The New Yorl(Forest OwnerA PUBLICATION OF THE NEW YORK FOREST OWNERS ASSOCIATION

July/August 2002

Volume 40 Number 4FOUNDED 1963

THE NEW YORKFOREST OWNERSASSOCIATION

Volume 40, Number 4

Officers & DirectorsRonald Pedersen, President22 Vandenburg Lane,Latham, NY 12110; (518) 785-6061

John Druke, Vice President6341 KirkviUeRoadKirkville, NY 13082; (315) 656-2313

Open, Secretary

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

Debbie Gill, Administrative SecretaryP.O. Box 180Fairport, NY 14450; (585) 377-6060

Joan Kappel, Chair Editorial CommitteeP.O. Box 646Altamont, NY 12009-0646; (518) 861-8753

2003Hugh Canham, N. Syracuse, (315) 457-4972Roy Esiason, Granville, (518) 642-2351Jerry Michael, Binghamton, (607) 648-2941Ronald Pedersen, Latham, (518) 785-6061

2004Keith Hedgecock, Pleasant Valley, (845) 635-1279Bob Malmsheimer, Cazenovia, (315) 470-6909Geff Yancey, Rochester, (585) 271-4567Panl Yarhrough, Ithaca, (607) 277-3011

2005Jim Beil, Schenectady, (518) 355-4471Jack Hamilton, Wayland, (585) 728-5769Billy Morris, Bath, (607) 776-4992Sharon Wieder, Machias, (716) 942-3006

Chapter- Designated DirectorsCharlie Mowatt, Allegheny Foothills; (716) 676-3617Joan & Hans Kappel, Capital District; (518) 861-8753Thomas Conklin, Cayuga; (315) 638-1765John Druke, Central New York; (315) 656-2313Anne Osborn, Lower Hudson; (845) 424-3683Pat Ward, Northern Adirondack; (315) 268-0902Dave & Jcan Preston, Niagara Frontier; (716) 688-4921Peter Gregory, SE Adirondack; (518) 399-1812Charlotte Baxter, Southern Tier; (607) 967-8516Peter Smallidge, Southern Finger Lakes; (607) 255-4696Ray Cavallaro, Western Finger Lakes; (585) 288-3411

Dan Palm, Executive Director645 Decker Rd.Stamford, NY 12167; 607-538-1305

The New York Woodland Stewards, Inc.(NYWS) is a 501(c)3 foundation of NYFOAand tax deductible donations to this organizationwill advance NYFOA's educational mission.

All rights reserved. Contentsmay not be reproducedwithoutprior writtenpermission from thepublisher.NYFOAdoesnotnecessarilysupportor approvepro-cedures,products, or opinionspresentedby authorsor advertisers.© 2002 New York Forest Owners Association

In This Issue •• •

FROM TIlE VICE PRESIDENTJOHN DRUKE 3

IN THE MAIL 4

2002 FARM BILL PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO FOREST LA.'\"TIO\\lffiRSROBERT MALMSHEIMER, MICHAEL GOERGEN, & DONALD FLOYD 6

A TALE OF Two VISITS: ONE A VICTORY, ONE A DRAWJERRY MICHAEL & GARY GOFF 8

ASK THE FORESTERROBERT BROCK 10

WOODLOT CALENDAR 11

ADVICE FROM TIlE LUCKYTIIM LEVATICH WITH PHOTOS BYGARY GOFF 12

STONE WALLS: A GREAT PLACE TO CROSS OVERLARRY VAN DE VALK 14

THE CHECKERED BEETLES: WELL EQUIPPED TO SEARCH & DESTROYDOUGLAS C. ALLEN 16

HELP FOR FOREST REGENERATION PROBLEMSJILL CORNELL 18

NYSAF SUMMER 2002 MEETING .-::-:..-: 19

OH To BE A LoGGERMrrCH DICKERSON 20

A WORLD VIEW OF FORESTSHE;-':RY KER;-':A .•,\ 21

The New Yorl(Forest OwnerA PUBLICATION OF THE NEW YORK FOREST OWNERS ASSOCIATION

The New York Forest Owner is a bi-monthly publication of The New York Forest OwnersAssociation, P. O. Box 180, Fairport, N. Y. 14450. Materials submitted for publication shouldbe sent to: Mary Beth Malmsheimer, Editor, The New York Forest Owner, 134 LincklaenStreet, Cazenovia, New York 13035. Materials may also be e-mailed to mmalmshe@syr.edu.Articles, artwork and photos are invited and if requested, are returned after use. The deadlinefor submission for the September/October issue is August 1, 2002.

Please address all membership fees and change of address requests to P.O. Box 180,Fairport, N.Y. 14450. 1-800-836-3566. Cost of family membership/subscription is $30.

www.nyfoa.org

COVER: During the Game of Logging (GoL) course at Arnot Forest, participantJohn Miller, using the techniques taught by GoL instructor Bill Linloff,is doing a bore cut as part of a backcut.For more information on the GoLcourse see page 12. Photograph courtesy of Gary Goff.

2 The New York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002

FT~Vice-President_'iTO--\. IN TIlE 21st CENTURY

Ron Pedersen is on a two-months _ :.:::;][0 Australia and New Zealand, I have

~ iJege of addressing our members and~ -. in this column. My opportunity

at a very interesting time in the history:=.e :\ew York Forest Owners Association.IT the past two years or so I have

~ a renewed sense of purpose and~gy in the Board of Directors and chapter~eaders that I believe will have a very positive~t on this organization for many years in=.e future.Recognizing the need for improved services

-" 0lIT members and a greater impact onmissionaccomplishment,NYFOAhasinitiated severalprograms that wehope willsignificantlymcrease ourmembership andbroaden outreach

[0 private forest landowners in New Yorkrare. A milestone was reached with the.tion of an executive director. After aageous decision to create the position of

executive director and a long thorough search,Daniel Palm was selected from twelveoutstanding applicants on December 12, 2001.Dan is now actively engaged with NYFOAand is a key leader in our programs.Long-range plans for NYFOA's growth that

were initiated as ideas in 1999 have beenformulated and prioritized by the Board ofDirectors. The priority plans include providingadditional NYFOA support to Chapters,expanding outreach to private forest owners,programs to increase NYFOA's membership,and enhance public policy. These programsare being implemented and will be undertakenby the end of 2003.

NYFOA has eleven chapters statewide.They are the backbone and lifeblood of thisorganization, and are the direct link to ourmembers. Chapters provide educationalopportunities to members throughnewsletters, woodswalks and many otheractivities. They go far beyond that byreaching out to private forest owners withworkshops and personal contacts. Chapters

are leading the way in forming partnershipsand co-sponsoring events with CornellCooperative Extension, the Department ofEnvironmental Conservation, the Soil andWater Conservation Districts and otherorganizations that result in higher qualityworkshops and educational activities, andincreased attendance. Four of the chaptersincluding CNY, NAC, SAC, and WFL arebeing expanded to cover additional countiesthat formerly had no chapter affiliation.NYFOA recently assigned eight counties tothem, to insure that all NYFOA membersreceive the benefit of chapter programs.NYFOA's mission is a very challenging

one as the familiar statistics constantly remindus. There are over 250,000 private forestowners in New York State that havelandholdings of 10 acres or more. Accordingto surveys only a small number of them areactively managing their woodlots. Thatinattention leaves the woodlot ownersvulnerable to making poor decisions. Whenpoor decisions are made, both the woodlotowners and woodlots are likely to be losers.It is clear that outreach programs are neededto educate private woodlot owners on thevalues of wise stewardship practices .

NYFOA is a not-for-profit volunteerorganization and I would be remiss if I didnot recognize our generous volunteers here.There are hundreds of members across NewYork State who volunteer or volunteeredcountless hours to their chapters and thisorganization. Their only reward is pride inhelping to improve woodland resources inthis state. We are grateful and appreciativefor the contributions of time and talent thatthey so graciously share with their chapterand our Forest Owners Association.I wanted to conclude by emphasizing that

the New York Forest Owners Association isin good hands! I have been associated withthe Board of Directors for several years andhave nothing but praise and admiration forthe board. They bring a wealth of talent,professional experience and leadership toNYFOA. I am confident that with continuedteamwork we will meet or exceed the goalsthat we are establishing for the future of thisassociation.

-John DrokeVice-President

J · ,NYFOA is a not-for-om profit group of NY State• landowners promoting

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: _County of Residence:County of Woodlot: _Referred by: _

Regular Annual Dues:( ) Student $10(Please provide copy of student JD)( ) Individual $25( ) Family $30Sustaining Memberships(Includes NYFOA annual dues)( ) Contributor $50-$99( ) Sponsor $100-$249( ) Benefactor $250-$499( ) Steward $500 or moreFor regular memberships, make checkpayable to New York Forest OwnersAssociation. For sustaining NYFOAmemberships, indicate if for individualor family and make check payable toNYWS (New York Woodland Stewards,Inc.) Contributions to NYWS in excessof NYFOA dues are normally taxdeductible. Send the completed form to:

NYFOAP.O. Box 180

Fairport, New York 144501-800-836-3566www.nyfoa.org

The. ew York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002 3

Letters to the Editormay be sent to:

The New York Forest Owner134 Lincklaen Street, Cazenovia, NY 13035

orvia e-mail at mrnalmshe@syr.edu

stewardship" is all about. The articleis simple and straightforward andreveals the insight on Peter's part thatthere are many new or "uneducated"NYFOA members that would gain agreat deal from his article.

-Robert A. SandbergAFC Chapter

Frewsburg, NY

Story of a Spring PlantingFor the past twelve years, my son

and Ihave planted from four hundredto two thousand trees each spring. Werecently purchased an additional 274acres of land that had been clear cut bythe previous owners. The lands hadbeen severely abused by the clear cutapproximately two to three years prior.Some regeneration is occurring, but thedeer population has, by and far, beendecimating those attempts.

InTheMAILe

May/June IssueKudos to Peter Smallidge for his

"Woodlot Thinning" article. Thisarticle could aptly be used as thepreamble for a course entitled "Car-ing For Your Forest -101." We toooften get caught up in the buzzwords,acronyms, and scientific terms of thisforestry business that would certainlyconfuse anyone trying to learn thebasics. Ihope to participate in theMFO program soon and would lookforward to being armed with copiesof Peter's article when counselingwith forest owners who are trying tolearn what this thing called "forest

Bruce E.Robinson, Inc.FORESTRY CONSULTANTS

- FOREST PRODUCT MARKING &MARKETING- TREE FARM MANAGEMENT

URBAN FORESTRY &OMMUNITY MANAGEMENTTIMBER APPRAISALS

-ACCESS ROAD DESIGN &SUPERVISION

_ - TREE PLANTING--- - TREE SHELTER DISTRIBUTOR

-SUGAR BUSH MANAGEMENT- BOUNDARY MAINTENANCE- CHRISTMAS TREE MANAGEMENT_ FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANNING_ FOREST RECREATION PLANNING• WOODLOT IMPROVEMENTS IN

IMMATURE STANDS• WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT• FOREST TAXATION PLANNING

Ph. (716) 665-5477Fax. (716) 664-5866

e-mail brobin@netsync.net1894 CAMP ST. EXT.

JAMESTOWN, NY 14701

NYFOA Scholarship FundAs of June 1, 2002, the NYFOAEndowed Scholarship Fund that isadministered by the SUNY ESFCollege Foundation, Inc. has afund balance of $21,623.73.

Therefore my wife and I embarkedon a spring tree planting endeavor thisyear which included the placement ofone thousand white pine two by twotransplants (two year seedling, two yeartransplants which makes them fouryears of growth) and one thousandwhite pine seedlings. Some of the areaswe planted had very limited regenera-tion. The white pine were to replacethe original forest which was predomi-nately white pine and hemlock.We picked up the first package of

400 trees on Monday morning. Theexcitement and adrenaline brisked usthrough that planting and we were doneby Tuesday afternoon. We were tiredbut feeling very good about the accom-plishment and proud of the trees! Weheaded back the next Monday morningwith 600 trees and a helper. Son, Jeff,dug the holes and with two of usplanting, we were just able to keep up.By the end of the morning we had halfof them in.There were other projects that

required my son's assistance, so wetended to them in the afternoon.Unfortunately, Jeff had to return homethat evening . Wednesday morning we

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4 The New York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002

led to start in the very early morn-ing since the forecast was for 90grees that day. By late morning I

had lost my helper to the heat. She. {could not tolerate the sun and heatso he sat in the shade of a few pines1 ft along the way and cheered me onfrom the side lines. Actually, she wascrying to convince me to take a breakfrom the heat, but those trees needed10 be planted, so I pushed on and thetrees were planted.Two days later, Friday morning, we

pi ked up the second thousand trees.When I ordered seedlings, I expectedtiny one year growth and minimal rootsystems. Much to our amazement,these seedlings had some major roots!We realized we would be back todigging those big holes again. Werewe up to the task? Could we outlastthe tree supply? Had we lost ourminds?It took us four days to plant those

trees. The last couple hundred wereindeed the hardest. We did not moveat the pace of the first days ... we didnot have the enthusiasm ... nor theenergy . We did take a break to go tochurch Sunday morning and we evencaught a special service on Mondayevening. That certainly helped! (Inmany ways, I suppose, when viewedin retrospect.) Oh, and one morething. That last Monday we plantedtrees, it snowed. In fact, we had rain,sleet and snow. The Wednesdaybefore we baked in 90 degrees. Wewere thrilled with the snow! The treesdidn't seem to mind either. •.

-Edward PiestrakNewYork Tree Farmer

. MemberLindley, NY

Correction

Correction: The original caption that appeared below this photograph on page7 of the May/June 2002 issue in Peter Smallidge's article, Woodlot Thinning toAchieve Landowners Goals, was incorrect. The correct caption should haveread: "Plastic flagging is used to designate trees retained as future crop treesduring a thinning." Our apologies for the error.

Future Forest(oosultiog, Ioc.

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• MANAGEMENT PLANS

• FOREST ROAD CONSTRUCTIONAND DESIGN

• FOREST TAXATION PLANNING

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• TIMBER APPRAISALS

• SUGARBUSH MANAGEMENT

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Providing "Quality Forest Management" to Westernand Central NY including the Adirondack Region.

www.futureforestinc.comPhone: 716-374-2799FAX: 716-374-2595

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E-mail: futureforest@aol.com

The New York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002 5

Foresters. State Foresters will: 1)coordinate their activities with StateForest Stewardship CoordinatingCommittees (SFSCC), and 2) consultwith other federal, state, and localnatural resource agencies, institutionsof higher education, and a broad rangeof other stakeholders. The Secretarywill develop a list of approved forestryactivities and practices for each state inconsultation with that state's StateForester and SFSCC. The Act limitsthese activities and practices to:1) the establishment, management,

maintenance, and restoration of forestsfor shelterbelts, windbreaks, aestheticquality, and other conservation pur-poses;2) the sustainable growth and manage-

ment of forests for timber production;3) the restoration, use, and enhance-

ment of forest wetland and riparianareas;4) the protection of water quality and

watersheds through the planting of treesin riparian areas, and the enhancedmanagement and maintenance of nativevegetation on land vital to waterquality;5) the management, maintenance,

restoration, or development of habitatfor plants, fish, and wildlife;6) the control, detection, monitoring,

and prevention of the spread of inva-sive species and pests on nonindustrialprivate forest lands;7) the restoration of NIPF land

affected by invasive species and pests;8) the conduct of other management

activities (such as the reduction ofhazardous fuels), that reduce the risksto forests posed by (and that restore,recover, and mitigate the damage toforests caused by) fire or any othercatastrophic event determined by theSecretary;

2002 Fann BillProvides Assistance to Forest Landowners

ROBERT MALMSHEIMER, MICHAEL GOERGEN, AND DONALD FLOYD

On May 13, President GeorgeBush signed the 2002 FarmBill, officially known as the

Farm Security and Rural InvestmentAct of 2002. The Act contains provi-sions in a Forestry Title that affect allForest Landowners, and provisions inthe Conservation Title that affectfarmers, and in some specific pro-grams, forest landowners as well.These provisions add, amend, andrepeal many programs used by NewYork forest landowners.This article summarizes the forestry

provisions in the Act. We then providean in-depth analysis of the Forest LandEnhancement Program (FLEP), theprogram that replaces the ForestryIncentives Program (FIP) and Steward-ship Incentives Program (SIP). Weconclude with comments about why the2002 Act is a significant improvementover previous Farm Acts.

Summary of Forestry ProvisionsForestry TitleThe first two sections of the Forestry

Title repeal FIP and SIP and replacethem with FLEP. The other two majorsections of this Title add a new Com-munity and Private Land Fire Protec-tion Program (CPLFPP) and a newSustainable Forestry Outreach Initiative(SFOI), within the Renewable Re-sources Extension Act. The Title alsoextends the existence of the ForestService's Office of InternationalForestry and "reaffirms" the impor-tance of the McIntire-Stennis Coopera-tive Forestry Research Program.Congress designed CPLFPP to

promote firefighting efficiency onfederal and non-federal lands andprotect communities from wildfires.The Forest Service will administer theprogram through State Foresters and

other state officials. Congress autho-rized the program at $35 millionannually through 2007.The purpose of the SFOI is to

educate landowners on: 1) the valueand benefits of practicing sustainableforestry, 2) the importance of profes-sional forestry advice in achievingsustainable forestry objectives, and 3)the public and private resourcesavailable to assist them. SFOI isauthorized at $30 million annuallythrough 2007.

Conservation TitleConservation Title programs are

applicable to farm producers and insome cases forest landowners. TheFarm Act increases funding for almostevery existing agricultural-environmen-tal program and adds two new pro-grams. For example, the WildlifeHabitat Incentives Program (WHIP)provides for $360 million of mandatedfunding from 2002 through 2007.The most important program ex-

panded by the Conservation Title wasthe Environmental Quality IncentivesProgram (EQIP). This programprovides cost-share payments and otherincentive payments to assist withconservation and environmentalimprovements. The 2002 Farm Actemphasized that nonindustrial privateforest (NIPF) lands are categories oflands eligible for EQIP.

The Forest Land EnhancementProgramFLEP is a cost-share program that

encourages the long-term sustainabilityof NIPFs. It provides NIPF ownerswith fmancial assistance to offset forestmanagement costs.The Secretary of Agriculture will

implement the program through State

6 The New York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002

9) the development of managementplans;

10) the conduct of energy conserva-tion and carbon sequestration activi-ties; and11) the conduct of other activities

approved by the Secretary (in consulta-tion with the State Forester andSFSCC).To be eligible for the program, aIPF owner must develop and imple-

ment a management plan. The man-agement plan must: 1) be prepared inconsultation with the State Forester,another state official, or a professionalresource manager, 2) be approved bythe State Forester, 3) provide for thetreatment of 1,000 acres or less (up to5,000 acres are eligible if the activitieswill result in "significant publicbenefits"), and 4) address site specificactivities and practices from theirstate's list of approved forestryactivities. The NIPF owner mustimplement the management plan'sactivities for at least ten years, unlessthe State Forester approves a manage-ment plan modification.Eligible forest landowners may

receive up to 75 % of the total cost ofimplementing their management plan'sapproved activities and practices.However, the Secretary will have amechanism to recapture cost-sharefunds paid to a forest landowner whofails to implement an approved activityor practice specified in the manage-ment plan. The Act requires that FLEPreceive $100 million of funding fromMay 2002 until September 30, 2007.

ConclusionDespite Congress's failure to include

several new forestry initiatives thatwere in previous versions of the Senateand House bills (e.g., the SustainableForestry Cooperative Program) andCongress's repeal of FIP and SIP, the2002 Act is a significant improvementover previous Farm Acts (see sidebar).The mandatory funding requirementsfor FLEP - and other programs withrequired funding, such as WHIP - willensure that FLEP receives adequatefunding, rather than rely on the

notoriously unpredictable annualCongressional appropriations thatundermined FIP and SIP. This willguarantee that FLEP receives the fundsneeded to provide NIPF owners thecost-share assistance they require tomanage their forests sustainably. 4.

Robert Malmsheimer is an Assistant Professorof Forest Law and Policy at SUNY ESF and amember of the NYFOA Board of Directors.Michael Goergen is the Senior Director ofPolicy and Programs at the Society ofAmerican Foresters. Donald Floyd is aProfessor of Natural Resources Policy atSUNY ESF.

History of Forestry Provisionsin Farm Bills

Congress developed the first farm bill in the 1920s to address agriculturalcommodity programs. It enacted a Conservation Title in the 1985 farm law,which included several new programs for forest landowners. Since then,forestry provisions have been included in both forestry sections in FarmActs' Conservation Titles and in separate Forestry Titles.The 1990 Farm Act was the first to include a separate Forestry Title. This

Act included several amendments to the 1978 Cooperative Forestry Assis-tance Act, including authorization of the Forest Legacy Program, ForestStewardship Program, Forestry Incentives Program (FIP) and StewardshipIncentives Program. The Act also included a separate Conservation Titlewith forestry-related elements, such as tree-planting initiatives.The 1996 Farm Bill did not include a specific forestry title, but it did

include a forestry section within the Conservation Title. This section ad-dressed aspects of FIP, Forest Legacy, and other programs. The Conserva-tion Title of the 1996 Farm Bill built on conservation initiatives enacted in1985 and 1990, and converted many programs' funding to entitlementsfmanced with Commodity Credit Corporation funds.

Adapted from: http://pinchot. org /pic/farmbill/History. htmZ

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585-728-3044 ph/fax' 7025 Harpers Ferry Road • Wayland, N.Y. 14572susanjkeistertgiusadatanet.net

The New York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002 7

A Tale of Two Visits:OneA Victory, OneA Draw

JERRY MICHAEL AND GARY GOFF

NewYork's Master ForestOwner/COVERTS VolunteerProgram has been the subject

of several articles in the NY ForestOwner over the past decade. There arenow 184 certified volunteersrepresenting 46 counties throughout thestate. The primary "assignment" forthe volunteers is to visit neighborforest owners to walk their propertyand discuss items of interest to theforest owner. Last year 62 volunteersreported making 98 on-site visits,totaling over 4,100 acres (I'm suremany more visits were made, butreports from volunteers are difficult toobtain!). A total of 46 volunteers alsoreported participating in 335 additionaloutreach activities (workshops,articles, youth group activities, etc.)reaching an estimated audience ofabout 11,000.The Master Forest Owner (MFO)

volunteers do not provide technicalservices but instead provideinformation on where and how toobtain more information onstewardship issues. The volunteersattend an initial 4-day training sessionat Cornell's Arnot Forest and manytake advantage of the annual regional

refresher workshops each summer andfall. The training and updatescomplement the knowledge andexperience the volunteers haveacquired over years of forestownership and management in theircommunities.Every visit is truly unique and

always interesting. Here are a coupleof tales from visits conducted by JerryMichael, a very active andknowledgeable volunteer (and NYFOAmember) from Broome County. Boththese stories have sawtimber as thefocus, which often is the incentivebehind the request for a visit. Thevolunteers also are trained in wildlifemanagement issues and can give adviceregarding how to learn more aboutnuisance and desirable species.

The VictoryIn January 2001 a neighbor at my

Whitney Point woodlot informed methat he was considering a contract toharvest a 40-acre stand adjoining myproperty. A local sawmill had offeredhim $50,000 for trees they hadmarked, mostly red oak, hard and softmaple. I told him I would look thestand over the next day and get back to

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

(607) 648-5512E-mail snowhawke@juno.com

Timber AppraisalTimber Sales

Forest Stewardship PlansForestry 480-A Plans

Restore the American Chestnut

George Bulin, MFO volunteer from SchuylerCo., points out canker lesions on anAmerican Chestnut stump sprout.

him. I noted that many of the markedtrees were not economically mature (assmall as 16"dbh) and that the markingdid not include any thinning of culls. Isuggested that he pick a ConsultantForester off the NYS DEC list of"NYS Cooperating Foresters" which Igave him and ask the Forester toremark the stand and put it out forcompetitive bid. I gave him numerousexamples of the results he mightexpect.When I returned from Florida a

couple of months later, I saw theneighbor "playing" with a new top-of-the-line Woodmizer in his barnyard. Istopped and asked him when he got thenew toy and he answered, "It justarrived, and I have you to thank forit." It seems he had taken my advice.His consultant remarked the stand,saving some of the trees with goodadditional growth potential, andeliminating some culls. There were sixbidders and the top bid was $80,000. Iguess some of the Oak must have beenveneer grade. The ironic twist to thistale is that the top bidder was the sameoutfit that had originally offered him$50,000!

8 The New York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002

The DrawLast March Cornell Cooperative

Extension of Broome County askedme to do a MFO visit for a couple whohad been offered $28,000 for "all trees16 inches dbh and larger" on their 160-acre woodlot. During our tour overmost of the even-aged stand, I pointedout that there were lots of valuable RedOak and Hard Maple in the 16 inch to19 inch range, but none any larger. Iused the charts on my Biltmore stick toshow how much volume is added as thetree grows to 22 inch, and discussedthe impact on grade and overall value.I pointed out that the woodlot hadnever been thinned and that they couldrealize a very lucrative harvest in aslittle as ten years if they invested insome Timber Stand Improvement(TSI). I also pointed out that theirboundaries were indistinct and theywere seriously at risk of becomingvictims of timber theft. Irecommended that they find aconsultant forester to review myconclusions and perhaps arrange forsome TSI. I speculated that they mightrealize enough income from a few"risk" trees (mostly partialblowdowns) to offset the cost of theTSI.

The couple did have a consultantforester look at their woodlot, afterwhich he offered to perform a completestand inventory and TSI marking for$1200. The consultant felt that the risktrees were too widely dispersed towarrant the damage that would resultfrom trying to harvest them. The couplewas not interested in making an out-of-pocket investment in TSI, and decidedto just let the trees grow as fast and asmuch as nature permits. They did agreeto have the property surveyed however,and even got an adjoining propertyowner to split the cost. The owners areliterally sitting on a bit of a "gold mine"because, with TSI, I'm convinced itwould produce a harvest worth much,much more than the initial offering of$28,000 in just in ten years. Even suchpersuasive arithmetic fails to convinceeveryone though, so I guess this visitwas a "draw," from my perspective.BUT, more importantly, the owners didget involved in forest stewardship asdemonstrated by the survey, and theydid make a conscious decision regardingthe option of the TSI work. j.

Jerry Michael is a member of the SOT chapterand Treasurer of NYFOA. Gary Goff is MFO!COVERTS Program Director.

George Bulin, MFO volunteer from Schuyler Co., looking over soil maps with Randall Slimak,forest owner from Steuben Co., in preparation for an on-site visit.

Continued support for the NY MasterForest Owner/COVERTS program comesfrom five non-governmental organizations:The Ruffed Grouse Society, The WentorfFoundation, The NY Woodland StewardsInc., The NY Forest Owners Assoc., andThe NY Chapt. of the Nat'l. Wild TurkeyFederation. Adclitional funding is suppliedvia The USDA Renewable ResourcesExtension Program. Critical, non-financialsupport is donated by the NYS DEC Div.of Lands and Forests.

If you are interested in a visit from aMFO/COVERTS volunteer contact yourcounty Cooperative Extension or regionalDEC office for a listing of volunteers. Ifyou are interested in becoming a volunteer,contact Gary Goff, grg3@comeZZ.edu, 607/255-2824. Listings, application forms, andmuch more information on the program canbe obtained from the website:www.dnr.comell.edu/ext/mfo/

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, ownercommitment to stewardship forenhancement of forest land values,appropriate engineering planningand design, and good constructionpractices.

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The New York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002 9

ROBERT BROCK

Question:What is the accuracy of a typicalGlobal Positioning System (GPS) handheld receiver if no post -processing isused and there is no selectiveavailability imposed by thegovernment?

-Jim Martin

Answer:The GPS position normally consists oflatitude, longitude and height above sealevel. The GPS units determine thedistance to each satellite that they aretracking. Under ideal conditions thecode-based accuracy for each of thesedistances is plus or minus 3 meters.You can think of the satellites as beingcontrol stations and at anyone time theGPS unit needs to determine thedistances to 4 satellites. This enables atrilateration type solution (based on

measured distances) that yields the 3dimensional position of the GPS unit.Most modem hand held GPS units are12 parallel channels, differential readyreceivers. A 12 channel receiver isimportant since at times a unit may bereceiving data simultaneously from asmany as 10 satellites. As in manysurveying problems the positions of thesatellites (control points) are criticaland the best solution for the position ofthe GPS unit is when the satellites arewidely distributed in the sky. Sincethe satellites are continually moving,and each position usually has adifferent portion of the sky visible, it isoften necessary to spend severalminutes on a point in order to obtain asatisfactory position. One of the pagesof the GPS unit usually shows thecurrent positions of the satellites andindicates which ones the unit is

No Post-Processing and No Selective Availability Imposed

Position Results with Hand Held GPS Units Located at Known Control Points

Clear areas with little overhead masking.

Latitude (meters) Longitude (meters) Mean Sea Level Height (m

Average Absolute Error· 2.5 2.8 12.22 Standard Deviations (95%) •• 3.2 4.6 8.6

Forested areas including light to dense and hardwood, softwood and mixed.

Latitude (meters) Longitude (meters) Mean Sea Level Height (m

Average Absolute Error 5 3.7 14.32 Standard Deviations (95%)·· 4.6 5 8.6

• Average accuracy for all points.•• The plus or minus variation one can expect 95 times out of 100 for the average absolute error.

The horizontal accuracy, which is the combination of the latitude and longitude errors, is3.8 meters for the clear areas and 6.2 meters for the forested areas. A value of 30meters per arc second was used to convert the results that were observed in degrees,minutes and seconds to the nearest tenth of a second. These values fall within theexpected results for this type of GPS receiver.

tracking. The actively trackedsatellites should be evenly distributedand at least one should be well elevatedin the sky for a reasonable heightsolution.The stated accuracy of most hand

held units is less than 15 meters 95 %of the time. It is important to realizethat this is the horizontal accuracy.Results for the horizontal values aregenerally 2 to 5 times better than thosefor the height values. A large reasonfor this is the superior geometricstrength of the intersecting horizontalangles as opposed to that of the verticalangles that come into play during thesolution. In addition, receivers use amathematical model to interpret meansea level heights. Depending onlocation, the model may introduce ameter or more of uncertainty into thefinal vertical value. Many hand heldunits have the capability to give theuser average results for a positionalong with the estimated precision forthe position. This generally refers tothe horizontal position and not theheight value. Some newer units showthe estimated height precision on themain position page. In each case letthe unit collect data for 3 or moreminutes when the number and locationof the satellites are acceptable.So in spite of many variables, some

of which have been mentioned, whataccuracy can be realistically expected?In order to provide a reasonable andcurrent answer, in May of 2002, I useda typical 12 channel hand held unit todetermine the positions of a number ofknown stations. These stations werelocated with dual-frequency, survey-grade GPS receivers and positionswere obtained that are accurate to 1 to5 centimeters. Average errors wereobserved for both clear and forestedareas. The accompanying table is asummary of the results. •.

Robert Brock is a Professor in the Faculty ofEnvironmental Resources and ForestEngineering at SUNY-ESF in Syracuse wherehe teaches Photogrammetry and GlobalPositioning System courses. He earned aPhD degree in the field of Civil Engineeringfrom Cornell University and he is a Fellow inThe American Society for Photogrammetryand Remote Sensing.

10 The New York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002

Woodlot CalendarJuly 18-20, 2002 (Thursday-Saturday)

The 2002 New York State Maple Tour will be held in DelawareCounty centered at Delhi on July 18,19 & 20. Delhi is located in thenorthwestern Catskill Mountains approximately 90 miles southwest ofAlbany and 70 miles east of Binghamton.

Delaware County is the fifth largest maple producing county inNY with around 70 maple producers. Agriculture and tourism are theleading industries, dairy fanning being the main agribusiness. TheBeaverkill and the East and West Branches of the Delaware Riverthat flow through the county are world renowned trout streams.

Eight sugaring operations from 400 taps to 8,000 taps will bevisited.

For more information contact Margie Aitken at (607) 746 7708 orEMail tomshane95@msn.com

September 1, 2002 (Sunday)Deadline for submitting the Deer Managment Assistance Program(DMAP) application to the NYS DEC. See page 18 for full article onthe program.

September 21,2002 (Saturday)Catskill Mountain Ginseng Festival

First annual Catskill Mountain Ginseng Festival is being held onSaturday, September 21 from 10 AM until 5 PM. The Festival will takeplace at the Point in the Village of Catskill, NY, Greene County, abeautiful spot right on the Hudson River. There will be lectures andworkshops all day long on cultivation and use of ginseng, good food(even ginseng food!), music, lots of ginseng and other herb products forsale. The festival is being co- sponsored by Cornell CooperativeExtension of Greene County and the Catskill Kiwanis Club.

October 12, 2002 (Saturday)Silvicultural Demo Day

This morning in the woods will be dedicated to seeing the results ofdifferent forest cutting techniques. Discussion will cover the standconditions before cutting, objectives of cutting, and the results. We'lltour several areas and learn how to properly approach various standmanagement issues.

Location: Cornell University'S Arnot Forest, 611 C.R. 13, VanEtten, NY. Watch for more details in the Forest Owner. Mark yourcalendar! Sponsored by the Southern Finger Lakes Chapter.

If we don't preserve historical chestnut memories now,who will understand the significance of this native tree's return?

Social, cultural, and historical preservation of the American chestnut story begins at home,with you, and the thousands of The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) members.

->

Gathering Stories ....Perhaps you have memories of this once great native tree. We want to place your story in the foundation'sarchives. Perhaps your parents, or community members, have recounted chestnut memories to you. We wanttheir stories too. Perhaps you remember a story from a long-gone relative. We'd like to read your rendition ofthat story.

It's an easy process ....Just sit down, relax and let your mind wander back to our outh. If interviewing your parents, a relative, orcommunity member have them do the same. Don't forget to include the details, or color, of the times, surround-ings, and personalities of the individuals in 01 ed.

Submitting American chestnut memories ....We will accept handwritten or typed chestnut memories sent by postal service (The American Chestnut Founda-tion, 469 Main Street, Suite 1, PO Box 4044, Bennington, VT 05201), fax (802-447-0110) or e-mail(chestnut@acf.org). If you prefer, you may record the memories you're gathering on either regular or minicassette tapes.

Finally ....If at all possible, submit a new or historic photo (description & return address on back) with the memoir. Thefoundation may publish an anthology of these collected chestnut memoirs, and photos are of significant histori-cal importance.

The New York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002 II

flash of light and winced as thebranch glanced off my hardhat andshoulder. I was literally saved bymy hardhat. It still hurt like thedickens and I was surprised at howsmall that branch was.A year after that, I was working

near the shore of Cayuga Lake,with all of my safety gear onexcept my face and eye protection.I was "bouncing" a slender mapleoff another tree's crown. Thehinge was completely severed andthe tree would roll off if I could getit moving enough. I looked upbecause it was being stubborn. Atthat split second, even before Icould blink, a falling twigpunctured the cornea of my right

eye and knocked me to my knees. This ismy only lasting injury. I know that manypeople have not had such good luck. Icould probably give detailed descriptionsof the above three incidents, hold a contestand see who could identify the mostmistakes. I would humbly accept yourdozens of correct answers.Most of the work that active forest

owners need to do can best be done usinga chainsaw. You need to get that timberstand improvement done, or create thepicturesque forest trail you have beendreaming about, not to mention gatheringfuelwood for your home or camp. So,why not make the work as safe and easyas possible?Since we manage our own forest fairly

intensively, I am always looking for waysto cut more efficiently. In the summer of

Advicefrom the Lucky

TIM LEVATICH WITH PHOTOS BYGARY GOFF

Iwas 16 years old when anadult, who shall remainunnamed, gave me my first

lesson in chainsaw use. Wewent out to our forest and pickeda tall red maple on level ground.There were no buildings or otherobstacles nearby. The trees werenice big poles and the job at handlooked simple. It was a goodsetting for basic training and Iwas eager to get going. As ademonstration, my teacherperformed the notch cut then theback cut, and, hustling away,yelled "Timmberrrr!". The treecrown promptly lodged againstanother one and we were stuck.After a couple of minutes ofpondering, we used a peavey to get ourtraining stem rolling and noticed too latethat it was headed in a bad direction. Itrolled off a second crown as well andcame down with an impressive"Whoosh!" and a "Thud!", plus asickening "Whack!" as the bole hit thefront comer of the car! After a longpause, he said, "Well, that's how NOT todo it." The lessons went better after that,although I shudder at some of the life-threatening near misses during the earlyyears of thinning and cleaning our 82acres of northern hardwoods.A few years later, I was a student at the

University of Maine with the best work!study job I could imagine - cuttingpulpwood and sawlogs in the UniversityForest near Old Town. I couldn't waitfor Tuesday and Thursday afternoons to

Every stump tells a story. Bill Linloff, GaL Instructor,examines width a/the hinge. Stumps are an important learningtool!

come around so I could use my skills andpile up the wood. The Forest Supervisoreven complemented me once on myoutput. It was heaven. But one day wewere working in a mature white pinestand, with dominants over 100 feet talland nearly 3 feet in diameter when I got areminder that heaven might be closer thanI would like.I had just fmished the back cut on one

of the big trees and had stepped to the sideof the stump about 10 feet to watch it fall.It was perfectly aimed between unmarkedtrees - another fine job. These guys hadbeen hitting the ground with a great crash,but I don't recall this one making anysound at all. Just before it hit the ground,I was beaned on the head by a short, stoutbranch that had broken out of the crown asthe tree started to move. I saw a blinding

12 The New York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002

Demonstrating the importance of safety equipment is an importantpart of the Game of Logging course.

2000, after 25 years of using a chainsawand picking up tips wherever I could, Itook the Game of Logging level 1 classand discovered just how out of date I was.Soren Eriksson and the certified trainers inGame of Logging have developed a fullrange of techniques and methods to makeyour work in the woods safer, moreefficient, and more productive. You planeach action with quick steps designed toget the tree on the ground in top conditionand yourself back to your home in onepiece.

The term "game" comes from thescoring that complements the training.Both professional loggers and land-ownershave the option of entering truecompetitions after having completed theirrespective levels of training. Separate

Bill Linloff, GoL Instructor, demonstrating how to make a 70degree open face cut.

courses are designed and held forprofessionals and landowners. Thesecourses are routinely updated.I now work better and more easily in

the woods. I can work longer withoutgetting tired. My saw runs better andcuts well every day. I work smarter,safer, and more efficiently. This spring Itook Game of Logging level 2 at Cornell'sArnot Forest and learned even more.There are three levels for landowners,each one is a full day of hands-on trainingin the woods, and I intend to take level 3soon. Both of my classes had a full rangeof people, from beginner to experienced.Beginners often score very well.

I urge you give Game of Logging a try.The lessons are conducted under carefulobservation and guidance, rather than

Bill LinlojJ is about to advise participant (John Miller) that the face cutneeds to be more open, greater than 70 degrees.

trusted to the often unkind "school of hardknocks." Most of all, I urge you to dothis now, before you gamble yourprecious life and limb on dumb luck,exhausting trial, and dangerous error.For more information on Game of

Logging and how to sign up for a classnear you, contact "NY Trained LoggingCertification," Empire Forest ProductsAssociation, 518/463-1297, or by email atesfpa@sprintmail.com .•.

Tim Levatich is a member of the SFLchapter of NYFOA. He helps his father,Peter Levatich, with the management ofHobnob Forest near Brooktondale, NY.His day job is Database Administrator atthe Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

A woman participant (Jodi Zimmerman) finishing her face cut withBill Linloff looking on.

The New York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002 13

LARRY VAN DE V ALK

Stone WallsA Great Place to Cross Over

Ilove old stone walls. They arereminders of by-gone days whenfamilies and neighbors worked

together to clear land for crop productionor pasture. I sometimes rest my backagainst one at my favorite spring turkey-hunting spot. They are a great place tofind wild raspberries and blackcaps withmy children on summer afternoon walks.Sometimes I spot deer crossing through abar-gap, or a grouse strutting along thetop of the wall. And it's a great place totake a break from working in my woodlotto soak up some sunshine.In days of old, these walls were

barriers for livestock; they separated fieldand forest. Often they served asboundary lines for private property, asthey still may do today. In human terms,they are dividing lines. But as MotherNature reminds us, stone walls and fieldborders nourish and provide excellentcover for many different types ofwildlife. Which brings me to my point. ..

In my professional position, I attendmany meetings and workshops in NewYork State. Many are agriculturallyrelated, like the NYS AgriculturalSociety meeting, Empire Farm Days, NYFarm Show, Vegetable Growers'Conference, Dairy ProducersConference, etc. Some are forestryrelated, like NYFOA meetings, mapleworkshops, and the NYS Society ofAmerican Foresters annual meeting. Ienjoy meeting conference participants,learning about what they do, and fmdingways to "cross the stone walls" thatdivide us.Often Iwill ask a dairy farmer, for

example, if he is a forest owner orsteward. Usually the answer is: "No,I'm a dairy farmer. .. I grow crops andproduce milk." They say this eventhough I know they own wooded land,pay taxes on it, occasionally have itharvested (often without the expertise ofa consultant forester), and enjoy it for

Fences and stone walls are great places to view wildlife, hunt, or just sit and enjoy boththe forest and the field. They are also a great metaphor for what divides the forestry and'traditional' agricultural industries.

recreational purposes. The story is thesame with other "traditional" farmers, bethey vegetable, grain, fruit or livestockproducers.

Likewise, I ask forest owners andconsultants if they are farmers or cropadvisors, respectively. The answer hereis usually the same: "No, I'm a timberproducer. .. a consultingforester. ..Christmas tree grower. I'm nota farmer."I strongly disagree. I point to the fact

that the only difference between growinga tree and a com plant is the length oftime it takes to mature. Both "sides ofthe fence" plant and nurture a crop. Bothare concerned about disease and insectproblems. Both are at the mercy of theweather. And both are subject to marketprice fluctuations, demand, and tradepolicies when they harvest.

We share many issues of concern too:property and income taxes, pesticide use,neighbor relations, environmentalregulations, estate planning and familytransfers, trade regulations, timbertrespass, etc. The list goes on and on. Ifyou examine the issues closely, you'llfind that forestry and farming have a lotmore in common than they do not. Bythe way, isn't the US Forest Service partof the US Department of Agriculture?

RICHARD CIPPERLYNORTH COUNTRY FORESTRY LLC

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- CHRISTMAS TREE MANAGEMENT

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

14 The New York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002

To some extent, closer workingrelationships between these twotraditionally isolated industries are beingdeveloped. The New York ForestOwners Association is making a goodeffort to reach out to landowners -especially farmers - that have not oftenthought of themselves as forest owners.Likewise, organizations like NY FarmBureau are making efforts to educatetheir members about forestry relatedissues like timber trespass, and lobbyingfor legislation that is "forest-friendly."On a more personal level, I would

suggest forest industry participation inLEAD New York to build our sense ofteam concerning important issues, andimprove leadership skills among ourpeople. LEAD is a two-year leadershiptraining and development program foradult professionals working in NewYork's food and agricultural industry.We take 25-30 adults, ages 25 and up,and put them through monthly workshopsfrom October through April of each year.These workshops are generally three daysin length, and are a combination ofspeaker presentations, group discussionsand activities, and tours, all revolvingaround agricultural and food systemsissues. We seek to enhance ourparticipant's leadership skills (publicspeaking, conflict resolution, listening,etc.), give them a better appreciation ofthe complexities of the food and fiber

system (from soil to consumers plate andeverything in between), and thelegislative process at the local, state,federal, and international level (and howto be effective at influencing thatprocess). We travel to all comers of thestate, and take additional trips to Canada,Washington, D. C., and a study tour to aforeign country in the second year of theprogram. As I indicated above, many ofthe issues we study are directly related tothe forest industry!

One of the greatest strengths of ourprogram has been the diversity of ourparticipants. We have 230 alumni and 27current class members that represent awide variety of both productionagriculture operations and service relatedindustries. These include, but are notlimited to: banking, insurance,cooperative management, extension,government agency, not -for-profit,research, labor, education and marketingbusinesses. I have often said that ourparticipants learn as much from eachother as they do from our workshoppresenters. A more diverse class leads toa better program for all.We would welcome greater

participation from those involved in NewYork's forest industry. This would be anexcellent opportunity for you to shareyour knowledge of forestry relatedissues, and at the same time, learn aboutthe "bigger picture" of agriculture and

HALE FORESTRY COMPANY610 East Main Street, Westfield, PA 16950

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the food system. If you would like moreinformation about the program, you cancall me at (607) 255 - 7907, e-mail toljv4@comell. edu, or visit our website at:www.cals.comell.eduILEADNYI. Wewill be accepting applications for Class Xduring the winter of 2003.Let's cross over some stone walls

together, to learn and enjoy what eachother has to offer. LEAD New York is agreat opportunity to build our workingpartnership! •.

Larry Van De Valk is a NYFOA member,Christmas Tree Grower, and owned a CertifiedTree Farm in Schoharie County. He is alsoDirector of LEAD New York, a 2-yearleadership training and development programfor people involved in New York's agriculturalandfood systems industry. Forfurtherinformation, contact him at (607) 255-7907 orljv4@cornell.edu.

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 profess ional as-sistance when you are faced with im-portant decisions regarding its use.

Contact Lake George Forestry today toarrange a free initial consultation.

Christian Gearwear, PresidentLAKE GEORGEFORESTRY, INC.

50 Hendrick StreetLake George, New York 12845

Phone/Fax: 518-668-2623

The New York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002 IS

The Checkered Beetles:well Equipped to Search &Destroy

DOUGLAS C. ALLEN

Populations of most forestinsects are kept in check byan array of natural enemies

such as birds, small mammals andparasitic or predaceous insects. Ifit were not for these naturalenemies, outbreaks would be morecommon and of longer duration.One of the basic rules ofcontemporary insect pestmanagement is to employ controltactics that decrease pest numbersbelow levels at which they willdetract from management objectivesand, at the same time, to use tacticsthat have no or minimal effect onbeneficial insects. Once weunderstand a pest's biology andpotential for damage, the next stepis to examine the ecology andcontrol potential of its commonnatural enemies.Checkered beetles comprise a

family of predators very importantin the control of beetles associatedwith the inner bark of woodyplants. They are the mostimportant predators of our nativebark beetles. The common name ofthis group relates to the fact thatadults often have a varied and oftenstriking color pattern on the wingcovers. The latter form the "back"or top of the beetle and are mainlywhat you would be looking at if itlanded in your hand or when it restson the trunk of a tree. Twocharacteristics make these insectsvery effective predators: both adultsand immatures are predaceous onthe same host, and studies of a fewspecies indicate adults have a veryefficient host-finding behavior.Adults are elongate, often

brightly colored with red or yellowand distinctly hairy with a

Figure 2. A checkered beetle larva.

Figure 1. An adult checkered beetle.

pronounced region behind the headresembling a "neck" (Fig. 1).Research with the southern pinebark beetle, a major pest of pole tosawtimber sized pine in the south,revealed that checkered beetles areable to use volatile behavioralchemicals to locate prey. Forexample, when the female southernpine beetle locates a suitable broodtree, she releases a chemical thatattracts both males and females tothat site. This chemical, combinedwith the attractive nature of certainodors produced by a susceptible(injured or low vigor) pine,enhances mating by bringing thesexes together and encourages a"mass attack." The latter increases

16 The New York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002

Figure 3. Typical bark beetle brood oregg-laying gallery (A) where checkeredbeetle larvae forage. Bark beetle eggs aredeposited along the sides of the broodgallery (B).

the likelihood that a colony of barkbeetles will be able to successfullyestablish in the tree. Checkered

beetles have adapted to thesesignals. What better way toenhance survival than to utilize theprey's own chemical messengersand to hone in on signals given offby a susceptible tree where there isa relatively high probability offinding bark beetles?The immature stage or larva (lar-

vah) is 0.25 to 0.50 inches long(Fig. 2) and, like the adult, is alsoclothed in short, erect hairs.Depending on the species, larvae(lar-vee) usually are a shade of red,yellow, brown, or bluish. This lifestage is hard shelled, slightlyflattened, and has well-developedlegs. The mouthparts or "jaws" areprojected forward, somewhat like apair of grass clippers.The life cycle of a checkered

beetle is usually closely attuned tothat of its host. The female depositseggs in the entrance hole made by abark beetle or wood borer. Larvaeare ideally equipped to forage in hostgalleries beneath the bark (Fig. 3).Their streamlined shape, hard shelland forward projecting jaws are well

suited for prowling bark beetlegalleries in search of host eggs andlarvae. Adult checkered beetles feedon bark beetle adults when the latterland on the bark of a host tree or log,or when the bark beetle attempts toexcavate an entrance hole. Mostcheckered beetles overwinter beneathtree bark as immatures and transforminto adults come spring. A fewspecies vacate their prey's habitat andwinter in litter .•.

This is the 63rd in the series of articlescontributed by Dr. Allen, Professor of Entomol-ogy at SUNY-ESP' It is possible to downloadthis collection from the NYS DEe Web page at:http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website!dlf/privland/forprotlhealthlnyfolindex.html.

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The New York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002 17

• issuance of DMAP tags using theautomated license system "DECALS."

Help for Forest Regeneration Probletns

The New York State deer herdhas increased to over onemillion deer, and with that

increase comes more problems - lackof natural regeneration in our forestsand thousands of dollars of cropdamage on New York's farms.Last year the total deer harvest was

280,760. Buck to doe ratios are farabove the optimum 1 to 1.2. Someareas are experiencing ratios of 1 to20. Under optimum conditions, inseven years, two deer can reproduceforty deer.The former management strategy

was to protect does, and encourageharvesting of bucks. That made sense

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18

By JILL CORNELL

30 years ago when the state herd wassmall. However, "Bambi" has at leastbecome a pest today, and at worst amenace to farm crops, forestregeneration, and sensitive areas aswell as contributing to 70,000 vehicleaccidents annually. The vehiclecollisions alone add up to over$120,000,000 in damages each year.In 1999 the NYS DEC began the

Deer Management Assistance Program(DMAP). It allows farmers and forestlandowners to apply to DEC for permitsto harvest antlerless deer on theirproperties. These permits are validduring any open deer season. Prior toissuing a permit, a DEC wildlifebiologist will visit the land to assess thedamage, and authorize the appropriatenumber of tags. Since 1999, 23,335antlerless deer have been harvested onDMAP tags. In 2001,21,972 tags wereissued and the harvest was 11,198. TheDMAP hunters have a success rate of54 %, more than twice the success rateon traditional deer managementpermits. Hunters are limited to twoDMAP tags per year, plus any regulartags.

In 2002 the following changes to theDMAP program included:

• lowering the required minimumforest acreage to 100 acres from 200acres;

• requiring a Farm Service Agency(FSA) or tax map ID, instead of a papermap; and

• simplifying the applicant's summaryreport card.

Future changes under considerationfor the DMAP progam are:

• continued simplification of theapplication process and conditions foruse; and

Wildlife biologists at DEC continueto work at improving deer managementin New York at the statewide level.Their effors have:

• created another Quality DeerManagement experimental area;

• encouraged the growth of theVenison Donation Coalition to helpfeed the hungry. Using the successfuldonation program in western NewYork, three Resource Conservation andDevelopment Councils are workingwith DEC and the Regional Food Bankto develop a program for the 23counties from Clinton to WestchesterCounties;

• developed an automated licensesystem "DECALS" where hunters willbe issued licenses and deermanagement permits at the point ofsale;

• created a toll free telephone forreporting harvest of deer, bear andturkey; and

• explored restructuring the seasonsand possible alternative harveststrategies.

This means that you, as a forestowner or farmer with a woodlot, nowhave an improved management tool,DMAP, for controlling the deerpopulation on your acres. The deadlinefor submitting the DMAP application isSeptermber 1, 2002. So contact yourregional DEC wildlife office and takeadvantage of this program! •.

Jill Cornell is a member of the CDC ofNYFOA and president of the New YorkWoodland Stewards Inc.

The New York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002

New York Society of American Foresters (NYSAF)Summer 2002 Meeting: The Diversity ofForestry in Western New York

The 2002 NYSAF summermeeting will be held in West-ern New York on August 19-

21. The meeting will feature visitsand discussions on three importantinnovative and unique situations offorestry in Erie County: urbanforestry, county lands, and woodprocessing. The meeting is open tothe public and these subjects shouldbe of interest to NYFOA members.The topic of Urban Forests is animportant policy item and ErieCounty currently faces many of thesame pressures and issues that privateforest landowners face.At 1:00 p.m. on Monday afternoon,

we will meet at the Albright-KnoxArt Gallery and tour some ofBuffalo's urban parks with AndyRabb, City Forester. Tuesday, wewill visit the Erie County forests insouthern Erie County with BrianGrassia, County Forester. These willinclude an old growth northernhardwood forest, a white pine planta-tion with a hardwood understory, amaple syrup operation and a softwoodplantation.Erie County is starting to develop a

comprehensive management plan for

these forests and has asked for advicefrom NYSAF. The day will end witha discussion on what NYSAF mem-bers think would be useful manage-ment directions, activities, andplanning processes for the county toconsider. This will be followed by asocial hour, dinner, and brief updateon legislative matters. Senator PatMcGee, Chair of the LegislativeCommission on Rural Resources, willspeak. Wednesday morning, follow-ing a business meeting and update onthe SAF national convention inBuffalo for Fall 2003, we will visitthe CanFibre plant in Lackawanna.This is a unique facility that manufac-tures MDF (medium density fiber-board) currently from recycled woodand sawmill residues. They areconsidering adding chips to their mix.This manufacturing plant provides apotential outlet for low-grade woodresulting from thinnings on privateforestlands. The meeting will end atnoon on Wednesday.Meeting headquarters will be the

Holiday Inn (716/649-0500) inHamburg, NY. A block of rooms hasbeen reserved at a conference rate of$67.00 per night. People must make

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The New York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002 19

MITCH DICKERSON

Oh To Be A Logger

Some time ago I read an article inone of the "Woods" magazinesabout an 83 year old man who

was still working in the woods! Thearticle prompted me to think of myfriend whom I've known since 1957who will be reaching the ripe old age,as a woods worker, of 86 in July 2002.I think that is remarkable to still beworking in the woods, almost on adaily basis at that age - cutting hisfamily's firewood and pulpwoodsawlogs for the wood industry. Heenjoys being in the out-of-doors andimproving his land.My friend is Norman Briggs of Jay,

New York. Norm was raised andschooled on Long Island, receiving adegree in Civil Engineering fromPolytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (nowPolytechnic University of N.Y.) in1937. Norm had a tour of duty in theNavy during World War IIon a Destroyer Escort in theNorth Atlantic. Before andafter his navy career heworked for an engineeringconstruction firm wherebyhe found his way to theAdirondacks when the oldski center on MarbleMountain was built in 1947by his engineering firm.Norm says his most enjoy-able career was as anengineer on constructionjobs in the field. He had hisown land surveying businessin the Jay area from 1953 to1980, and for the past 22years since "retiring"Norm's third career hasbeen as a logger.Norm bought a piece of

worn out glacial moraineoutside the village of Jaywhile on a ski center job,and soon after started

planting white and red pine in 1951 onweekend return trips to Jay. In 1956Norm's Certified Tree Farm becameNo. 58. The NY Tree Farm systemstarted in 1956, the National Tree Farmsystem in 1951. Norm built a log homeon the Sand Flats in 1952, taking upresidence in it in 1953. (In July 1919an army bomber (MB-l) with a crew offive set down on the 'sand flats' todetermine their where abouts afterpassing over Lake Champlain enrouteto Cleveland according to their flightinstructions. Having hit an unseenfence from the air, after a week's workto repair damages to the front section,the plane took off again).Norm married Luella McComber of

Lake Placid in 1960 and soon they hadfour daughters who were raised thereand sent off to graduate from college.For many years Norm, Lou and the

girls operated a Sugar Bush producingover 300 gallons of syrup annually.Norm and Lou now have seven grand-children. Why anyone raised in theCity would settle in Jay, or any of theother "livable villages" in theAdirondacks, only those of us whohave relocated here would know!

In May of 2001 I loaded a 20 inchdiameter, 16 foot white pine log on atruck with other logs Norm hadplanted, grown and harvested. If youstop by to look up Norm on the ValleyRoad, a mile out from Ward LumberCompany, you may have to walk out inthe woods to find him since there arenot many days he stays in the house -unless he is working on his stampcollection he started in 1923. Or, youmay find him in church! .4-

Mitch Dickerson is a member of the NA C ofNYFOA and a retired forester.

Norm Briggs still can be found on his woodlot. Included in this photo are Dave Drake (on the truck), NormBriggs (middle) and Norm's neighbor and friend Lenwood Sherman.

20 The New York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002

A World Vie-w of Forests

Interestin having a world-view offorests is increasing as connectionsbetween global climate and human

welfare are perceived.The most authoritative world-view

comes from the Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations,whose Forestry Department's report onthe state of the world's forests comesout every other year. The latest is dated2001. In it are 173 pages of interpretiveprose, statistical tables and definitions.Following standard United Nationspractice, the tables list 213 countries,of which seven have no forests. Therest range from three which have nomore than 2,470 acres to the RussianFederation's over two billion acres.The general tone of the report is factualand cautiously approving of much thatis under way in forestry and conserva-tion; concerned but not panic.Several words that often cause

emotional confusion are carefullydefined and used. For example, theterm forest refers to land under a treecanopy cover of ten percent or more,of at least 1.5 acres whose trees are orwill be at least 16.25 feet high.Those areas have many forestvalues but they are not forest.The definition does includestands of cork oak andplantations of rubber treesbut not tree-shaded landsgrowing coffee and cacao.Fifty-six percent of theland so defined as forest istropical and sub-tropical.The rest is boreal andtemperate.The report defines

deforestation as the perma-nent or long-term conver-sion of forest land to a covernot defined as forest. Thus

removing timber and other forestproducts is not deforestation. Unless afactor more drastic than even clear-cutting intervenes, such as flooding,building, paving or permanentcultivation, re-growth of trees nor-mally follows on land which has oncegrown them.During each year of the 1990s an

estimated 36 million acres weredeforested, somewhat less than duringthe 1980s. Most of the deforestationcontinues to be in the tropics. Else-where forests are gaining in both areaand biomass volume. Each year treeswere converting 12.8 million acres ofopen land to forest.Because deforestation is an observ-

able and measurable act, the termoften frames discussions of forestresources. Nevertheless of greatersignificance are the condition of theforests and their ability to provideproductions and services, usually asmeasured by human values. Forestdegradation describes the loss of suchability. The 2001 report defmes the

HENRY KERNAN

term as change in forest structure orfunction sufficient to interfere withforest products and services. Changesare occurring in all forests and at alltimes. Identifying those that causeforest degradation rather than improve-ment lacks standards and definitionssufficient to be more than incompleteand tentative. The report therefore doesnot have estimates of the area anddegree of forest degradation.Instead the report estimates the forces

that countervail degradation. They areplanting, management, and protection.All three estimates are subject toquestion. For example, China claimsover 100 million acres of forest planta-tion. Does that figure mean new andproductive forest? Or plantings thatmayor may not have survived?Likewise the Russian Federation

states that 100 percent of its over twobillion acres of forest is under manage-ment. Armenia and Bangladesh makethe same assertion. But what do theyreally mean?The report states that over one billion

acres are legally protected fromdegradation. Yet the report has achapter about illegal activities andcorruption, much of which takesplace on protected forest land.

The report has further chapterson the influence forests haveupon climate, upon biodiversity,and their part in internationaldialogue.The report is well worth the

reading. Copies can be had bycalling 800-274-4888 for FAOpublications or by going to theirweb site at www.fao.org.B:

Henry Kernan is a consulting foresterin world forestry. a Master ForestOwner and a regular contributor to theForest Owner.

The New York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002 21

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22 The New York Forest Owner 40:4 • July/August 2002

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MAGAZINEDEADLINE

Materials submitted for the September/October issueshould be sent to Mary Beth Malmsheimer, Editor, 17'JeNew York ForestOwner, 134 Lincklaen Street, CazenoviaNY 13035, (315) 655-4110 or via e-mail at mmalmshe@syr.edu Articles, artwork and photos are invited and ifrequested, are returned after use.

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