The New York Forest Owner The New York Forest Owner 44:1 • January/February 2006 THE NEW YORK...

The New YorkForest OwnerA PUBLICATION OF THE NEW YORK FOREST OWNERS ASSOCIATION

January/February 2006

Volume 44 Number 1

Pond Owners Should be Awareof Winter Dangers – 9

www.nyfoa.org

2 The New York Forest Owner 44:1 • January/February 2006

THE NEW YORKFOREST OWNERS

ASSOCIATIONVolume 44, Number 1

Officers & Directors

Alan White, President22 Bruce Scudder Rd.Halcott Center, NY 12430; (845)254-6031

Geff Yancey, Vice President32 Oliver StreetRochester, NY 14607; (585) 271-4567

John Druke, Secretary6341 Kirkville RoadKirkville, NY 13082; (315) 656-2313

Jerry Michael, Treasurer4 Leonard LaneBinghamton, NY 13901; (607) 648-2941

Liana Gooding, Administrative SecretaryP.O. Box 541Lima, N.Y 14485; (585) 624-3385

Peter Smallidge, Chair Editorial CommitteeCornell University, Fernow HallIthaca, NY 14853; (607) 255-4696

2006Harry Dieter, Honeoye Falls, (585) 533-2085Jerry Michael, Binghamton, (607) 648-2941Peter Smallidge, Ithaca, (607) 255-4696Alan White, Jeffersonville, (845) 482-3719

2007Renee Bouplon, Hudson, (518) 822-0613Charles Bove, Bethpage, (914) 644-2330Bob Malmsheimer, Cazenovia, (315) 470-6909Geff Yancey, Rochester, (585) 271-4567

2008Dan Cleveland, Erin, (607) 732-7884Cindy King, Amsterdam, (518) 842-3556Gene Reinshagen, Painted Post, (607) 796-6202Kelly Smallidge, Van Etten, (607) 589-7530

Chapter-Designated DirectorsDick Patton, Allegheny Foothills; (716) 761-6333Carl Wiedemann, Capital District; (518) 895-8767John Druke, Central New York; (315) 656-2313Anne Osborn, Lower Hudson; (845) 424-3683Thomas Gilman, Northern Adirondack; (518)359-3089Dave & Jean Preston, Niagara Frontier; (716) 688-4921Bob Manning, Southeastern Adirondack; (518) 251-4638George Franke, Southern Tier; (607) 334-9813Bob O’Brien, Southern Finger Lakes; (607) 594-4600Ray Cavallaro, Western Finger Lakes; (585) 288-3411

The New York Forest Owners Association isa 501(c)3 foundation and tax deductible dona-tions to this organization will advance NYFOA’seducational mission.

In This Issue . . .FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

MARY JEANNE PACKER .................................................................................... 3

IN THE MAIL .........................................................................................................4

HOW TO: PROTECT FOREST ROADSJOSEPH SMITH ................................................................................................ 5

ASK A PROFESSIONAL ........................................................................................6

NEWS & NOTES & WOODLOT CALENDAR ..................................................9

WILD THINGS IN YOUR WOODLANDSKRISTI SULLIVAN ............................................................................................ 10

NYFOA GENERAL DIRECTOR CANDIDATES - ELECTION FORM .......... 12

44TH ANNUAL SPRING PROGRAM – FEBRUARY 23, 2006 ...................... 13

FEDERAL REPORT: INCREASED TIMBER YIELDS, BETTERFOREST HEALTH POSSIBLE THROUGH CHANGESIN FORESTRY PRACTICEL ....................................................................................14

WOOD DEFECTS CAUSED BY CAMBIUM MINERSDOUGLAS C. ALLEN ....................................................................................... 16

MAPLE SUGARING: A UNIQUE TRADITIONSHAVONNE SARGENT....................................................................................... 18

ICE ACCIDENT REMINDS POND OWNERS OF WINTER DANGERSJIM OCHTERSKI .............................................................................................. 19

NEW BUSINESS PLAYS MATCHMAKER TOLANDOWNERS, SPORTSMEN ........................................................................... 21

KNOW YOUR TREES – BLACK WILLOW ........................................................ 22

The New York Forest Owner is a bi-monthly publication of The New York ForestOwners Association, P.O. Box 541, Lima, N.Y 14485. Materials submitted forpublication should be sent to: Mary Beth Malmsheimer, Editor, The New YorkForest Owner, 134 Lincklaen Street, Cazenovia, New York 13035. Materialsmay also be e-mailed to [email protected]. Articles, artwork and photos areinvited and if requested, are returned after use. The deadline for submission forthe January/February issue is December 1, 2005.

Please address all membership fees and change of address requests to P.O. Box541, Lima, N.Y. 14485. 1-800-836-3566. Cost of family membership/subscrip-tion is $35.

COVER:All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproducedwithout prior written permission from the publisher.NYFOA does not necessarily support or approve pro-cedures, products, or opinions presented by authorsor advertisers.

© 2006 New York Forest Owners Association

www.nyfoa.org

Mary Jeanne Packer, Executive Director5621 Grove RoadTrumansburg, NY 14886; 607-387-9804

Photo shows a pond that has frozen over during winter. See article onpage 19 for informaiton on the dangers of having a winter pond andhow to manage the pond for winter activities.

www.nyfoa.org 3

NYFOA is a not-for-profit group of NY Statelandowners promotingJoin!

stewardship of private forests for thebenefit of current and future generations.Through local chapters and statewideactivities, NYFOA helps woodlandowners to become responsible stewardsand interested publics to appreciate theimportance of New York’s forests.

Join NYFOA today and begin to receiveits many benefits including: six issues ofThe New York Forest Owner,woodswalks, chapter meetings, and twostatewide meetings. Complete and mailthis form:

I/We would like to support good for-estry and stewardship of New York’sforest lands

( ) I/We own ______acres of wood-land.( ) I/We do not own woodland butsupport the Association’s objectives.

Name: ________________________Address: ______________________City: _________________________State/ Zip: ____________________Telephone: ____________________Email: _______________________County of Residence: ___________County of Woodlot: _____________Referred by: ___________________

Regular Annual Dues:( ) Student $10(Please provide copy of student ID)( ) Individual $30( ) Family $35Sustaining Memberships(Includes NYFOA annual dues)( ) Contributor $50-$99( ) Sponsor $100-$249( ) Benefactor $250-$499( ) Steward $500 or more

For regular memberships, make checkpayable to New York Forest OwnersAssociation. For sustaining NYFOAmemberships, indicate if for individualor family and make check payable toNYFOA. Send the completed form to:

NYFOAP.O. Box 541

Lima, New York 144851-800-836-3566www.nyfoa.org

FromTheExecutive Director

–Mary Jeanne PackerExecutive Director

After nearly three months on the job asNYFOA’s new Executive Director

(and almost six months as returned NewYorker!), I’m already feeling very athome. I want to thank all of the Chapterleaders, other Association members, andNYFOA’s partners who have extendedsuch a warm welcome. I especially want tothank Dan Palm who has helped to makethe Executive Director transition sosmooth and effective.

I began traveling around the state tomeet with the chapter leaders and mem-bers. I’m appreciating hearing about whatyou are doing to further forest stewardshipin New York State; and getting your ideason how I can be of the most help to yourgroups in achieving your goals. I am trulyimpressed by what I’m learning. There are

a tremendousnumber ofinnovativeprograms takingplace all over thestate thanks to theefforts of thechapters and theirpartners such asCornell Coopera-

tive Extension, the RC&D Councils, andthe Soil and Water Conservation Districts!

Working in cooperation with KristiSullivan, Program Coordinator for CornellUniversity’s Department of NaturalResources, and The Nature Conservancy,NYFOA has applied for several grants thatwould enable the Association to developand offer a new educational program onbiodiversity. The objectives of the Biodi-versity Education for Private Landownersproject are to: introduce forest landownersto the concepts of biodiversity andecosystem conservation; to exposelandowners to major issues that threatenbiodiversity conservation such as invasivespecies, fragmentation, loss of vernal poolsand other wetlands, high-grading, and lackof forest stewardship planning; and toencourage active biodiversity conservationon New York state’s private non-industrialforest lands.

Peter Smallidge, State ExtensionForester (and NYFOA Board Member)and I met with Rob Davies, New YorkState Forester, and key members of hisstaff in Albany in December. One of thetopics that we discussed is the critical role

that New York’s private forest owners canplay in limiting the spread of invasivespecies and forest pests – one of the largestthreats facing the long term sustainable ofworking forests in the state. Because of thekey importance of this emerging andgrowing concern, the next several issues ofForest Owner will prominently featuremanagement information to help membersbe better prepared.

Alan White (NYFOA Board President)and I recently met with some of the otherrepresentatives of the newly formedCouncil of Forest Resource Organizationsand members of Governor George Pataki’sstaff. We discussed the top four sharedlegislative priorities of the group – toexclude trees from the definition of realproperty for the purpose of property taxassessment, to enact a refundable incometax credit to phase out school taxes onforested parcels over a ten-year period, toenact legislation to reduce property taxassessments by value of conservationeasements, to require State payment ofschool and property taxes on value ofeasements, and to ensure that forestinventory data for New York State arekept current through continued investmentof State funds. Besides NYFOA, othermembers of this advocacy organizationinclude NY Farm Bureau, Empire StateForest Products Association, Society ofAmerican Foresters, NY Tree FarmProgram, and others.

NYFOA’s Annual Meeting will be heldin conjunction with the New York FarmShow at the State Fairgrounds on February25. The NYFOA staff and board areplanning the agenda for this meetingincluding board member elections, animportant vote on an amendment to theAssociation Bylaws, and an excitingawards and recognition program. A seriesof forestry (and related topics) workshopswill take place February 23 and 24 at theDEC Log Cabin on the Fairgrounds.Thanks to NYFOA Board member JohnDruke and Charley Porter from NYSDECfor putting together another outstandingprogram this year.

Register now to attend the AnnualMeeting and make plans to participate insome of the great educational sessions. Ihope I’ll see you there!


In TheMAIL

Letters to the Editor are the opinions of the authors themselvesand not necessarily of the New York Forest Owners Associa-

tion. They may be sent to: The New York Forest Owner134 Lincklaen Street, Cazenovia, NY 13035

orvia e-mail at [email protected]

NYFOA Loses a Good FriendFrancis A. “Mike” Demeree

passed away December 17, 2005.Mike was a charter member of

NYFOA and a Charter member ofthe New York Forest Practice Board.Mike was one of those people I feelproud to have known. He providedwarm, effective leadership in theprivate forestry arena. In 1985, hewas recognized as the NationalOutstanding Tree Farmer for thatleadership and being the “Father of480-a” (New York’s Forest TaxLaw).

My first contact with Mike was aphone call in 1970. The state wasgoing to lay off seventy foresters. Iwas a new kid on the block and hadjust moved to Catskill from Massachu-setts, bought a home and was the DECforester for Albany County. I wasextremely threatened by this proposedlayoff and talked my way into a ChannelTen news interview discussing themisguided decision being proposed.Mike saw the news segment and made afew phone calls to DEC leadership. Hethen called me to thank me and thenwarn me I’d be called into Albany thenext day for a chewing out… but not toworry, I’d survive. His phone call madethat trip to Albany bearable. That callwas the beginning of a long friendship.

Once I was promoted to help adminis-ter private forestry programs statewide,Mike was one of my most valued sourcesof guidance. I could always count on himfor sound advice. Never combative,always a gentleman, Mike understoodwhat could lead to acceptable, effectivepublic policy for the forests of NewYork. He had the presence, sincerity,and knowledge to sell 480-a to the NewYork legislature.

I was at a dinner honoring Mike. Alocal farmer told the audience aboutbuying a truck from Demeree Chevrolet

in Bainbridge and how Mike had come tohis aid in repairing the vehicle with aneffort far beyond what one would expect.The farmer was in a period of financialcrisis and Mike’s assistance meant a lotto him. That story confirmed, for me, apart of Mike Demeree’s character.

Working for DEC offered me anopportunity to grow a large adoptivefamily of friends, mentors, and guidancecounselors. Most of them are NYFOAmembers. In trying to recognize, insmall part, Mike Demeree, I have achance to say thank you. It’s the peoplevolunteering that give NYFOA ourstrength.

–Michael GreasonCatskill, NY

Francis “Mike” Demeree of Bainbridge,an honorary member of ESFPA since1980, passed away on December 17, atthe age of 96.

Mike was instrumental in revising theforest tax law into its present form as480(a). When the Forest tax law wasunder revision in 1974, Mike personallywalked the proposal through the halls ofthe legislature in order to help lawmakers

understand the need for and benefitsof public support of private forestmanagement in New York State.Mike was a charter member of NewYork Forest Owners Association(NYFOA) in 1963; in 1969 he washonored as the second person toreceive NYFOA’s Heiberg Award,in recognition of his outstandingcontributions to forestry andconservation in New York State. Acharter member of New York TreeFarm (Tree Farm #6) in 1956,Mike was recognized as theNational Outstanding Tree Farmerof the Year in 1985; his nominationwas supported by his long commit-ment to sustainable forestry, theefforts put forth to gain property tax

relief for private landowners, and hisefforts in establishing NYFOA.

Mike was appointed as a chartermember of the New York State ForestPractice Board in 1949, and served asChairman for several years. Among themany awards he received for his conser-vation and forestry activities, Mike wasone of the first ever bestowed an honor-ary membership in the Society ofAmerican Foresters. The New YorkSAF presented Mike with the tribute in1973 in recognition of his long efforts topromote private land stewardship and theinnovative management practices heimplemented on his Tree Farm.

A true pioneer in the arena of foreststewardship, Mike will be missed by allin the forestry community and thegenerations of families in the Susquehan-na River valley for whom the holidayseason started with a trip to Demeree’sTree Farm.

–Mike BurnsDeputy Director

Empire State Forest Products Association

Steve Wolfgram (former ESFPA Executive VP) at theDemeree Tree Farm taken shortly after Mike wasawarded National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Yearin 1985. Photo courtesy of ESFPA archives.

www.nyfoa.org 5

Flexible Belt Culvert

This article originally appearedin the Summer 2005 issue ofNorthern Woodlands Magazineunder the title of “ProtectingForest Roads” and wasreprinted in the August 2005issue of the Forestry Source. Both the textand articles are reprinted here by permis-sion. For more information contact North-ern Woodlands at 800-290-5232.

Smith is director of the Forest and WoodProducts Institute and is a freelance authorand illustrator. For more information,contact Smith at the Forest and WoodProducts Institute, Mount WachusettCommunity College, 444 Green Street,Gardner, MA 01440; (978) 630-9360;[email protected].

HOW TO: Protect Forest Roads

The woodland road’s worst enemy iswater. It makes travel difficult,

and if it’s not diverted, rainwater canwash away a road surface in a singlesummer storm. You can avoid prob-lems like this through the installationof simple water diversion structures. Ifyour road has stretches of continuousslope where water can pick up energyand do damage, you can use open-topped culverts and the flexible-beltstructure described below to movewater off the road surface and into theundisturbed forest floor, where it willbe dispersed and absorbed.

An open-topped culvert, box culvert,or “Thank You Ma’am” will drain theroad without impeding access. Nailtwo 2 x 8 pressure-treated boards to a2 x 12 base, approximately 3 3/4inches apart. Insert a spacer every 4feet using a section of 1-inch pipe, anddrive a spike through each pipe. Burythe structure in the road surface so thatthe top of the 2 x 8s is level with theroad surface, and then carefullycompact the soil around the boxculvert. The structure should bealigned so that it is at a 30- to 45-degree angle to a line perpendicular tothe centerline of the road, and theoutlet end, obviously, should be lowerthan the opposite end. Fill the areabelow the outlet with stones to act asriprap. If properly installed, open-topped culverts will be self-cleaning,but they should be regularly inspected

to make sure they are operatingproperly.

Here’s an even simpler device thatwill divert water while allowing you tocontinue to use the road, with theadded advantage of requiring little orno maintenance. All you need is a 3/8-inch x 11-inch standard-grade rubberconveyor belt. These can sometimes besalvaged by visiting a stone quarry orgravel pit or purchased from a manu-facturer. A good source for beltmanufacturers, where you may be ableto pick up some rejects, iswww.thomasregisterdirectory.com.(Search under “Material Handling” andthen “Belting” — there are severaldozen listed there). Secure the beltbetween two pressure-treated 2 x 6s sothat 6 inches of the belt is exposedabove the boards. Then set the beltsandwich into a trench cut into the roadso that at least 3 inches of belt isexposed above the road surface. Fill inthe hole and compact it. This structureshould be placed with at least a 10-degree angle to the centerline of theroad, and the outfall should be filledwith riprap to avoid undercutting theroad.

Be sure to install enough diversionsto protect long grades. The farther thewater can travel on the road, the moredestructive energy it will accumulate.The proper distance between diversionsdepends on the slope and the soil’spotential for erosion. As a rule, they

should be placed 125–150feet apart on a 5 percentslope (the equivalent of a 5-foot rise or fall in elevationover 100 feet of road), whileon a 10 percent grade, theyshould be only 75–100 feetapart. A good road makes agood woodlot. Whether yourwoods are used for hiking,hunting, or harvesting,keeping soil from washingaway is essential.

JOSEPH SMITH

SAF Certified

(518) [email protected]

5476 Cauterskill RoadCatskill, NY 12414

Box Culvert

For more information on protectingforest roads in New York State visitwww.dnr.cornell.edu/ext/bmp


AskA

Professional

QUESTION:My property includes pasture and anarea that was inappropriately logged bythe former owner. I am a very patientperson with the ability to do the bestthing for my property which I love. Iwish to replant at least a reasonableportion of the new parcel with trees. Iam considering black walnut trees forpart of the project and I wouldwelcome help as to preparation for amid sized tree planting plan as well asyour thoughts as to tree mix. Finally,as a new landowner, how do I getstarted in learning more aboutstewardship?

ANSWER:

Tree shelters are critical in some areas to protect seedlings from browsing by deer, mice andvoles. The solid shelters, as pictured, also provide an enhanced growing environment for theseedling. Open, mesh or screen shelters protect the seedling but allow the seedlings to accli-mate more naturally in the fall. All tree shelters require annual maintenance to ensure theeffectiveness.

Landowner questions are addressed by foresters and other natural resourcesprofessionals. Landowners should be careful when interpreting answers andapplying this general advice to their property because landowner objectives andproperty conditions will affect specific management options. When in doubtcheck with your regional DEC office or other service providers. Landowner arealso encouraged to be active participants in Cornell Cooperative Extension andNYFOA programs to gain additional, often site-specific, answers to questions. Tosubmit a question, email to Peter Smallidge at [email protected] with an explicitmention of “Ask a Professional.” Additional reading on various topics isavailable at www.dnr.cornell.edu/ext/forestrypage

Many landowners are similarlydrawn to the potential for a positiveimpact through tree planting. As youanticipate, you will be rewarded inmany different ways through areforestation effort. You also likelyrecognize the complexity of whatyou wish to accomplish and the needto acquire a solid educationalfoundation before you begin. Let mestart by noting two caveats that youshould consider before getting into

some specifics of reforestation. First,depending on what’s around yourproperty, you might consider leavingsome pasture as open- or brush-landwhich is critical habitat for somewildlife species, especially song birds,

in much of NY. Thus, think about treeplanting within the bigger picture ofwhat you want from your property.Second, because the planting season isfast approaching, you need to knowthat tree planting is best started the

www.nyfoa.org 7

The planted seedling must be at the same depth when planted as where it grew in the treenursery. Look for color changes in the bark or a swollen area on the stem to indicate thecorrect ground level.

continued on page 8

summer or fall before you wish toplant. While you can initiate theplanning process in the winter orspring, it requires more effort anddiligence on your part to ensuresuccess.

There are several organizations thatcan assist with your effort. Youshould start with the NYS Departmentof Environmental Conservation forprivate lands forestry assistance,including a site visit. In some parts ofthe state, such as within the NYCwatershed boundary, you can contactthe Watershed Forestry Program forforestry assistance including a sitevisit. A few local offices of CornellCooperative Extension will also makesite visits. The DEC and other groupswith forestry as part of their missionwill help guide you in a managementplan and perhaps a reforestation plan. Finally, the local Soil and WaterConservation District can assist withinformation on soils, topographic mapsand aerial photographs. Many SWCDwill also visit your property to assistwith tree planting projects.

There are 3 key issues to consider.First is to develop a planting plan.The plan will include the objective forplanting, soil conditions, species mix,spacing, animal protection, andmaintenance. Second is to match thesoils you have to those species whichare adapted to thrive on those soils.Mismatching soils and species is one ofthe biggest cause of reforestationfailures and is the one most easilyprevented. Your interest in blackwalnut is common because of thetimber, wildlife and aesthetic value ofthis species. However, walnut is quitesite demanding and will fail in moreplaces than it will succeed. Be certainof site conditions before you plantwalnut. The source of trees is alsoimportant. The DEC sells treesthrough its NYS tree nursery atSaratoga. These trees are from localsources and suited in general to theclimate of NY. Third, is the need toremove competition from other plantsbefore you plant. This topic was

covered in the May 2005 issue of NewYork Forest Owner, but a special casefor you is replanting amongst the high-graded area. Try to leave as muchdebris in place as possible as a barrierto deer herbivory. Unfortunately thisis also a barrier to your plantingefforts. You will need to find abalance for efficiency. Finally, youwill want to accumulate the tools andsupplies you need long before theseedlings arrive. Tools might includeplanting bars, hand pruners, buckets,wire ties, etc. Supplies might includetree shelters, wooden stakes, andflagging. Your actual planting planshould detail out the tools and suppliesyou need.

The effort you expend to check soilconditions, to match species to soils, toprepare the site and to develop aplanting plan will be rewarded.Planting is an investment in a long-term endeavor and failing to prepareadequately will result in years ordecades of frustration. There areseveral good resources on the internetabout tree planting. One internet site isfrom the Ontario, Canada which has

Bruce E.

Robinson, Inc.

• Forest product marking &marketing

• Timber appraisals

• Access road design &supervision

• Boundary maintenance

• Forest management planning

• Forest recreation planning

• Wildlife management

• Forest taxation planning

• Tree farm management

• Tree planting & tree shelters

• Urban forestry & communitymanagement

1894 Camp Street Ext.

Jamestown, NY 14701-9239

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: 716-665-5477

Fax: 716-664-5866

Forestry Consultants


informed about your forest is atwww.forestandrange.org, a sitecoordinated by the national CooperativeExtension system. This site includeslearning modules on a variety oftopics. One module we produced iscalled “You and Your Forest - A guidefor understanding and managing yourforest”. Several other good modulesexist. Our module will be coming outin print form later this winter or earlyspring. There are also a number ofeducational articles available for free onthe internet. I have several atwww.forestconnect.info

Good luck with your reforestationproject.

Peter J. Smallidge, NYS Extension Foresterand Director, Arnot Teaching and ResearchForest. Cornell University, Ithaca, [email protected]

good applicability in New York. TheirURL is http://www.lrconline.com/EN_splash.html

Finally, in the broader considerationof your stewardship interest as a forestowner there are many opportunities.First, there are forest owners thatCornell University has trained as“Master Forest Owner Volunteers” whowill make a free site visit to yourproperty. They won’t provide technicalassistance, but can talk to you as aforest owner with many sharedexperiences. They are knowledgeableabout local resources as well. Call yourlocal office of Cornell CooperativeExtension for a list in your area or visitwww.dnr.cornell.edu/ext/mfo. Second,there are many educational eventsscheduled around the state each year.These are offered through the NewYork Forest Owners Association(www.nyfoa.org) and through CornellCooperative Extension. Finally, a goodresource for generally getting more

Forest Owner’s

LIABILITY INSURANCE

Bill Kemp, AgentPhone (607) 656-4752Fax (607) 656-9776

e-mail [email protected]

Home and LandEquipmentBuildings

�

�

www.nyfoa.org 9

[email protected]

[email protected]

NEWS &NOTES

DEC Offering Seedlings for SaleThe 2006 seedling orderinginformation is now available on

line at http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dlf/privland/nursery/treeshrub.html or via a pamphlet atyour regional DEC office. A widevariety of species for a wide variety ofpurposes are available at veryreasonable prices.

Both the website and pamphlet alsohave planting instructions. Allrequests are filled after Jan. 3 in theorder they are received. Popularspecies sell out quickly.

Of interest to many are the 4packets of shrubs and trees forspecific wildlife, riparian or regionaluse. Also check out the schoolseedling program where schools canobtain packets of seedlings for specificpurposes, such as wildlife habitat.

Free SeedlingsOn Saturday May 6, 2006, fromdawn to dusk, white spruce

seedlings will be distributed to allcomers free of charge, in any numberand size, from Henry Kernan’s forestproperty. The address is 204 County

Highway 40, South Worcester, NY,12197. It will not be necessary to digthe seedlings because they germinatein moss and need only be lifted bymeans of a garden fork, which willbe available. This year will be the16th year such distributions havetaken place, with more than 30,000having been taken away. For moreinformation please contact HenryKernan at (607) 397-8805.

Reaching Woodland OwnersOn-line

Extension programs continuallyseek ways to reach and engage

new audiences. As internet adoptionrates climb, the web presents an evergreater opportunity to do so. But howto do it right?

The University of MinnesotaExtension Service has just released anew study of internet resourcestargeting family forest owners.Drawing on the insights ofMinnesota’s forestry community andthe managers of 21 existing sitesnationwide, the report includes 10recommendations to guide thedevelopment of new internetresources targeting family forestowners.

The full report is available at http://www.extension.umn.edu/woodlands/internet/. Feel free to distribute thereport to colleagues.

Eastern Coyote Concerns, Forests &Fish Habitat, and American ChestnutRecovery Talks.February 11, 2006 (Saturday)1:00 P.M. - 4:30 P.M at theWoodland Owner’s Winter Meeting,Spencer-Van Etten High School,Spencer, NY.

Coyotes are become more abundant,but will they become a problem?This and other important woodlandowner issues will be addressed byexperts at the 2006 WoodlandOwner’s Winter Meeting, which isfree and open to the public. Cornellwildlife expert Paul Curtis will reviewwhat we know about dealing with theEastern coyote near homes and farms.Cornell Fishery professor Cliff Kraftwill discuss how forestry plays a rolein enhancing fish habitat, especiallytrout. Bill Powell of SUNY ESF willexplain the status of Americanchestnut and the development ofblight resistant trees. The 2006Woodland Owner’s Winter Meeting ishosted by the New York ForestOwners Association - Southern FingerLakes Chapter and the CornellCooperative Extension SCNYAgriculture Team.

Please pre-register by callingCornell Cooperative Extension at(607) 535-7161. In case of weatherchanges, we want to informparticipants. There is no fee for theseminar. It is open to the public andrefreshments available.

WoodlotCalendar

What topics wouldYOU

like to see covered in theForest Owner?

Contact the Editor [email protected]


beneath the tree canopy to provideunobstructed gliding areas for move-ment from tree to tree, and from treeto ground.

In addition to providing adequatenesting sites, older forests support thelichens and fungi that the northernflying squirrel relies on for food,including truffles, the fruiting bodies ofunderground fungi that live in associa-tion with tree roots. These fungi areimportant to forest health because theyincrease the ability of trees to absorbnutrients and water from the forestsoil. By feeding on the fungi anddepositing the spores in the soilthrough their droppings, squirrelsspread the spores throughout theforest, maintaining ecological process-es that are important to forest health.Other foods of the northern flyingsquirrel include seeds, buds, fruit,insects, and small animals. Similarly,

Wild Thingsin Your Woodlands

Northern (Glaucomys sabrinus) and southern (Glaucomysvolans) flying squirrels are the smallest species ofsquirrels in New York State, weighing just a few ounces.Similar in appearance, the northern flying squirrel islarger (10 to 15 inches long) and reddish-brown in color,while its relative is smaller (8 to 10 inches in length) andmouse-like grey in color. Both species have soft, dense,silky fur, with white belly hair, and broad, flattened, furrytails that are about 5 inches long. Like most nocturnalanimals, their gleaming black eyes are large and round.Prominent flaps of skin stretch from their wrists to theirankles giving them the ability to glide through the forest.In both species, males and females are similar in size.Mating takes place early in the spring, and the young areborn in May or June. In the wild, flying squirrels typicallylive to be four or five years old.

FLYING SQUIRRELS

Kristi Sullivan

Because of their nocturnal habits,few people are fortunate enough to

have seen a flying squirrel in the wild,and many are unaware that these night-time creatures exist. Emerging at dusk,they glide from the forest canopy downto the forest floor to feed. Althoughthey don’t truly fly (bats are the onlymammals that do), they have two largeflaps of skin that extend from theirwrists to their ankles and act asminiature parachutes. When leaving atree, they initially drop straight downfor about 3 feet or so before flatteningout into a glide. Like a miniature hangglider, a flying squirrel can move itslegs to change the position of itsmembranes and swerve around obsta-cles. The higher a squirrel is when itdrops out of a tree, the greater thespeed and distance it can travel. Fromheights of 100 feet, they can reachspeeds of up to 20 mph, and glide as

far as 50 yards (over half the length ofa football field).

Two species of flying squirrels arecommon in New York State and theirranges overlap, though the northernflying squirrel is more common in thenorthern part of the state, and thesouthern flying squirrel is most preva-lent south of the Mohawk RiverValley. In regions where their rangesoverlap, they usually separate byhabitat. Both species require largeareas of very mature, deciduous ormixed forest with large trees andcavities for nesting and escape cover.Flying squirrels usually occupy oldwoodpecker holes in the winter, but inwarmer months often build or re-useexisting leaf nests in the crotch oftrees. They line their nests withshredded bark, lichens, grasses, andmoss. Forest stands inhabited by theseanimals need to be relatively open

www.nyfoa.org 11

POSTED SIGNORDER FORM

NYFOA

Use this form to order the sign shown above. Thesigns are orange with black printing.

SIGN COST NUMBERMATERIAL PER SIGN ORDERED* COST

Plastic(.024 gauge) $.45 _________ $_______

Aluminum(.012 gauge) $.70 _________ $_______

Add Name and Address to Sign$5.00 Set up cost per address $5.00

$.05 _________ ________

Handling Cost$5.00 per order $5.00

Shipping Cost** $_______

TOTAL COST OF ORDER $_______

Please specify Name and Address to beprinted on signs:

Name:________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________

Limited to two lines of type (abbreviate where possible). Type isabout 5/16 inches high.

Mailing Address(UPS Shipping Address if different from mailing address)

Name:______________________________________

Address: ___________________________________

___________________________________________

Make checks payable to NYFOA. Mail formto NYFOA at PO Box 541, Lima, NY 14485.For more information call 1-800-836-3566

* Minimun order is 50 signs with additional signs in incrementsof 25.** Shipping Costs: 50 signs, $4.50; 75 signs, $4.75; 100 signs,$5.25; 100+ signs, add $.75 for each 50 signs over 100 (150would cost $5.25 plus $.75 for the additional 50 for a total of$6.00).

POSTEDPRIVATE PROPERTY

– No Trespassing –Hunting, Fishing or Entry by

Written Permission Only

Name & Address - Owner or Lessee

the southern flying squirrel eats seeds, berries, fungi, bark, flowers,insects, and other animal matter. However, the southern flyingsquirrel prefers hickory nuts and acorns, and is found most often inoak/hickory forests.

During the cold winter months, the southern flying squirrel willforage less often and at times become inactive, while the northernflying squirrel remains active even at the coldest temperatures.Flying squirrels are sociable creatures, and will curl up together toconserve energy. Up to 50 animals have been found huddled up inone nest!

In mature woodlands, landowners can enhance habitat for thesewide-eyed creatures of the night by retaining live and dead treesthat contain holes, or cavities. An ideal den is an old woodpeckerhole about 8 to 20 feet from the ground with an entrance hole ofabout 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter. In New York, large beech treesoften provide cavities for nesting wildlife, and produce seeds thatserve as food. In forests without many cavity trees, landowners caninstall artificial nest boxes on trees to provide shelter for flyingsquirrels. Retaining or providing woody debris and rotten logs onthe forest floor will provide additional sites for flying squirrels totake refuge from predators when foraging, and promote growth offungi for food.

Landowners wishing to catch a glimpse of a flying squirrel cansometimes catch them feeding at bird feeders after dark. The bestway to see a flying squirrel in the daylight is to tap or scratch ondead trees or hollow limbs containing abandoned woodpecker holes.If a squirrel is inside, it will often stick its head out to see what isamiss!

Kristi Sullivan coordinates the Conservation Education Program at Cornell'sArnot Forest. More information on managing habitat for wildlife, as well asupcoming educational programs at the Arnot Forest can be found by visitingthe Arnot Conservation Education Program web site at www.dnr.cornell.edu/arnot/acep/. Flying squirrel photo courtesy of Dr. Lloyd Glenn Ingles ©California Academy of Sciences


Name(s) _____________________________________________________________________________Address _____________________________________________________________________________City _____________________________________ State _______________ Zip ______________Chapter / Affiliation ________________________________

Send ballot to: NYFOAP.O. Box 1055Penfield, NY 14526

NYFOA General Director Candidates

Election FormVOTE FOR FOUR (4) CANDIDATES

DETACH AND COMPLETE MAIL BEFORE FEBRUARY 13, 2006

The Nominating Committee of NYFOA presents the following slate of four nominees to fill the four openings on the statewideBoard of Directors. Each opening is for a three-year term as provided by the Bylaws of NYFOA. Please complete the ballot belowand mail to NYFOA by February 13, 2006.

Harry Dieter - Honeoye Falls, NYHarry has been married to wife Patricia for 48 years and has 3 children (youngest deceased from brain cancer in December2004). He holds both a BS in Industrial Engineering and a MS in Engineering Management from the Rochester Institute ofTechnology. He retired from Xerox Corporation and is a Korean War veteran. He and Pat have 400+acres in Livingstoncounty with approximately 253 acres of woodland. They do part time farming, forestry management for timber andwildlife. Their last timber sale was in 1996 and another one is now being prepared. Harry has been a MFO volunteer since1993 and is completing 9 years as NYFO director at large this term. He has been the Outdoor Activities director for WFLChapter for 5 years and enjoys gardening, travel, forestry, hiking, and retirement.

Steve Teuscher - Portville, NYSteve is a native of Portville NY. He is a graduate of St Bonaventure University with a BBA in Accounting and is a CPA,CMA and CFM and is self-employed as a financial and management consultant. Steve and his wife Donna became MasterForest Owners in September 2005 and enjoy managing the fifty acres of land they now own that Steve’s parents bought in1950. Steve enjoys hunting, fishing and spending time with his two grandchildren.

Alan White - Halcott Center, NYAlan lives in Halcott Center in Greene County where he and his wife Robin operate a small farm specializing in meat goats.They also have additional forested property in Sullivan County. The White’s conducted a timber harvest in 1995, andcompleted 60 acres of “crop tree” timber stand improvement. This winter they plan to begin the restoration of a formersugar bush on their farm. Alan’s professional career has included 15 years with Cornell Cooperative Extension and tenyears of program development for the New York City Watershed including the creation of the Watershed ForestryProgram. He currently works on forest conservation strategies for The Nature Conservancy in the Catskill Mountains. Theyhave three children ages 15-20. In addition to stewardship of their property and farm projects his interests include hunting,fishing, and bowling. He is also serving as a director of the Catskill Landowners Association.

Frank Winkler - Andes, NYFrank and his wife live in the Town of Andes in Delaware County. They have a 100 acre woodlot that has been in thefamily for over 60 years. For the past 35 years they have managed this woodlot quite intensely. Some of Frank’s mostrewarding time is spent working and hiking in their woods. He has been employed for 31 years as a resource plannerhelping livestock and crop farmers comply with environmental requirements.

Harry Dieter ( ) Steve Teuscher ( )Alan White ( ) Frank Winkler ( )___________________ ( ) _________________ ( )Write-in candidate

www.nyfoa.org 13

New York Forest Owners Association

44th Annual Spring Program The New York Forest Owners Association is holding its annual membership meeting in conjunction with the three day NewYork Farm Show February 23-25, 2006 at the NY Fairgrounds in Syracuse. The Farm Show exhibits include equipment usedby woodlot owners—chainsaws, woodsplitters, and wood harvesters in addition to equipment used by agricultural producers. Again this year our program has been greatly expanded to benefit people attending the Farm Show as well as our members.Free workshops and a forestry education booth are being co-sponsored by NYFOA, the Department of EnvironmentalConservation, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. This enables us toreach many more private landowners who could benefit from forest management advice. NYFOA, DEC, CCE, and SUNY ESF will operate the forestry information booth 8:30 am - 4:00 pm February 23, 24, and25 in the International Building. All workshop presentations will take place in the DEC Log Cabin. The NYFOA annual meeting will be held on the third day of the Farm Show, Saturday February 25, 2006 in theMartha Eddy Room, Arts and Home Building at 1:00 pm. All members are encouraged to attend the Farm Show prior to theNYFOA annual meeting — The 10:00 am and 11:00 am Saturday seminar presentations were developed for the benefit ofNYFOA members.

Schedule of EventsWorkshops

February 23 1:00 pm Invasive Plants, Why Should I Care?2:00 pm The Forest Tent Caterpillar Outbreak and What You Can Do About It3:00 pm Timber Theft: an Epidemic

February 24 10:00 am Best Practices for Sugarbush Management11:00 am Timber Sales: Top Ten Myths1:00 pm Thinning your Woodlot for Timber and Wildlife2:00 pm Wild Edible Plants and Mushrooms3:00 pm Wild Turkey Management on Your Property

February 25 10:00 am Real Property Tax Law Applied to Timber11:00 am Managing New York's Forests for Wildlife1:00 pm How Much is Your Timber Worth: The Market, Present and Future

NYFOA Annual MeetingFebruary 25 8:30 am Register and refreshments - Martha Eddy Room, Arts and Home Building.

Tour the Farm Show. Check out our Forestry Booth (I55), International Building.10:00 am Seminars - DEC Log Cabin (See schedule above).12:00 noon Dutch Treat Lunch.1:00 pm Awards Presentation and Annual Membership Meeting, Martha Eddy Room, Arts and Home

Building.See more of the Farm Show.

Notes• There is no registration fee for the meeting.• Free admission tickets to the New York Farm Show will be mailed to each NYFOA member.• Free chainsaw raffle will be held.• The nature of this program requires activities to be held in three buildings. Therefore it is essential for all members to register at

the Arts and Home Building upon arrival Saturday February 25 for program information and to return promptly at 1:00 pm forthe awards presentation and the annual membership meeting.

DirectionsFrom North and South. Take I-81 into Syracuse to I-690 West. Travel on I-690 West a few miles to the fairgrounds exit (exit7). Go left at the end of exit ramp, then turn right and go through 2 (very close) traffic lights. Follow the traffic pattern to thefarm show area. The Arts and Home Building is adjacent to the Horticulture Building.From East. On I-90 (thruway) take exit 36 to I-81 South to I-690 West. Travel on I-690 West a few miles to the fairgroundsexit (exit 7). Go left at the end of exit ramp, then turn right and go through 2 (very close) traffic lights. Follow the trafficpattern to the farm show area. The Arts and Home Building is adjacent to the Horticulture Building.From West. On I-90 take exit 39 to I-690 East to the fairgrounds exit (exit 7). Go left at the end of exit ramp, then turn rightand go through 2 (very close) traffic lights. Follow the traffic pattern to the farm show area. The Arts and Home Building isadjacent to the Horticulture Building.

Federal Report:Increased Timber Yields, Better Forest Health PossibleThrough Changes in Forestry Practices


A federal report released October 11, 2005 concluded that changes to

common wood harvesting practicescould substantially increase timberyields over time while better maintainingthe health and quality of northeasternforests.

USDA Forest Service ResearcherLaura Kenefic and State University ofNew York Distinguished ProfessorRalph Nyland evaluated diameter-limitcutting and silviculture for managingforests of the region. They found thatsilvicultural treatments such as selectioncutting in forests having trees of severalages growing together, or thinning inforests having trees of similar age,increased the long-term yield comparedto diameter-limit cutting. In both cases,revenue to the landowner also improved.

Diameter-limit cutting is a commonharvesting practice that selects trees tocut solely on the diameter size of their

trunks. In this practice a landownermight decide to cut down all of the treeslarger than 12 or 16 inches, or use someother convenient threshold size. All ofthe smaller trees would remain standing,regardless of their general health,species or commercial value. Diameter-limit cutting usually does not includeconsideration of the amount of timberleft nor keep future timber growth at anoptimum level. It typically removes themost harvestable timber in the first cut,and that provides a landowner withshort-term revenue. However, repeateddiameter limit cutting results in decreas-ing timber yields and declining timberquality over time, resulting in a forestwith a reduced economic value.

“Diameter-limit cutting has a longhistory of practice,” said Kenefic.“European settlers began in the 1600sand 1700s by cutting the largest trees,such as white pine for masts in England.

Over time, smaller and smaller treeswere cut as larger size classes became-unavailable. Most of our northeasternforests have been cut over, and containmuch smaller trees than they did in pre-settlement times. Diameter-limit cuttingcontinues to be popular throughout theU.S. and Canada, and there is debateabout the long-term effects.” Prior tothe publication of Nyland and Kenefic’srecent report, few data existed tocounter the belief that diameter-limitremovals are benign.

Picture someone deciding to cut all thelargest and best trees from a forest everyfew years, leaving only small and thepoor-quality stems. Most people wouldexpect the smaller trees to eventuallygrow to large sizes, similar to the bigones just cut down. That does notusually happen, particularly in forestswhere all the trees are about the sameage. In those forests the trees remaininggrow slowly, but eventually do getbigger. However, it takes many decadesfor them to grow as large as the onestaken out during diameter-limit cutting.And after a second and third diameter-limit cut the forest may have too fewmerchantable trees to economicallyharvest.

Diameter-limit cutting removes thelargest, best trees in order to maximizerevenues in the short-term. Unfortunate-ly, the quality and vigor of the treesremaining after harvest rarely match thatof the trees removed,” said Kenefic.

Diameter-limit cutting has a somewhatdifferent effect in forests where trees ofdifferent ages grow together. In thosecases it removes the older trees, leavingonly young ones of small diameters. Itdoes not usually leave enough trees tomaintain optimum levels of timbergrowth, nor improve the spacing among

www.nyfoa.org 15

Susan J. Keister, L.L.C.Forestry Consulting and Environmental Management Services

Per diem based fee structure for bid sales = no commissionsNYS-DEC Cooperating Consulting Forester SAF Certified, WBE

Services Include:

General permit and environmental management advice includingwetlands, mining, local timber harvesting and special use permits.

7025 Harpers Ferry Road • Wayland, N.Y. 14572585-728-3044/ph • 585-728-2786 / fax • [email protected]

Timber Stand Improvement-Marking-Implementation

Damage Appraisals-Strategy and advice-Stump Cruises-Valuations

Litigation Support-Expert Witness Testimony

Management Plans-Flep-480a

Commercial Timber Harvests/Valuations-High Quality Hardwoods-Low Grade Hardwoods-Softwoods

Federal Wetlands Delineations-Permit Applications

trees that remain. In addition, diameter-limit cutting does not cut the poor treesthat interfere with growth of better ones.Crowding among the remaining treesslows their growth, and timber yieldsdecrease.

That is happening throughout theforests where landowners practicerepeated diameter-limit cutting. Bit bybit, it has left forests in the NortheastU.S. with smaller and less marketabletrees, said Nyland. “But just adoptingwell-established forestry practices likethinning and selection cutting wouldmaintain the forest in a more desirablecondition, and help to keep timberproduction at a sustainable level,” headded.

Kenefic and Nyland are silviculturists,people who study ways to tend andregenerate forests and practice sustain-able forestry. They say that at firstglance, diameter-limit cutting seems likean economically attractive practice forlandowners. But computer simulation offorests having trees of similar agesshowed after about 100 years theperiodic thinning yields would be about1.4 times greater, and provide twice asmuch revenue to a landowner. In forestswith trees of different ages growingtogether, the yield for a century-longperiod of management by selectionsystem cutting would be about 120percent of the volume and value realizedfrom diameter-limit cutting.

An experiment by Kenefic and otherson the Penobscot Experimental Forest inMaine showed similar results. Areastreated by repeated selection systemcutting over a 40-year period had onlyone percent of the volume in unmer-chantable trees, while areas givendiameter-limit cutting had 25 percent.The first diameter-limit cut took outmore volume than the harvestersremoved with selection cutting. Howev-er, after three cuts the selection systemareas had six times more volumegrowing in the forest. Further, too fewmerchantable trees remained in thediameter-limit areas to support anotherharvest in the foreseeable future.

Instead of using diameter-limitcutting, Kenefic and Nyland recommend

that landowners who want to sustain thelong-term value of their forests shouldcapitalize on the advantages of silvicul-ture. Rather than just cutting down all ofthe biggest trees with each harvest, theyshould look for opportunities to tend theforest by removing some of the smaller,inferior trees to reduce competition forspace, sunlight, water and nutrients.They should also leave sufficientnumbers of well-spaced immature treesto optimize the growth capacity of theland. And they should take deliberatesteps to regenerate new trees whenremoving mature ones from a forest.“These silvicultural practices will keepforests healthy and productive, andsustain their values into the future,”Kenefic said.

Their findings have special signifi-cance in the Northeast U.S., one of themost forested areas of the country andan area in which the vast majority offorests are privately owned. Their workshows that private landowners can useappropriate silviculture to maintain theoptimal forest growth and health whilealso generating revenues to help pay forland taxes and other costs of owning andmanaging forests. Those practices willalso insure that diverse and economical-ly productive forests can be sustainedindefinitely.

The USDA Forest Service completereport, “Diameter Limit Cutting andSilviculture in Northeastern Forest: A

Primer for Landowners, Practitionersand Policymakers,” published August2005, is available on the Web in PDFformat at: http://www.fs.fed.us/na/durham/ima/news/2005/diameter.pdf.


Wood Defects Caused byCambium Miners

sDOUGLAS C. ALLEN

Figure 1. Diagrammatic representation of the major tissues thatmake up a tree bole as they appear in tangential and cross-sectionalviews (redrawn from A.L. Shigo, USDA FS NE-INF-16-73).

Figure 2. This is a section of black cherry showing defects causedby Phytobia on the surface of the sapwood (arrows).

The value of many eastern hardwoods, especially sugar maple

and black cherry, has increaseddramatically during the past decadeor so. Because quality wood fromthese trees has many relatively highvalue uses, any discoloration ordamage that alters the color or figureof the wood grain is considered adefect in plain sliced and rotary-cutveneer. Additionally, when thesedefects are numerous, affectedlumber may not be acceptable for useas face-grade material.

A group of very small flies called“cambium miners” is responsible fora common defect that goes by manynames; worm tracks, pith-ray flecks,pith flecks, medullary spots, brownstreak and, in black cherry, gumspots. In the European market, theterms “glassworm” and “glass track”are used to describe these markings.Infestations are especially common inblack cherry, maple, birch, and ash.

The insects involved are species ofPhytobia (fye-toe-bee-ah), a genus inthe family Agromyzidae. The fliesare known collectively as agromyz-ids.

A tree’s Cambium is a very narrowzone of cells that gives rise, throughcell division, to the living tissueswhich comprise wood and inner bark(Fig. 1). The term “cambium miner”is a misnomer because, even thoughagromyzid larvae do in fact destroythis tissue as they feed, they actuallyburrow in or “mine” the inner bark.The latter, a multi-cellular tissuecalled phloem (flow-um), is rich innutrients, because it functions as apipeline through which the productsof photosynthesis travel from foliagedown the tree bole (Fig. 1, phloem).

Adult cambium miners are smallflies (approximately 0.1 to 0.2”long) that are rarely seen. They aregrey to black with fragile, transpar-ent wings. The fully grown immature

or larva is distinctly worm- ormaggot-like and 0.75 to 1.25” longbut only 0.04” (=1 mm) in diameter.It has a pointed “head” and itsmouthparts have been reduced to apair of black, toothed mouth-hooks.

The annual life cycle begins in thespring when a fly emerges from theground where it has overwintered anddeposits eggs singly on branches. Whenan egg hatches, the emerging larvabores through the thin branch bark andmines down the branch toward the treebole. At this stage, the hair-like minesand larvae are very difficult to detect.As a larva grows and moves down thetree bole, however, it establishes a welldefined straight or slightly sinuousgallery in the inner bark and leaves atrace or etching of this damage in thedeveloping growth ring. When the larvais fully grown it vacates the tree andoverwinters in the ground.

Damage results when the gallerybecomes large enough to etch and

www.nyfoa.org 17

Figure 3. Note the pith flecks in this whitebirch board (tangential view) caused byPhytobia mines.

stain the surface of the current year’sgrowth ring (sapwood) (Fig. 2) thatis forming immediately inside thecambium (Fig. 1, xylem). Eventual-ly, new cells fill the damaged area ofthe growth ring. This wound re-sponse disrupts the normal pattern

and color of the wood grain inprocessed veneer and lumber (Figs.3, 4). Discoloration occurs becausethe cells that are formed in responseto this damage are thicker and moreheavily lignified than cells thatnormally comprise the sapwood. Adefect results when the developingcurrent-year layer of xylem orsapwood (= growth ring) continuesto develop and, in doing so, encom-passes the mine (Fig. 5). Galleriestypically are several feet long andmay even extend below ground alonga root.

Preventing damage caused bycambium miners would be verydifficult and costly. To begin with, itis impossible to detect the presenceof agromyzids unless one peels thebark from a currently infested tree.There are no external symptoms – forall intents and purposes an infestedtree looks very normal. Anecdotalevidence suggests cambium minersare more abundant on some sites thanothers, so it may be very rare in onearea of a forest but abundant else-where. These susceptible conditionshave yet to be described.

This is the 83rd in the series of articlescontributed by Dr. Allen, Professor ofEntomology at SUNY-ESF. It is possible todownload this collection from the NYS DECWeb page at:http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dlf/privland/forprot/health/nyfo/index.html.

Figure 5. This is a cross-section of twogrowth rings from a white birch that wasinfested with cambium miners for twoconsecutive years. The dark, oval-shapedmarks are “pith flecks” that have beenencircled by each year’s layer of sapwood(growth ring).

Figure 4. Pith flecks caused by a cambiumminer as the damage appears in woodenspoons made from birch veneer.

RICHARD CIPPERLYNORTH COUNTRY FORESTRY LLC

- HARVEST PLANNING

- MANAGEMENT PLANS

- LOSS AND TRESPASS APPRAISAL

- CHRISTMAS TREE MANAGEMENT

8 Stonehurst DriveQueensbury, NY 12804(518) 793-3545 or 1-800-862-3451 SINCE 1964


Maple Sugaring:A Unique Tradition

SHAVONNE SARGENT

Today the sun shone out amongpuffs of clouds in a bright blue

sky; the temperature was abovefreezing and the work of the suncaused the snow and ice to melt intopools of muddied water along walk-ways. Patches of green showedthrough the snow. The air smelled ofspring, and the wind no longer bit atexposed skin. Soon buckets and tubeswill appear on trees and plumes ofsmoke and steam will be seen risingfrom the cupolas of sugarhouses thatdot the New York landscape. It is thatseason again to begin the time-honoredtradition of the production of maplesyrup.

The ability to produce maple syrup isunique to the Northeastern UnitedStates and Southeastern Canada, due tothe presence of the desired species(Sugar maple, Acer saccharum) andthe appropriate seasonal temperaturefluctuations (freezing nights and warmdays). In other words, maple syrupcannot be made any other place in theworld!

Maple syrup has been produced inthe United States and Canada forhundreds of years. Native Americansmade maple syrup long before Europe-ans arrived, but it is debatable how theprocess was discovered and how longit had been made in Native Americanculture. Europeans arriving in theUnited States learned the “secret” ofmaple sugaring from the NativeAmericans. What has been passeddown since then is a rich heritage ofculture and industry often carried outby families, shared by friends, andinspiring beginners every year.

Maple syrup isn’t made from justany tree. There are a few members ofthe maple family that are acceptable

for maple syrup production; sugarmaple, black maple, and red maple.The best of these is the sugar maple,almost indistinguishable from blackmaple, because it produces sap withthe highest sugar content, longer intothe spring. Other options are second-ary, as they have the disadvantage oflower sugar content (which translatesinto more sap per gallon of syrup andthus a longer boiling time) and undesir-able off-flavors may develop earlier inthe season as a result of spring bud-ding.

In order to make syrup, you mustextract sap from the tree. To do this, asmall hole is drilled in the tree with a7/16” or 5/16” drill bit (depending ontap size). A metal or plastic spout isinserted and a bucket or tubing is hungfrom the tap. When nights are belowfreezing, negative pressure in the treedraws a higher volume of sap into thetree. If a freezing night is followed bya day with above-freezing tempera-tures, warming of the sap in the treeincreases pressure up to 40 pounds persquare inch (psi). If the tree is wound-ed or tapped, a clear and somewhatsugary substance called sap will flowfrom the tree.

Many people ask if tapping sugarmaples and taking their sap is harmfulto them. To answer this question it isuseful to provide an analogy: it is likehumans donating blood. A small holeis made and some of the life source isextracted, but not enough to hurt theindividual. When done at the propertime to those of the appropriate sizeand good health, the effects are notdamaging. After the donation, the holeis not treated or plugged, it will healover itself. Tapped trees may grow abit slower, but not to the point of ill-

Shavonne Sargent, Forest ResourcesExtension Program Assistant, CornellUniversity, Department of NaturalResources, Ithaca, NY 14853. This article isproduced as a joint venture of Cornell andNYFOA to help landowners and the publicenjoy the full benefits of forest resources.Additional articles on a range of topics areavailable through your local office of CornellUniversity Cooperative Extension or atwww.dnr.cornell.edu/ext/forestrypage

health. Some trees have been tappedfor many decades.

Sap is collected by hand or throughtubes and brought to the sugarhouse.The sap is then boiled over a fire in anevaporator. Beginning producers oftenbegin with boiling in an old pan on topof a wood stove. Systems of boilinghave improved in efficiency throughouttime, from one-pot over a fire to gasfired flue-pan evaporators equipped topreheat sap. Producers today use avaried number of these systems,depending on the size of the operation.As sap is boiled, water escapes assteam and the sugar density of the sapincreases. Chemical changes resultingfrom the heating cause the liquid todarken. Sap is boiled until it reachesthe appropriate sugar density, and isdrawn off in completed or near com-pleted form. This is the brown, sweet,thickened liquid we know as maplesyrup; but as you now know, we canonly enjoy this delightful treat after alot of hard work!

For more information on maplesugaring, read the North AmericanMaple Syrup Producers Manual, or thevisit New York State Maple Producer’sAssociation and Cornell Sugar MapleResearch and Extension Program websiteat: http://maple.dnr.cornell.edu

www.nyfoa.org 19

Just after Thanksgiving Day 2005, aWisconsin boy drowned when his

ATV broke through thin, snow-coveredice covering a local farm pond. He wasreturning from his neighbor's propertyand apparently did not remember wherethe pond was located.

New York pond owners should placefencing and signs around all ponds toprevent unsupervised use. The fencingshould be safe, unobstructed, and placedfar enough back from the pond edge toallow access and maintenance. Nor-mally, fences are located at the base ofthe dike and six to ten feet away fromother pond edges. In the winter, thesealso fences make it clear where snow-covered ponds are located to avoiddrowning as ATVs and snowmobilesmay break through the ice unexpectedly.

If you plan to use your pond for ice-skating, establish a strict standard forsafe skating. It is difficult to determineice thickness from the shore or evenstanding on the pond surface. Ice canmelt from both the top and from thebottom. Test holes are necessary toaccurately measure ice thickness. Use achisel, drill, or ice auger to check theice. Pond ice should be clear and thick –at least 4” to support one adult with noequipment.

To form safe ice, the weather must becalm with an air temperature consistentlybelow 25º F. Ice is normally near itsmelting point, so temperatures above 25ºF do not create safe ice. Deep waterfreezes much more slowly than shallowwater and spring-fed ponds are likely tofreeze very slowly as warmer water isconstantly flowing into the pond from thespring.

After ice has formed, new snowshould be removed as soon as possible,otherwise, the surface may becomecoated with weaker “snow ice.” This

JIM OCHTERSKI

cloudy ice is formed when wet snow fallson top of cold ice. Snow ice tends to beweak and melts easily.

Removing snow from ice can pose ahazard if done improperly. Whereversnow is piled on the ice, it acts as aninsulating blanket and will soften some ofthe ice underneath, making the pile verydifficult to move. Always clear a largerarea off the ice than you think you willneed. Subsequent snow removals willnot go as far as the first few. Spreadsnow piles out, so the weight does notbuckle one part of the pond ice.

Cracks on frozen ponds are normal astemperatures change and the ice settles.However, cracks can become a hazard toskaters. Small cracks can be resurfacedwith a bucket of water spread evenlywhen temperatures are near or below 20ºF to ensure a smooth surface.

One of the most dangerous conditionsaround ponds in the winter is ice isseparated from the shore. The separatedice is very likely to be too weak forhuman activity. Salt runoff, algaecontent, silt, and other impurities canweaken ice. Monitor water qualityduring the summer to assure good iceduring the winter.

Ice becomes weaker with more activityscouring the surface. Hockey, icefishing, and paired skating place more

weight on a particular portion of a pondice surface. The ice sheet must be thickenough to accommodate these groupactivities. Motorized vehicles, likeATV’s, snowmobiles, snow blowers, andgarden tractors place great stress on icesurfaces and can unexpectedly fatigue thesurface. They must be supported by atleast 6 inches of hard ice.

Avoid ever being on pond ice alone orat night. Mishaps happen quickly,especially for young children who maynot be aware of ice dangers and are leastable to rescue themselves. Signs andfences should be used to warn childrenand solo adults from standing on frozenponds. Keep a lightweight ladderattached to a rope near frozen ponds as arescue device. If you fall through theice, call for help loudly and constantly.If possible, move to a stable ice area androll onto the surface, wet clothes and all.Seek emergency medical assistanceimmediately.

Please contact Cornell CooperativeExtension of Schuyler County for aninformation sheet about ponds and icesafety at (607) 535-7161.

Jim Ochterski is a NYFOA member in theSouthern Finger Lakes Chapter and is theAgriculture, Forestry, and Natural ResourcesEducator for Cornell Cooperative Extensionof Schuyler County

Ice Accident RemindsPond Owners of Winter Dangers

271 County Road #9Chenango Forks, N.Y. 13746

(607) 648-5512E-mail [email protected]

Timber AppraisalTimber Sales

Forest Stewardship PlansForestry 480-A Plans

Restore The American ChestnutGoogle: “American Chestnut Foundation District 7”


Anew locally-owned business,Hunting Lease Network,

(www.nationalhuntingleases.com), hasopened in the Phelps, N.Y., area, andwill serve all of western New Yorkstate. The goal of the company is tohelp landowners and hunters connectonline to establish leases for exclusivehunting rights to the land.

Tom Dziekan has purchased theHunting Lease Network franchiseserving western New York and is nowpart of the first hunting lease networkfranchise in the world. The HuntingLease Network offers completerecreational lease managementservices to landowners seekingadditional income from their land andhunters longing for assurance of aquality experience. “Our purpose is to make huntingleases hassle-free for the landowner

New Business Plays Matchmakerto Landowners, Sportsmen

Hunting Lease Network™: “Bringing Landowners and Sportsmen Together”

and the hunter, so that they can bothenjoy the benefits of the arrangement,and the peace of mind that we’rehandling all the details,” saidDziekan.

Strong business skills and a passionfor hunting and the outdoors drewDziekan to open a Hunting LeaseNetwork business. “I grew up huntingand fishing in western New York, andI know from my own experience thatit can be hard to access and keep goodhunting ground,” said Dziekan. “MyHunting Lease Network business willhelp other sportsmen in the areasecure excellent hunting ground.”

Dziekan, who has a background insales, learned about the franchiseopportunity with Hunting LeaseNetwork when he was searching theweb for new hunting ground and cameupon the Hunting Lease Network web

site. In addition to hunting leaseopportunities, he noticed they hadfranchises available.

“The Hunting Lease Network hasone of the best web sites out there forhunting leases, and I especially likedthe bidding aspect of their system—that it’s not just first-come, first-serve,” said Dziekan. “When I sawthe franchise opportunity available inmy area, it was a perfect way for meto combine my sales experience andlove of hunting and the outdoors.”

To use Dziekan’s Hunting LeaseNetwork service, landowners pay a$100 enrollment fee, which covers thetime and effort for the company tobuild a web page for eachlandowner’s property and tocoordinate lease bids from sportsmenregistered on the web site. Thelandowner’s web page is located onthe Hunting Lease Network’s website—generating nationwide biddingexposure for the landowner’s posting.This competitive bidding processensures landowners receive fair

Tom Dziekan is pictured on a November 2005pheasant hunt that he went on in Nebraskaduring his training as a new HLN businessowner.

www.nyfoa.org 21

market value for the recreationallease.

“We handle the lease writing,accounting, wildlife harvest reports,hunting liability insurance carried byhunters, and lease renewals,” saidDziekan. “Basically, we serve as theliaison between the landowner and thehunter for the life of the lease.”

Because the franchise system is asubsidiary of Farmers NationalCompany, the largest farmmanagement company in the UnitedStates (www.farmersnational.com),franchise owners also can draw uponthe resources of Farmers NationalCompany to provide landowners withrelated additional services such aswildlife habitat development.

Dziekan is now an entrepreneur inan industry that shows no signs ofweakening. According to the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2001National Survey of Fishing, Huntingand Wildlife Associated Recreation,more than $624 million is spentannually on hunting leases in theUnited States.

The Hunting Lease Network’scorporate-owned franchises alreadyhave opened more than 210,000 acresof private land to hunting since theybegan managing hunting leases in1995. The company plans to continueawarding 15 franchises per year forthe next six years throughout theUnited States. Based on growinginterests in other outdoor sports, theHunting Lease Network also plans toultimately expand its services toinclude fishing and eco-tourism leasesas well.

Hunting Lease Network’s plans forexpansion are in response to growingdemand from landowners andsportsmen alike for full-servicehunting lease management. “We helplandowners get more income fromtheir property, and give them thepeace of mind that we’re looking outfor them. And we’re helping huntersand other sportsmen save time lookingfor quality, affordable locations wherethey can have a positive experience,”

said Dziekan. “It’s really a win-winarrangement.”

For more information about theHunting Lease Network officeserving western New York, to postland available for recreational use, orto view available leases, visitwww.nationalhuntingleases.com orcontact Tom Dziekan at (315) 789-7809 or by email at [email protected].

For more information aboutHunting Lease Network franchiseopportunities nationwide, visitwww.nationalhuntingleases.com orcontact Troy Langan at (402) 496-3276 or by email at [email protected].

Editors Note: Tom Dziekan’s HuntingLease Network business will servelandowners and sportsmen in WesternNY. The HLN home office plans onestablishing other franchise offices inNew York, and until then the homeoffice will facilitate leases in other NYareas besides western NY.

1890 E. Main St. Falconer, NY 14733 716-664-5602


small budswith one budscale.

The shiningwillow is anattractivesmall tree ofmoist soils,used exten-sively forholding soil inplace whereerosion is tobe feared andalso forornamentalplantings. Its shiny, broad leaves andyellowish brown twigs will help todistinguish it from the black willow.

www.futureforestinc.com

Know Your Trees

Information originally appears in “Know Your Trees” by J.A. Cope and Fred E. Winch, Jr. and is distributed through Cornell CooperativeExtension. It may also be accessed via their web site at http://bhort.bh.cornell.edu/tree/trees.htm

BLACK WILLOW(Salix nigra Marshall)

Black Willow is the largest and mostwidely distributed of the native wil-lows, although it is rare above analtitude of 2,000 feet in theAdirondacks and in the pine barrens ofLong Island. It prefers moist or wetsoils along streams or lakes but willsometimes be found on fresh, gravellyor sandy soils where it can get plenty oflight. It is of little importance as atimber tree as it often divides intoseveral crooked, medium-sized trunksclose to the ground and the wood is softand weak. It is used chiefly for boxes,excelsior, pulp, and also for artificiallimbs because of its lightness.Bark—thick, rough with wide ridgescovered by thick scales, varies in colorfrom light to dark brown.

Phone: 585-374-2799FAX: 585-374-2595

Twigs—slender, smooth, somewhatdrooping, very brittle at the base,reddish brown in color; falling to theground they make take root and grow.Winter buds—terminal bud absent,lateral buds small, sharp-pointed,reddish brown in color; only one budscale.Leaves—alternate, simple, linear,sharp-pointed, finely serrate margin,dark green in color above, pale greenbelow.Fruit—a smooth capsule, about 1/8inch long, occurring in large numberson drooping tassels, ripening in thespring, reddish brown in color.Seeds—within capsule, covered with adense tuft of long, silky hairs.Outstanding features—narrow leaves;

www.nyfoa.org 23

THEMARKETPLACE ADVERTISING

RATESDisplay Ads (per insert)

$7 per column inchFull Page:

$210 (30 column inch)Half Page:

$105 (15 column inch)Quarter Page:

$52.50 (7.5 column inch)Eighth Page:

$26.25 (3.75 column inch)

Marketplace:$10 minimum for 25 wordsEach additional word: 10 cents

For More Information Contact:Mary Beth Malmsheimer, Editor

(315) [email protected]

MAGAZINEDEADLINE

Materials submitted for the March/Issue issue should be sent toMary Beth Malmsheimer, Editor, The New York ForestOwner, 134 Lincklaen Street, Cazenovia, NY 13035,(315) 655-4110 or via e-mail at [email protected] Articles, artwork and photos are invitedand if requested, are returned after use.

Deadline for material is February 1, 2006.

HUNTING LEASES WANTED - Landowner receives per acre rate plus namedas additionally insured. All NY and PA parcels considered. References. Since1995! Wildlife Outdoor Enterprises - Big Flats, NY (607) 562-7414 [email protected]

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDUtica, N.Y.

13504Permit No. 566

The New York Forest Owner The New York Forest Owner 44:1 • January/February 2006 THE NEW YORK...

Documents

Transcript of The New York Forest Owner The New York Forest Owner 44:1 • January/February 2006 THE NEW YORK...