The New York Forest Owner - Volume 36 Number 5

The New York

FOREST OWNERA publication of the New York Forest Owners Association

September/October 1998

Grousehaven Revisited

Mourningcloak Butterfly

J Maintaining Your Pond (PartlII)

At Least The Horse Knew The Ropes

Volume 36 Number 5

THE NEW YORKFOREST OWNERS

ASSOCIATIONVOL. 36, NO.5

OFFICERS & DIRECTORS

Jill Cornell, President

703 Johnsonville Rd.

Johnsonville. NY 12094; 518/753·4336

Ronald Pedersen, Vice Preasident

22 Vandenburg Lane.Latham, NY 12110; 5181785-6061

Robert M. Sand, Recording Secretary

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

Don Wagner, Treasurer

5330 Graham Road,

Utica, NY 13502; 3151733-7391

Deborah Gill, Administrative Secretary

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

1999Harry Dieter, Honeoye Falls, 716/533-2085

Thomas Ellison, Manlius, 315/682-9376Richard Fox, Moravia; 315/497-1078

David Swanson, Mount Morris, 716/658-4601

2000Hugh Canham, N. Syracuse; 315/457-4972

John Hastings, Queensbury; 5181798-0248Ronald Pedersen; Latham; 5181785-6061

Betty Wagner; Utica; 3151733-7391

2001Jill Cornell, Johnsonville, 5181753-4336

Nick Po Ice, Remsen, 315/831-5301Dave Swaciak, Franklinville, 716/676-2349

Robert Sykes, Elbridge, 315/673-3691

CHAPTER REPRESENTATIVES

Dave W. Swaciak, Allegheny Foothills; 716/676-2349

Stephen Davison, Cayuga; 315/496-2392Joan & Hans Kappel, Capital District; 518/861-8753

Tom Graber, Central New York; 315/255-3662

Gene McCardle, Lower Hudson; 914/945-0504

David Daut, Northern Adirondack; 518/359-3089

Rita Hammond, Niagara Frontier; 716/652-2857

James Durller, SE Adirondack; 518/747-5958

Larry Lepak, Southern Tier; 6071 656-8504

Don Schaufler, Tioga; 6071 589-6095Jack Hamilton, Western Finger Lakes; 7161728-5769

All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced with-

out prior written permission from the publisher. NYFOA

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

The New York Woodland Stewards,Inc. (NYWS) is a SOl(c)3 foundationofNYFOA and the tax deductable do-nations thereto will advance NYFOA'seducational mission.

COVER:THE OIL PAINTING. "THE DOUBLEAT

CAMDEN CREEK"; PAINTED BY ANTHONY J.CONTE. (See Page 8.)

2 • NY FOREST OWNER 36:5

FOREST OWNERA publication of the New York Forest Owners Association

Editorial Committee: Mary McCarty, Chair.,Steve Davison, Betty Densmore, Alan Knight,and Bob Sand,

Materials submitted for publication should be addressed to: R.J. Fox, Editor, R_D_3, Box88, Moravia, New York 13118. Articles, artwork and photos are invited and are normallyreturned after use. The deadline for submission for NovlDec is October 1.Please address all membership fees and change of address requests to P.O. Box180, Fairport, N.Y. 14450. Cost of individual membership/subscription is $20.

GROUSEHA VEN

A mixture of hardwoods and aspen. The beauty and diversity of Grousehaven-a uniquearea for ruffed grouse. (See page 8)

Table Of Contents

President's Message, Jill Cornell _ _ _.._ " ..""."_"" "".",, .. 3

Maintaining Your Pond (Part III), Mary Binder """"" " .."" .." "" ..""." .." _ 4Midsummer Musings Of A Forest Owner, Robert Bamber Marshall _ _ 7Grousehaven Revisited, Anthony 1. Conte .._ _"_" _ _".." .."""_",, ..,, 8Getting Started With A Timber Sale, Peter 1. Smallidge _ """ _._ _._" 10The Evolution Of Our Pond, Elizabeth D_Nichols .._"_.._." _ "._ """._""".,, 12NYFOA's Forest Tax Survey .._ _ _ _ _ "" .." 13At Least The Horse Knew The Ropes, Peter S. Levatich "_ "_,,,,_,, ,,_14Guest Editorial, Keith A. Argow " _"" _.._ "" " _".._".._"_,, _.17ASK A FORESTER, Stephen Davison _ "." " _._ """ _ _18Purple Loosestrife, John S_Braubitz _ _"."" " _._." """ _"""" 19Mourningcloak Butterfly, Douglas C. Allen """."" " " """ .. 20What's Good For The Goose , Jane Sorensen Lord _ _ _._ _ _: _._ 22

NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 - INFO SEPT/OCT 1998

President's MessageBy Jill Cornell

Ialso hope to see you at our Fall Meet-ing September 11th and 12 in Kanonawhich is 3 miles north of Bath. The Fri-

day night panel of speakers: Jim Contino(Champion International), Brian Knox(Coastal Lumber) and Ken Kasprzyk(DEC) will be very interesting. Saturday'swoodswalks in the nearby state forests withSenior forester Mark Keister will give yousome new ideas and lots of information,Just phone Debbie at 800-836-3566 tomake reservations ASAP.

I can't resist this opportunity to do an adfor the Family Forest Fair. This is prob-ably the last year it will be in northeasternNY. And this year it will be even biggerand better than last year. So plan a familytrip to Washington County for October 3rdand 4th. The Washington County Fair-grounds are in Greenwich and only 15miles due east from Saratoga. It is one ofNY's beautiful areas, and the Fair will havesomething for everyone. One whole build-ing is dedicated to activities for children.On site will be vendors of wood products,crafts, art work, equipment for working inthe woods. There will be exhibits of allkinds of forestry related information, andon Saturday, John Adler will demonstratetree felling techniques and chainsaw safety.Also on Saturday, the Woodsmen's Teamfrom SUNY College of EnvironmentalScience and Forestry will demonstrate oldtime lumberjack techniques. On Sunday,

NIGHT IN CONCERTBy Dorothy Darling

Sometimes the night makes musicbut not everyone can hear;

there are no violins or drums or hornsbut around and about through the sphere

subtle and intimate rhythms are borne.

In summer fireflies light the soundbut so briefly not all can see;

there are no footlights or spotlights glowing,but this is part of nature's harmony,

crescendos in light, coming and going.

In winter the winds take up the symphonybut not all who listen will hear;

there are no woodwinds leaping to the eye,and ears must be intent, hearts drawn near

if night is caught in concert down the sky.

NY FOREST OWNER 36:5

Jill Cornell

there will be a professional Lumberjack(and Lumbeijill) Competition. Collegeswith natural resource and forestry programswill be available to meet with prospectivestudents and their parents. Featured will belive birds of prey, rattlesnakes, apple vari-ety tastings, tree planting demonstrations,portable sawmill demonstrations, canoesafety, woods herbs and recipes, flute mak-ing, archery shooting gallery, ChristmasTree tips, maple products, hunting, fishing,hiking information, and much more. Lotsof door prizes too!

While you are there having a good time,please consider having the fair in your re-gion. The Department of EnvironmentalConservation, Cornell Cooperative Exten-sion, Natural Resource Conservation Ser-vice, County Soil and Water Districts, Re-source Conservation and Developmentagencies and area forest industry will lenda hand, and you'll meet nice, interestingpeople. You'll get to know more about allthose resources. At the same time you'llbe spreading the word about New York'sspectacular, renewable resource and whatgood management can do for it, both per-sonally for forest owners, but also for theenvironment.

Five years ago the Hudsons and theMinerds with the Central NY Chapterstarted the Fair. How about having the sixthyear in your area? ..•.

NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 - INFO

A TAX DEDUCTIONBy Ron Pedersen, Vice PresidentNYFOA has established New York

Woodland Stewards, Inc. as a 501(c)(3)tax exempt charitable corporation to acceptcontributions to promote sound forest man-agement by private landowners. Contribu-tions to New York Woodland Stewards aretax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

You may now renew your membershipor newly join by check payable to New YorkForest Owners Association, OR, ifyou pre-fer, by check payable to New York Wood-land Stewards, Inc. (NYWS), including anycontribution in excess of your NYFOAmembership.

The first $20 of your check to New YorkWoodland Stewards, Inc. (or the first $25for family membership) will purchase yourNYFOA membership. Additional tax de-ductible contributions will further our ef-forts to reach and educate private wood-land owners about wise use of forest re-sources.

Thank you for supporting wise forest re-source use by private landowners. ..•.

NYFOA

~~

'FAMILYFORESTFAIR

1998

SEPT/OCT 1998 • 3

MAINTAINING YOUR POND (Part III)By Mary Binder

A man-made pond will do what comesnaturally. It will slowly revert to a wetland.This process, known as eutrophication, isthe method by which ponds age. It will silt-in over time, grow pond weeds, algae, andcattails. Eventually it will become a veryshallow, warm wa-ter wetland. Thepond owner must beaware that it is im-possible to com-pletely avoid thisnatural conversion;however, it is pos-sible to slow theprogress.

General Mainte-nance

The key to reduc-ing pond weeds is toreduce or eliminatethe amount of or-ganic material thatenters the pond.Anything that de-cays in a pond is or-ganic. Soil causedby erosion, grassclippings, chemicaland natural fertiliz-ers, and leaves fromneighboring trees can all contribute to theaging of a pond.

Eutrophication can be slowed by mow-ing around your pond, especially the dam.You want to keep trees and shrubs fromseeding in on the dam because tree rootscan provide a channel for impounded wa-ter to leak. Direct the mower away fromthe pond, so clippings do not go into thepond. Mowing around the pond edge willalso remove muskrat and groundhog habi-tat. These burrowing animals can also pro-vide a means for water to leave your pond.Should you see holes along the pond edge,the animals should be trapped and removedfrom the property.

If a farm livestock operation is locatedup-hill from the pond, it is recommendedthat a tile drain and/or diversion ditch beinstalled to direct any subsurface or sur-face runoff away from the pond.

Another pond maintenance chore is toinspect the pond inlets, outlets, and cleanall trashracks. If you have a valve to con-


trol the flow of water at the outlet, it shouldbe worked regularly to keep it lubricated.You should also monitor the pond for newweeds and algae. You should try to iden-tify them, so that if necessary, you can treatthem for removal.

A typical dry hydrant. Note support made/or the pipe.

ALGAE AND POND WEED CONTROLPonds have three basic types of vascular

plants: submergents, emergents and float-ing plants. Submergents have all of theirleaves and stems below the water, emer-gent plants have stems and leaves that growabove the water, and floating plants havetheir leaves float on the surface of the wa-ter. Floaters such as waterlilies and duck-weed are quite common. There are alsothree types of algae: plankton, filamentousand macroscopic. Plankton are very tinyplants that form the foundation of the pondfood chain. If their numbers are too high,plankton may cause a green, brown, or red-dish-brown algae bloom. This usually oc-curs in summer when pond water iswarmer. A blue-green algae bloom can bepoisonous.

Filamentous algae grows in long greenstrands and may form floating mats. It ismore affectionately referred to as "pondscum". In this article, references to pondweeds also include algae.

NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 - INFO

As you drive the countryside you maynotice that some ponds are infested withweeds and others appear completely clear.A clear pond usually involves some hardwork and management on the part of thelandowner. Pond weeds can be kept in

check, but the land-owner needs toknow what methodsare available andwhat will suit hisneeds and lifestyle.The goal is not toeliminate all pondweeds, but to allowfor recreational use.A pond completelyvoid of weeds willbecome a sterile en-vironment. The fol-lowing are somecontrol methodsavailable to thepond owner.

Physical re-moval: Many pondowners removepond weeds them-selves. I've seencreative removaldevices crafted outof old bed springs.The springs are

dragged by boat or by hand. It is best toremove pond weeds before they go to seed,to discourage next season's crop. Pondweeds make excellent compost. Removealgae, duckweed and watermeal on a windyday when the floating weeds have blownto one side of the pond. Cattails, althoughgreat for wildlife habitat, can take over apond if left unchecked. Cutting the stemsjust below the water level will control them,if repeated often enough.

Although physical removal is inexpen-sive, it can be backbreaking. On the posi-tive side, you do not have to worry aboutthe effect of chemicals on your watershedor well, and the risk of poisoning children,animals, and fish is also eliminated.

Draining the pond: A pond with a heavyweed infestion can be completely drainedin the fall and allowed to sit empty all win-ter. The cold temperatures will kill the pondweeds. The pond can be filled back upagain during the spring rains. Since thismethod will kill all fish, it is only used as alast resort.

SEPT/OCT 1998

Triploid Grass Carp: Since the early problems in your pond. Again, it is impor- Placing posted signs on your property or1990's, New York State has been using tant to identify what pond weeds you have around your pond may discourage strang-sterile grass carp very successfully to treat so you can use the proper chemical to treat ers from using the pond. For friends andponds. They will only eat certain types of it. There is also a non-toxic chemical that family, a ladder or plank hung on a treepond weeds, so identification is critical. simply dyes your pond a dark shade of can provide for a rescue in water and overThey have been sterilized to ensure that if green with the theory that it will block sun- ice. A life ring, with 100 feet of rope, hungaccidentally released in waterways they light to the pond weeds and kill them. on a nearby tree or post can be used by evenwill not reproduce. These fish live from 5 A permit is needed from the NYS De- a small child. Warning signs noting steepto 7 years, and have slopes, drop-offs, and

" been known to get pipe intakes will alsovery large. help.

A permit is Installing a dry hy-needed from NYS drant, (photo 1), orDepartment of En- non-pressurized pipevironmental Con- into your pond to pro-servation to stock vide a suction line forthese fish. Your 10- fire trucks may notcal office can give only save you moneyyou more informa- on fire insurance, buttion. it may also save your

Using grass carp house or your life. Beto treat your pond sure to check with theweed problem can fire company servingbe fun, relatively your district so theinexpensive and ef- hydrant parts will befective. There is no compatible with theirneed to worry about equipment. Makechemicals; how- sure the access roadever, there may be is large enough fora need to restock firefighting equip-since the fish do ment, and that it iseventually die. Ponds provide hours a/tranquil scenery, as well as an abundance a/wildlife habitat. kept plowed in win-

A era t ion: Th e This pond is located in Westerlo. ter. Keep area arounduse of submersed or the hydrant strainerfountain type pumps to add oxygen to the partment of Environmental Conservation in the pond free of submerged weeds. Bewater has been used by fish farms for years. for an individual landowner to purchase the sure to install the intake below the averageAdded oxygen helps fish thrive and aides chemicals to treat their pond. frost free zone (3-4 feet in New York), andin vegetation decay. Chemical treatment can be easy and very that your pond is a dependable, year-round,

The cost and maintenance of the equip- convenient, but the cost can mount as the non-fluctuating water source.ment must be added into the equation. I years pass. Always follow label recommen-have heard of people being electrocuted dations when applying aquatic pesticides. Fish Stockingwhile swimming too close to the pump. Over-application can cause fish-kills. Fish- Most landowners stock trout or bass inAlso caution must be taken while running kills can also be caused by treating a large, their pond. The water temperature of yourthe aerator during hot weather (this is usu- heavily infested pond all at once. It may pond, in its coldest location, will help youally when pond weeds are at their worst). not be the chemical killing the fish, but the determine what you can successfully stock.It can increase the water temperature re- fact that all the weeds die at once. When Trout will survive in water 33° to 75°F,suiting in fish-kill, especially temperature weeds decay, they use up oxygen. This can but do best and have less disease problemssensitive trout. Running the aerator on cause oxygen depletion in the pond, caus- in 50° to 65°F water. The coldest part ofcloudy days or at night during the summer ing the fish to die. This type of death in a the pond is in the deepest part of your pond,may help. pond is called "summer kill". Some chemi- or around areas where there are springs.

Pondweed plantings: Many nurseries cal labels recommend only treating parts Trout will usually not reproduce in ponds,now sell beautiful wetland plants to put in of the ponds and waiting a certain amount so it may be necessary to restock.backyard watergardens. Be careful what of time before treating the rest. Stocking rates in the spring are 500-700you "let loose" in your pond. A Pond Safety trout per surface acre, of 2-4 inch finger-watergarden is a self contained structure, The landowner cannot be completely lings.but a pond can easily advance beyond your protected against liability in case of an ac- Rainbow and Brook trout eat insects,control. cident around a pond, but posting warning while brown trout are carnivorous and will

Chemical treatment: Many chemicals signs and providing adequate safety mea- eat smaller fish and frogs. There is no needexisting in today's market, can with proper sures may prevent most accidents from to feed your trout, since there is plenty ofuse, treat specific plant species causing occuring. native feed already existing in your pond.

NY FOREST OWNER 36:5 NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 - INFO SEPT/OCT 1998 • 5

It is a thrill, however, to watch the troutboil to the surface as you throw in pelletfeed. Trout should be stocked with no otherspecies offish, especially bass, as the basswill eat smaller trout. To keep smaller trout

from starving, larger fish should be fishedout.

Bass will survive in higher temperatureponds. They will reproduce, but do requirea forage fish, since they are carnivorous.

Bass will even cannibalize if there is not

enough forage.Stocking rates are 20 bass per surface

acre. Fathead minnows or bluegills are theusual species of forage fished stocked atthe same time as the bass. Minnows are

stocked at a rate of25 for each bass stocked.Bluegills are stocked at 5 for each bass.

The key to successful bass managementis to provide the habitat for the forage fishto survive and reproduce. They need weedsand piles of rock for escape areas.

Bass ponds must also be fished to removethe larger fish. This will allow the smallerfish to grow and allow the forage fish toreproduce and prosper.

Winterkill"Winterkill" is the phenomenon where

fish die in droves due to lack of oxygen,just as in summerkill. Winterkill occurs

when deep snow piles on top of the pond,

allowing little or no sunlight to reach pondweeds. Due to the lack of sunlight the pond

weeds die, causing oxygen depletion asthey decay. This lack of oxygen will killthe fish. Most winterkills do not become

obvious until the pond loses its ice coverduring a melt, then you begin to see the

dead fish.To keep this from happening, a few paths

shoveled along the center of the pond willallow enough sunlight to enter the pond. I

have also heard that allowing a small logfrom a tree with thick bark to become fro-zen in the vertical position of a pond willallow oxygen to penetrate through the bark.

You may want to take a water sample ofyour pond every few years if you activelyswim in it. With the growing concern forwater pollution, its worth the small invest-ment for a sample.

Your pond will bring you and your fam-ily many years offun and recreation. With

a little hard work and planning, your pondwill continue to provide for that enjoymentfor many years to come.

Additional References:Dry Hydrant Manual. Rural Water Sup-

plies for Firefighting Operations, GreeneCo. SWCD, June 1993, 1st Ed.

"Aerating Ponds", by Tom Matson, May/June 1993, Country Journal Magazine.

The Freshwater Aquaculture Book, byWilliam Mcl.arney.

"Build Your Own Pond", by John Weiss,Dee 1985, American Forests Magazine.

Common Marsh, Underwater & Float-ing-leaved Plants of the United States andCanada, by Neil Hotchkiss, 1972.

A Guide to Plants Commonly found inFreshwater Wetlands of New York State,by T. Rawinski, R. Malecki, and L.Mudrak, 1979. A

Mary, who lives in Westerlo, with her hus-band and two boys, is Vice-Chair ofNYFOA's Capital District Chapter. She isa graduate of SUNY ESF with experiencewith the Forest Service, Bureau of IndianAffairs, and Conservation Districts.

FORECON INC.Don'tJ~~T~~~iatety" "

STIHL Protective ApparelHELMET SYSTEM

$35.50

Forestry - Recreation - Ecology - Conservation

9 PLY CHAPS

$68.00

LOWERyour saw chain budget1 Spend the savings on Protection

STIHL Saw Chain Loop PricingThe following in all guages II OOft reel in loops or Isingle loop:3/8: 16" (27 loops):$10.20/Ioop 20" (22 loops):$12,20/Ioop

(One or more):$12.25/Ioop :$14.25/loop.325: 16" (27 loops):$11.70/loop 20" (22 loops):$14.00/loop

(One or more):$13,70/Ioop :$16,OO/loopUSUALLY SAME DAY SHIPPING

"OUR PRICES ARE HONEST •• OUR SERVICES ARE PRICELESS"

AVOCA VILLAGE SALES182 Cessna St., Avoca, NY 14809

(607) 566·3996/ Fax: 566.2358

ALSO: Honda, Briggs &S!ratton, Kohler, Tecumseh(Engines, Parts & Service)

Homeli!e: Generators, Pumps - Products, Parts & Service


Now With Three Offices to Better Serve Your Needs!!!Main Office 100 E. 2nd St., Jamestown ,NY (716) 664-560211 N. Main St., Suite 202, Cortland, NY (607) 753-3113314 E. Fourth St., Emporium, PA (814) 486-1276

NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 - INFO SEPT/OCT 1998

"Please leave a few for my wife" saidthe forest owner, as he stepped out on thefront porch. The two tiny fawns munchingthe day lily flowers dashed off twenty yardsand stopped to look back .. The forest ownerwent back in the house. The two tiny fawnswent back to eat the day lily flowers.

Watchingfrom a win-dow the for-est ownerwondered atwhat marvel-ous wildlifemanagementthis would be,if only hepurposefully,rather thanthe previoushomeowner,had plantedthe day lilies!Here werehoney-sweet flowers to attract fawns soclose to the house, just when in July newfawns begin to explore their world! Flow-ers from strong bulbs faithfully returningevery year, without annual weeding or pro-tection from anything except possiblysquirrels, since the bulbs sprout betweenmany baseball-size rocks. In July only theflowers are eaten. In spring the earlyfast-growing leaves are half-eaten. Thiscropping, and somewhat less sunlight, de-lays our day lilies flowering, a week or twolater than most lilies in our county. Day lilyflowers last only a few days, so I think theyserve best as a deer delicacy. One year theshow occurred while weekend houseguestswere watching. Since day lilies are nativeto Eurasia, they are an exotic rather idealfor an environment over-populated withdeer. A forester might become famousplanting day lilies and promising fawns toeat them!

Did you ever hear of an elected officialwhose platform promoted less fawns to eatless flowers? Or less deer to eat less of thevoters' landscaping and forest regenera-tion?

If I were running for office, which nowat age 80 1 expect everybody to believe Iam not, one of my platform planks wouldbe more enjoyable hunting and fishing for


Midsummer Musings Of A Forest Owner

By Robert Bamber Marshall ©1998

more successful hunters and fishermen!Ha! Ha! Laugh, but don't overdo it. Elec-tions are so serious. Here in Westchester,where deer hunting is restricted to archeryin November and December, even thoughI am a conservative Republican, I wouldwin every Democrat archer's vote with a

clear call forarchery inOctober! Inmy secondterm thatmight be-come Sep-tember, soonafter LaborDay. Everyarcher whoever failed inNovember,and has triedpulling hisbow string inDecember,

knows in his shivering bones that our civilrights deserve more respect in Albany! Thisyear we and the NRA will not be disen-franchised by hunting on Election Day!Lose liberty? Maybe by one vote? Vote forme, and never again will Election Day beone of the first days hunting is legal! In thefuture we will celebrate Columbus Daywith a venison dinner. Also I will cutheavily into the Democrat voters whosefamily members have Lyme Disease. InWestchester, practically the C"apitol ofLyme Disease in America", that will over-come the Democrat's registration advan-tage. Why should everybody get LymeDisease before we solve the problem?Westchester is full of the world'smost-educated people, who even knowwhat silviculture the United Nations shouldmandate in all the world's forests. Wouldanyone expect United Nations delegatesfrom faraway rainforests and farawaymideastern deserts to solve it better? Natu-rally, here we will solve our local deer prob-lem in our local common sense way! Ourarchers will not be too cold to shoot accu-rately in October! ..•.

Robert Bamber Marshall is a consultantforester and member of NYFOA 's LowerHudson Chapter.

NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 -INFO

APplication or Facsimile Appli-cation for Membership in theNew York Forest Owners As-

sociation.

IJWe would like to support good forestry

and stewardship of New York's forest

lands.

( ) IJWe own .acres of wood-

land.

( ) IJWe do not own woodland but sup-

port the Association's objectives.

NAME _

ADDRESS _

City Zip

Telephone _

County of Residence _

County of Woodlot _

Referred by _

Annual Dues (Please Check One)STUDENT $10

INDIVIDUAL $20

FAMILY (or co-owners) $25

CONTRIBUTING $30-$100

SPONSORING $10land up

MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES:Six issues of the NY FORESTOWNER, woodswalks, chapter meet-ings, and two statewide meetings for allmembers.

Please send check payable to NewYork Forest Owners Association, OR,if you prefer, by check payable to NewYork Woodland Stewards, Inc. (NYWS,a tax deductable fund), including anycontribution in excess of your NYFOAmembership to:

NYFOA,IncP.O. Box 180.

Fairport, New York 14450

SEPT/OCT 1998 • 7

GROUSEHA VEN REVISITED

Son Charles, congratulates Anthony J Conte with Brittand the double at Camden Creek. A treasured moment at

Grousehaven!

By Anthony J. Conte

Ten years after we began our campaign tocreate optimum grouse habitat on thisWashington County parcel, our success hasgone far beyond all expectations.

In1985 my family was fortunate to ac-quire 135 acres of land in WashingtonCounty. Two years later, we began a

major campaign to transform the propertyinto opti-mumgrousehabitat (seeRGSMaga-zine Jan,Feb, Mar1990, page9). We be-came mem-bers of theAmericanTree Farmsystem andentered theproperty inthe foreststewardshipplan. Underthe guidance of Senior Forester RonCadieux, we implemented a plan to createand enhance wildlife habitat on the prop-erty with a concentrated effort on the ruffedgrouse. To accomplish this goal, we em-ployed tested and proven long term foreststewardship practices. Selection systemharvesting was a primary management toolused to sustain growth. A ten year harvest-ing cycle was utilized to create financingfor wildlife habitat improvement. Pioneerstands were clear cut at strategic points tocreate a three stage or age class diversehabitat and provide brood habitat, feedingareas and mating grounds. The diversity ob-tained by these practices was augmentedby planting wildlife shrubs and trees. Redbarberry, quaking aspen, autumn olive andgray and red twig dogwood were the ma-jor species utilized. The dogwood speciesprovide dense growth as well as berries thatattract both game and song birds. Barberry,autumn olive and aspen also provide shel-ter and food for birds.

The diverse habitat on Grousehaven in-cludes seeded fields (seeded with highprotien clover), aspen stands, white pine


sapling areas, wildlife shrub plantings, oakstands, mature hemlock sidehill stands andnothern hardwood mixed forest. Stonewalls line the approximately twenty fiveacres of abandoned fields filled with aspenin various growth stages and wildlife shrubsattract and hold the ruffed grouse. In creat-ing and maintaining this ecosystem in vari-ous stages of maturity we did indeed opti-

mize theland's po-tential asruffedgrousehabitat, andin doing so,we alsobenefitedthewhite-taileddeer andwild tur-keys thatinhabit thearea.

Early in1997, weobtained an

additional fifteen acres of land adjoiningGrousehaven on the west side. This broughtthe total land under management to onehundred and fifty acres. This newly ac-quired property had its own diverse per-sonality, including the Camden ValleyCreek, fields, white pine and hemlockstands (a favorite roosting area for wildturkeys). The acquisition of this additionalacreage brought a new dimension toGrousehaven, making it a unique and com-plete habitat area for the three major wild-life species in the area (ruffed grouse,white- tailed deer and wild turkeys). Thecreek area, with its alders and willows alsoattracts woodcock and puddle ducks. Ourfuture plans include planting red twig dog-wood along the creek to protect against soilerosion, to supply food in the form of ber-ries and to provide cover with its densegrowth.

It is our intention to continue to use anyand all forest management techniques toenhance and maintain a diverse habitat forwildlife throughout this property, withruffed grouse being our top priority. Mygreatest return on the investment of time

NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 - INFO

and money in Grousehaven occured inNovember of 1996. While hunting alongthe Camden Creek with my son, Charles(another dedicated grouse enthusiast),Britt-my brittany spaniel-locked up solidand a pair of grouse exploded along thecreek. I downed both birds and finallyachieved my first double on grouse afterthirty-six years - and it happened atGrousehaven. What a thrill! I created theoil painting, "The Double at CamdenCreek" to commemorate this special mo-ment in time. In closing, I must thank Se-nior Forester Ron Cadieux. His vision, ex-pertise and creativity helped transform thisone hundred fifty acres in WashingtonCounty into a special area for ruffed grouse,called--Grousehaven! .6.

AdirondackForestry Inc.

Incorporated 1955

Services Include:Timber InventoryTimber Appraisal

Management PlansTimber Marking & Sales

Sale SupervisionTrespass Appraisal

S.I.P. PlansPhone:

Garry L. Nelson • (518) 793·9022James A. Farrar • (518) 623·9449Dennis M. Flynn • (518) 581·1055

Member of SAF, NYFOA,Tree Farm, NYS Coop. Cons. For.

E·Mail: [email protected].

SEPT/OCT 1998

mailto:[email protected].

Profile: NYS DEC Deputy Commissioner ofNatural Resources -Peter Duncan

By Jill Cornell

When I first met Peter Duncan inAugust 1997 it was not only aninteresting and friendly experi-

ence, I came away thinking: Hooray! Wehave a real winner here at the helm!. Petehad been President of Pennsylvania For-estry Association (the equivalent of NY-FOA in PA.), 1975-77, and he understoodwhat NYFOA was all about.

His background prior to becomingDeputy Commissioner of Natural Re-sources for DEC. is rich in training andexperience. He has a BA from Penn. Statein Park and Recreation Administration, anda certificate from Harvard for a program instate and local government from the JohnF. Kennedy School of Government. Petebegan his career as a park naturalist andinterpretive service supervisor with the Ar-lington County, Virginia Dept. of Environ-mental Affairs.

He served in the Army during the Viet-namese War and was awarded two medalsfor his service there.

Natural Resource positions that he hasfilled include: heading the PA Departmentof Environmental Resources where hemanaged 3, I00 employees and a $175 mil-lion budget; Executive Director of the PAGame Commission, managing 1.4 millionacres of public recreation lands; and con-sultant to the International Association ofFish and Wildlife Agencies.

Commissioner John P. Cahill said it well:"Peter Duncan has the skills, expertise andexperience needed to be DEC's DeputyCommissioner for Natural Resources. Heis a widely respected professional who

30+ Years Experience

ROBERT DEMEREEProfessional Forestry Consultant

Timber Sales- Management PlanningTax Law • Tree Planting

3987 Northway DriveCortland, NY 13045-9317

Telephone:(607) 753-0497


brings to the job extensive management ex-perience .. broad knowledge of both natu-ral resources and environmental qualityprotection initiatives. and a proven abilityto work on behalf of the environment withcitizens, sporting organizations, fish andwildlife experts, governments and busi-nesses."

At NYS DEC Pete manages over 200employees, and a $67 million budget forthe Division of Lands and Forests, Fish andWildlife, and Marine and Mineral Re-sources.

Pete lives in Watervliet with his wifeBecky. They have two sons, Matthew andAndrew.

On the lighter side. Pete enjoys hunting,fishing. hiking and golf.

Peter Duncan is wonderful choice forNYS DEC, and for NYFOA'ns! .•.

Peter Duncan

Recent accomplishments include:

We planted the first batch of tissue-cul-tured American Chestnuts in the field inthe spring of '97. They went through thesummer and fall just fine. They broke budthis spring and have been growing vigor-ously all summer. We put out anotherbatch this spring and they are surviving.Overall, our survival rate for field plantedchestnuts is about 50%. To our knowl-edge, these are the first American Chest-nut tissue culture propagated trees ever tobe field planted.

In terms of the genetic engineering, Dr.Xing has produced genetically trans-formed shoots in the lab. They are beingscreened for stable expression of the newgenes.

NYS SUPPORTS AMERICANCHESTNUT RESEARCH

By Charles MaynardIn a nut shell:We received a State grant of $150,000

per year for 3 years to fund the AmericanChestnut Research and RestorationProject. The Co-Investigators on theproject are Dr. William Powell and me. Itis a joint project between the Faculty ofForestry and the Faculty of Environmen-tal and Forest Biology.

We started up on July I by hiring Dr.Zizhuo Xing as a Research Associate andMs. Sharon Bickel as a Technical SupportSpecialist. We are planning to start twonew graduate students in the fall. The firstorder of business is going to be to estab-lish a number of new chestnut embryos intissue culture. We will be doing this inearly August.

For the last several years, Dr. Powell hasbeen designing new genes much fasterthan we could transform them into chest-nut embryos, so we have a backlog of ap-proximately 6 new gene combinationsready to try out, hence this fall we will betransforming as many of these genes intoembryos as we can. We will then beginthe long process to regenerate whole plantsand test them for blight resistance.

Upcoming Events:On Saturday, October 24th, the Col-

lege of Environmental Science and For-estry will host the annual meeting of theNew York State Chapter of the AmericanChestnut Foundation. The Guest speakerwill be Dr. Ross Whaley, President of theCollege. We will be touring both the mo-lecular biology and tissue culture labora-tories and will see the tissue culture fieldplanting. For registration contact Ms.Arlene Wirsig, Treasurer at 716-745-7772. .•.

NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 - INFO SEPT/OCT 1998 • 9

GETTING STARTED WITH ATIMBER SALE

By Peter J. Smallidge

ManyNew York forest owners,from those with 5-acre cornerwoodlots to large tracts have

been exposed to the notion of a timber sale.Some have actively sought a logger whileothers have been contacted by a logger. Atimber sale differs from a yard sale, andthere are several strategies that will helpland owners interested in selling timber.However, selling timber is a complex pro-cess and this article is only a starting point.

Since the early decades of this centurywhen farms began reverting to forests, NewYork's landscape has become increasinglytree-covered. In recent decades, those even-aged forests that dominate in New Yorkhave become mature. At the same time, ourdemand for forest products has increased.Consequently, with greater supply andgreater demand, there are ample opportu-nities to sell timber from your forest orwoodlot, yet many land owners are appre-hensive.

... there are ample opportunitiesto sell timber ...

Apprehension often results because mostowners don't know the value of their tim-ber and don't want to sell too cheaply;owners fear their woodlot or forest will beruined as a result of timber harvesting; orowners think that timber harvesting causesenvironmental damages. While all thesefears can be true they can also be easilyavoided through some advance planning.

Df1VE I\IOI\Df1~Consultant Forester

·34 years experience in Central New York

·Graduate ofESF College of Forestry

·Independant-will work for you.

·No connection with wood industry.

•Woodland owner & NYFOA Member

•Expert on timber sales and marketing.

CALL FOR FREE ADVICEPHONE (315) 696-5746

701 Lake Road • ThIIy, NY 1315


Ultimately, your goal should be for you orsomeone working for you to be in controlof a timber sale on your property. Sales thatare "logger's choice" are seldom in the bestinterest of the forest owner. Think about itthis way: If you have a yard sale or a ga-rage sale and someone offers you $200 topick and chose from throughout yourhouse, you would (or should) say no, thenwhy give someone unrestricted access toyour timber.

The first step before you consider sell-ing timber is to make sure a timber sale isconsistent with your written forest manage-ment plan. This is especially true if you areapproached by a logger or a timber buyer(sometimes called procurement foresters)to sell your timber. Selling timber too soonmay not allow you to achieve your man-agement objectives. Your managementplan should describe the timing, location,and intensity for a timber harvest.

Once you decide to sell timber, the nextstep is to locate competent help from thekey players. An initial contact might be aMaster Forest Owner (MFO) volunteerthrough your county association of CornellCooperative Extension or a Department ofEnvironmental Conservation professionalforester. A MFO volunteer can give youinformation and help you contact reputablepeople, while a DEC professional forestercan provide the same information plus giveyou technical advice. You will also likelyneed to make contact with a consulting orindustrial professional forester who willhelp you find a logger. A forester will alsobe able to make sure you get a fair pricefor your timber while representing yourinterests. Ask for references, and checkthem, before you begin working with a for-ester and a logger. Many forest owners findit to their advantage to have their forestermark their timber and then put it out forbids from several reputable loggers. Youmight not want to select your logger basedonly on the value of their bid, but also con-sider whether the logger has participatedin the New York State "Trained LoggerCertification" program and other evidenceof professionalism and commitment to for-est stewardship.

Another issue to discuss with your for-ester before any trees are marked, is howthe timber sale meshes with your manage-ment objectives. If you are interested in

NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 - INFO

wildlife, then discuss leaving large masttrees for wild turkey, making small patchcuts and leaving large downed logs forruffed grouse, or leaving or creating snagsfor cavity nesting birds. If you are inter-ested in recreation and property access, dis-cuss ways to route the skid and haul roadsso you can use them for skiing, hiking, orbird watching. These are a few of the op-tions you can explore to get more than cashfrom your timber sale.

The next step is for you to discuss withyour forester any concerns you have re-garding how the timber is harvested andhow your forest looks after the harvest. Thisis important information the forester willneed to develop a timber sale contract thatreflects your interests. Many of these con-cerns are commonplace and known as bestmanagement practices (BMPs). For ex-ample, you will likely want your road sys-tem marked in advance of harvesting tominimize damage to the residual trees andto have the fewest number of stream cross-ing (using bridges or culverts where nec-essary) to maintain water quality. Other salecontract language may include the condi-tion of the road and landing following theharvest, the payment style and schedule,penalties for harvesting unmarked trees, theheight of trees tops left in the woods, andthe amount of the performance bond.

Too often poorly planned tim-ber sales take only the best treesor biggest trees and leave behindthe poor quality trees to provideseed.

Samples of timber sale contracts are avail-able through the DEC. Read the contractsclosely to make sure they meet all yourneeds. Remember also that the stipulationsyou add to the timber sale will reduce theamount of money you receive. Require thestipulations that are appropriate, but con-sider each one carefully. For example, treetops left in the woods are unsightly to manypeople, yet lopping tops so they can't beseen is time consuming, dangerous, andcostly. By not lopping tops you reduce riskto the loggers, save time and money, pro-vide habitat for some wildlife species, andmay protect some tree regeneration fromdeer browsing.

SEPT/OCT 1998

Additional topics to discuss withyour forester and logger are envi-ronmental and stewardship con-

cerns. These are important to maintain thehealth and productivity of your forest andwoodlot. If you have "classified wetlands"or streams, special precautions must betaken before harvesting trees in and adja-cent to these areas. (Note, as legal restric-tions may apply in some situations, con-sult your DEC forester) Make certain yourforester and logger consider the need to en-courage the regeneration of desirable treespecies. Too often poorly planned timbersales take only the best trees or biggest treesand leave behind the poor quality trees toprovide seed. Discuss the time of year thatharvesting will occur and the need to avoidskidding trees during the mud season tominimize damage to soils and erosion. Becertain your property boundaries and theharvest area boundaries are clearly marked.

A timber sale will be your signa-ture on the land.

Having a timber sale on your forestedproperty can be an exciting and profitableevent that, if done correctly, can increaseyour ownership enjoyment without reduc-ing the environmental quality of the land

and waters. However, a timber sale is notan activity you should pursue hastily. Theactions you take in your forest will be evi-dent for decades and will determine thefuture benefits you and others receive fromyour forest. A timber sale will be your sig-nature on the land. Several good brochuresand sample timber sale contracts are avail-able through your local office of the DECand several good publications through yourcounty association of Cornell CooperativeExtension. Good publications are LoggingAesthetics (l23NRAES60), the videoBiodiversity for Farms and Forests(l47VBFFF), Timber Management forSmall Woodlands (147IBI80), and CornellCooperative Extension Conservation Cir-cular volume 21 No.5 - Guide to SellingTimber. See the publications catalog athttp://www.cce.comell.edu/publications.catalog/html .•.Peter 1. Smallidge is the State ExtensionForester for the Department of Natural Re-sources, College of Agriculture and LifeSciences, Cornell University. This articleis available from Cornell Cooperative NewsService (the series, Forests For Tomorrow)or may be downloaded with others by Dr.Smallidge from:http://www.dnr.comell.edu/ext/forestry/

forext2.htm

First Pioneer Farm Credit, ACA

Buying a home > Buying a farm• Buying the neighboring woodlot• Estate planning • IRS alternate valuations• Writing payrolls • Family transfers• reviewing assessments • Leasing equipment• preparing your taxes- selling timber

Think of Farm Credit when ...

\"••:>:::/.

Forestry consulting & AppraisalsRick Percoco, NY State Certified Appraiser #46-15788

DEC Cooperating Consulting Forester..~.~ Your first choice for financial solutions.

394 Route 29, Greenwich, NY 128341-(800) 234-0269/ rick.percocotiifirstpioneer.com


Testimony To The OakBy David Roche

I put another log into the fire,trying to hold at bay the coldthat presses against the house andsqueezes in through the cracksmaking me shiver whenI move away from the stove.

Life for life is the propositionthat makes us equals,and my hope is that one daythe roots of a future oakwill take nourishment from my remains,and lift us both into the skv.

Maximize Tree Health& Protection 2 Ways

1. TREE PRO Tree Protectors Stop Die-back and Protect Trees from:

• Deer Brouse and Rub• Rabbits and Rodents• Wind and Drought• Mowers• Chemical Sprays

2. MycorTree Mycorrhizal RootDip Enhances Growth and Improves:

• Stem and Root Growth• SurviaI Rate• Disease Resistance• Drought Tolerance

For more information & sample call:

TREE PRO at 800-875-80713180 W. 250 N. W. Lafayette, IN 47906

www.nlci.com/treepro


http://www.cce.comell.edu/

http://www.dnr.comell.edu/ext/forestry/

http://www.nlci.com/treepro

THE EVOLUTION OF OUR PONDkeep the clover mowed. A drift of butter-cups established itself so well on one sidethat our forester thought I'd planted them.I did plant a few day lilies, bee-balm andtansy in spots, and yellow iris in the water.They look like they've always been there.Our daughter, Lexy, (who did the accom-panying sketch when she was eight) foundan arrowhead on the dike. Both girls aregood swimmers now, and we all use the

pond like a lap-size pool allsummer long. We've had thegood fortune to teach two in-ner city children how to swimas well. In late winter we lis-ten to the ice groan on the sur-face as it melts. In the fall theaspens on the far side createmarvelous reflections.Binoculors sit close to the win-dow facing the pond, forthere's always something toobserve.

Any time we make changesto our landscape, it can be a

. . ... ~ little scary. In this instance, we

.,~...2....·.·..•....~.·.:..1. ...1............. ~tS' ~ actually added variety to ourIJ; Uo t:) '6& '. Iwildlife habitat, enhanced the

~ beauty and value of our home,•.••..;... ..;.....;... ;.... --II:i and created a wonderful "sci-

ence lab" for our children towitness the evolution of a pond. (And whata GREAT swimming hole.) A

By Elizabeth D. Nichols

When we bought our chunk of

country land, we inherited aforest management plan from

the previous owner (lucky for us!). One ofthe recommendations was to install a pondon an ideal site near the house. It was abeautiful, boggy meadow that drained intothe swamp below it. It was mucky to walkthrough, and standing water in the clayunderfoot made a perfectbreeding ground for mosqui-toes. The drifts of flowersseen through a stand of ma-ture poplars (or "popples",as they are called locally) in-cluded bone set, Joe-pyeweed and jewel-weed.

Deciding to put in a pondwas difficult, knowing wewould be responsible forchanging the landscape per-manently, and we discov-ered that a permit would benecessary because our wet-lands were under federal

ft.xl00 ft., and over 12 ft. deep in themiddle.

The first inhabitants were frogs, who ap-peared and laid eggs immediately. (Thefamily counting game's record of frogsaround the edges is 130.) Then came theraccoons to eat the frogs, and the great blueheron to eat the tadpoles. The children be-came well-versed in pond ecology, hold-ing dragonflies as their new wings dried,

,,,.

":."

:.~.. ~.....O'.~.... ;; ,..

." .

. "-: ~ .

protection. We hired Wayne LUnderwood, in Washington fIJCounty, who was experi-enced at pond construction,and mapped out a design thatwould not affect the wetlands adversely.Rather, two gradually sloping sides wouldprovide wildlife access to the pond, and along rock spillway would drain into theremaining wet meadow. Our permit was ap-proved, and construction began.

First, Wayne cleared the meadow of allbrush and trees. He piled the rocks from anancient stone fence aside to use later forthe spillway. Then he pushed the clay bot-tom into a dike on the lower slope (Naturalsloping on the other three sides was left asit was.). Eventually the dike was about 121f.t wide and 180 ft. long. At the far end heput in the spillway. As Wayne scraped theclay with his excavator, he hit shale, andwas concerned about springing a leak. Well,he did, but rather than drain out, the waterstarted oozing in. Before his work was com-pleted, the kids were already swimming inchest-high water. (Okay! I admit it! So werethe parents ... ) The final touch was a plant-ing of clover and conservation mix alongthe dike and disturbed areas.

Next came the fun part: watching thepond fill up from natural springs along thebottom. Fine, silty bubbles would gurgleout of the ground and water trickle out.Eventually the pond's surface was 180

12' NY FOREST OWNER36:5

identifying giant diving beetles, mayflylarva, and other insects, caring for sicklybaby painted turtles and identifying themby their markings, and raising frogs. Theyknow the mallards, wood ducks, hoodedmergansers, and other ducks, and have beenyelled at by a territorial red-winged black-bird. Deer come at night to browse anddrink. Our only unwelcome guest is themuskrat, who moved in after cattails es-tablished themselves. We are eradicatingthem by shooting them, destroying theirfeeding lodges, and pulling up the cattails,forcing them to feed in the swamp. Keep-ing the grass mowed makes them more vul-nerable to predators, like the red-tail hawkwho has made a meal or two at the pond.

In dry years the water goes down as muchas four feet, but cold springs still run un-derwater. In wet years the water is clearenough to see the bottom. We haven'tstocked with fish yet, although it is an op-tion.

We removed the poplar grove, which re-duced the leaves in the pond and gives us agreat view from the house. (Trees shouldbe 50' away to keep a pond from "muckingup".) We topped our nearby apple trees,making the deer even happier, and try to

NYFOA· 1·800·836·3566· INFO

Elizabeth Nichols is the Newsletter Editorfor NYFOA 's Lower Hudson Chapter.

SEPT/OCT 1998

Forest Land Property Tax SurveyFor the past 6 months NYFOA has participated in a Forest Property Tax Coalition to develop legislative initiatives to address thegrowing taxation threat facing forest landowners. In support of this coalition, NYFOA is presently gathering statewide information onthe taxes paid per acre on undeveloped forest land. We have been unable to gather this information through the NYS Real PropertyTax Office and we are turning to the membership for assistance. Please take time to fill out the survey information below.Please provide the following for any undeveloped forested parcels. The information can be found on your more recent school &

property tax bills. Please submit only the information from parcels that are forested and have no buildings.

Parcel In 480 County Town # Acres Full Taxable School Town &

or 480-a Value Value Tax County Tax

A

B

C

D

To maintain confidentiality, please do not include your name or address.Return to: Jill Cornell (Tax Survey); NYFOA; 703 Johnsonville Road; Johnsonville, NY 12094

AND DON'T FORGET TO REGISTER FOR NYFOA'SANNUAL FALL MEETING, SEPT. 11, 12-Phone 800-836-3566111

JOIN TODAY AND RECEIVE:• NATIONAL WOODLANDS MAGAZINE (quarterly)• Eight issues of WOODLAND REPORT• Plus other benefits

MEMBERSHIPAPPLICATION

National Woodland Owners Association374 Maple Avenue East, Suite 210Vienna, VA22180 (703)255-2700

Name _

Address _

Phone: (

DUES: $25 FOR ONE YEAR, OR $45 FOR TWO YEARSPayable to NWOA or National Woodland Owners Association.

ARE YOU A WOODLAND OWNER? yes no

If yes, how many acres do you own? _

Have you participated in FIP or other incentive programs? yes no

Do you have a forest management plan for your property? yes no


The NATIONAL WOODLAND OWNERSASSOCIATION is a nationwide organiza-tion of non-industrial private woodlandowners with offices in the Washington, D.C.area. Membership includes landowners inall 50 states. NWOA is affiliated with stateand county woodland owner associationsthroughout the United States.

Founded by non-industrial private wood-land owners in 1983, NWOA is independentof the forest products industry and forestryagencies. We work with all organizations topromote non-industrial forestry and the bestinterests of woodland owners. Member of:National Council on Private Forests, Natu-ral Resources Council of America, andNational Forestry Association

Members receive 4 issues of NATIONALWOODLANDS MAGAZINE and 8 issues ofWOODLAND REPORT with late-breakingnews from Washington, D.C. and state capi-tals. An introductory visit from a certifiedprofessional forester is available in moststates (for holdings of 20 acres or larger),plus other member benefits.

-Keith A. Argow, Publisher


An old timer shows the author and his partner how to beAdirondack loggers in the early 1950s. The horse already

knows what to do.

actly the right spot at the skid pile. A fan-tastic co-worker!

Thereafter, Dick spent his time arrang-ing the growing pile of logs so that the buttflares aligned and created the largest pos-sible volume (we were paid based on thevolume of the finished log pile) while Ihitched up the scattered logs to which ourgreat horse unerringly returned. It was thesummer of 1951.

The hurricane of 1950 downed a lot ofconifers in the Adirondack State Park innorthern New York and the state decidedto remove these and cut the slash low be-cause it really was a potential fire hazard.Dick and I came to work for one of thecontractors doing the salvage, one Mr.Colvin from Alder Creek, who had a campeast of Woodgate and another further northnear McKeever-both inside the Park.

Neither Dick nor I had ever done any-thing like this before, but we both yearnedfor outdoor work with good pay: Dick hada bad shoulder and I had just finished a se-mester at the University of Buffalo whileworking the night shift at Morrison Steel.It had been very confining.

The company hired us, just as Dicksaid they would. We bought a usedMall chain saw, which weighed 32

pounds-more than twice what a good pro-fessional saw weighs today. It was geardriven and had solid, straight teeth on thechain. Dick had a '41 Chevy. We bought

At Least the Horse Knew the RopesBy Peter S. Levatich

Idon't remember the name of our horse.He was a remarkable beast and certainlythe most experienced member of our

team. He belonged to the Company. Theyshowed us how to use him, how theywanted our logs skidded and rolled up intoa neat pile at the landing; and walked away.They knew what would happen but didn'ttell us.

We gingerly took the reins and led thehorse to the first 13' 4" log, turned him

around, drove the claws at the end of theshort chains into the logs and led him alongthe path to the skid pile. We unhitched himthere; turned him around and-surprise!-hestarted up and walked all by himself backto the remaining logs and stopped at justthe right spot to be turned around.

We could hardly believe it! We tied hisreins on his back, hitched up new logs, pat-ted him on his behind and, sure enough, hewould walk down the path and stop in ex-

Dick and the Mall chain saw perched on a downed hemlock and its stump.

14 • NY FOREST OWNER 36:5 NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 - INFO SEPT/OCT 1998

double bit axes from the company and wereall set.

Camp was a two-mile walk from the endof the paved road, alongside a trail whichthe dozer had made hauling supplies twicea week. We walked along the "trail" be-cause it was actually a river of black mud1-2 inches deep. Camp was one long framebuilding on a new clearing along a fine littlestream. On one end was the food storageroom and the kitchen. The cook also sleptthere.

The next section was the dining room.An entry followed, accessible to us lum-berjacks from both sides, a sort of mudroom. On the other side of the entry wasthe bunk room with double decker bunksalong the walls, tables and long benchesdown the middle. A separate small build-ing housed the office, the stores and theforeman's quarters.

In August a third building was con-structed with one end left open for the fivehorses, while the blacksmith who tendedthem had a shop in the other end. The largeopen space between the buildings con-tained all loose items and allowed all ac-tivity without stirring up too much of thesoil which tended to turn into mud.

We worked every day unless it rainedhard. It was a pleasant routine: Early break-fast, pack your lunch, fill the water jug(glass, not much plastic yet), and walk withyour buddy to your area carrying all gear.Dinner was at 6 p.m. I never had seen somuch food on any table before, or since. Itwas wholesome and varied and we werehungry.

In the evening we would sharpen axeson a large hand cranked whetstone, talk, ordo our wash in the creek downstream fromcamp. Washing downstream was one ofthe rules because drinking water came fromupstream. The other rules were: no alco-hol or women. Dick and I turned in earlygenerally being dead tired, but some of theother men sat around a table and playedpoker late into the night with surprisinglyhigh stakes. They were an interesting lot.Some were professional French Canadianwoodsmen, some were school teachers onsummer vacation, as well as four NativeAmericans of the Seneca Nation who weresteelworkers in the winter.

I did not quite fit in at first, being a re-cent immigrant to this country and know-ing little useful English. Nor was it longbefore everyone knew that Dick and I weregreenhorns. We received suggestions andlearned the way most lumberjacks learn.


Skid pile of 13 '4" softwood

Early on, our saw promptly broke downand we had to take a night ride to Syracuseto get it fixed. When we returned there wasan official surprise: we were told they hadhoped not to see us again as we were notproducing enough to cover our keep. Dicknegotiated us back into the fold and weproved to them that we could learn fast.We never beat the two Senecas workingnext to us with "only" a bow saw, how-ever. That saw never stopped and they out-cut us every day.

The work was quite specific as forestwork goes. Large diameter spruce and hem-lock were uprooted all over by the storm.Lying all in one direction, their tips were

near the ground and the butt ends about fourfeet in the air. We would cut the limbs withthe ax and saw the bole at the butt end,whereupon the stump would flop back intothe hole from whence it had come.

The bole was then cut into lengths andthe top lopped off so that it was flat on theground. It's easy if you know how to do itand don't get your saw pinched. The limb-ing had a trick to it: you first cut into thelimb about two inches from the trunk. Thismade it limp. The second swing with theax, if well aimed, would cut it off flush withthe bark, making it fairly pop off the tree.Being a maverick of sorts, I had questionedthe wisdom of a double bit ax when the

Wind-thrown spruce salvage and a "jackpot" consisting of conifers hung up in the crown of ayellow birch in the background.


company sold it to us. Well, they said, it isslimmer, (better for limbing) and the hem-lock will break big chips out of any edge,so two edges are better than one. True onboth counts. The chipped edge was usedfor rough work near the soil, while the otherwas kept razor sharp. I still have mine.

We worked in pairs on 5-6 acre territo-ries periodically assigned to us, alternatelylimbing and sawing. We especially enjoyeddemolishing the "jackpots": several coni-fers hung up in large yellow birches. Wehad to ask the NYS Department of Envi-ronmental Conservation (DEC) foresterwho came by occasionally for permissionto cut the unmarked birches to free thesnags, and he marked the stump with theflat end of his ax which had protruding let-ters of steel on it. Then we would cut offmost hung up conifers at their base, notchand back cut the birch and at last cut thetwo remaining conifers. The whole assem-bly would tip over and fall to the ground in

a large arc with a big roar. Children at play!I do not recall how much we cut on an

average day. One beautiful weekend how-ever, when Dick had to go home on otherbusiness, I remember cutting ten cords intwo days and being very pleased. They paid$5.00 per cord for cutting, which grossedme $50.00 that weekend. It was a biggerpayoff than usual, because the weather hadbeen sunny and cool and the trees in an ac-cessible arrangement.

It was also a lot of money to a youngman with little else at a time when the tu-ition for the coming year was $700.00 atRPI, a textbook cost about $7.00 and a loafof bread went tor 18 cents. For skiddingwith our good horse we earned $4.50 percord. All of us had a fair idea what we weremaking. They paid us on account and sub-ject to the fmal tally when the log piles werescaled.

Room and board was $2.80 per day,duly deducted by the old bookkeeper who

271 County Road#9Chenango Forks.NY 13746

E-Mail: [email protected](607) 648-5512

ROY" D. HOPKE,Consulting Forester

Timber Appraisal Stewardship PlansTimber Sales Forestry 480-A PlansRestore the American Chestnut Mapping Services

Buying or Selling Timberlands? Calf me!

Jeff JourdainProfessional Forestry Services

P.O. Box 3602, Pittsfield, MA 01202413-442-9259

FAX 413-445-7688email: [email protected]

*Timber Sales *Forest Management Plans *Trails*Wildlife Habitat Mgt. *Forest Products marketing

LandVest The Next Level of ServiceA company of experienced professionals dedicated to providing consulting and

marketing services to owners of forest land. Our Timberland,Consulting & Marketing Divisions specialize in:

Adirondack Office64 Park Street, PO Box 873,

Tupper Lake, NY 12986;(518) 359-2385

OTHER LOCATIONSBoston,MA • Albany, VT • Concord, NH

Portland and Jackman, ME

• Timberland Management

• Forest Land Marketing & Sales

• Real Estate Asset Planning

• Land Use Planning

• Appraisal & Conservation Services

16 • NY FOREST OWNER 36:5 NYFOA· 1·800-836-3566· INFO

showed up once a week and did his thingin the office. He would pay us in cash whenwe wanted it. We only had need tor it onrainy days, when many of us would walkout to town. Woodgate had one of thoseold wooden hotels then. Dick and I oncedrove to Boonville and saw a movie, withGregory Peck as Captain Ahab.

Mostly though, we saved our pay andabstained from the usual carousing; wewere both headed back to college. It wasalways entertaining after a rainy day to sitby the storehouse and watch some of ourtroupe return and stagger into camp. Somewere totally black, except for their blood-shot eyes, having fallen into the mud allalong the track. Great fun!

Looking back, I wonder whether thethreat of forest fire damage would outweighthe fear of disturbing the Adirondack Parktoday. The Park has been set aside as a"forever wild" more than 100 years ago andperhaps natural disasters might be preferredto human meddling.

On the other hand, Mr. Colvin's opera-tion was a case study in causing minimaldamage or disturbance to the environment.I do not know if the state required him toskid with horses and remove the logs laterover frozen ground. Maybe that was themost economical way to do it then. Nor doI know if the workers were told to keepthings neat and clean because Dick did allthe listening and talking with management.Both of us had been in the Boy Scout move-ment and took our trash back to camp with-out it ever being discussed.

Interestingly, there were no safety rules,or safety discussions of any kind. Also, nohard hats, chaps, ear protection or facescreens-all of which are in use today. Theybecame popular a little late, Ishould add,as my hearing is damaged. When you were23, you naturally assumed that you wereimmortal and just used common sense. Inretrospect, I would have preferred to usethe safety gear and the safety proceduresof today.

It was a great time! We were proud ofour work, suffered no injuries and had noregrets. Ijust wish I could remember thename of our good friend, the horse. .•.

Peter, 1997 Tree Farmer of the Year and1998 Heiberg Awardee, is a regular con-tributor to the NY FOREST OWNER. Thisarticle is reproduced, with permission, fromthe Northern Logger and Timber Producer,August 1993. A collection of Peter's writ-ings in the FOREST OWNER may be or-deredfrom Debbie Gill, 800-836-3566.

SEPT/OCT 1998

mailto:[email protected]


Some Thoughts On Private Rights,Responsibilities And Public Concerns

By Keith A. Argow

kgate stands at the edge of my woodands. When I'm there it's open, buthe rest of the time it's closed. Al-

though there mayor may not be a lock onthis gate, its very existence can be likened tothe front door of my home. It is a statementof where my boundary begins, and yours,(either as a neighbor or the general public)ends.

One of the corner-stones of the UnitedStates' position as agreat and successfulnation is the power-ful notion of the rightto own private prop-erty, and to exercisethe responsibilitiesthat go with it.People understandand respect homeownership. Owningand caring for ahome is one of life's

mote good forestry, and minimize expensivegovernment regulation. In short, we believein responsibility instead of regulation, andeducation instead of enforcement.

What's so hard to understand about that?Apparently, everything.

At a recent meeting here in the nation'scapitol I saw an ambitious nationwide sur-vey unveiled. The stated goal was to know"everything about the ecosystem."

The concept ofownership was noteven mentioned. How,after all, can you ownpart of an ecosystem?Well, I own parts ofseveral ecosystems, Ithought, and pay prop-erty taxes for the privi-lege.

The presentationwent on and was quiteimpressive. The fourplayers with the great-

est interests in ecosystems were identified:"government, academia, industry and envi-ronmental groups." I was dumbfounded.Where do the people who own more than halfof those forested ecosystems fit in? In thisplan, we simply don't.

To think that industry and government to-gether represent the majority of the forestedecosystems in the U.S. is akin to believingthat hotels and apartments provide most ofthe housing. How seemingly well-educatedbiologists can miss the mark this much un-nerves me. So many people who really oughtto know better don't have a clue as to wherewood really comes from. It drives me nuts!

"At my gate" their interest in my land es-sentially stops-even though I am part of agreater ecosystem. Under current law, unlessmy activities degrade my neighbor's land orif! muddy the water, dirty the air, or harm anendangered species, how I care for my landis very much my choice and responsibility.

Stop doing to me; focus more on doingwith me and I will probably open that gate.But that decision is mine, not yours. ..•.

To think that industry andgovernment together

represent the majority ofthe forested ecosystemsin the U.S. is akin to be-lieving that hotels and

apartments provide mostof the housing.

dreams. In America that dream is often at-tained-maybe more than anywhere else in theworld.

When it comes to owning the great out-doors, however, a different mindset takesover. People are used to farmers owningfields, but the thought of someone actuallyholding title to cascading creeks, woodlandsor part of a mountain rings strange. This isespecially true for those who-like their par-ents before them-have spent their entire livesin cities.

They see land stewardship not through theeyes of a landowner, but from the perspec-tive of a homeowner with a little plot of grass,or a high-rise dweller with none at all. Thesepeople have a heightened concern for thebeauty and diversity-if not the productivity-of our rural properties.

Poor stewardship and badly logged wood-lands do not sit well with this group any morethan ajunky yard would be appreciated in aneat neighborhood. In the city there are ordi-nances to prevent aesthetic degradation. It isan easy jump to believe that laws and regu-lations should be enacted to prevent bad for-estry,just as 17 states and a growing numberof localities have already done.

NWOA understands these concerns, andoften witnesses the unfortunate results ofwell-intentioned laws with unintended conse-quences. However, we deeply believe a bet-ter approach is the enactment oflaws that rec-ognize and honor private property, that pro-


Keith Argow is Publisher of NATIONALWOODLANDS, the magazine from the Julyissue of which this article is reprinted.NATIONAL WOODLANDS is the magazineof the National Woodland Owners Asso-ciation with which NYFOA is an affiliatedmember. (See , this issue.)

NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 - INFO

FOUNTAINFORESTRY

Quality Managementof Land & Timber

(518) 359-3089

• Timber Sale Administration

• Timber Sale Marking

• Forest Management Plans

• 480a Management Plans

• Wildlife Habitat Management

• Timber Appraisals

• Expert Testimony

• SAF Certified Foresters

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

Tupper Lake, NY 12986

Please visit our Web site forcomplete information:

www.tiac.neUusers/fountfor/index.htm

E-Mail: [email protected]

Bruce E.Robinson,

Inc.FORESTRY

CONSULTANTS

~~~

• FOREST PRODUCT MARKING

& MARKETING• TREE FARM MANAGEMENT

- URBAN FORESTRY &COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT

- TIMBER APPRAISALS

• ACCESS ROAD DESIGN

& SUPERVISION

• TREE PLANTING

- TREE SHELTER DISTRIBUTOR

• SUGAR BUSH MANAGEMENT

• BOUNDARY MAINTENANCE

- CHRlSTMAS TREE MANAGEMENT

- FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANNING• FOREST RECREA nON PLANNING

• WOODLOT IMPROVEMENTS IN

IMMATURE STANDS

• WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

• FOREST TAXA nON PLANNING

(716) 665-54771894 CAMP ST. EXT.

JAMESTOWN. NY 14701

SEPT/OCT 1998 • 17

http://www.tiac.neUusers/fountfor/index.htm


ASK A FORESTER

QIn my forest management plan is

ihis phrase, "Water diversion devices such as culverts and broad-

b ps and geotextile fabric should beincluded as part of a timber sales agree-ment as required." What is geotextile fab-ric and how is it used?

A.A brief summary of informationon geotextiles may help you un-derstand the subject. Almost all of

this information comes from the Internet.

Permeable textiles are known asgeotextiles, geofabrics, engineering fabrics,or just fabrics. Common applications forgeotextiles are roads, subsurface drainage,asphalt overlays, hard armor underlayment,slope protection, steepened slopes, retain-ing walls, and embankments over soft soils.

Geotextiles serve four basic functions.These are reinforcement, separation,drainage and filtration. A brief discussionof each of these functions will help clarifythe use of geotextiles.

The use of geofabrics can often decreasethe amount of subbase and base coursematerials required. The fabric lends its ten-sile strength to the soil to increase and re-inforce the overall design strength. In someareas, construction is proposed in "soft"areas where soils are too weak to support aroad or structure. Without sufficient rein-forcement, the foundation cannot "hold up"the structure and it fails at considerableexpense.

Soft soils are a problem for equipmentin the forest. Landings and roads are oftenbuilt on less than ideal soils. Time can belost on landings pushing or pulling logtrucks, sharpening saws used on muddylogs and hauling in large quantities of hardfill to firm up the soft areas. Bypassing the

SUSAN J- KEISTERForestry Consulting Services

-480A & SIP Management Plans-Forestry Inventory and Appraisals-Ttmber Sales-Cost Basis and Real Estate TaxManagement Advice

(716) 728-30447025 Harpers Ferry Road, Wayland,

NY 14572


area, removing and replacing the soil,building directly on the soft soil, mechani-cal stabilization of the site have been thetraditional ways of dealing with less thanideal soil conditions.

Bypassing the site is not always physi-cally or legally possible. Removal and re-placement of soil is commonly called"mucking" and is usually difficult and timeconsuming. Mucking works only if thereis good, stable soil underneath. The pur-chase and transportation of suitable fill addto the cost.

Directly building on soft soil is a tempo-rary solution to a serious problem. Any-one with a clay driveway knows how thefine material works its way into the basematerial and sinks out of sight. This neces-sitates the addition of more fine materialwhich will also in time sink out of sight.Using fabric separates the softer soil fromthe better material on top. Geotextile canbe used to permanently separate two dis-tinct layers of soil. An example is where aroad is to be built across a poorly drained,fine-grained soil (clay or silt) and ageotextile is laid down prior to placinggravel. This keeps the soft, underlying soilfrom working its way up into the expen-sive gravel and it keeps the gravel fromworking into the soft soil. The full gravelthickness remains intact and provides fullsupport for many years.

A good drainage geotextile allows freewater flow (but not soil loss) in the planeof the fabric. Geotextiles can be used in-stead of granular material in trench drains,blanket drains, and drainage columns nextto structures. Geotextiles on soft soils al-lows subsurface water to pass into a drain-age area while the adjacent soft clay or siltysoil is prevented from passing through thefabric and clogging the drainage system.

Filtration involves the establishment ofa stable interface between the drain and thesurrounding soil. In all soils water flow willinduce the movement of fine particles. Thegeotextile acts as a filter through whichwater passes while it restricts fine-grainedsoil from entering into coarse-grained soil(sand or gravel).

What are woven and nonwoven

NYFOA· 1·800·836·3566· INFO SEPT/OCT 1998

geotextile fabrics? What is the differ-ence? When do you use each type?

Woven fabrics have filaments woveninto a regular, usually rectangular, patternwith openings that are fairly evenly spacedand sized. Nonwoven fabrics have fila-ments connected in a method other thanweaving, typically needle punching or headbonding at intersection points of the fila-ments. The pattern and the spacing and sizeof the openings are irregular in nonwovenfabrics. Woven fabrics are usually stron-ger than nonwoven fabrics of the same fab-ric weight. Woven geotextiles typicallyreach peak strength at between 5 and 25percent strain. Nonwoven fabrics have ahigh elongation of 50 percent or more atmaximum strength.

Selection will depend on the actual soiland hydraulic conditions, the followinggeneral considerations seem appropriatefor the soil conditions given:

o Graded gravels and coarse sands-Very open monofilament or multi filamentwovens may be required to permit highrates of flow and a low risk of blinding.

o Sands and gravels with less than 20%fines (very "dirty" or silty sand andgravel)-Open monofilament wovens andneedlepunched nonwovens with largeopenings are preferable to reduce the riskof blinding. For thin heat-bonded non-woven geotextiles and thick needlepunchednonwoven geotextiles, filtration testsshould be performed.

o Soils with 20% to 60% fines (silt orsilty sand)-Filtration tests should be per-formed on all fabric types.

o Soils with greater than 60% fines (siltor clayey silt)-Heavy weightneedlepunched and heat-bonded nonwovengeotextiles tend to work best as fines willnot pass. If blinding does occur, the per-

meability of the blinding cake wouldequal that of the soil.

o Gap graded cohesionless soils-

Consider using a uniform sand filter with awoven monofilament as a filter for the sand.

o Silts with sand seams-Consider

using a uniform sand filter over the soil witha woven geotextile to prevent movementof the filter sand; alternatively, consider us-ing a heavy weight (thick) needlepunchednonwoven directly against soil as water canflow laterally through the geotextile shouldit become locally clogged.

When constructing over extremely softsoils, the surface materials should be dis-turbed as little as possible. Use sand or saw-dust to cover protruding roots, stumps, orstalks to cushion the geotextile and reducethe potential for fabric puncture. Non-woven geotextiles, with their high elonga-tion properties, are preferred when the soilsurface is uneven.

Lay the Fabric. The fabric should berolled out by hand, ahead of the backfill-ing and directly on the soil subgrade. Thefabric is commonly, but not always, laid inthe direction of the roadway. Where thesubgrade cross section has large areas andleveling is not practical, the fabric may becut and laid transverse to the roadway.Large wrinkles should be avoided. In thecase of wide roads, multiple widths of fab-ric are laid to overlap. The lap length nor-mally depends on the subgrade strength.

Lay the Base. If angular rock is to formthe base, it is a common procedure to firstplace a protective layer of 6 to 8 inches offiner material. The base material is thendumped directly onto the previously spreadload, pushed out over the fabric, and spreadfrom the center using a bulldozer. It is criti-cal that the vehicles not drive directly onthe fabric nor puncture it. The blade is kepthigh to avoid driving rock down into thefabric. Finally, compaction and grading canbe carried out with standard compactionequipment. If the installation has sidedrains, these are constructed after the pave-ment.

This basic information on geotextiles isnot meant to be a recommendation.Geotextiles are a useful tool that can beused to improve landings and roads. Theyare not meant to be a replacement for goodroad layout and proper landing location. A


Purple Loosestrife

I-Swamp Rose Mallow; 2-Purple Loosestrife; 3-Cattails. Montezuma Wildlife Refuge

By John S. Braubitz

Purple loosestrife (Lathrum salicir~a)is a very beautiful, hardy perennialthat arrived in New York State in the

1800s. The plant was probably broughthere from Europe by settlers planning toplant them in their flower gardens. Seedshave been found preserved and identifiedin soils in the ballasts of old ships. (Theyused soil to weigh down ships for stabil-ity.)

These plants can rapidly destroy wet-lands, reducing their value for wildlife habi-tat. It is estimated that 190,000 hectares ofwetlands have had native flora replaced bythese aggressive perennials in NorthAmerica, and they have also been invad-ing drier habitats, causing some concern forcrop land.

This spring these plants became estab-lished on my farm for the first time. Mywife is fond of purple loosestrife, and sheis not enthused about any attempts to eradi-cate them.

There are few viable solutions for con-trolling these hardy perennials. Conven-tional means of control are:

(A) Water level management(B) Burning(C) Herbicides(D) Direct digging(E) Biological control

The first four methods are difficult toimplement on a large scale, leaving Bio-logical Control as a viable option. Thereare three species of beetles used for thismethod: Galerucella calmadiensis, G.pusilla and G. hylobius. One of these wee-vils attacks the rootstock and the other two

NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 - INFO

feed on flowers and seeds. These beetlesare being released in 30 states as well asCanada.

It is estimated that Biological Controlwill take 5 to 10 years to help restore thebalance in some of the ecosystems. Thephotos that accompany this article showpurple loosestrife in competition withCattails(Typha latifola)and a beautifulflower, Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscuscoccineus). A

John Braubitz is a regular contributor tothe NY FOREST OWNER and Professor inthe Science Department of Cayuga CountyCommunity College.

Great Blue Heron

SEPT/OCT 1998 •

-the spring beautyMOURNINGCLOAK BUTTERFLY

By Douglas C. Allen

This defoliator is the only species ofbutterfly considered a tree pest in thenortheast. It gained notoriety in New

York State in the late 1800s and early 1900swhen itwas a significant problem of Ameri-can elm, willow and cottonwood. Anotherdistinctive feature of the mourningcloak,also known as the spiny elm caterpillar orwillow butterfly, is its world-wide distri-bution in the northern hemisphere. In NorthAmerica, it is found throughout the UnitedStates and Canada, and as far north as theArctic Circle.

Host plant - now that elm (its favoredhost) is relatively rare thanks to the rav-ages of Dutch elm disease, the principlehosts are cottonwood, trembling aspen,hackberry, willow, birch, and linden.

Appearance - adults are very attractiveand are one of the largest butterflies in NewYork state (Fig 1). Their wing span is 2.5to 3.5 ". The velvety wings vary fromblackish to a rich purple, and the end ofeach wing has a distinct cream colored bor-der sprinkled with brown specks. Immedi-ately interior to this border is a row of light,bluish-purple spots.

Full grown caterpillars are approximately2" long (Fig 2). The coal black body hasnumerous white specks and a distinct rowof red spots along the middle of the back.In addition, it possesses several longitudi-

~

~

Hewitt's Hill HavenRD 1 Box 323;Locke, NY 13092

Phone 315/497-1266

Fig 1Mourningcloak butterfly.

nal rows of prominent black, branchedspines.

tree cavities and other secluded spots. Be-cause it overwinters in this stage, it is theearliest butterfly to take wing in the spring,usually during March in southern parts ofour state and April further north. There aretwo generations each year, which means italso is one of the last butterflies we see inthe fall.

The first generation usually causes themost damage, which becomes apparent inearly to mid-June. By the time the secondgeneration appears, natural enemies that ex-ploited the first generation usually are nu-merous enough to significantly reducepopulation numbers.

Though adults are active in early spring,egg laying is delayed until May at whichtime each female deposits a mass of300 to400 eggs on a host branch, at about the timebuds are expanding. Caterpillars are gre-garious throughout most of their life. Colo-nies usually feed at the tips of branches anddefoliate one branch at a time. This makesfeeding by just one or two colonies rela-tively conspicuous, unlike comparable

Biology - unlike most butterflies, themourningcloak overwinters as an adult. Itseeks refuge during late fall in wood piles,

Works With AnyExisting Heating

System

Home, ShopBarn

Domestic WaterPool

GreenhouseEtc.

With, Clean,Safe, Efficient

Hot Water

20 • NY FOREST OWNER 36:5 SEPT/OCT 1998NYFOA -1-800-836-3566 - INFO

numbers of a solitary defoliator whosedamage is spread more evenly throughoutthe tree crown. Often branches infested withspiny elm caterpillars bend under the com-bined weight of individuals in the colonyand this, too, makes the pest easy to spot.

ceous insects is responsible for keepingpopulations low or quickly reducing highpopulations to innocuous levels. However,it only takes one or two colonies to impairthe visual quality of a shade tree. The mosteffective means of preventing this (whenaffected trees are not too tall) is to physi-cally remove the infested part of a branch

in early stages of larval development. Thisreduces the likelihood of reinfest at ion and,if done early, will minimize impact on treeappearance. The commercially availableta-teri m Bacillus thuringiensis ("8t"),also is a very effective control. .•.

This is the 40th in the series of articles con-tributed byDr. Allen,ProfessorofEntomol-ogy atSUNY-ESF.Reprints ofthis and thecompleteseries areavailablefrom NY-F 0 A ,P h 0 n eDebbie Gillat 800-836-3566.It is alsopossible todownloadthis collec-tion fromthe DEeWebpageby clickingon articlesusing the

Fig.2 Spiny elm caterpillar following address:http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dlf/privland/linkspag.html

Management - moumingcloak infesta-tions are verylocalized butare capable ofcausing no-ticeable defo-liation in bothwoodlot andurban set-tings. Nowthat elm is sorare, trem-bling aspenand willoware the prin-ciple hostsunder forestconditions,but signifi-cant damageis unusual.Defoliation isencounteredmost com-monly in sub-urban situa-tions.

A large complex of parasitic and preda-

LANDOWNERSMaples, Cherry & Red Oak are in strong demand, if you are interested in

selling some of your standing Timber consider ...• Each tree to be sold is marked according to YOUR specifications.• We send notices 'to reputable log producers & exporters• Sealed bid opening determines the highest bidder• Payment is made in advance to any harvest operation• All harvest operations are supervised by our foresters• We retain a security deposit until owner is completely satisfied.• Guaranteed to net YOU the highest price for your timber.

'

Write or Call For A Free PamphletRobert Synowiez - Professional Forestry Consultants

_!J''?~ ? timbs"land'\'\;':;;, . J 117 W. Beecher Hill Rd., Owego, NY 13827

..~ 607/687-0460NY FOREST OWNER 36:5 NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 - INFO SEPT/OCT 1998 • 21

http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dlf/

the surface and popping 15 feet away-orrolling over, feet and belly on the surface,then back, flapping wings to dry. They atemud, then blew their noses under water.They also ate Japanese beetles and dragonflies blown into the water (wouldn't touchdowned honeybees).

Toward the end of July they started tohonk. One day they attracted in a family ofeight whom we yelled off the pond. Thenext morning a family of four was

there and when I opened thefront door they took off-withMolly, our strong baby.

All day long Mo stayed on thepond alone honking plaintively.That afternoon he flew up to thefront porch and stayed untilnightfall then flew back to thepond. At daybreak we couldhear his honking. He was gonewhen I looked out at seven.About ten, a lone goose flewonto the pond. Iran to the shoreand Molly came over immedi-ately. She stayed the day andnight and was gone again in themorning. The pond is so quiet-and lonely. They left before we

banded them, so if you meet a pair offriendly Canada geese, one with a crippledfoot, give them a stroke for me. One an-swers to Molly and the other to Mo. .A

Ufqat's Good for tqe Goose...By Jane Sorensen Lord, PhD, OTR, ND

Iwas swimming slowly along the edgeof our pond peeking into the shallowwater to check fish fry and between the

rushes looking for bull frogs."Peep! Peep! Peep!" Iheard, before Isaw

two fluffy mallard sized Canada goslingshiding in the grasses. We let the weedsaround the pond grow high to discouragenesting. Iknow they were not hatched onmy pond. Migrating geese had toucheddown for a rest, but none hadstayed. We hadn't seen any forat least a month.

"Well, hello! What are youguys doing here? Where areyour mommy and daddy? Areyou okay?" And softly peep-ing they retreated further un-der the grass.

Later in the afternoon theywalked out of the pond, pastthe weed row to eat grass.When a curious cat ap-proached they scuttled back tothe safety of the water, de-fenses already set.

The next day they rushedacross the water to eat the feedpellets Ithrew in for the fish. Unnerved bythe eager fish, the baby geese waited forthe feed to float into the shallow water thengobbled it up peeping happily.

The third day during my edge inspectionI heard their peeping behind me. They werefollowing me slowly about six feet away. Inoticed as I swam on that certain types ofgrass had been nibbled up. With the babiesstill following, I stopped and picked someof the higher leaves and offered them. Theyapproached closely enough to quicklypluck them from my hand, devoured themand peeped for more. The friendship be-gan.

For the next couple of weeks the routinewas fish food in the morning and yummygrasses in the afternoon. You could seethem growing daily. Feathers began to re-place fluff, the peeps got deeper. They be-gan to follow me out of the pond and wouldcontentedly eat grass while I sat in the lawnchair drying off. They got to know Gor-don, too, and would follow him while hewatered the garden by the pond.

We giggled the day they waddled a

couple hundred feet from the water to grazenear the front sidewalk to join us duringcocktail hour. It happened daily. We car-ried on long and involved peep conversa-tions.

We returned from shopping early oneSaturday afternoon and could see one ly-ing distorted on the side of the pond, theother nearby peeping in distress. I randown. He looked up in pain and terror. Hisleft foot was in shreds, the web tom open

22· NY FOREST OWNER 36:5

CDand the bone showed through at the ankle.I knew right away-that damned snappingturtle!

I ran back to the house and mixed up ex-tracts of echinacea and yarrow in somecanola oil. Echinacea has antibiotic prop-erties and yarrow heals wounds. I ran back.I picked him up , sat down with him on mylap and put on the oil with an eye dropper.He stayed completely still, resting his headagainst me. I got on several coats then puthim back on the grass. The terror was gone,maybe some of the pain, too, and compo-sure was mostly regained.

He ate boneset in the fish feed, and inthe next coup Ie of weeks the wound healed.The web between his middle and outsidetoe was destroyed, part of the toe droppedoff, but the remaining section jutted out atright angle from the ankle for balance. Hecould walk with a limp.

Came time for flight practice and helagged a bit behind during running take-offs. But he got it.

The three of us had great fun! They prac-ticed diving-disappearing suddenly under

NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 - INFO

Dr. Jane and her husband, Gordon, havebeen Tree Farmers since 1986 and trainedas Master Forest Owners. In her work asan occupational therapist and naturopathshe takes care of people. Her e-mail ad-dress is: [email protected] &Webpage: http://members.aol.com/infolands/herb. html

RICHARD CI!PPERLYir;:{;.~i,~;<j

3 ROBIN LANE ..QUEENSBURY, NY 12804i'(518) 793-3545;""e-tnail ci 1 SINCE 1964

SEPT/OCT 1998


http://members.aol.com/

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

GINSENG! !Did you know that by thinning your hardwood stands you could be cre-ating the perfect environment for growing GINSENG? Start your own GINSENGgarden with our PREMIUM SEED & QUALITY WOODSGROWN ROOTS. SOILANALYSIS & FARM CONSULTAnON SERVICES AVAILABLE. SVLVAN BO-TANICALS AMERICAN GINSENG P.O. BOX 91, COOPERSTOWN, NY. 13326.Phone: 607-264-8455. Email: <[email protected]>

DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADVERTISE?

ADVERTISINGRATES

Customand Stock Signs

for theForest Industry

on Aluminum and Plastic

VossSigns

Dept. NYF, Box 553

Manlius, N.Y. 13104

Ph. (315) 682-6418

Send for Catalogand Free Samples

Family Owned & Operatedfor over 30 years


PerInsert:

Display:$210- perfull page or 30 eel. in.;$7 per col, in.

Marketplace: $10minimum for 25 wordsor less.. 1Oc each ad-ditional word.

Contact: R.J. Fox, EditorRD 3, Box 88,Moravia, NY13118Fax/Phone:

(315) 497-1078

Circulation 2000

AND DON'T FORGET TO REGISTER FORNYFOA'S

ANNUAL FALL MEETING, SEPT. 11, 12-Phone 800-836-3566111

H~-\LEFORESTR\' COlVIP~~N\T610 East Main Street. \Vestficld, PA 169~O

Professional Forestry ConsultingForest Resource Management Services

TIMBER SALES APPRAISALS

MANAGEMENT PLANS INVENTORIES

MICHAEL L. HALE JOSEPHR. MAHONEY

Toll Free (877)-HALEFOR or (814)367-5915e-mail: [email protected]

Fax (814) 367-5919

.\i

Society of AI'Mrican Foresters - Pennsylvania Forestry AssociationNY Cooperating Consulting Forester - Member NY Forest Owners Association

NYFOA· 1·800·836·3566· INFO SEPT/OCT 1998 • 23


R.J. Fox, EditorRD#3, Box 88Moravia, NY 13118FaxlPhone (315) 497-1078Email: [email protected]

Webpage: http://www.rpi.edul-wentor/r-Yl'Oa.html

Nolan'sSporting Supplies

Outdoor Equipment Specialist

37 ·47 Genesee StreefAuburn, NY 13021

3151252·7249

Lake GeorgeForestry

Complete Forestry Servicesincluding:

• Detailed ManagementPlans

• Timber Trespass• Timber Sales• Appraisals• Deed Research• Timber Inventory• Watershed Management• Boundary Line Location• Tax Savings PlansNo property is too small or too large tobenefit from experienced professional as-sistance when you are faced with impor-tant decisions regarding its use.

Contact Lake George Forestry todayto arrange a free initial consultation.

Christian Gearwear, President

LAKE GEORGEFORESTRY, INC.

50 Hendrick StreetLake George, New York 12845

Tel: 518·668·2623Fax: 518·668·2486


NOTICETHE FOREST OWNER is mailed

third class and will not be forwarded;notify Administrative Secretary DebbieGill, PO Box 180, Fairport 14450 or call1/800/836/3566 with a change in ad-dress!

PONDS UNLIMITEDINVITES yOU ....

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

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

PONDS UNLIMITED719 E. Genesee St.

Syracuse, NY 13210315/422-7663

FAX/476-3635

NYFOA - 1-800-836-3566 - INFO

Non-Profit Org.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDUtica, N.Y.

13504Permit No. 566

FOUNDED 1963

WOODLOTCALENDAR

Sep 9-11: NYSAF; 1998 Summer Meeting;Allegany SP; 716/372-0645

Sep 11,12: NYFOA's Annual Fall Meeting:Kanona; 800/835-3566; See Page 13.

Sep 17: ESFPAAnnual Mtg.;Pub. Land Mgmt.& Priv. Prop. Rights; Cooperstown; Rgstr.; 518/463-1297

Sep 17-19: THRIFT; Game of Logging;Boonville; Register 315/623-9476

Oct 3: Ont.Co.RC&D; Woodlot Owner'sWorkshop; Batavia; 716/589-5959

Oct 3,4: NYFOA's Family Fair; WashingtonCounty Fairgrounds; M. Binder 518/797-3795.

Oct 9, 10: THRIFT, CFA; Overnight Trip toNew Hampshire; Register 315/623-9476.

Oct 10: WFL; 9 AM; Estate Planning Seminar;Highland Ave., Rochester; 716/367-2849(eve)

Oct 24: NY American Chestnut Annual Mtg.;SUNY -ESF, Syracuse; Registration-7161745-7772.

SEPT/OCT 1998


http://www.rpi.edul

The New York Forest Owner - Volume 36 Number 5

Documents

Transcript of The New York Forest Owner - Volume 36 Number 5