towns, countiesand schools all make up their budgets.They then figure out the total assessedvalue of all the taxable property in theirtax district. The ratio of their budget tothe total assessed value gives them thetax rate. So the amount of money youpay in taxes is your rate times your as-sessment.

This may sound simple and clear cut,but it isn't. The assessments are alltheoretically correct at the moment thata county goes through complete reas-sessment. Then immediately inflationand other economic conditions changesthe value of individual properties. Sometownships do a better job than others ofkeeping their assessments up to date.To keep track of how up to date thevarious towns are there is a State Boardof Equalization and Assessment. Peri-odically this board examines the town'srecords and compares the assessmentsto prices paid at recent sales of com-parable properties, and comes up with apercentage that that town's assessmentsare of true 100% value. If they decidethat, on the average, the town's valuesare, say, 80% of true value, then thetown has an equalization rate of 80.This rate is used by the county andschool districts covering more than one

town, to equalize the taxes paid in thevarious towns. Without it, the owners inthe towns where property is generallyunder assessed would pay less thantowns where the property is closer to100 % of true value.

Besides the mushrooming costs oflocal governments, another cause forthe high tax on forest properties is thatby law all properties must be assessedfor their "highest and best use." Thisresults in many woodlands being assess-ed as though they were building lots justbecause they are near a populationcenter. Also, wealthy people from largemetropolitan areas buy old run-downfarms and pay an inflated price. A sim-ple answer to this problem, and ananswer some states use, is to assess landaccording to its present use rather thanits potentisl, or "highest and best use."

There have been other ways thathave been tried to keep taxes on forestland low enough so that people can af-ford to manage it as forest on a long-term basis. One of these ways was theold Fisher forest tax law. It was namedfor Clarence Fisher (who I knew when Iworked in Lowville) who was a statelegislator from Lewis County. Heauthored and sponsored the law. Healso owned many thousands of acres offorest land in Lewis and HerkimerCounties. A comment on the effective-ness of his law is that eventually he soldmost of his land to the state, and it isnow part of the Forest Preserve.

His law did not prove to be practicalfor other people either and it wasreplaced by the present forest tax lawknown as Section 480-A of the RealProperty Tax Law. The details of thislaw are, or will be, explained in anotherarticle in the Forest Owner.

Section 480-A doesn't really cancelany taxes, it just shifts them to someoneelse, which is the big reason there is somuch opposition to it. However, 480-Ais a real piker in this department. I knowof one county where it is estimated, by aknowledgeable person, that in all thevarious real estate categories an unbe-lievable 69% of the assessable value ofthe county is exempt from paying anytaxes, and this is not an unusual county.

If I have skipped over this subject tooquickly and have left some of you con-fused, please write a letter to the editorand we will attempt to clarify.

I would like to acknowledge theassistance I have received, in writing thisarticle, from Harry Dunks, Director ofReal Property Assessment in CortlandCounty.

May-June 1983 11

David Tricoli DevelopsCloning at E.S.F.

SYRACUSE, NY - Researchers atthe State University College of Environ-mental Science and Forestry (ESF)have perfected a method for cloningmature black cherry trees that makesit possible to produce young trees foroutplanting within one year.

David M. Tricoli, a graduate studentin tree improvement in ESF's School ofForestry, developed the tissue culturetechnique for clonally producing blackcherry, one of the most valuable furni-ture hardwoods grown in the Northeast,for his master's thesis, aided by his ma-jor professors Dr. Allen P. Drew and Dr.Charles A. Maynard.

Although the propagation of plantspecies by cloning is not new, the tech-nique developed by Tricoli places hiswork among a select number of studiesthat have succeeded in cloning hard-woods. Tricoli's procedure, which hasseveral advantages over other methods,enables him to work with mature trees- trees that, over time, have been pro-ven superior - rather than with seed-lings or young trees which mayor maynot grow into trees with the desiredcharacteristics for furniture or veneerproduction, paneling, gunstocks or toolhandles.

The ESF researchers use the apicalmeristem, a dome of embryonic tissueat the very tip of tree buds. The meri-stem is genetically stable and retains itsgenotype throughout the cloning proce-dure, explained Tricoli, reducing thechance of the clones mutating or ofother aberrations developing. Mostother tissue culture cloning proceduresuse a callus culture - a culture takenfrom an undifferentiated mass of imma-ture cells - and therefore, there can bea high degree of genetic variability in theclones produced.

The shoot tips removed from semi-dormant late winter buds are grown forfour to twelve weeks in a laboratoryculture tube containing agar, fertilizerand a special blend of growth-regulatinghormones to make sure the tips are freefrom bacterial or fungal contaminants orthat the shoot tips haven't been wound-ed in the excision process.

Each shoot tip produces from three tofive smaller shoots which can then beremoved and placed in more agar. Inthis stage, the multiplication phase, thetips produce several shoots every threeto four weeks, which can be separated

and geometrically multiplied indefinite-ly. 'The breakthrough in this process isin the multiplication potential,"- saidTricoli, who has produced up to 1,000tips from one sample shoot.

When enough of these tiny trees, call-ed "plantlets" by the ESF researchers,have been produced, they are trans-ferred to agar containing a slightly dif-ferent blend of hormones and in one totwo weeks begin to root.

The plantlets are then transferred toregular potting mix and grown in agreenhouse until large enough for fieldplanting. The entire process, fromsampling to outplanting, takes aboutone year.

Traditionally, it takes from 15 to 20years to produce seedlings from a seedorchard from the time the "plus," orsuperior, trees are selected through thetime the seed orchard is established andseed production begins. And graftedplants are expensive; black cherry pro-duced in this manner could run as highas $10 per tree.

The ESF researchers estimate, basedon industry experience with similarplants, that the cost per tree for blackcherry produced through the tissueculture technique developed by Tricolicould be as low as 22 cents.

Although Tricoli, who received hismaster's degree in February, has left fora position in industry, Drew and May-nard, along with graduate student MaryEllen Dietz, will continue the work withthe black cherry clones focusing partic-ularly on keeping clones in the multipli-cation stage going as well as beginningfield work to establish the yearling plant-lets.

The Lovliest of Treesby A.E. Housman

Lovliest of trees, the cherry nowIs hung with bloom along the boughAnd stands about the woodland ride

Wearing white for Eastertide.

Now, of my threescore years and ten,Twenty will not come again,

And take from seventy springs a score,It only leaves me fifty more.

And since to look at things in bloomFifty springs are little room,

About the woodlands I will goTo see the cherry hung with snow.

ca. 1896

1982Spruce BudwormImpact Analyzed

Spruce bud worms caused severedamage to large forested areas of NorthAmerica during 1982 when defoliationby these pests was double that of theprevious year in some regions of thecontinent.

The magnitude of defoliation was dis-cussed in a report "Status of SpruceBudworms in North America - 1982"by Daniel R. Kucera, staff entomologist,USDA Forest Service, Broomall, Pa.,and Robert G. Taylor, assistant leader,Canada/US Spruce Budworm Pro-gram, Ottawa, Ontario.

In the East, visible defoliation of firand spruce occurred on more than 49million acres and in the West it doubled,covering approximately eight millionacres. Tree mortality increased marked-ly in the western outbreaks and in theEast; in Maine and Vermont in theUnited States, and in Quebec in Can-ada.

Significant areas of balsam fir havebeen killed in eastern forests where redspruce now is beginning to die, alongwith some eastern hemlock. Adding tothe damage in some areas are popula-tions of other insects that have increas-ed in stands weakened by repeatedbudworm defoliation.

During 1982, northeastern Vermontsuffered substantial spruce and fir mor-tality. Approximately 15,000 acres had25 percent dead or dying trees. Timberloss exceeded $2 million in 1982. Lastyear, New Hampshire experienced adecline in defoliation, to 40,000 acres,and tree mortality, to 12,000 acres,with 50 percent of the trees dead.

In the Lake States, defoliation of bal-sam fir and white spruce occurred on250,000 acres, down slightly from1981. All defoliation was very light tomoderate, except in Minnesota, where50,000 acres were haavily defoliated.

What's the outlook for 1983? Theoutbreaks are expected to be more in-tense and widespread in most westernstates, including California. The. excep-tion is the Southwest, where it is ex-pected to decline somewhat. Defolia-tion is expected to increase in Vermont,New Hampshire and Minnesota whiledeclines are forecast for Michigan andportions of Maine.

In Canada, increases are predicted inmuch of the eastern and central prov-inces. But in British Columbia, the bud-worm is expected to maintain areas oflight infestation, the report stated.

12 New York Forest Owner

Two New Gypsy Moth PapersTwo new research papers pertaining

to the gypsy moth problem have beenissued by the USDA Forest Service'sNortheastern Forest Experiment Sta-tion.

"Predicting the Rate of Change inTimber Value for Forest Stands In-fested with Gypsy Moth" (ResearchNote NE-311) was authored by DavidA. Gansner and Owen W. Herrick, re-search foresters with the NortheasternForest Experiment Station in Broomall,Pa.

This publication presents a methodfor estimating the potential impact ofgypsy moth attacks on forest-standvalue. The authors developed an equa-tion for predicting the rate of change intimber value from easy-to-measure keycharacteristics of stand condition.

The second paper is "New Turf forGypsy Moth; There's More at RiskDownrange" (Research PaperNE-519). This was authored byGansner and Herrick with Paul S.DeBald and Jesus A. Cota. DeBald isa research forester with the North-eastern Forest Experiment Station atDelaware, Ohio, and Cota is an ento-mologist with the Northeastern Area,State and Private Forestry, in Morgan-town, W. Va.

This paper uses data collected from600 field plots in central Pennsylvaniaforests which are threatened by gypsymoth and which point to a greaterpotential for damage downrange.

Individual copies of these papersare available from: Publications Dis-tribution, USDA Forest Service, 370Reed Road, Broomall, PA 19008.

Pest ControlA very good handbook on the Gyp-

sy Moth may be obtained from yourcongressman.

Gypsy Moth leaflet #163 may be ob-tained from the Cooperative Extension.

"Permanent Logging Roads for Bet-ter Woodlot Management."Available from:

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Forest Ser-vice State & Private Forestry, North-eastern Area, Upper Darby, PA 19082.

USDA Agricultural Handbook#596, Guide to Federal Income TaxFor Timber Owners, 74 pages, about$4.00 from U.S. Government PrintingOffice, Washington, D.C. 20402.

FORESTBookshelfCopies of another report, entitled

"New York State Department of Envi-ronmental Conservation, Division ofLands and Forests 1981-82 ProgramHighlights Report" are available fromthe Policy and Economic Develop-ment Section, Room 404, 50 WolfRoad, Albany, NY 12233 (518) 457-7431. Please write or call if you wish toreceive this paper.

"Timber Harvesting Guidelines forNew York."Available from:

Empire State Forest Products Associ-ation, New York State Department ofEnvironmental Conservation, Albany,NY 12233.

1983 Forest Farmer ManualThe 1983 edition of the Forest

Farmer Manual is now available.Anyone interested in managing timberfor a profit would find the contents ofthis twenty-fourth issue published byForest Farmers Association invaluable.

This gUidebook to forestry practice of-fers timber growers, in everyday lan-guage, the combined wisdom and expe-rience of over thirty highly respectedforestry professionals, land managersand business experts throughout theSouth.

This publication can be purchasedfrom Forest Farmers Association,P.O. Box 95385, Atlanta, Georgia30347 for $15.00, including postage.Forest Farmers Association is agrassroots organization of timberlandowners, both large and small, repre-sented by members in virtually everytimbered county in the South. It pro-vides these owners with a voice onforestry matters affecting their interestsat local, regional and national levels.More than 85 percent of its membersown fewer than 500 acres.

Tax Break fotTree Planting Expenses

Albert MasettiThe manual is called: "How To Take

Reforestation Tax Deductions and TaxCredits" and costs $11.95 from LerayPress, 103 Godwin Avenue, MidlandPark, N.J. 07432. The price includesfirst class postage. (Or you could sendfor free literature describing themanual.)

The following list of tree pest leafletsare available free upon request fromSUNY College of Environmental Sci-ence and Forestry, Office of PublicRelations, Bray Hall, Syracuse, NewYork 13210. (Dr. Miller, state entomol-ogist, expects a buildup of canker wormthis spring.)

Ash DiebackBeech Bark DiseaseBiological Control of InsectsBirch Leaf MinerCankerwormsCarpenter AntsElm Leaf BeetleEuropean Pine SawflyFall WebwormForest & Shade Tree AphidsGypsy MothLesser Known Defoliators of

Northern HardwoodsLinden LooperLarch SawflyMaple Gall MitesNeedle Rust of Red PinePales Weevil Pine Needle ScalePine SawflyPine SpittlebugRed Pine Scale in New YorkSaddled ProminentSpruce CankerSpruce Gall AphidsSubterranean TermitesTent CaterpillarsWhite Pine Weevil

QualificationsA grandfather was alone at home for

a few days while his wife visited one oftheir daughters. To his consternationanother daughter came over and leftone of his youngest grandsons to spendthe night with him. The next morninggrandpop got up and prepared a bigbowl of oatmeal, his own favorite break-fast. "Do you like sugar?" he asked thesmall boy. The grandson nodded."How about some butter, too?" Againthe boy nodded. "Of course, you likemilk?" "Sure," the boy replied. Whengrandpop replaced the steaming bowl ofoatmeal with butter, sugar, and milkbefore him, the boy refused to eat it.The grandfather was exasperated. "Butwhen I asked you, didn't you say youliked sugar, butter and milk?" "Yes,"replied the youngster, "but you didn'task me if I liked oatmeal."

May-June 1983

May 14From 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tree

Measurement and Timber EstimatingWorkshop at the YACC camp, Alle-gany State Park, Salamanca, NY.

Become familiar with and gain an ap-preciation for the procedures used inmeasuring trees and estimating thequantity and approximate value of thetimber in a woodlot. A discussion of themethods and instruments used in meas-uring trees, grading of trees, use of vol-ume tables, and methods for estimatingvolumes of timber on specific acreageswill be followed by actual field exercises.Course fee is $25.00/ person.

June 4 - SaturdayLog Scaling and Grading at the

Harold McGraw Sawmill, Wood-bourne, NY.

For further information and registra-tion contact Dean, School of Contin-uing Education, SUNY-ESF, Syra-cuse, NY 13210, phone (315) 470-6891.

Fourth Annual School for Hard-wood Lumber Inspectors. This coursebegins Monday, June 13 and runsthrough July 8. Classes are from 8 to 5Monday through Friday each week. Itwill be held in the Durham, NH area.Room and board are available throughthe University of New Hampshire Hous-ing System.

The instructor is Norman C. Higgins,hardwood grading and drying consul-tant. Cost is $400 per person (does notinclude room and board). Registration islimited to sixteen.

For full information contact DavidE. Tooch, UNH - Extension SawmillSpecialist, 110 Pettee Hall, Durham,NH 03824.

August 19-20-21Woodsmen's Field Days, Boonville.

New York State Woodsmen's FieldDays Seminar: Managed Forests Pro-vide Forever. Friday evening, August19, 1983 is the date to remember. Theforestry meeting precedes the NewYork State Woodsmen's Field Days' ac-tivities on Saturday and Sunday.

On The Calendar

-NO TICE-Forestry Meeting

atNew York State

Woodsmen's Field Days"Managed Forests Provide Forever"

SEMINAR

Discussion Topics:1. Tree Values - How much is a tree

worth2. Silviculture Producing and

tending a forest3. Deer - Interaction of Deer and

Forests4. Timber Sales - Options and op-

portunities for woodland owners.

Discussion Leaders:Gary R. Goff, Department of Natural

Resources, Cornell University; John V.Berglund, Dean, School of Forestry,SUNY College of Environmental Sci-ence and Forestry (SUNY ESF); StevenJ. Weber, Huntington Wildlife Forest ofSUNY ESF; Donald E. Peterson, Adir-ondack Forestry, Inc., Consultant For-ester.Seminar Moderator:

David W. Taber, Cooperative Exten-sion.

Friday Evening, August 19, 19837:45 p.m,

Adirondack Central High SchoolRoute 294 - Boonville, N.Y.

Sponsored byNew York State

Woodsmen's Field Daysin cooperation with

Renewable ResourcesExtension Program

Cooperative Extension inNew York State

Refreshments served free during"Meet the Speakers Conclusion" at10:00 p.m.For additional information about local

accommodations and the field days,contact: Ruth J. Thoden, ExecutiveSecretary, NYS Woodsmen's FieldDays, Box 123, Boonville, N.Y.13309 (telephone (315) 942-4593.

13

September 16-17New York Forest Owners Association

Fall Meeting, Cumming Nature Cen-ter, Gulick Road, Naples, New York.

Gypsy Moth Problem WillBe Back in 1983

You don't see them now, but whentrees start leafing out, those pesky gypsymoth larvae will be there. Eggs that fe-male moths deposited last summer aredue to hatch in late April and early May.

Now found in 32 states, gypsy mothsdefoliated almost 8.2 million acres inthe Northeast alone in 1982.

Although gypsy moth populationscome and go, their infestations perma-nently affect forest compositions, ac-cording to entomologist Warren T.Johnson in the New York State Collegeof Agriculture and life Sciences at Cor-nell University. Previously devastatedareas will have significantly fewer oaktrees and, to some extent, reducedpopulations of other hardwoods.

Homeowners, park managers, andforesters can understand this pest betterwith a copy of "Gypsy Moth" (IB-188,$2.00) from Cornell Cooperative Ex-tension. The 16-page, color-illustratedbooklet describes the insect's life cycle,preferred host species, and recom-mended controls.

In some areas, a naturally occurringvirus has depressed gypsy moth popu-lations. "Even if these are localizedpopulation crashes, gypsy moths willcontinue to migrate, threatening oaksand other hardwoods," Johnson notes.

Experts are reluctant to go out on alimb to predict what 1983 will bring, butmost agree that areas on the fringes oflast year's infestation are at greatest risk.

For additional information, obtaina copy of "Gypsy Moth" from Cooper-ative Extension offices in New YorkState or from Cornell DistributionCenter-GM, 7 Research Park, Ithaca,NY 14850. Checks for $2.00 (in U.S.funds) should be made payable to Cor-nell University.

ThoughtsThe way of this world is to praise

dead saints and persecute living ones.

n

14 New York Forest Owner

Professor Morrow to RetireProfessor Robert R. Morrow will

retire at the end of this semester afternearly 34 years of service at CornellUniversity. Bob started as an AssistantProfessor of Forestry in 1949 followingthe completion of his Ph.D. at SyracuseUniversity, College of Forestry. He waspromoted to Associate Professor in1954 and to Professor in 1970.

Dr. Morrow has established a note-worthy professional record in teachingand research during his years in theDepartment of Natural Resources. He iswell known and appreciated for hisdedication to and administration of theDepartment's undergraduate teachingprogram. In addition to a long history ofteaching woodland management andmaple syrup production, Professor Mor-row has been instrumental in the devel-opment of the undergraduate curricu-lum, the organization and coordinationof the advising program, and the advis-ing of hundreds of students in theDepartment of Natural Resources andthe College of Agriculture and Life Sci-ences.

Bob's forestry research program isprobably most well known for his workon maple syrup production, and sugar-bush management. However, he hasalso published extensively on soil andsite requirements, the management of

conifer plantations, thinning of foreststands, and the use of wood for energy.Although Bob never had official exten-sion responsibilities, his research ac-tivities have addressed applied forestryproblems and provided the technicalbasis for his numerous extension publi-cations and participation in many publicand professional workshops and meet-ings. In all he has about a hundred pub-lications.

For six years, Bob was a Director ofthe Forest Owners Association andserved on numerous committees. Hewas First Vice President, but had toleave the Board because of mountingpersonal commitments.

Bob and Betty Morrow will be leavingIthaca this summer to take up residencenear Greenville, South Carolina. Theirnew property has a two acre rhododen-dron collection which Bob will try hishand at managing; not many "board-feet" or gallons of maple syrup will beproduced but unique beauty certainlywill.

Their address, starting this summer,will be Rt. 9, Box 57, Heritage Rd.,Easley, S. Carolina 29640. They haveplenty of space and will welcome theirmany forest friends who travel that way.(Located only 7 miles off 1-85).

New Fuel Wood FilmA new film produced for the New

York Department of EnvironmentalConservation can help woodlot ownersmake decisions concerning the manage-ment of their land for firewood.

"Fuel from the Forest: Better Man-agement Through Firewood Harvest-ing" covers such topics as when andhow to harvest firewood, how to seasonit, cull and crop tree selection duringthinning, and management planning. Italso provides an insight into the relativevalue of fuelwood versus high qualitysawtimber.

Suitable for audiences from highschool students to adults, the 16mm orvideotape runs 26 minutes. For moreinformation, contact: Cornell Audio-Visual Center, 8 Research Park,Ithaca, NY 14850. Telephone: 607-256-2090.

Cable Yarding ProjectA Vermont cable yarding project is

demonstrating to woodland owners,loggers and the wood-using industry aneconomical system of harvesting fuel-wood and small commercial size timber.

A prototype yarder, Kubota 34 HPtractor with a double-drum lqlandwinch, has been built and is fully opera-tional. More than 1,000 people havewitnessed the yarder in its four publicdemonstrations.

Preliminary results are encouragingand indicate that the cable yarding sys-tem has several advantages over con-ventionallogging systems. Among themare: little soil disturbance; less residualstand damage; operability on very steepslopes and wet areas; low initial cost;and resistance to effect on operation byweather.

A report is expected to be availablein May. Those wishing further infor-mation and/ or the report may sendtheir request to: Jack Dwyer, WoodUtilization Specialist, RFD #1, Box2300, Morrisville, Vermont 05661.

Evelyn:As editor, thought you might like to

see this.John

Mr. John RidingsRural Route 2Cazenovia, New York 13035

Dear Mr. Ridings,

As an active supporter of CARE, Iurgently request your help in meeting achallenge and a special opportunity weface.

The dimensions of this problem arestaggering. Over 14 million acres ofland become deserts each year. Cropscease to grow. Animals die. Scarcewater supplies dry up.

By the year 2000, just 17 years away,fuel wood requirements will exceed theavailable supply by 25 percent.

You and I, working with other CAREsupporters, can take steps now toreverse this alarming and dangeroustrend. To prevent needless sufferingand death.

Our special project, CARE for theEarth, will do the following:

-in mountainous countries likeGuatemala, CARE will work with localfarmers to plant trees for fuelwood,lumber, and soil erosion control.

-in drier areas like Niger, CARE willcoordinate the planting of hardy grassesand the building of windbreaks on sanddunes. We will also make sure rows oftrees are planted along crop fields toprotect against strong seasonal winds.

-address the mismanagement ofnatural resources from a global perspec-tive, demonstrating that it is possible,with reasonable care and at reasonablecost, to reverse current ecological trendsand increase the land's productivity.

P.S. - You are doing a great job onthe Forest Owner - so good, it's one ofvery few pieces of mail I can't set down.

May-June 1983 15

Study Shows ForestLand Owners are PayingExcessive Income Taxes

Timber Crier-January 1983Consulting forester Martin Curran

recently completed his directed researchat the University. of New Hampshire.His report, "Capital Gains and Deple-tion Allowance as Timber ProductionIncentives for Landowners," reveals apoor attempt by forest land owners touse the special timber taxation provi-sions. These two incentives, if followedcarefully, offer substantial savings infederal income taxes, and ultimately en-courage wise management of ourprivately owned forests.

Curran points out that a "CapitalGain" (on timber) is only taxed at apercentage of the gain, whereas ordi-nary income is taxed at its full value.Presently a timber asset must be ownedfor one year before selling, and thenonly 40% of the net timber income istaxable. Additional savings can berealized by "recovering" the cost of anytimber harvested through the "Deple-tion Allowance." By recognizing themerits of these two provisions, theforestland owner can retain as much in-come as is legally permissable forreinvestment in the forest or for otherneeds. (Additional information on these

two provisions is available through yourExtension office.)

Unfortunately, a large segment of the150 forestland owners surveyed by Cur-ran were not aware of either the capitalgains or depletion allowance provisions.Only 11 % of the respondents took ad-vantage of these provisions. Ironically,none of the factors tested (age, occupa-tion, education, length of time ofownership, number of cuttings, or pro-fessional forestry assistance) significant-ly influence the application of eitherprovision. In fact, when a forester wasemployed to handle a timber sale (nor-mally 45% of the time), only 13% ofthe forestland owners received any in-come tax assistance. Curran suspectsthat many of these landowners havetreated their timber income as ordinaryincome rather than taking advantage ofthe capital gains and timber depletiontax breaks. He is dismayed that manyforesters and government agencies donot provide income tax services to theirclients.

Marty recaps the situation by statingthat unless we take full advantage of'these incentives and maximize on netreturn with forest improvement ac-tivities, our forest land base will continueto disappear.(Article by Earle Chase from the December 1982"Tree Talk," Newsletter of the Rockingham Coun-ty Cooperative Exten.sion Service.)

Home Thoughts, from Abroadby Robert Browning

Oh, to be in EnglandNow that April's thereAnd whoever wakes in EnglandSees, some morning, unaware,That the lowest boughs and the

brushwood sheafRound the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf,While the chaffinch sings on theorchard bough

In England - now!

And after April, when May follows,And the whitethroat builds, and

all the swallows!Hark, where my blossomed pear tree

in the hedgeLeans to the field and scatters

on the cloverBlossoms and dewdrops - at the

bent spray's edge -That's the wise thrush; he sings each

song twice over,Lest you should think he never

could recaptureThe first fine careless rapture!

And though the fields look roughwith hoary dew,

All will be gay when noontide wakes anewThe buttercups, the little children's dower- Far brighter than this gaudymelon -flower!

ca. 1845

T.S.I.-An Economic Perspective

by John ThoringtonIndependent Forestry Consultant

It was with more than a casual interestthat I read the article on T.S.I. (TimberStand Improvement) by Doug Monteithin the Nov. 1982 and Jan. 1983 "ForestOwner." As a forester, a significant pro-portion of my time in 1982 was devotedto the preparation of firewood sales; Imarked for cutting approximately 2,000standard cords of firewood. Doug's arti-cle thus immediately caught my atten-tion.

Material in the article was presentedin a thorough, clear and concise man-ner which was easy to understand, and Iagree with the points presented exceptfor the following. Doug stated that,"Most TSI will cost you some moneyunless you can do all the work yourself.Selling firewood may offset some ex-pense, but the odds are you will have to

layout some cash in most cases."_Now,I realize that topography, timber re-source, and fuelwood markets varygreatly from one end of New York tothe other, but in the 50 mile radius ofSyracuse that I consider my principalworking area, Doug's statement is 180degrees off.

A woodlot in need of thinning willproduce anywhere from 5 to 12 stan-dard cords of wood, and still maintainadequate stocking. If a stand can't pro-duce 5 cords/acre, it isn't ready for thin-ning. In the Syracuse area, if the terrainand access are suitable, and the land-owner is willing to take the liability risk,fuelwood can be sold to non-commer-cial harvesters for as much as $20 perstandard cord on the stump. Consider-ing an average harvest of 8 cords/acre,this means a gross return of $160/acrefor your TSI.

I admit that there is a lot of terrain inNew York, and even in the Syracusearea, that is too rugged for the harvesterwho uses a pickup truck or his farm-

type tractor. In these cases there is analternative; the forest owner may sell toa commercial harvester. The commer-cial harvester can afford to pay only halfas much and may do a less aestheticallypleasing job, but he can handle muchmore difficult terrain with his commer-cial machines and a much larger volumeof firewood.

Most important: the landowner candemand adequate insurance coveragefrom the commercial harvester. It is cur-rently unrealistic to expect small vol-ume, noncommercial harvesters tohave satisfactory insurance coverage.The peace of mind afforded by goodcoverage more than offsets the lower in-come, and $80/acre gross for improv-ing your woodlot is still nothing tosneeze at. From this gross revenue mustcome the expenses of conducting thesale, and there are always the head-aches and aggravations of any timbersale, but for "most" of New York,"most" TSI endeavors should produceblack ink.

Evelyn A. StockEditor

5756lke Dixon Rd.Camillus, NY. 13031

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Sawtimber Prices in 1982There is' an interesting phenomenon

in the sawtimber market. Good qualitytimber stumpage is at an all timehigh. Medium quality sawtimber isdown in price since last year. Poorquality sawtimber- is difficult to sell.There has been a shortage of high qual-ity timber on the market and with thisscarcity bid prices are very high.

Fewer sawmills are operating now ascompared to last year. Many of those inproduction are operating fewer hours.As one might suspect there have beenfewer log contractors and jobbers in thewoods.

Most operating sawmills and jobbersare purchasing sawtimber for immediateuse. Very little timber is being inven-toried. Certain hardwood lumber priceshave been edging up in the past month.There is a continued demand for redoak. The demand for cherry, ash andhard maple has been improving duringthe past few weeks.

Prices for standing fuel wood timberand downed hardwood tree tops havevaried from $5 through $15 per stan-dard cord (128 cubic feet). The averageprice has been less than $10 per stan-dard cord. Logging difficulty, skiddingdistances and the volume of wood mar-keted influence prices offered for fuel-wood. There continues to be a high de-mand for fuelwood in quantities lessthan 50 standard cords. However,larger volumes can be sold.

Caution must be exercised when us-ing this sawtimber price chart. Theprices used are averages with better andpoorer values. The prices received fortimber sold by Forecon foresters have'been weighted by volume to obtain theaverages. There are many factors whichinfluence the value of sawtimber stum-page. Competitive bidding' usuallyresults in the highest timber stumpageprices available to a woodlot owner.

Log RulesQuestions are often asked in what

ways the three rules for log scaling aredifferent (the "Doyle Rule," the "Inter-national Rule" and the "ScribnerRule.") The following is the explanationof these differences.

The Doyle Rule is the one used bythe majority of log buyers in New York.The International 1f4" Rule is used bythe Department of EnvironmentalConservation in all timber sale trans-actions and is also used by many logbuyers in the eastern region of the state.

Another rule used in certain areas ofthe state is the Scribner Rule. Boardfoot volumes estimated by this rule arebetween those of the other two.

Despite the rather large differencesthat appear in the tables, any singletruckload of logs will net about the sameamount of dollars regardless of the rulethat is used. This is because buyers ad-just prices paid per thousand board feetaccording to which rule is used.

Sawlogs in New York average be-tween 13" and 14" in diameter and 12'in length. Using these averages approx-imate conversion factors from one ruleto another are as follows:

International to Doyle - subtract25 %; Doyle to International - add35 %; International to Scribner andScribner to Doyle - subtract 15%;Scribner to International and Doyle toScribner - add 15%.

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