Winter 2017 Magazine of the National Woodland Owners...

Magazine of the National Woodland Owners Association

.net“LANDOWNER LEDPURPOSE DRIVEN”

NATIONAL

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Winter 2017

Inside:• Prescribed Burning In the South• New Federal Forestry Program Incentives• Southern Landowner Alliance Reports• Tax Reform Issues For Forest Landowners• Canada/USA Softwood Lumber Agreement

And Much More

NATIONAL WOODLANDS WINTER 20172

Winter Issue of

If you are a member of the Southern Alliance of Landowner Associations, or a forestry partner, you get this only once a year.....

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our

Why not join National Woodland Owners and receive it four times a year?Find out why National Woodlands is the largest circulation forestry magazine in America!

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Convenient Application Form Enclosed on Page 49

3 NATIONAL WOODLANDS WINTER 2017

PublisherKeith A. Argow, Ph.D.

Executive EditorEric A. Johnson

Wednesday Woodland Words EditorMichael Burns

Business ManagerConnie Blair

Forest Tax CounselLinda Wang

Contributing WritersDana Cole

Rick Hamilton

NATIONAL WOODLANDS is published by the Na-tional Woodland Owners Association to promote the wise use of America’s forest resources. Subscribers include landowners, professionals in the natural resources disciplines, companies and individ uals associated with the forest products industry, librar-ies, government agencies, and other people who have an interest in forestry.

All rights reserved. Contents may be reproduced with proper attribution to National Woodlands (including the address). Opinions expressed by authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the policy of the publisher or National Woodland Owners Association.

NATIONAL WOODLANDS (ISSN 0279-9812), Winter 2017, Volume 40, No. 1. Published quar-terly, in Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn by the National Woodland Owners Association, 374 Maple Ave. E., Suite 310, Vienna, VA 22180-4751; tel. (703) 255-2700. U.S. subscriptions: $35 for one year or $60 for two years, through membership in the National Woodland Owners Association; sustaining member rates are $45 per year, $80 for two years. For delivery to Canada, Europe, and most International addresses, add an additional $10 for postage. Back issues, if available, are $2 each, postage paid. Editorial offices: 41 Fountain St., Clinton, NY 13323.

NATIONAL WOODLANDS

The Value of Forming a Prescribed Burn Association .........................7 John Diaz, Jennifer Fawcett & John WeirThe Use of Prescribed Fire in an Upland Hardwood Stand ...............10What are Upland Hardwood Forests? .................................................12Commonly Referenced Wildland Fire Programs, etc. ........................18 John Diaz, Jennifer Fawcett & Jean ChungFiring Techniques for Prescribed Fire Managers ...............................21 Ryan BeanSouthern Forest Futures Project Subregional Reports .....................24 Various AuthorsWhat the Wetland Forest Initiative Means for Landowners ...............26New Incentives For Federal Forestry Programs .................................28 David HogeFlorida Survey Confirms BMP Success ..............................................30 Roy Lima

Washington Woodland Watch ................................................................4Family Forestry Commentary .................................................................5The Greatest Good for the Greatest Number ......................................14Woodland Report ...................................................................................32Yearly Reports from the Southern Alliance of Landowner Associations ..................................................................34The Readers Respond...........................................................................38Women Owning Woodlands .................................................................40State Forestry UPDATE .........................................................................42 National Historic Lookout Register .....................................................45Timber and Taxes ..................................................................................46News from America’s Forestry Schools ..............................................48Woodland Opinions and Ideas .............................................................50News from the Regions .........................................................................51

Contents

On the Cover: A prescribed fire burns on the edge of a longleaf pine tree stand in Georgia. Photo courtesy of US Forest Service, Southern Research Station.

Volume 40, Number 1 Winter 2017


WashingtonWoodlandWatch

President-Elect Trump & Congress:Put Rural Americans and Lands Back to Work

Rita Hite as Executive Vice Presi-dent, ATFS, Woodlands and Policy, for the American Forest Foundation, a strong partner of the National Woodland Owners Association.

November 8, 2016, election day, was an interesting day for all. Like many of you, I’m sure, I stayed up until the wee hours of dawn awaiting the news of who our next president would be. Regardless of who you wanted to win the election, the stakes were very high. What we discovered in the weeks and months following President Trump’s win was that rural America does matter. Every political analyst will tell you that’s where Trump’s victory came from. This was a wake-up call for all politi-cians—Democrats, Republicans, members of congress and future presidential candidates. Because of this, as woodland owners we have an op-portunity. Many of us and our families own lands that make up a huge portion of rural America that can’t be ignored. And we all know that if rural Americans and our rural lands are put to work—providing the clean air and water, wild-life habitat, forest products and good paying jobs—rural America (and many others) will benefit. With the new Congress and our new president, we have an opportunity to see policy changes that will help us put our lands and our families back to work. First, while we came very close at the end of 2016, Congress must pass a wildfire funding fix that changes how wildfire fighting is paid for in the federal budget. The continuous erosion and disruption of the budgeting process for the U.S. Forest Service and Department of the Interior is preventing our rural lands from working to their potential. And even as we fix this issue, we also need new tools that allow more wildfire mitigation to happen on the ground. Specifically, we need tools that enable work across ownership boundaries, with willing landowners. Tax reform is the second item on the agenda for this Congress. Repeal of the estate tax will be high on the priority list for many, hoping to change the law to further protect those who inherit woodlands from having to convert or sell their land or timber prematurely—just to pay the tax. Even as tax reform presents opportunities, it could also present challenges, as many seek to eliminate “spe-cial exemptions” in the tax code. These could include tax provisions like capital gains treatment of timber income, or

the reforestation and forest management tax deductions that are so important to helping family woodland owners stay on the land and manage it well. Third, Congress and the president will spend a lot of time on regulatory reform. Regulations such as EPA’s misplaced policy to restrict the use of wood from certified American Tree Farm System lands in federal purchasing must be eliminated, so that our rural lands can work better. Last but certainly not least, Congress will begin work on a reauthorization of the Farm Bill, set to expire at the end of 2018. It is probably the largest rural lands and rural conservation bill the body will work on. The last Farm Bill saw many changes and improvements that did put our rural lands back to work, and we are gearing up again to continue this success. The American Forest Foundation, along with a Steering Committee of the National Wild Turkey Federa-tion, the National Association of State Foresters, and the Nature Conservancy has again launched the Forests in the Farm Bill Coalition. This group serves as the steering committee for this Coalition. We’re excited to again have the National Woodland Owners Association as a strong partner in this effort. We will spend the first half of 2017 developing a policy platform for the Coalition, with input from Coalition members, including NWOA. As you can see, there are many new opportunities to put rural Americans and our lands to work to benefit America. I hope you will join us as we pursue these opportunities in 2017.


Keith A. Argow, PublisherKeith A. Argow, Publisher

Draining the Swamp:An Unfortunate Metaphor

Family

President Trump said many times during the campaign that he wanted to “drain the swamp” in Washington, D.C. This sug-gests many things, but could well be interpreted as a pledge to rid the American people of too much government and too many regulations. No doubt, most of those who voted for him—and some who didn’t—support this basic goal. In his first month in office, the new presi-dent has followed through with many of his campaign pledg-es. Some note that he has brought “bully” back to the bully pulpit. While it may jar one’s sensitivities, his unique management style is delivered with no apologies. It worked for reality TV, and now we will see how well it works for the leader of the free world. Thanks to our system of government, this is the hand America has dealt itself, and we will play it to the best of our ability. We always do. Recalling America’s history of development, “draining the swamp” is a metaphor suggesting that draining wetlands is a good thing—synonymous with progress. That was certainly true when agriculture dominated the economy, but as the 20th century progressed and swamps continued to be drained for development, it became evident that wetlands are indeed an essential element in any healthy ecosystem. They exist for a reason, and should be carefully monitored, managed and—when appropriate—maintained. I think we can say the same about the laws and regulations affecting forest landowners that have been enacted and refined, especially over the past 100 years. Is it possible to have too much wetland, or to continue the analogy, too much regulation? Yes it is. Wetlands are continually drained and filled for highways, airports, and shopping centers when deemed necessary for the common good. Now that we understand their value, they are also maintained and managed to meet society’s needs. But not without controversy. In the coming months, it is quite likely that many regulations will be repealed (drained). That will set in motion an appeals response and revaluation that may take years. Hopefully, regulations and laws that have outlived their usefulness will be discarded, while those that do contribute value will be preserved. Since 1986, NWOA has recognized a difference between “good laws” and “bad laws” as they apply to stewardship and forestry on private land. The bad laws are not hard to find. They show up as local legislation such as logging diameter limits, excessive permits and high tax rates. Good laws include the “right to practice forestry,” marketing support, and a “landown-ers right of action,” law, with this year’s winner announced on page 49. Regulatory reform legislation is what the Trump administration and many members of Congress say is their top priority. Some

of these laws, put in place by previous administrations, can be reviewed, revised or repealed by the current administration. Others will take a direct act of Congress to change. Seven

of NWOA’s Top Ten Family Forestry Issues (see page 16) could be affected by regulatory overhaul. Good markets for our

timber, pulp and chips is a top NWOA priority as voted on by the leaders of our 42 affiliated state landowner associations every year. These could be directly affected by regulatory overhaul. “Good jobs for Americans” is also a top priority identified by the Trump administration. The forest industry alone employs 90,000 people in large and small communities in 45 states with a combined economic output of $50 billion or four percent of U.S. GDP. Family woodland owners produce half the raw material required to make that happen every year. And we are capable of doing even more, sustainably and well into the future. As noted in this column in the past, we should expect close scrutiny of the benefit/cost analyses of landowner cost share programs for forestry, forest health, invasive species control and water quality in the next budget process. These programs were built on long-standing, bipartisan agreements by previous administrations and Congresses. Unless the benefits are well documented, these programs—which enable landowners to make matching payments today out of their pockets for future generations—could be in trouble. Finally, taxes. Woodland owners are by definition deeply involved, even tangled in tax obligations at all levels of govern-ment, but especially at the federal level. These include capital gains for timber, a limited and relatively small reforestation tax deduction, depreciation and death taxes. In early February, President Trump declared that the U.S. has not seen major tax reform since 1983, and he pledged to revisit the process. That is not good to hear. NWOA was there in 1983, and we saw forestry tax credits eliminated and characterized as “tax loopholes to special interests,” i.e., us. The same tax “reform” took away capital gains rates for small owner timber sales, requiring 20 years and the work of many organizations to eventually get them back. You can be sure we will try to minimize any damage. But in the national scheme of things, we are a small blip on the screen, even if we do grow half the raw material behind a $50 billion economic engine. —KAA

[email protected]

In the coming months, it is quite likely that many regulations will be repealed (drained)....Hopefully, regulations and laws that have outlived their usefulness will be discarded, while those that do contribute value will be preserved.

NATIONAL WOODLANDS WINTER 201767 NATIONAL WOODLANDS SUMMER 2013

STAPLES(TILTED LOGO) CARBON CANOPYLOG

Since STAPLES opened our first store in Massachusetts in 1986 we have grown our business and operate in 26 countries worldwide. We know we have a large carbon footprint we are working hard to reduce it.

• We are proud to be ranked #7 on the EPAs Green Power List and purchase 100% renewable energy for our facilities in the US.

• We operate over 500 EPA Energy Star certified buildings in the US

• We operate high efficiency diesel, CNG and electric trucks in our fleets.

• We are a proud co-‐founder of CARBON CANOPY, an organization of top American corporations and stakeholders providing woodland owners with a reliable marketplace to sell their carbon credits and believe that well-‐managed forests are part of the carbon solution.

WHY? Because it is the right thing to do!


Introduction Prescribed burning is the application of fire to the landscape to meet multiple land management objectives. It is one land management practice that can be used to restore the natural balance of ecosystems in a safe and calculated way, while also reducing wildfire risk. While most plant communities in the South are dependent on fire to maintain plants and na-tive wildlife, many lands do not receive as much fire as they need. In the South, the majority of forestland is privately owned. This means that the ability to manage fire-dependent and fire-adapted ecosystems is contingent upon private landowners’ capacity to use prescribed fire on their lands. Many landowners already use prescribed fire for accomplishing their manage-ment goals, but most do not. To some, burning is viewed as a risky and daunting task, which hinders their willingness to utilize prescribed fire. However, evidence shows that with the help of neighbors and other landowners, prescribed burning is easier, safer, and more economical than when trying to burn on one’s own. The development of Prescribed Burn Associations (PBAs) is an increasingly popular approach to increasing a private landowner’s ability to utilize prescribed fire.

What Is a Prescribed Burn Association? A PBA is a group of local landowners and other concerned citizens who form a partnership to conduct prescribed burns.

PBAs have successfully increased prescribed fire use by landowners and land managers, mainly by making it easier and safer to use prescribed fire. The goal of a PBA is to promote the safe and responsible use of fire in the region through increasing landowner access to education, training, technical support, funding, equipment for burning and hands-on experience to achieve multiple management objectives. Each PBA is operated by private landowners and other local volunteers. Examples of PBA-led activities can include conducting training and workshop events, working to improve prescribed burn laws, tracking prescribed burn activity in the region, and purchasing burn equipment for use by PBA members. PBAs can be formed at various levels, such as local, county, or multi-county, depending on the need. A state-level PBA, such as the Prescribed Burn Alliance of Texas (www.pbatexas.org) or Oklahoma Prescribed Burn Association (www.ok-pba.org), can also be formed to support existing local, county, or multi-county PBAs and to help develop new PBAs within the state. These larger-scale PBAs can assist local organizations by providing additional resources, promoting the establish-ment of local PBAs, and advocating in state legislatures and regulatory agencies. Such state-level fire coalitions and prescribed fire councils were a driving force in passing “Right-to-Burn Acts” that established prescribed burning as essential to maintaining and restoring ecological integrity. In 2015, there were 62 known PBAs in eight states, along with two statewide burn associations (Oklahoma and Texas) and one regional alliance. This represents an increase from the 50 PBAs that were in existence as of 2012. In 2016, a new PBA was developed in North Carolina (North Carolina Sandhills Prescribed Burn Association) increasing the cur-

The Value of Forming A Prescribed Burn Association

by John Diaz, Jennifer E. Fawcett and John R. Weir*

*John Diaz is from the University of Florida; Jennifer E. Fawcett, is from North Carolina State University and John R. Weir is from Oklahoma State University. Adapted from Southern Fire Exchange Fact Sheet 2016-2.

Photo by Dale Wade, Rx Fire Doctor, Bugwood.org


rent figure to 63. For more information and an interactive map of existing PBAs, please visit www.gpfirescience.org/fire-organizations-agencies.

Barriers to Burning and How PBAs Can Help According to surveys, landowners have listed several rea-sons they do not burn. These surveys identified the following major barriers, which are described in more detail below:

• Liability concerns;• Lack of capacity;• Lack of training and/or experience;• Resource concerns (including limited access to equipment);• Weather (including narrow burn windows and limited burn

days).

Prescribed Burn Associations can help members to:

• Obtain insurance and effectively manage risk by address-ing the other needs;

• Increase available peer support to burn;• Gain experience through assisting with burns;• Take advantage of narrow burn windows by deploying

quickly and having multiple groups burning at once; and• Pool equipment to increase resource availability.

Liability The fear of liability is arguably the most significant concern related to prescribed burning among landowners. By increas-ing capacity, experience, and equipment through a PBA, liability risk will subsequently be reduced. Planning burns with multiple landowners, where neighbors assist one another, reduces liability as well because if a landowner burns only their property, the biggest concern is keeping the fire on their property. If multiple landowners plan their burns together, they allow fire to pass freely from one property to another without the worry or fear of liability. This also can make burning more economical due to using natural or man-made firebreaks that may exist on a neighboring property, along with burning larger blocks at once, thus reducing costs, time and number of burn days needed. PBAs exhibit relative success in mitigating issues of liability in relation to the occurrence of spot fires (a fire started by flying sparks or embers at a distance from the main fire) and escaped burns. A study by Weir et al. found that spot fires occurred on prescribed burns conducted by PBAs at

the identical rate (one of five burns) relative to experienced crews within the same region. They also found that only 1.5 percent of a total of 1,094 fires conducted by PBAs escaped, with no reported insurance claims against any of the PBAs or members. This demonstrates that PBAs can manage spot fires and mitigate the potential for escaped burns. Also, in some cases, PBAs can provide prescribed fire li-ability insurance at an affordable rate to landowners through a group discount. Potential damages caused by escaped fires, suppression costs, injury to people assisting with the burn, or problems caused by smoke are usually covered by insurance. A minimal annual fee and additional charge may incur for each burn the landowner would like to have insured.

Capacity A significant challenge for prescribed fire implementation both at a national and regional levels is lack of capacity. Research shows that there is a lack of trained prescribed fire managers, training opportunities, private contractors, and partnerships that has resulted in a major bottleneck for the appropriate application of prescribed fire. PBAs provide a successful method for building prescribed fire capacity through the development of a collaborative network of landowners, government agencies, conservation groups, and other inter-ested individuals and organizations that come together with the common goals of expanding the use of prescribed fire in a specific geographic region.

Training and Experience Knowledgeable landowners who are well equipped with an informed crew are less concerned about liability because they know how to effectively plan and manage prescribed fire. Successful PBAs can also assist in confronting negative local attitudes and reactions to burning. For example, one Texas PBA was able to successfully rebut accusations of property damage and received an apology in the local paper from the accuser. Weir et al. surveyed 50 PBAs located in five Great Plains states about their formation, burn history, fire planning, member experience, external assistance, and other information. The majority of respondents reported that their members had a mix of training or experience prior to joining the PBA, with 75 percent reporting that some members did not have prior training or experience and 88 percent reporting that some members did have prior training or experience. This shows that PBAs provide an opportunity for peer-to-peer learning as both experienced and non-experienced burners

Members of the Poger Mills County PBA in Oklahoma prepare for a prescribed burn. Photo by John Weir, Southern Fire Exchange.

North Carolina Sandhills PBA members shared resources and equipment for a prescribed burn. Photo by Brady Beck Photography.


can work side-by-side to gain valuable experience in the implementation of prescribed fire.

Resources In the same survey of PBAs, members indicated that drip torches, radios, slip-on pump units and ATV sprayers, ATVs, weather instruments/kits, utility vehicles, flappers/swatters and fire rakes were commonly used on burns. Gloves, flame retardant shirts and pants, and goggles/safety glasses were reported as the personal protective equipment most frequently worn on burns. Members identify the value of pooling their equipment so no one person has to buy all of the equipment needed to burn. Some PBAs partner with their local fire department to rent or use equipment for conducting burns, as well as having the local fire department present with additional manpower and equipment for burns. In addition to equipment, PBAs can receive funding through grants or donations. The aforementioned survey found that all responding PBAs received funding in the form of private donations, nongovernmental organization grants and dona-tions, along with state and federal grants ranging from $500 to $250,000. The funds have been used for needs such as equipment and training activities.

Weather Narrowing burn windows as a result of weather or limiting burning to a single season of the year also presents a very significant challenge when coupled with the aforementioned impediments related to capacity. Experience has shown that PBAs are more efficient in accomplishing prescribed burns than landowners burning on their own because they can or-ganize the required labor and support quickly within the often narrow window of desired weather conditions. Also several PBAs have enough members and equipment available to conduct multiple burns in a single day.

Summary The total value of forming a PBA is not only realized by one individual, but by many. The services resulting from an active PBA benefit neighbors, as well as the community through healthy forests and rangelands, reduced wildfire impacts, and the multitude of other benefits that prescribed burning provides. A video, produced by the North Carolina Sandhills Prescribed Burn Association, depicts the value of this PBA to its members: https://youtu.be/HaHt6ZLYd3o. More information about forming a PBA is available at http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2819/F-2880web.pdf.

Personal protective equipment (PPE), protects workers from thermal and other hazards while burning. PPE includes eye protec-tion, leather boots and gloves, a fire resistant hard hat, respiratory protection, and natural underlayers. The use of PPEs is of great importance; radiant heat and smoke can cause death or severe injury. Though fire resistant clothes (e.g. Nomex) are preferred, at a minimum, anyone on the fireline should wear clothing of natural fibers (e.g. denim, cotton, etc.). No synthetic materials should be worn near a fire! (Iowa State University Extension)

NWOA


In Alabama, timber markets have shifted dramatically. Hardwood pulpwood is bringing as much money as pine pulpwood and oak and mixed hardwood sawtimber are selling for more than pine sawtimber. This price phenomena is a marked change from historical stumpage trends. However, many landowners are still hesitant to actively manage their hardwood forests. They may still believe that markets are unfavorable or that hardwood stands should be left untouched for a perceived wildlife value. While this change in markets has brought new opportunities to landowners with hardwood forests, it begs the question of whether landowners are thinking about the regeneration process of these hardwood stands, particularly oak stands. Successful oak regeneration and management has two main requirements: the presence of competitive oak re-generation and timely release of this oak regeneration. To achieve the conditions needed, prescribed fire can be the most important and cost-effective tool to use. But often, this is the last thing that comes to mind when landowners think about hardwood management. Information and demonstra-tion sites are needed to illustrate the benefits of this often overlooked tool. To demonstrate how prescribed fire can be used in southern

hardwood management, in 2014, we initiated a project at the Mary Olive Thomas Demonstration Forest (MOT) near Auburn, Alabama. The MOT is a 400-acre woodland that was given to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System in 1983 for forest management demonstration and outreach purposes. Management of the forest is overseen by the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences (SFWS) at Auburn University. Approximately ten acres on the MOT were selected for this demonstration because of its high proportion of oaks, hicko-ries, and yellow-poplar in the overstory, a beech dominated midstory, and an absent understory. Individual trees on the stand were stem mapped and cataloged to determine the species composition, stand density, and stand basal area. No management activities had been conducted in more than 30 years other than a firewood salvage in 1996 after Hurricane Opal caused many overstory trees to topple. The results of this inventory showed that the stand aver-aged 138 trees and 96 square feet of basal area per acre. White oaks, red oaks, yellow-poplars, and hickories made up 92 percent of the stand basal area. The understory was relatively open, lacking any advanced regeneration of oak, yellow poplar, or hickory and had a deep leaf litter layer of about three to four inches. Depending on objectives, this stand could be managed for the natural regeneration of either oaks or yellow-poplar. Regardless of the species choice, management practices were needed to promote seed germination and seedling de-velopment. This means that the deep leaf litter layer needed to be reduced and midstory competition from the American beech addressed. American beech is a very shade tolerant tree that is capable of growing under an existing overstory.

The Use of Prescribed Fire in an Upland Hardwood Stand in East-Central Alabama

by John S. Kush, Seth D. Hunt, Rebecca J. Barlow, and Jim Armstrong (photos provided by the authors)

*Dr. John S. Kush is a research fellow within the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University. Seth Hunt is a field ecologist for Westervelt Ecological Services. Dr. Rebecca (Becky) J. Barlow is a an Alabama Cooperative Extension System Specialist in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University. Jim Armstrong is an Extension Wildlife Specialist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and a professor In the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University.


Even just a few American beech in the midstory can shade out potential regeneration of more desirable species such as oak. Prescribed fire was our most effective tool to reduce the litter layer so seeds could make contact with mineral soil and successfully germinate. However, there was concern about the potential for damage to the existing overstory, especially damage at the base of the trunk, which could impact wood value. After an extensive review of the literature it was determined that larger diameter oaks and yellow-poplar should not be adversely impacted by properly conducted prescribed fires. Frequent, low intensity fires are a natural part of upland southern hardwood systems. Oak seedlings are naturally adapted to fire. They develop strong root bases before they begin growing upwards, which initially is quite slow. As a result, fire will only top kill oak seedlings, and the powerful oak root base will resprout growing stronger each time so that it is eventually able to out compete other faster growing species. With lack of fire, upland oaks are often out competed by faster growing species and will eventually die due to lack of sunlight. The proper use of fire will kill and reduce oak competition, al-lowing them to develop. In early 2015 we started to look for burn days. We wanted conditions where the leaf litter layer was damp at the soil surface and a steady wind of 2-3 mph. In mid-March we got what we thought was a good day to burn. Once our fire lines were secured, we had four people run lines, each about 120 feet apart, in order to avoid a large flaming front. The winds were less than forecasted and in some areas there was little fire movement. It was estimated that about 65 percent of the stand burned, removing about the same per-centage of leaf litter. During the following summer and fall we did visual checks of trees to assess basal stem damage to overstory trees. Oaks, yellow-poplar and hickories sustained no damage. However, there was some dam-age to smaller stems of American beech but no mortality was seen. Within the areas that did burn, we found more than 100,000 seedlings per acre of yellow-poplar regeneration present. It is interesting to note that this stand had a high percentage of yellow-poplar seed that was in the soil

seed bank. This is where seed is naturally stored in the soil waiting for conditions to be optimal for germination. In some cases seed can remain viable for up to seven years. However, the following summer we found that most of the yellow-poplar regeneration had died due to the low light conditions within the stand. Very little oak regeneration was found. This was also due to the high amount of shade/basal area within the stand. Since we did not get the coverage we had hoped from the 2015 fire, we burned the stand again in March 2016. We followed the same procedure but this time picked a day with

In the 2015 burn, it was estimated that about 65 percent of the stand burned, removing about the same percentage of leaf litter.

The 2016 burn yielded 100 percent coverage of the stand and complete leaf litter layer removal using the same ignition techniques of the 2015 fire.


lower humidity, 40-45 percent, and higher winds, 3-5 mph. This time we got 100 percent coverage of the stand and complete leaf litter layer removal using the same ignition techniques of the 2015 fire. This fire did have an impact on the American beech, causing mortality in the smaller diameter classes, less than six inches DBH, and basal damage to some of the larger beech trees. We also noticed considerable die-back in the tops of many of the beech trees. The oaks, yellow-poplars and hickories continued to show no signs of basal stem damage. With this burn, we saw a slight increase in oak regeneration, particularly white oak regeneration. We suspect that continued use of fire will both help reduce competition and increase viable oak regeneration. The management goals of MOT are to incorporate not only timber production but other values such as wildlife and aesthetics. Our efforts in this hardwood stand on MOT demonstrate the possibilities of upland hardwood manage-ment to landowners, and provide opportunities for hard-wood management education within the SFWS. We hope that over time this demonstration will not only improve the condition of this upland hardwood forest, but will also help address some of the concerns and misconceptions about the use of prescribed fire in southern hardwood manage-ment. To-date, we are very pleased with results from the two prescribed fires. We have removed the leaf litter layer, are beginning to eliminate some of the mid-story American beech competition, and have not observed any damage to the base of the oaks and yellow-poplar.

Overview and History Upland hardwood forests are characterized by a dis-tinct overstory of shade-tolerant, deciduous trees with an understory of wood shrubs and herbaceous groundcover plants. Occasionally some species of pines and evergreen hardwoods are mixed in with the deciduous species. Upland hardwoods are generally located on elevated, rolling terrain such as slopes and bluffs and frequently have a layer of limestone bedrock underneath deep, sandy, well-drained soil. The upper layers of soil have a course texture with finer-textured sand below. The coarse upper layer helps to trap moisture and nutrients while still allowing drainage of excess water. While these higher-elevation forests are most often considered xeric, some upland hardwood forests are located on mid-level slopes and may be mesic, depending on the steepness of the slope and the availability of water. Upland hardwood stands are often located near flatwoods or sandhill ecosystems. The hardwoods may have replaced earlier successional species in these adjacent ecosystems in areas where fire was suppressed. The soil in upland forests is mainly sand, however, there may be deposits of clay and loam in the more northerly locations. These deposits are remnants of the Piedmont soils of Georgia and the Carolinas. As you go farther south along the peninsula, less clay is found in the soil. Because these forests are located on higher elevation slopes, the water table is deeper under the surface. Trees in this ecosystem tend to have deeper root systems in order to obtain water.

The overstory trees in upland hardwood forests are usually oaks such as post oak, white oak, bluejack oak, and live oak. The understory may have a variety of hardwoods like black cherry, persimmon, and magnolia along with woody shrubs and flowering plants. Upland forests are known for their beautiful wildflower displays in the spring and summer months. Upland hardwood forests are mainly located in north Florida and along the high ridges of the peninsula. The northern forests gradually blend into the Piedmont and Appalachian Mountains while the southern forests blend into tropical hardwood hammocks. The Tallahassee-Red Hills region of the Panhandle is home to the most extensive upland hardwood forests in Florida. Many of the species found in the north are common to the warmer, more southerly area of the state. American beech trees are a core species in many north Florida forests, but can’t survive in central or south Florida forests. While upland hardwood forests all have some overstory and understory layers of vegetation, the forests in the north have clearer distinction between the layers. The three canopies are more closed so very little sunlight reaches the forest floor. This results in sparse groundcover. Hardwood forests that grow farther south along the peninsula have less distinct layering and more open canopy so more light can filter down and produce a dense groundcover of grasses and forbs. Light-loving air plants (epiphytes), orchids, and resurrection ferns may be seen growing along the branches of the large oaks. One of the most familiar air plants is Spanish moss which hangs from the trees and gives them an almost eerie

What Are Upland Hardwood Forests?

Prepared by the University of Florida Extension for 4H en-vironmental education.

NWOA


look. Large oak trees, draped in Spanish moss are one of the most characteristic sights in the deep South.

Environmental Factors And Benefits of Upland Hardwood Forests Upland hardwood forests are not fire-dependent. Natural light-ing fires are rare in these habitats where the thick layers of leaf litter are able to trap moisture and retard high-intensity burn-ing. The plants in these habitats also have fewer volatile oils than those found in flatwoods plants, so they are less flammable. How-ever, if a large fire does break out it may be devastating to the forest. These plants are not adapted to fire and would have difficulty re-establishing after a serious burn. Faster-growing pioneer species, such as pines, would be able to move in, replace the hardwoods, and alter the composition of the ecosystem. High winds are generally a more frequent fact in upland forests than fire. The winds cull the trees of dead branches, which fall to the ground and may pile up into brush piles. These often serve as refuge and nesting areas for wildlife. Heavy rains sometimes saturate the Spanish moss that hangs from trees. The added weight of the wet moss may cause branches to break and fall to the ground. Upland hardwood forests are valuable for watershed protection and erosion control. The deep root systems of the trees help to stabilize the soil and prevent excessive run-off of water and nutrients. Not only does much wildlife depend on upland hardwoods, including many threatened or endangered species, but the herbaceous groundcover is sometimes used as high-quality forage for livestock. These beautiful forests are also a source of durable sawtimber. However, the small size of most hardwood stands makes them of limited commercial timber value.

Wildlife and the Upland Forests Upland hardwood forests represent a diverse natural com-munity that is known for its rich species diversity. These forests are able to support numerous animals by providing year-round food resources and shelter. Pollinating insects are attached to the many flowering plants and trees, which produce a variety of food choices including black cherries, persimmons, acorns, mistletoe berries, and numerous grains and seeds. Since the forests have overstory and understory plants, some animals and birds use the upper branches of the trees while others live and forage in the shrubs and groundcover plants. Cavity-nesting birds like owls and woodpeckers make use of the large trees while ground-nesters live in the underbrush. This allows more animals to benefit from the resources without competing against one another. Many species of songbirds frequent upland hardwood trees and shrubs. Some are year-round residents, while others use the forests during spring and fall migration. Resident birds are bluejays, bluebirds,

mockingbirds, cardinals, wrens and woodpeckers. Cedar waxwings, great-crested flycatchers and numerous warblers may be seen in the forest as they migrate during the spring and fall. Ground birds that use upland hardwood forests include bob-white quail and wild turkey. Reptiles that may be found in these habitats include several varieties of non-poisonous snakes as well as the highly-poisonous eastern diamondback rattlesnake. Numer-ous lizards, skinks, and tree frogs live in the upland forests along with gopher tortoises, a threatened species. Some of the wildlife in upland hardwood forests is considered species of special concern because of their dwindling num-bers. The indigo snake, which often lives in gopher tortoise burrows within the forest, is an endangered species, as is the Florida panther. Black bears, like the gopher tortoises, are considered a threatened species. Care must be taken to protect and preserve upland forest habitat in order to provide habitat for these animals.

Human Impacts on Upland Hardwoods One way that humans have impacted upland hardwood forests is by cutting down trees to build homes. Since upland forests are found on well-drained land and offer beautiful trees with shade and shelter from winds, these locations are popular as home sites. Many thousands of acres of hardwood forest have already been cut to make room for housing. Other areas have been cleared and used for agricultural purposes. Much land has been converted to commercial pine plantations or rangeland for livestock. Only fragmented hammocks of hardwoods still exist throughout many areas of the Southeast today. Currently there is a market for lumber from upland hardwood trees such as black cherry, white oak, southern red oak and wal-nut. However, since upland hardwoods are usually found in relatively small stands in Florida, the forests are not able to produce large quantities for commercial purposes. All things considered,the value of these upland forests to wildlife is greater than their value for commercial timber production.

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American beech is a common, though not particularly commercially-valued species present in upland hardwood forests.


The Greatest NumberThe Greatest Good For......

Forest Research—State & Private Forestry—National Forests

Prescribed Fire Defined

The term “prescribed fire” has also been referred to as “control burn” or “prescription fire.” Although many different definitions of prescribed fire exist globally, they all have a central theme. Merrill and Alexander, for example, defined prescribed fire as “any fire deliberately utilized for prescribed burning; usually set by qualified fire management personnel according to a predetermined burning prescription.” They in turn defined prescribed burning as “the knowl-edgeable application of fire to a specific land area to ac-complish predetermined forest management and other land use objectives.” Although subtle variations do exist in how the terms “prescribed fire” and “prescribed burning” are defined by different individuals and organizations, the most important points to remember are that prescribed fire is the application of prescribed burning:

• In a skilled manner; • Under exacting weather conditions; • In a definite place; and • To achieve specific results.

These definitions refer to traditional, planned-ignition pre-scribed fires versus chance- or random- ignition prescribed fires. In some cases, naturally ignited wildland fires can produce beneficial results in terms of attaining land manage-ment objectives, and they are sometimes allowed to burn with limited intervention, provided they meet predefined criteria. In the United States, such events or incidents are called “wildland fire use.” The use of fire by humans has a long and storied history. However, the fact that fire is both a management tool and a process was generally unappreciated until about 40 years ago; and, to a certain extent, full recognition of this point is still lacking today. Wright and Heinselman, for example, outlined the principles of fire as an ecosystem process in fire-dependent northern conifer forests:

• Fire influences the physical– chemical environment (e.g., by volatilizing some nutrients, directly releasing mineral elements as ash, and reducing plant cover and thereby increasing insolation and, in turn, soil temperatures);

• Fire regulates dry-matter accumulation (i.e., in terms of fuel consumption and production);

• Fire controls plant species and communities (at the indi-vidual and stand level as well as at the landscape scale);

• Fire determines wildlife habitat patterns and populations (indirectly through vegetation as opposed to fire-induced mortality);

• Fire influences forest insects, parasites, fungi, etc. (directly by sanitization and indirectly by regulating vegetation); and

• Fire controls major ecosystem processes and character-istics (e.g., nutrient cycles and energy flow, succession, diversity, productivity, and stability).

Several authors have applied this broad framework with specific examples to various ecosystems. Wade and Lunsford considered the following as the most common reasons for using prescribed fire in forest resource management in the southern United States:

• Reducing hazardous fuels; • Preparing sites for seeding and planting; • Disposing of logging debris; • Improving wildlife habitat; • Managing competing vegetation; • Controlling insects and disease; • Improving forage for grazing; • Enhancing appearance; • Improving access; • Perpetuating fire-dependent species; • Cycling nutrients; and • Managing endangered species.

These objectives are similar to those in other regions of North America and globally. To this list we could add, for example, increasing water yields. Experimental outdoor or prescribed fires have also been undertaken exclusively for the purpose of generating fire behavior data in relation to prevailing environmental condi-tions in order to develop new predictive models or guides. Such fires might also be set to examine fire suppression ef-fectiveness. Prescribed burning can also serve as a valuable aid for training firefighting personnel. Many new firefighters are unfamiliar with fire control methods and need training in fire suppression. A prescribed fire can, if properly executed, accomplish many beneficial purposes. On the other hand, it can actually be damaging, depending on the fire’s intensity and timing in terms of the season or time of year. The key is to develop the right burning or fire prescription during the planning.

U.S. Forest Service Photo

This article was adapted from the Winter 2006 issue of Fire Man-agement Today, a U.S. Forest Service publication.


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Mississippi National Forest Burn ProgramIs the Largest and Most Comprehensive in the National Forest SystemWildland Fire Suppression The national forest in Mississippi manages the largest hazard fuels treatment program in the National Forest System. Fire is primarily used to reduce the forest fuels which naturally accumulate over time and pose a threat to soil, water, timber and wildlife during periods of extreme fire weather, should a fire occur. 2016 Planned Prescribed Burn Maps The national forests in Mississippi have a burn program that includes yearly planned prescribed burn schedules. This program helps promote a healthier and more produc-tive forest along with keeping wild land fire risk low. The prescribed burn maps show where planned prescribed burns will be conducted on the National Forest lands in Mississippi. They include:

• Bienville National Forest;• Chickasawhay National Forest;• De Soto National Forest;• Holly Springs—entire forest & Holly Springs—Yalobusha

Unit;• Homochitto National Forest. Hazard Fuels Treatment Program The national forests in Mississippi have been treating the forest with fire since the early 1960s. During this time

period the forest has averaged over 100,000 acres treated annually with fire. During 2003, the Forest treated a record 260,000 acres with prescribed fire. The forest continues to average between 150,000-and 200,000 prescribed fire acres/yearly. These planned proj-ects are conducted under the direction in the National Fire Plan and the president’s Healthy Forest Initiative.

Mississippi Interagency Coordination Center (MICC) Interagency Cooperation exists with other federal agen-cies such as the National Park Service (Natchez Trace Parkway) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Noxubee Wildlife Refuge, Mississippi Sandhill Crane Refuge, St. Catherine’s Wildlife Refuge). These agencies interact with the Forest Service in national budget-planning activities, sharing fire personnel and resources to accomplish pre-scribed fire treatments, fuels reduction treatments, and training activities.

Fire Protection for Private Forest Landowners The forest has a number of participating agreements with private landowners allowing portions of their land to be included within agency and managed prescribed fire treatments for economic efficiency and benefit. Private landowners in Mississippi who want to achieve the same level of protection can get assistance by contacting the Mississippi Forestry Commission.

U.S. Forest Service Photo


WHAT MAKES NATIONAL WOODLAND OWNERS UNIQUE?• “Made in America!,” 11 million families own half of the forested landscape in the U.S.

• NWOA is the only nationwide forestry organization founded, funded and led by family woodland owners. By design, NWOA is independent of both the forest industry and government. The primary focus is service and education to landowners to promote responsible stewardship. NWOA works closely with industry associations and public agencies to provide a landowner perspective on markets, extension education, fair taxation, forest health wildfire.

• Through the Alliance (see p. 34), NWOA is also a nationwide federation of affiliated state landowner associa-tions and councils. All of them are independent like NWOA.

• NWOA is the only organization to ballot the Top Ten Family Forest Issues in the U.S., every year since 1986. Voting is by the 42 affiliated state landowner associations.

• Half of the NWOA Board of Directors is elected by the State Affiliates.

• NWOA is part of a Washington, D.C. network of forestry associations. (see below)

NWOA’S WASHINGTON, D.C. FORESTRY NETWORKAmerican Forest Foundation Parent organization of the Tree Farm program, the Forestry in the Farm bill Coalition and Project Learning

Tree. AFF is a an important NWOA partner;American Forests Founded in 1875 as the American Forestry Association that sponsored the first Forest Congress leading to

the founding of the U.S. Forest Service. American Forests magazine carries features about the nature of the forest. Annual subscriptions at a special rate are available to NWOA members.

Cooperative Forestry Extension The nationwide network of forestry extension agents is the best source of good forestry education through

field visits, webinars, and training sessions. Adequate support for these programs is NWOA’s #1 advocacy mission. NWOA is a co-sponsor of the annual 4H National Forestry Invitational.

Hardwood Federation The U.S. is home to the best hardwood forests in the world. NWOA is a member of the Hardwood Federation,

a D.C. based advocacy group. National Association of Conservation Districts There are soil & water conservation districts providing landowner assistance in every county. NACD is their

national association. NWOA is an active partner of the NACD Forestry Committee.

National Alliance of Forest Owners Organized a decade ago to represent the private

investment groups that had recently acquired most of the timberlands sold by the forest industry, NAFO has a focused forest policy staff in Washington D.C. NWOA is a member of NAFO.

National Association of State Foresters NWOA works closely with all state forestry agencies.

They are a landowner’s first line of defense from wildfire and declining forest health while providing forestry advice and market assistance. State For-esters are important as legislatures debate laws affecting woodland owners.

National Association of University Forest Re-sources Programs The state land-grant universities are the home to

the state schools of forestry and the cooperative forestry extension faculties. Forestry education is the foundation of successful family woodland stewardship. In partnership with NAUFRP, NWOA presents two annual awards, one for the Out-standing Family Forestry Education Program, and a second award for the outreach project to help woodland owners.

TOP TEN FORESTRY ISSUES, 2016

1. Fair Income, Inheritance & Property Taxes2. Timber Markets, Biomass & Fair Trade3. Invasives & Forest Health4. Extension Education & Service Forestry5. Right-to-Practice Forestry & Private

Property Rights6. Keeping Forests as Forests7. Water Quality and Quantity 8. Stewardship Incentives: Cost Sharing &

Tax Credit9. Wildfire: Suppression, Fuel Reduction &

Early Detection10. Certification: Woodlands & Service Pro-

viders


Organized in 1983, the National Woodland Owners Association is a nationwide organization of family woodland owners. Funded through landowner dues and donations, the group is entirely in-dependent of government agencies and the forest industry, but works with both to promote effective legislation and open markets for a lasting Family Forest Legacy.

There are two classes of membership: 1) National Members are eligible for all the benefits of membership (see p. 49), including all four issues of National Woodlands magazine. 2) Affiliate Mem-bers belong to one of the 42 State Landowner Associations that are State Affiliates of NWOA. The state associations use NWOA as a Washington DC contact and as a partnership to exchange information and ideas. Members of the state affiliates receive an annual issue of National Woodlands as a benefit of belonging to their state association.

The leaders of the affiliated state associations perform two impor-tant roles in the national association: 1) Elect half of the NWOA Board of Directors (by regions). 2) Select and rank the Top Ten Family Forestry Issues. NWOA is the only national association to use annual voting of this scale to guide forest policy advocacy in Washington D.C. • Access to Forest Markets • Timber and Land Taxes • Right-to-Practice Forestry • Forestry Extension Education have consistently been issues of greatest concern.

BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP • Four quarterly issues of National Woodlands, America’s largest circulation forestry magazine. See p. 49 for

20 good reasons to subscribe.• Optional top rated $1 million Woodland Liability Insurance, only $160 for up to 500 acres. Hunt Club liability

insurance also available.• Effective advocacy of the Top Ten Family Forestry Issues in Washington, D.C. and in 48 state capitals though

affiliated state landowner associations.• Free subscription to Wednesday Woodland Word, a weekly email with landowner advice and news.• Optional subscription to American Forests magazine for $10/year.

NWOA Board of Directors

Keith Argow – President & CEOWashington, DC/[email protected] Courter – Chairman and NW [email protected]

Philip Gramelspacher – Vice Chairand Heartland Region [email protected]

Linda L. Finley – Treasurer & Mid Atlantic [email protected] Chapin – Southwest [email protected] Hamilton – Southeast DirectorNorth [email protected] Hubbard – Gulf States Director [email protected]

Lyle Laverty – Rocky Mtn./Great Plains [email protected] McKinley – South Central Director [email protected] Robertson – Northeast Director [email protected] Sitts – At Large DirectorNorth [email protected]

The National Woodland Owners Association:

Who We Are And What We Do


Numerous agencies, organizations, and collaboratives conduct activities related to wildland fire. Understanding all of their different roles and objectives can be confusing! This article provides brief descriptions of some of the most com-mon wildland fire initiatives, programs, networks, and other efforts taking place around the country.

Fire Learning Network In 2002, the Nature Conservancy (TNC), the U.S. Forest Service, and agencies within the U.S. Department of the In-terior (Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Fish & Wildlife Service and National Park Service) launched a joint strategy known as The Fire Learning Network (FLN) to address the complex issues facing fire managers and land management across large landscapes with varying owner-ships (TNC, 2014). The core philosophy of this network revolves around col-laborative planning, implementation, adaptive management, and information sharing. Regional network workshops, field learning exchanges, and topical workshops help to bring partners together from several landscapes to share

*John Diaz is from the University of Florida; Jennifer E. Fawcett, is from North Carolina State University and Jean Chung is from North Carolina State University. Adapted from Southern Fire Exchange Fact Sheet 2016-3.

National Level Initiatives for Fire Management And Information Sharing Joint Fire Science Program Fire Science Exchange Network The Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) Fire Science Ex-change Network (FSEN) was created in 2010 to accelerate the awareness, understanding, and adoption of wildland fire science information by federal, tribal, state, local, and private stakeholders within ecologically similar regions (JFSP, 2016). The Fire Science Exchange Network connects fire managers and researchers at the local level and shares research find-ings from wildland fire research funded by JFSP and other entities. As of 2016, 15 regional exchanges existed, covering the entire U.S. Six major principles guide the FSEN: to be inclusive;

to serve as neutral science partners; to be end-user driven; to operate collaboratively; to pursue innovative communication methods; and to facilitate the flow of fire science information (JFSP, 2016). The Fire Science Exchange Network strives to connect you with the fire science you need. While each regional exchange is unique, most offer free webinars, work-shops and field tours, research summaries, and newsletters. You can find your region’s exchange website by visiting the JFSP website at www.firescience.gov/ JFSP_exchanges.cfm.

Commonly Referenced Wildland FireInitiatives, Programs & Networks

by John Diaz, Jennifer E. Fawcett and Jean Chung*

Photo by Dale Wade, Rx Fire Doctor, Bugwood.org


Prescribed Fire Training Center Integrated interagency training plays a key role in increasing prescribed burning expertise of federal fire managers while also enhancing collaborative approaches to fire management, especially on federal lands. The National Interagency Pre-scribed Fire Training Center (PFTC) in Tallahassee, Florida provides a variety of training sessions each year, which include a mix of field prescribed burning experience with a flexible curriculum of classroom instruction for prescribed fire practitioners from around the world. The PFTC is sanctioned by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group and operates under the PFTC Interagency Partnership comprised of all major federal land management agencies, the Florida Forest Service, and Tall Timbers Research Station & Land Con-servancy. For more information about PFTC and its training opportunities, visit www.fws.gov/fire/pftc.

Prescribed Burn Associations A Prescribed Burn Association (PBA) is an organized cooperative between a group of landowners and other local citizens to conduct prescribed burns. PBAs promote the safe and responsible use of prescribed fire through increasing landowner access to education, training, technical support, funding, equipment for burning, and hands-on experience to achieve multiple management objectives. Contributing members share knowledge, experience, and equipment to increase the application and safety of prescribed fire as a management tool, while simultaneously reducing the risks of conducting burns (Weir, 2010). Experience has shown that PBAs are also more efficient at accomplishing prescribed burns because they can organize the required labor and support quickly within the often-narrow window of desired weather conditions. More than 60 Prescribed Burn Associa-tions currently exist in nine states. See the article on page 7 for more information.

Prescribed Fire Information, Resources, and Training Prescribed Fire Councils As of 2015, 31 Prescribed Fire Councils (PFC) exist in 27 states across the country (Melvin, 2016). Members consist of agency staff, land managers, private landowners, forestry consultants, academic professionals, and other interested parties. Many PFCs host annual meetings for prescribed burn managers and landowners as a continuing education function that provides updates on relevant policy, fire man-agement information, research, and lessons learned. The PFCs represent a collaborative strategy to assist prescribed fire managers in addressing new and increasingly complex

National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy As the fire community and other key stakeholders witnessed the increasing costs for wildfire suppression and the increas-ing complexity of fire issues, they realized a strategic and collaborative approach was necessary. This culminated in the development of the Federal Land Assistance, Manage-ment, and Enhancement Act (FLAME) Act of 2009 that set the stage for the development of The National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy in 2010. This strategy represents a calculated approach to working collaboratively among stakeholders across all landscapes, taking advantage of the best science to make meaningful progress toward three important components of wildland fire management: resilient landscapes, fire adapted communities and firefighter safety (OWF, 2016). The overarching national strategy was used to develop regionally specific action plans that support the national strategy priorities at regional and local levels. To learn more, visit www.forestsandrangelands.gov/strategy.

challenges to prescribed burning. Their philosophy is that in regards to prescribed burning, no single agency can address concerns over public health and safety, ecological steward-ship, liability, public education, and air quality regulation. In order to effectively address these issues and overcome persistent challenges, a diverse group of public and private leaders formed the National Coalition of Prescribed Fire Councils in 2007 that later became a non-profit corporation called Coalition of Prescribed Fire Councils, Inc. For more information or to learn more about a Prescribed Fire Council near you, visit www.prescribedfire.net.

knowledge, restoration tools, products, and ideas across regions. In addition to workshops and learning exchanges, FLN distributes a biweekly newsletter, several other short publications, and an annual field guide to the network and others interested in wildland fire. For more information on a FLN near you, check out the Fire Learning Network website at www.conservationgateway.org/ConservationPractices/FireLandscapes/FireLearningNetwork/Pages/fire-learning-network.aspx.


Fire Safe Councils Fire Safe Councils are grassroots community-based orga-nizations, which share the objective of making communities less vulnerable to catastrophic wildfire. Fire Safe Councils accomplish this objective through education programs and projects, such as shaded fuel breaks or firebreaks to protect area residents against an oncoming wildfire and to provide firefighters with a place to fight the oncoming fire. As of 2016, they are being implemented in California (www.cafiresafe-council.org), Nevada, and Montana (www.firesafemt.org). Since its formation in 1993, the California Fire Safe Council (CFSC) has united Californians to speak with one voice about fire safety. CFSC, a statewide non-profit organization, is a leader in encouraging grassroots movements which make communities more Fire Safe, Firewise and Fire Adapted, and there are now more than 100 councils around the state. CFSC receives federal grants that provide funding to local Fire Safe Councils and other community organizations in California using CFSC’s innovative online Grants Clearing-house (www.cafiresafecouncil.org/grants-clearinghouse). The Clearinghouse enhances existing relationships between communities and state and federal agencies, and helps cre-ate new relationships by expanding funding opportunities for eligible organizations and agencies. Through its work with federal and state agencies and Fire Safe Councils, CFSC reaches hundreds of thousands of home and business owners throughout California annually, providing local fire prevention grants.

Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network The Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network (FAC Net) connects and supports people and places that are actively engaged in learning to live better with fire. Jointly managed by The Nature Conservancy and the Watershed Research and Training Center, and supported by a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Forest Service and Department of Interior, the FAC Net shares the best fire adaptation practices nationwide. Members of this network exchange information and work together to help communities live safely with fire by taking action before, during, and after wildfires. Network members connect through learning exchanges, workshops, online collaboration, staff liaisons and more. Because addressing community resiliency to wildfire takes time, FAC Net members develop powerful, enduring rela-tionships, and are committed to learning from one another through their peer network. Anyone interested in the practices of fire adapted communities can become an Affiliate Member of FAC Net by creating a profile at fireadaptednetwork.org.

Fire Adapted Communities The U.S. Forest Service’s Fire Adapted Communities (FAC) initiative is one of the three main components of the National Cohesive Strategy. The FAC initiative is not a program or status, but rather a set of tools and practices that any com-munity may undertake in order to increase its resilience to wildfire. It is a collaborative approach that connects all those who play a role in wildfire education, planning and action with comprehensive resources to help reduce risk. FAC represents a shift in the way communities culturally relate to wildfire, recognizing it as a natural process, and learning to live more safely with it. A “Fire Adapted Community” incorporates people, buildings, businesses, infrastructure, cultural resources, and natural areas to prepare for the effects of wildfire. FAC provides a framework through which communities in wildfire prone areas work together to become fully prepared for wildfire and for mitigating potential losses. Firewise is a key component of FAC, providing guidance and education for taking specific actions around homes, along with landscaping to reduce fire risk. Other important FAC elements include Community Wildfire Protection Plans, fuel management around com-munities, and resources and activities described at www.fireadapted.org.

Programs and Initiatives to Reduce Community Wildfire Risk Firewise Communities Program The National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Firewise Communities Program began in the 1990s to encourage homeowners and local communities to reduce wildfire risk as-sociated with home construction materials and landscaping. Its program facilitates communication, education, and planning among organizations, community leaders, and homeowners affected by wildfire. Focusing on homeowner outreach, the Firewise Communities Program has created a platform to encourage cooperation between neighbors, resulting in more resilient communities located in the wildland/urban interface. Today, there are more than 1,300 communities participating in the Firewise Communities/USA Recognition Program in 40 states. The program is cosponsored by the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the National Association of State Foresters. For more information, visit www.firewise.org.

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As we put the first fire on the ground, a lot of things are, or should be, going through our heads. Most often we are thinking about weather conditions, if we have the right equipment, or just watching out for stump holes as we make our way through the woods. What we tend to leave overlooked is the way we use the fire to accomplish our goals. Too often we get stuck in a rut and rely on a back fire followed by a combination of more backing fires with some head fires as needed. Prescribed fire managers have many more options at our disposal for the ways we use fire. The option chosen must be used to better accomplish the management objectives of the land on which we are conducting the burn. For instance, on a site preparation burn we would most often want to elimi-nate as much vegetation as possible in order to be left with an area that can be easily planted, and the newly planted seedlings will have less trouble becoming established. Or, if we are burning to accomplish a goal of increasing wildlife habitat, we may be using slower moving, less intense fires to encourage a select few species to regenerate. The firing techniques used by prescribed fire managers are driven by wind. Based on behavior and spread, fires either move with the wind (head fire), against the wind (backing fire), or at right angles to the wind (flanking fire). By knowing the wind direction and the goal of the fire, we can manipulate how the fire behaves. In general, there are five different firing techniques: backing fire, head fire, strip head fire, flanking fire and spot fires.

Backing Fire This type of fire will exhibit the slowest rate of speed and lowest intensity. Backing fires are typically used to start a prescribed burn, enlarging the size of firebreaks by adding a “black line” along the down-wind side of the fire. This simply provides an extra layer of protection from the fire escaping by adding to the existing firebreak. Another area where this type of firing technique is useful is in young pine stands where tree injury or mortality are an issue. Using a backing fire and letting it creep through the stand against the wind will provide a good clean burn and result in the least possible damage to the pines or other desired species. Additional control lines are required within the burn block as shown in the illustration described on the following page. Without these control lines, each line after the initial would essentially be a strip head fire (described shortly) as it burns into the previous backing fire. Because this type of burn will take quite a bit longer than any of the other methods, long range monitoring of weather conditions is a must.

Backing Fire Considerations:• Slow movement—low intensity;• Useful in young pine stands or in stands with heavy fuel

loads;• Low, steady in-stand wind speeds desirable;• Least damaging to desired species;• Fuel continuity required;• Avoid using in areas with deep duff layer unless the duff

is moist due to potential damage to feeder roots.

Firing Techniques for Prescribed Fire Managers

by Ryan Bean, Clemson University*

* Natural resources agent, Clemson University Cooperative Exten-sion. Illustrations courtesy of U.S. Forest Service publication “A Guide for Prescribed Fire in Southern Forests.”


Head Fire/Strip Head Fire Head fires produce the highest intensity because they are driven completely by the wind and are able to move at a relatively high rate. Although uncommon, there are times when a pure head fire will accomplish the goal. However, head fires are often used as strip head fires. Strip head fire involves igniting parallel lines of head fire at various distances. The head fire from the most recently ignited line will burn towards the previously ignited line, which will be backing towards it. Where those lines converge, the intensity rapidly increases. By varying the distance between the strips, you will be able to manipulate the behavior and intensity of the fire overall. At wider spacings between lines, the head fire will be able to increase to greater intensity before it converges with the backing fire of the previous line. Closer spacing will help maintain a lower intensity. In a timber stand with heavier fuel loading, it may be appropriate to use strips placed closer together so that individual head fires do not

have time to build to potential intensity before converging with the previous strip. It should be noted that with the use of strip head fires, closer attention to wind direction and speed must be paid in order to ensure safety of personnel and equipment, especially if multiple persons are setting lines in close succession.

Head Fire/Strip Head Fire Considerations:• Rapid fire spread;• Higher intensity;• Can handle greater wind shifts;• Fuel continuity not required due to higher intensity;• Useful with higher relative humidity and fine fuel moistures.

Flanking Fire This technique involves setting lines of fire as you move directly into the wind. Fire intensity is generally moderate and as with strip head fires you can manipulate the intensity by

Backing Fire Technique Strip Head Fire Technique

Flanking Fire Technique Spot Fire Technique


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adjusting the distance between ignition points. Moving the points closer together will net a less intense fire, whereas moving them farther apart will increase the intensity. With this technique, it is critical that you have a steady wind speed and direction where the igniters move at the same speed.

Flanking Fire Considerations:• Wind direction must be steady;• Useful in open understory;• Rapid ignition of entire block.

Spot Fires Spot fires allow the burn manager the most control of the result of the fire through intensively managed timing of igni-tion spots within lines, spacing between ignition points, and spacing between ignition lines. The intensity of spot fires falls somewhere between that of a line of backing fire and that of lines of strip head fires. With spot fires, there is movement in all directions, however it should be understood that most fuels will be consumed by the head or flanking portions of the fire, since they are moving most rapidly. As a result, low in-stand wind speeds make this type of fire most effective and allow continual modification of ignition methods to adapt to changing fuel loads, fuel types, and terrain.

If everything is within your burn prescription, you can increase both between and within-line distances. This step will reduce ignition time, and decrease the number of igniters required. The number of convergence areas with higher intensities will also be decreased.

Spot Fire Considerations:• Can handle variable wind speeds/directions;• Rapid ignition of burn block;• Easily manipulated on the fly;• Can be adapted to suit changing conditions including fuel

loading, fuel type, and topography.

Mop-Up Prescribed burning is the most useful and least expensive tool available to land managers. However, with this tool comes a great deal of responsibility. Ensuring that the burn is conducted in such a way to adhere to the burn prescription or burn plan, smoke management guidelines, and objectives of the landowner are all critical. By implementing the firing techniques outlined in this article, obtaining your management objectives should be a walk in the woods.

Adapted from“A Guide for Prescribed Fire in Southern Forests”

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The U.S. Forest Service’s Futures Project divided the South into five large ecological sub-regions that have distinct ecological traits as well as social/cultural/economic identities (see map above). Teams are preparing reports for each sub-region that distill information from the Technical Report and discuss management implications and challenges relevant to each as follows:

Mid-South This report presents forecasts from the Southern Forest Futures Project that are specific to the Mid-South region, which consists of four sections located within Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas: the Ozark-Ouachita Highlands, the Cross Timbers, the High Plains, and the West Texas Basin and Range. Ranging from Little Rock, Arkansas to El Paso, Texas, it is the most diverse subregion in the South. The Mid-South faces a number of important challenges to management of forests and woodlands over the next 50 years, including population increases, the likelihood for increased drought, increased demand for water and water supply stress, sea level rise along the Gulf of Mexico, and invasive native spe-

Southern Forest Futures ProjectSubregional Reports

by Various Authors, U.S. Forest Service

Eastern Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas—Forked Mountain in Perry County. (Photo by James M. Guldin, U.S. Forest Service).

cies. Understanding these challenges, and the implications they could have on management and policy in the region, is critical to maintaining the diversity, health, productivity, and sustainability of Mid-South forests, woodlands, and grass-lands.

Mississippi Alluvial Valley The Mississippi Alluvial Valley, which can be broadly subdi-vided into the Holocene Deposits section and the Deltaic Plain section, is a 24.9-million-acre area generally approximating the alluvial floodplain and delta of the lower Mississippi River. Its robust agricultural economy is maintained by a largely rural population, and recreational resources draw high visitation from nearby urban centers. The Mississippi Alluvial Valley forms a key corridor for migratory animals, and the Mississippi River has been developed as a vital conduit of commerce for much of North America. Although forest land use currently makes up only 28 percent of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley,

A Mississippi Alluvial Valley WRP site, with planted bottomland hardwood trees adjacent to a moist-soil area. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey, National Wetlands Research Center).


bottomland hardwood forests and coastal swamps remain invaluable for producing forest products, sustaining biodi-versity, providing recreational opportunities, and performing essential ecosystem services. Forecasts generated by the Southern Forest Futures Project provide science-based projections of how alternative futures of economic growth, population growth, climatic patterns, and a range of forest threats could drive potential trajectories of land use, forest conditions, water resources, recreational resources, and wildlife habitats across the Southern Region. This report identifies findings from the Southern Forest Futures Project that are relevant to the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, expands on the relevant findings through additional science synthesis and analysis, and outlines noteworthy im-plications of the alternative futures to forest-based resources and ecosystem services of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley.

Appalachian-Cumberland The U.S. Appalachian-Cumberland highland consists of about 62.3 million acres in portions of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia; and is divided into five sections—Blue Ridge Mountains; Interior Low Plateau; Northern Ridge and Valley; Southern Ridge and Valley; and Cumberland Plateau and Mountains. Appalachian-Cumberland forests provide a multitude of ecological services and societal benefits. This publication presents results from the Southern Forest Futures Project specific to the Appalachian- Cumberland subregion, along with associated challenges to forest management. Forecasted scenarios suggest that environmental condi-tions, nonnative insects and diseases, forest fragmentation, and increased societal pressure on forest land could create novel conditions that affect ecosystem structure and func-tion. Continued changes in the societal forces that shape forest conditions, including urbanization, have the poten-tial to affect many of the ecosystem services provided by Appalachian-Cumberland forests, including commercial and noncommercial forest products (such as timber harvesting and mushroom collecting), water quantity and quality, recreation, wildlife habitat, and biological complexity.

Piedmont The Piedmont, a complex physiographic subregion of the U.S. South, encompasses parts of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. Anticipating the future and analyzing what the interaction of future changes might

mean for the forests of the Piedmont and the services they provide can improve decisions by resource managers and policy makers that have long-term consequences. The authors extracted and analyzed detailed results from the Southern Forest Futures Project to provide a set of key findings and implications for the Piedmont. The general conclusion of this analysis is that Piedmont forests will likely decline over time in response to growing populations and urbanization. Over the next several decades the Piedmont will be faced with the effects of forest loss, including changes in water quality and water supply from forests, recreational opportunities, wildlife habitat, and increasing competition for traditional forest products industries.

This open forest will provide better habitat for Georgia aster, smooth coneflower (federally listed), and wild turkey. (Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service).

Forest landowners learn about the Appalachian-Cumberland Region forest. (Photo courtesy of University of Tennessee).

Coastal Plain The U.S. Coastal Plain consists of seven sections: the Northern Atlantic, Eastern Atlantic, Peninsular Florida, Southern Gulf, Middle Gulf-East, Middle Gulf-West and Western Gulf. It covers a large area, consists of a diverse array of habitats, and supports a diverse array of uses. This report presents forecasts from the Southern Forest Futures Project that are specific to the Coastal Plain, along with as-sociated challenges to forest management in this subregion: warmer temperatures; increases in urban land use; popula-tion increases; more planted pine; increased harvesting for bioenergy; impacts to hydrology and water quality; increased impacts from invasive organisms; and longer, more intense wildfire seasons. Understanding these impacts and the tools available to address them will be key to effective manage-ment of the Coastal Plain forests. NWOA

A Coastal Plain hardwood community along the Northwest Cape Fear River in Pender County. (Photo by Dirk Frankenberg).


On February 2, World Wetlands Day, a diverse group of stakeholders announced a major multi-state effort known as the Wetland Forest Initiative (WFI) (wetlandforests.org) to support expanded conservation efforts and improved management of wetland forests of the South. Sixty five percent of wetland forests in the U.S. are in the South. They span 35 million acres across 14 states. Also known as bottomland hardwoods, swamp forests, or flood-plain forests, this forest type is important for both human and natural communities. The long-term goal of the initiative is to advance measurable conservation, restoration, and improved management outcomes and to expand financial incentives and technical assistance for interested landowners. By design, this collaboration includes the diverse perspec-tives of landowner-focused and professional forestry organiza-tions including the National Woodland Owners Association, American Forest Foundation, Southern Group of State For-esters alongside environmen-tal organizations such as the National Wildlife Federation, NRDC, Dogwood Alliance, and others. This forest type is so critical for a variety of reasons including:

1. Almost 80 percent has been lost over the years to ditching and draining and conversion to plantations, agricultural lands, and development;

2. Intact wetland forests have a range of community benefits and support clean drinking water and protect against flooding and storm surges;

3. This forest type is amongst the most carbon rich on the continent and also supports amazing wildlife.

About 90 percent of wetland forests are on private lands and this represents an important opportunity for improving

the condition of this forest type for any and all interested landowners. Currently the steering committee is in the process of mapping priority conservation areas that may represent old growth stands, and key lands for connectivity and spe-cies richness and community needs like flood control. Also in process is a review of management guidelines for wetland forests in this region and an exploration of what improved management practices could look like in the woods. The foundation of the long-term vision of this initiative recognizes that any conservation or improved management efforts will be voluntary and dependent upon the interest and willingness of landowners to engage. One of the precedents that the WFI has looked to is the Highlands Conservation

Initiative in the Northeast. This four-state effort (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut) was grounded in the premise that intact upstream forests were critical for the water security of tens of millions of downstream city dwellers and a significant amount of federal and state financial resources were generated and used to support new public lands, and a wide variety of conservation easements for any landowners who opted in and took advan-

tage of the financial and conservation opportunities. The net was approximately five million acres of forest that will remain as natural forest—with varying degrees of functionality.

Wetland Forests and Ecosystem Services and Markets Wetland forests provide critical “ecosystem services”—benefits to human communities that go beyond monetary value. For example, wetland forests provide twice the value in endangered species and wildlife habitat, pollution control, flood control, and water treatment than upland forest habitat (e.g., mixed pine and hardwoods). These forests serve as carbon sinks, pulling carbon out of the atmosphere and stor-

Launch of the Wetland Forest Initiative: What It Means for Landowners


ing it in vegetation and soil. According to the Forest Service, Southern forests are among the top-ranking carbon-rich forests in the United States. Southern forests, which include wetland forests, comprise about 29 percent of all U.S. forests and account for approximately one-third of the carbon U.S. forests an-nually sequester. As carbon markets and other ecosys-tem services mature, there may be grow-ing financial opportunity for landowners to balance the economic opportunities inherent in harvesting wood for products (solid wood, pulp & paper, etc.) with managing wood for downstream water needs. At present, it only makes financial sense for larger landowners (1,200+ acre) to manage for forest carbon credits that can be traded on the open market. Fortunately, the carbon markets continue to develop, with the goal of becoming more useful to family woodland owners. The recently completed Carbon Canopy project (2011-2015) was a collaboration between NWOA, the Dogwood Alliance, and multiple sponsors. The study conducted an in-depth analysis of the economic and forest management factors and long term commitment involved with an objective of determining what it would take to be appealing to smaller landowners. It revealed that under current markets, there is an apparent minimum of 2,500 acres. However, the soundness of the con-cept and protocols enabled the Forestland Group to develop nearly 250,000 acres of forest carbon projects in the South, generating carbon credits for sale in the marketplace. Other markets continue to develop—the Savannah River Clean Water Fund is an example of a regional effort that is focused on supporting upstream forest intactness through the creation of opt-in easement and other conservation strategies.

Southern Wetland Forests are Key for Biodiversity According to the World Wildlife Fund, the wetland (bot-tomland hardwood) forests of the South, which flank rivers and streams running throughout the coastal plain, are some of the most biologically important habitats in North America. Southern wetland forests are home to many threatened and endangered species which rely on these unique habitats to survive and reproduce. Many of the region’s intact wetland forests occur in the coastal plain. A world biodiversity hotspot, the Southeastern and Gulf Coastal Plains have nearly 600 animal and more than 1,800 plant species found nowhere else on Earth.

Southern Forests Help Ensure Water Security and Protect Coastal Communities Thanks to the good stewardship of small non-industrial landowners, the forests of the Southern U.S. provide clean drinking water to millions of people across the region. In fact, two-thirds of the nation’s clean water supply comes from precipitation that is filtered through forests and ends up in streams. Wetland forests purify and maintain the quality of freshwater streams and rivers in nine states across the South. They improve water quality by filtering pollutants, capturing sediment and controlling water temperature fluctuations.

The water purification benefits of forests are economically valuable not to mention critical to our prosperity and survival as a species. Wetland forests also provide enormous flood control benefits, soaking up water, slowing floodwater speed, and providing areas for water to pool, thus reducing the risk of flooding in downstream communities. Bottomland wetland forests along the Mississippi River once could store at least 60 days’ worth of floodwater. Dramatically reduced in size, they now provide only 12 days’ worth of water storage. In many cases, communities in the region have had to compensate for that loss with expensive man-made solutions such as dredging and levees.

What’s Next In the coming year, the Wetland Forests Initiative will work to develop a range of tools for the landowner community including information on ecosystem service markets, federal and local programs that provide funding for conservation ef-forts, conservation priority maps, and recommendations for enhanced forest management. The Initiative will also com-plete a strategic analysis for increasing financial resources for conservation objectives and begin to support regional leadership structures in each state where the wetland forests are distributed. To learn more about our efforts, visit www.wetlandforests.org The Wetland Forests Initiative is currently composed of a steering committee and several working groups, which include members from these organizations: American Forest Foundation, National Audubon Society, Black Family Land Trust, Carolina Wetlands Association, Clemson University, Defenders of Wildlife, Dogwood Alliance, Forest Stewards Guild, Gulf Restoration Network, Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, National Wildlife Federation, National Woodland Owners’ Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, Open Space Institute, Southern Group of State Foresters, and the University of Georgia, among others.

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In an effort to improve wildlife habitat and the health of private forestlands, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced addi-tional incentives available for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) participants to actively manage forestlands enrolled in the program. “Many CRP forests were initially established to conserve soil and protect water quality, but there is also a critical need to restore wildlife habitat” said Brad Pfaff, FSA Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs. “Over the years as trees grow and the forest canopy closes, the quality of wildlife habitat for many species declines. These new incentives are intended to reverse that trend, while also maintaining healthy forests.” The announcement was recently made at a CRP forest site near Jackson, Mis-sissippi. In addition to Pfaff, those in at-tendance included FSA Mississippi State Executive Director Michael R. Sullivan; Natural Resources Conservation Service State Conservationist Kurt Readus; and office of Senator Thad Cochran Constitu-ent Services Representative Jo Ann Clark. Under the provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill, $10 million is available nationwide to eligible CRP participants. Those selected will be encouraged to thin, prescribe burn or otherwise manage their forests in order to allow sunlight to reach the forest floor. This will encourage the development of grasses, forbs and legumes, benefitting numerous species including pollina-tors and grassland-dependent birds such as the northern bobwhite.

“The program is a win-win for landowners and wildlife as it supports enhanced wildlife habitat on lands already removed from agricultural production, while promoting forest sustain-ability, soil conservation, and water quality protection,” said Pfaff. Eligibility is limited to landowners and agricultural producers already enrolled in CRP with conservation covers primarily

containing trees. Incentive payments, not to exceed 150 percent of the cost to implement a particular customary forestry activity as described, have been estab-lished. CRP participants wishing to receive incentives for tree thinning and prescribed burning should contact their local USDA Farm Service Agency county office. Throughout the Obama Administration, USDA has generated thousands of critical partnerships to conserve and protect our natural resources on working landscapes, while enrolling a record number of acres in conservation programs. Seventy percent of the nation’s land is owned and tended to privately, and America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners have willingly stepped up to address the growing impacts of a changing climate. With USDA’s support, they are working to implement voluntary practices

that improve air and water quality, prevent soil erosion and create and protect wildlife habitat. Since 2009, USDA has invested more than $29 billion to help producers make conservation improvements, working with as many as 500,000 farmers, ranchers and landowners to protect land and water on over 400 million acres nation-wide. The (FSP) is the principal Forest Service program focused on the United States’ private forests. The program is delivered to landowners through a vast and long-standing network

New Incentives For Federal Forestry Programs

by David Hoge*

*Agricultural Program Specialist, USDA Farm Service Agency, Deputy Administrator Farm Programs, Conservation and Environmental Programs Division, USDA/FSA/DAFP/CEPD.


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of forestry technical assistance providers, forestry consultants, state forestry agencies, non-profit partners, and others. The most prominent of these partners is the National Associa-tion of State Foresters (NASF), which links the Forest Stewardship Program resources with the land-owners in their states. Because the FSP plays such a central role linking landowners with available assistance resources, and be-cause most of our nation’s forests are privately owned, the program is essential to addressing our most pressing resource management concerns including:

• Forest insects and pests; • Invasive species; • The economic viability of private

forest ownership and manage-ment;

• Renewable energy needs; • Threat of wildfire; • Soil conservation; • Wildlife habitat; • Water quality and supply; and • Climate change.

All of these concerns cross multiple ownerships and can be much more effectively addressed by the Forest Service and its partners at the landscape-scale. The Forest Stewardship Program plays a fundamental role in keeping forests as forests in the face of increasing pressures towards urbanization.

Methods include: • Preparing forest owners for financial incentive and property

tax abatement programs; • Providing access to forest certification and new markets

for forest products and ecosystem services; and,• Creating forest sector jobs in rural communities.

The program also helps conserve and restore farmland with the introduction of agroforestry practices. Many rural econo-mies rely on the proximity of forests and forestry sector jobs. Sustaining forest health on private ownerships through the FSP is thus vitally important—not only for the environment, but also for the economic and social well-being of surrounding communities. Since being authorized by the 1990 Farm Bill, the Forest Stewardship Program has:

• Served as the primary, most extensive private forest owner assistance program in the U.S., both in reach and scope;

• Successfully created and sustained a vast, effective network of forestry technical assistance providers and programs;

• Provided more than 350,000 comprehensive management plans covering more than 40 million acres nationwide;

• Reached millions of forest landowners through various education and technical assistance programs;

• Established lasting partnerships with state foresters, conservation districts and other partners to encourage broader forest landowner participation in USDA conserva-

tion programs; and • Provided private sector jobs for consulting foresters who

write management plans and help landowners achieve their unique land management goals.

Still, the need for an even stronger Forest Stewardship Program is evident, as threats to forests and their associ-ated benefits continue to multiply and intensify. Urbanization and development lead to loss and fragmentation of forests. Invasive plants, insects, and pathogens regularly cause widespread tree mortality and change forest ecosystems. Climate change is contributing to increased incidents of catastrophic wildfire. In addition, forest ownership is in flux due to divestiture of forest industry lands and intergenerational transfer of family forests. Economic incentives for landowners are affected by declines in traditional markets and uncertainty about emerging markets for bioenergy, carbon, and certified wood products. Unfortunately, these increasing threats have not been matched by increasing public investment in the FSP. Budget cuts in many states have constrained both funding and staffing levels, reducing the capacity for program delivery in ways that are likely to persist into the foreseeable future. Federal funding for the program has, in recent years, also been slowly but steadily declining. This, at a time when evalu-ations consistently show that providing one-on-one forester contact with landowners is foundational to improving private forestland conditions on the ground. Perhaps most importantly, healthy forest watersheds are critical to protecting the quantity and quality of America’s water resources. Privately-owned lands dominate many forested watersheds throughout the country and in many states the Forest Stewardship Program is focused on watersheds where private land stewards are vital to ensuring that these forests remain a part of the landscape and are cared for in a sustainable manner. Read more about USDA’s record conservation outcomes under Caring for our Land, Air and Water: Preserving Precious Natural Resources for Tomorrow at http://www.ammoland.com/2016/12/usda-incentives-to-improve-forest-health-enhance-wildlife-habitat/#ixzz4SlRJURj8.

Seedbed burn in Georgia longleaf pine in September prior to seed dispersal. Photo by David J. Moorhead, Bugwood.org.


Florida’s Silviculture Best Management Practices (BMP) Program is directed primarily at preventing nonpoint source pollution associated with forestry operations. The program was initiated through the development of the state’s first Silviculture Best Management Practice Manual in 1979. The Florida Forest Service (FFS) is responsible for the development, implementation and monitoring of Silviculture Best Management Practices throughout the state. Since 1981, the FFS has monitored BMPs by conduct-ing biennial compliance surveys on both public and private silviculture operations. Implementation levels in surveys over the years illustrate the Florida forestry community’s

strong commitment to protecting the state’s natural water resources (Fig. 1). Consequently, data from these surveys have done much to promote good forest management in Florida.

Procedure As with past surveys, the sample size for the 2015 survey was determined by the extent of forestry activities reported in the U.S. Forest Service’s Inventory Bulletin, “Forest Sta-tistics for Florida.” The number of survey sites assigned to a county was directly proportional to timber removal reported for that county.

Sites are selected at random by Florida Forest Service BMP foresters from fixed-wing aircraft that fly established flight patterns over each county. To qualify as a candidate for the survey, forestry operations on the site must have been conducted adjacent to sur-face water-bodies or near/within forested wetlands within the last two years. Once all sites within a county have been selected, the BMP for-esters confirm their locations and contact the landowner to solicit their participation in the survey. Of the 204 sites originally selected for the 2015 survey, 181 met the selection criteria. Land clearing operations intended for develop-ment or other non-forestry land

Job Well Done:Florida Survey Confirms BMP Success

by Roy Lima

Figure 1: BMP Implementation by Survey Year


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uses are not included in the survey. The process of evaluating each site involved inspecting as much of the treated acreage as possible and complet-ing the survey field questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of “Yes/No” ques-tions directly related to BMP categories. The BMP foresters evaluate only those activities for which physical evidence of their occurrence existed on the site. They make no assumptions about future activities. Implementation was evaluated and scored at three levels for each site: (1) Individual practices, expressed simply as a “yes” or “no” answer; (2) Categories of practices, expressed as a percentage of practices within the category found in compliance (“yes” answers) over total applicable practices within the category; and (3) Overall site compliance, again expressed as a percentage of practices found in compliance with total BMPs applicable to the site. Of the 181 sites evaluated, 114 be-longed to non-industrial private landowners, 53 were found on industrial land and 14 occurred on public forestlands (Fig. 2). This distribution follows a trend since the 1989 survey indicating that forestry activities continue to remain high on private non-industrial (PNIF) timberland. This is, no doubt, encouraged by improved market conditions for forest products in the Southeast. In addition, there has been a 45 percent decrease in the number of sites found on public lands since 2011. For 2015, the highest overall compliance level among ownerships was on public lands at 100 percent compliance, with industrial and non-industrial lands following close at 99.7 percent and 99.2 percent, respectively. The overall compliance for all individual sites ranged from 85 percent to 100 percent with an average of 99.3 percent, a slight increase from 98.9 percent in 2013. The average compliance for the 34 year period since 1981 is 95 percent. For the 2015 Survey, no site scored below 80 percent in overall BMP implementation. Ninety percent of the sites scored 100 percent implementation for applicable BMPs, an increase of two percent from the 2013 survey. Ninety-three percent of all water resource features reported in the survey were streams. Fifty percent perennial streams and forty-three percent intermit-tent streams were evaluated for Special Management Zone (SMZ) compliance on 104 sites in the 2015 Survey. For perennial streams, the survey reported 35.4 total stream miles meeting Primary Zone requirements. For-est industry lands accounted for 7.9 miles, and PNIF and Public Lands accounted for 24.9 and

2.6 miles, respectively (Figure 3). The total area reported as being under Primary Zone management for 2015 was 417 acres. Sixty-eight percent of all SMZs evaluated were on small, first order streams. The average implementation rate for all three SMZ components increased to 99 percent in 2015. No significant risks to water quality were reported.

Conclusion In conclusion, the 2015 BMP Compliance Survey indi-cated a continuing high level of compliance with Silviculture BMPs in Florida, which is a tribute to the quality of forest landowners, operators and professional foresters that make up the state’s forestry community. The Florida Forest Service salutes the people of Florida’s forestry community for their efforts and once again commends them on a job well done.

*Watershed Forester, Florida Forest Service, Tallahassee

Figure 3: Primary Zone Miles and Action by Year NWOA

Figure 2: Survey Sites by Ownership


Volume 33, Issue 4 Late Breaking Forestry News from Washington DC and State Capitals Winter 2017 Published for Woodland Owners by the National Woodland Owners Association

Woodland Report Reliable, Responsive Reporting since 1983

ITC Votes Affirmative on Injury RulingIn U.S./Canada Lumber Trade Issue On January 6, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) voted 5-0 that softwood lumber imports from Canada injure the U.S. softwood industry. The action was in response to a peti-tion filed by the U.S. Lumber Coalition requesting that the U.S. Department of Commerce impose anti-dumping duties on Canadian lumber imports. With this preliminary approval, the investigation will continue with a likely conclusion in June or July. The events leading up to the vote and pos-sible outcomes are described in the Autumn 2016 issue of Woodland Report, and our coverage will continue. If the duties are imposed, both sides of the dispute anticipate years of litigation. NWOA is a “free-trade” advocate. We believe that U.S. forest products can be competitive in the world market without political protection. In short, free markets operate most effectively without government intervention. The softwood lumber battle is mostly between large corpora-tions and producers, and not family woodland owners. Members of this latter group, U.S. families, produce more quality hardwood than any other source in the world. If the Canadian issue escalates into a trade war, other foreign governments could begin to retaliate with import duties. Should this happen, nobody wins but at-torneys.

One Canadian ProvinceRemains Hopeful The Canadian province with the most skin in the softwood lumber game is British Columbia. However, B.C. Premier Christy Clark is taking the high road. Just before the holidays, she ex-pressed confidence that Canada and the U.S. will reach agreement. She said that a robust housing

market will be necessary for President Trump to reach the annual economic growth that he has projected for the U.S. economy. There are deep underlying differences con-cerning how both nations view their forest resources. Canada, with a different history and culture, views its forests as a source of full employment with respectable jobs, while the U.S. invests instead in welfare programs. With the exception of cost-sharing programs to help landowners produce timber products, clean wa-ter and wildlife habitat, the U.S. does not view forests as the same kind of economic asset as our neighbors to the north. A thoughtful editorial on the Softwood Trade Agreement appears on p. 50. The author is Russ Vaagen, vice president of a lumber company in Washington State.

Conservation Program Update Local offices of the Farm Service Agency, the Natural Resources and Conservation Service, and state forestry agencies continue to accept appli-cations while funds last. The Environment Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) accepts applications for forestry practices including forest stand improvements, brush management for invasive species control and improved stream crossings. The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), the nation’s largest, funds crop tree management, structural diversity, and forest soil quality. For more information see the “New Incentives for Federal Forestry Programs” article on page 28.

Congress Leaves Unfinished Business As feared, the 114th Congress adjourned in December without action on the urgent wildfire funding issue or the energy bill. The process be-gins again…..now.


Reports From State Affiliates“All Forestry is Local” .net

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New Hampshire LandownersReady for the 2017 Legislative Year The NH Timberland Owners Ass’n. (NWOA affil.) has no intention of resting on its lau-rels following its successful sponsorship of the “Landowner’s Right of Action Act” (see the 2016 Outstanding Forestry Law of the year award, p. 51). The headline on NHTOA’s recent newslet-ter read, “Let the 2017 Advocacy Begin,” dem-onstrating an understanding of the reality that “government is run by those who show up.” This enthusiasm for the legislative process (one not shared by all 46 NWOA state affiliates) is because for the first time in 24 years, Re-publicans have a majority in both the NH State Senate and the House of Representatives. And the new governor is a Republican too, for a full sweep. In the first days of the session, there were 991 filings for new bills. NHTOA has identified 80 as “of interest,” including business taxation, trucking operations, timber harvest around wet-lands and access road use and maintenance.

“Minnesota DNR is Back In the BusinessOf Private Forest Management” This is the headline on the Jan. 2017 issue of Minnesota Woodlands, the magazine of the Min-nesota Forestry Ass’n. (NWOA affil.) It reminds us how different states view their forest man-agement responsibilities. While Minnesota was beefing up landowner outreach, West Virginia was laying off a third of its professional forestry staff. West Virginia forest landowners are not alone. With most other states reducing the number of landowner service foresters, Minnesota ap-pears to be running against the current trend by expanding them. And while private consulting foresters may not be thrilled with the “back in the business” wording of the headline, the fact is that many of the smaller woodlands in Minne-

sota currently support stands with growing, but marginal, commercial value. Woodland owners generally rely on timber sales income to pay their consulting foresters. When possible, they rely on public foresters (from a variety of agencies) for advice on stand improvement, thinning, and other programs where cost-sharing money is available as an investment in sustainable forestry. Lacking timber sale income, this is a service that public foresters can provide at the lowest cost to the landowner. In other news, John O’Reilly, immediate past president of the Minnesota Forestry Ass’n. has been honored with an Outstanding Forestry Leadership Award from State Forester Forrest Boe for “outstanding contributions to forestry.”

Know Your State Legislators:Advice from Maine Woodland Owners Richard Nass, president of the Small Wood-land Owners Ass’n. Of Maine (NWOA affil.), who was a legislator for 18 years, shares his experi-ences with a constituent (the “Elder”) who was well-known in his community, and was very good at communicating with his legislator.

• He called frequently, every two weeks or so.• His calls were short, 10 to 15 minutes.• The Elder was gracious and never demanding,

but he wanted his legislator to know what was important to him and his family, and why.

• The Elder listened, and appreciated any news.• He would never disparage any legislator, the

governor, or anyone else he disagreed with. • Issues he wanted to discuss were rarely about

him personally. He advocated for farmers, for markets, and for government with many beneficiaries.

The take-home message: In an increasingly busy age, people to people communications can make all the difference. And they do.


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SOUTHERN

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Yearly Reports from The Southern Alliance

Of Landowner Associations

Alabama Contact: [email protected] Future Farmers of America (FFA) students across Alabama are digging in and encouraging neighbors, peers

Alabama Treasure

Forest Assoc.

From left, Falkville FFA Forestry Judging Team members Austin Orr, Bryce Bryan, Gavin Lee and Briar Kimbrell say they’re excited to sign up family, friends and community members for ATFA’s new, free “I’d Rather Be In The Woods” tag. They’re competing with FFA chapters across the state in the tag giveaway contest.

OklahomaContact: [email protected] The Forest Heritage Center, near Broken Bow, OK, was the scene of the Oklahoma Forestry Association’s (OFA) Woodland Management Work-shop, held in September 2016. Dr. Craig McKinley, Professor Emeritus at Oklahoma State Uni-versity, spoke about how genetics affects every aspect of tree life. He also covered the topic of genetically modified organisms and how forest management might be impacted by the use of that material. Mark Remaley, International Paper Company, described I-P’s Valliant, Oklahoma facility and the products it makes. Remaley also described the forest certification process and how much of the forest products industry requires a “chain of custody” certifi-cation from the woodland location, through the logger, and subsequent processing facilities resulting in the finished product. Scott Huff, Oklahoma Forestry Ser-vices (OFS), described the various grant programs available to landown-ers that OFS administers. Some of these programs require a landowner to provide a portion of project expense with the OFS grant paying the balance, while other programs will pay the entire cost of a particular forest improvement activity. The topic “Wind Energy in Timber Country,” was discussed by Jeff Todd

from a law firm in Oklahoma City. He provided numerous examples of con-tract provisions in a typical company-prepared lease and their significant impact on future use of the subject property by the landowner. Don Armes, executive director of OFA, who serves as OFA’s political liaison, reviewed the upcoming fall elections and discussed what legisla-tive initiatives could be expected in the coming year. The meeting concluded with a field tour to the southeast Oklahoma PINEMAP (Pine-Integrated Network Education, Mitigation, and Adaptation Project) site. The tour was led by Casey

Meek from Oklahoma State University. Overall goals of the regional PINEMAP project include increasing carbon se-questration by 15 percent, increasing efficiency of nitrogen and other fertilizer by ten percent, and improving forest resilience and sustainability under variable climates.


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Woodland Owners Association—Arkansas—

NC Woodland OwnersAssociation

GEORGIAGeorgiaContact: [email protected] Georgia does not have a statewide forest landowners association, but it does have a number of county or multi-county associations that work with the cooperative forestry staff of the Georgia Forestry Commission and UGA Forestry Extension. The most active is the Greene-Morgan Forest Landowners Association in cen-tral Georgia They sponsor field days, and conduct meetings most months of the year. The association was founded in 1988 by the GFC County Ranger at Morgan County. Adjacent Greene County was added later. In the 1970s the Georgia Federa-tion of Forest Owners was organized as a forum for a periodic gathering of various county associations under the guidance of a GFC district forester in Waycross. Although currently inactive, the Georgia Forestry Association has offered the county association a venue to work collaboratively as issues such as forest health and wildfire arise.

North CarolinaContact: [email protected] As relatively new state affiliate, NC-WOA is an independent grassroots non-profit group organized to provide landowners with an additional voice on local, state and local issues that is independent of the both the forest industry and environmental organiza-tions, although they see to work with both.

TexasContact: [email protected] The Texas Forest Landowners Council as a group consists of the leaders of the 19 individual County Landowners Associations, all located in the pinelands region. The goals of the Council are to share information, provide training and improve the image of forest ownership. They meet every other month. Members participate in the many communications efforts of the Texas Forestry Association, including work-ing the TFA booth at the State Fair of Texas. Members also raise funds for a scholarship to benefit the winner of the State Woodland Clinic Contest.

ArkansasContact: [email protected] Responding to USDA emphasis on conservation practices for hardwood forest management in the last year of the current farm bill, Arkansas forest landowners are increasing acreage cost share signups under the Conser-vation Security Program to conduct

and family members to show why they’d rather be in the woods through a free Alabama TREASURE Forest Association (ATFA) license plate. Chapters statewide are competing to give away the most ATFA “I’d Rather Be In The Woods” tags. The top three chapters will receive cash prizes to help fund their projects, ranging from woodworking to sugar cane syrup making. ATFA Executive Director Rick Oates said his organization was pleased to partner with a younger demographic to help spread ATFA’s stewardship-focused mission. “These FFA chapters house the future of our forestry and agricultural industries,” Oates said. “This contest is helping expose stu-dents to our program at a younger age and showing them the benefits of forest stewardship. The prize at the end of the contest doesn’t hurt either.” Falkville FFA Chapter Advisor Ashley Holmes said participating in the contest was an easy decision. In 2015 and 2016, Falkville FFA snagged top prize in the state Forestry Career Development Event, where they learned about forestry and the indus-try’s impact on Alabama. “The FFA Forestry team has been one of our program’s strengths for many years,” Holmes said. “In addi-tion to developing forestry-specific career skills, this contest is helping students strengthen valuable personal skills such as teamwork, leadership, adaptability and the value of a strong work ethic.” Winners will be announced during National FFA Week Feb. 18-25. To sign up for an ATFA license plate, visit TREASUREForest.org.

practices such as construction of fire breaks, controlled burns and establish-ment of pollinator habitats. As a result of multiyear lows in grain commodity prices, Arkansas delta grain farmers are increasing conversions of row crop farms to hardwood tree plantations under provisions of the Conservation Reserve Program. Emphasis on upland hardwood health and fire prevention this season is timely. Having gone through a relatively dry, mild winter and entering the peak of the spring fire season in mid February, Ozark forests need all the fire suppres-sion management activities they can receive right now to prevent the 2017 fire season from being much worse than usual.

The goal is to enable woodland owners in the Tarheel State to benefit from wealth creation of better forest practices and markets, cleaner water, fewer wildfire, and a more productive forest. One such project is the development of practical woodland owner educa-tion programs around the state using Tobacco Fund money to develop new agriculture and forestry jobs to replace those that disappeared with the long-term decline in tobacco markets.

MississippiCountyForestryAssociations

Mississippi Contact: [email protected] Mississippi Forestry Extension, in cooperation with the Mississippi for-estry Association organized 64-county Forestry associations across the state. Each county association plans meetings, industry tours, field days and other events suited to the needs of the local members. Other events include regional legislative exposure, political forums, or teach training, ca-reer days and educational seminars. The leaders of the Mississippi


VIRGINIA

VirginiaContact: [email protected] Organized in 1985, not long after the founding of NWOA. VWA had a good start, encouraged by landowners who felt their voice and interest was not ad-equately represent in the Virginia Forestry Association, the forestry industry trade group. Initial goals were to provide more support and funding for the annual woodland programs offered by Virginia Tech Forestry Extension as well and the County Foresters of the Virginia Depart-ment of Forestry. The association used Charlie Finley’s irreverent newsletter, Appalachian Woodlands, as a member-ship benefit that provided, and still does, forestry news not usually carried by the mainstream media.

Tennessee WoodlandOwners Association

TennesseeContact: [email protected] Nearly two decades ago the Tennes-see Forestry Association hosted the formation of the Tennessee Woodlands Owners Association at a statewide meeting in Nashville. Following the untimely passing of the president, the group gradually declined, but not before providing im-portant testimony opposing an onerous proposed county ordinance that would have placed limitations on landowner property rights. The TWOA continues to operate informally with the Tennessee County forestry associations that work with the Tennessee Forestry Association. An example of a recent project supported by the associations, Tennessee Healthy Hardwoods, is described on page 48.

FloridaContact: [email protected] [email protected] Woodland owners in Florida are for-tunate to have the Florida Land Stew-ards newsletter which is published four times a year by the University of Florida Extension Forestry and the Florida Forest Service. Included are the dates of the many

LouisianaContact: [email protected] Louisiana is the only southern state that does not participate in the Southern Alliance of Landowner Associations. For additional information, contact the address above.

FloridaWoodlandOwnersCouncil

South [email protected] The South Carolina Tree Farm Pro-gram is proud to be a partner in sending National Woodlands magazine to our members. The SC Tree Farm Program is an independent organization with 41 active committee members including 11 land-

county forestry associations meet at the annual meeting of the Mississippi Forestry Association and from time to time. In addition, some of the county associations have elected to receive the annual southern forestry issue of National Woodlands magazine every year by participating in the Missis-sippi County Forestry Associations Council.

LOOKING FOR A CAREER IN FORESTRY?

Mississippi State University

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Interested? email: [email protected]: www.cfr.msstate.edu/forestry

magazinead.indd 4 9/21/2015 3:00:08 PM

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landowner field days, shortcourses and webinars. In 2016 an additional service: a bi-monthly teleconference was launched with forestry leaders statewide. Subjects include current issues before the state legislature, timber markets, and water issues. In 2015 a new advocacy opportunity was opened for woodland owners participating in Florida Land Stewards. The purpose is to provide another voice for landowners, in addition to those of the Florida Forestry Asso-ciation, NACD, and Farm Bureau Forestry. For additional information contact the two addresses at the beginning of this article.

owners. The organizational structure was changed in 2016 to a 501(c)3 entity. The SC Tree Farm Program has successfully transitioned to a sustainable dues pay-ing membership with 659 Tree Farmers owning 443,724 forest acres. Last year 50 Tree Farmers in their green shirts met their senators and house members at the state capital to lobby for forestry issues. They were recognized by both houses. It is extremely important to stay in con-stant contact with members and provide useful information to them. Membership benefits include 8-10 contacts yearly: two SC newsletters, four Tree Farm Wood-land magazines, invitation to legislative day, two annual field tours, various partner events plus emails about special events and legislative actions. All members are encouraged to obtain a Tree Farm Management Plan and inspec-tion to become a Certified Tree Farmer. The state committee has developed a system with designated coordinators to help each landowner obtain a Tree Farm Management Plan and inspection. Addi-tional information about the SC Tree Farm program is available at www.scforestry.org/tree-farm.


ABOUT NWOA’S AFFILIATE MEMBERSThe Alliance of Landowner Associations

• NWOA has 36,000 Affiliate Members in 46 State Affiliates

• Each State Landowner Association is an Independent Partner

• The Affiliates are Grouped into Four Forest Zones (North, South, East and West)

• Affiliate Members Receive Only One Issue a Year

Upgrade to a National Membership

Receive Four Magazines a Year and Qualify for Optional Liability Insurance

Only $35/year. Use the Card Above


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EACH QUARTER WE MAIL AN INTRODUCTORY COPY OF NATIONAL WOODLANDS TO LANDOWNERS, FORESTERS AND LOGGERS WHO ARE GOOD PROSPECTS FOR JOINING NWOA.

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Dear Keith: Your Fall 2016 issue of National Woodlands magazine was just great. We enjoyed the articles on the animals

article. Or find someone who is actively using drones for forestry applications. Drones are great tools. I have been waiting over 30 years for drones to get to this point. Frankly the FAA is way behind con-sidering that the U.S. Army was flying them operationally for mapping in West Germany in the late 1950’s! Articles like this just tend to confuse the issue further instead of accurately portraying the op-portunity with this tool.

Brian HubertyHastings, Minnesota

Dear Editor: Regarding your article on using drones for forestry applications, I fly both remote control planes and manned aircraft. Manned aircraft rarely go below 1,000 feet, which is our typical altitude in the airport pattern. We have to remain at least 500 feet away from any person or structure on the ground in sparsely populated areas. We can go lower over water or desert where no person or structures exist, but most of us rarely do. So the 400-foot rule for unmanned aircraft makes sense. A small bird could easily penetrate our 1/4-inch plexiglass windshield at our 184 mph cruise speed. We would not have a chance if we hit a drone, as we would not see one until it was too late. Wayne Gillespie

Grayson, Kentucky

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9’ x 12’ DoorsHeavy Duty Roof

WindowsOptional

(wolves, ruffed grouse, foxes and turtles). The article by Peter Kolb, “The Shrink-ing Forests of the West” was just off the charts. His depth of knowledge and understanding of the forces of nature and mankind that shape our woodlands is just great. Have him write more articles for us. He’s too good to let get away. Once again, Linda Wang in Timber and Taxes is so helpful. Keep her, too!

Don GesnerPresident

Western Wood TankDallas, Oregon

Dear Editor: In your Autumn 2016 article by Eric Johnson on drones, the FAA is not metric so the legal altitude is 400 feet above ground level, not 400 meters. This is very important to fix in your next issue not only for accuracy but also for safety. Just like the U.S. Airways flight that ended up in the Hudson due to geese, there will be an accident when a drone is flown too high and it goes through an aircraft engine or window. The drones have to be seen line of sight which makes their use much more limited in forested environments. I personally don’t agree with the limitation if the user is qualified and has the right drone system. There are other errors in your article as well. Drones are not allowed at all within five miles of any airport at any altitude unless the airport is notified in advance. I suggest you take the time to get a Part 107 drone license and then write the


OBITUARYDale Allen Zaug, of rural Marion Wisconsin, age 76, passed away at home on Wednesday, January 18, 2017. He was born January 3, 1941 on the family farm in the Town of Wyoming, Waupaca County, to Marshall and Evelyn (Block) Zaug. He was the youngest of two children. He attended Big Falls grade school and graduated from Marion High School. After graduation he obtained an Associate’s Degree in Forestry from Fox Valley Technical College in Oshkosh. He married Lola Knaack on September 8, 1962 before attending Michigan Technological University, where he obtained a BS in Forestry. Zaug worked for the State of Wisconsin for 38 years, first as a forester before pursuing a career in the technol-ogy side of the state government as a Systems Analyst and Data Administrator. The Zaugs lived near the state capital of Madison for 35 years, raising their two children, Michael and Kristine, in nearby Waunakee. Zaug retired to the Big

Falls area in 2004 and started Zaug’s Forest Enterprise. Dale Zaug was active in many vol-unteer and environ-mental organiza-tions including the National Woodland Owners’ Association as well as the Wis-consin Woodland Owners Association, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, The Big Falls Lions, among many others. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Dale Zaug’s name to UW Carbone Cancer Center, National Brain Tumor Society, or St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Marion, WI.

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Online Weekly NewsletterPublished byThe National Woodland Owners’ AssociationEditor: Mike Burns, [email protected]

Volume 4, Numbers 40-54Here’s what was featured in the Fall Quarter of 2016:

How to:21-Sep Forest Improvement Handbook28-Sep Creating a Forest for the Birds5-Oct Deer Hunting 10112-Oct Improve a Woodlot by Cutting Firewood19-Oct Turkey Hunting for Dummies26-Oct Keep Fall Colors by Preserving Leaves2-Nov 5 Tools for Clearing Overgrown Land9-Nov Online Course in Forestry16-Nov Harvest X-mas Trees from Nat’l Forests23-Nov Using an Alaska Mill30-Nov Butcher Deer at Home7-Dec Prepare Trees for Winter14-Dec Taking Better Nature Pictures21-Dec Sharpen a Chainsaw

In The News:21-Sep Science Q&A with Presidential Candidates28-Sep West Virginia Forestry Budget Cuts5-Oct How Small Forests Can Save the Planet 12-Oct Urban Forests - the ROI of Trees19-Oct An Oak Revolution in the World of Wine26-Oct USDA Announces Grants for Wood2-Nov Canada Takes Stand in Lumber Talks9-Nov Capitol Christmas Tree Starts Journey16-Nov Next Century of Forest Conservation23-Nov Study of Pellet Boilers Effect on GHG 30-Nov Industry Looks to Trump for Change7-Dec Forestry Training in Diverse Communities14-Dec Lynx and Loggers and Laws21-Dec Zinke to head Dept. of interior

Forest Science:21-Sep Earthworms are Harming the Environment28-Sep Foraging in the Forest5-Oct Wood Defines 21st Century Architecture12-Oct Largest ‘Test Tube’ is 8,000 ac Forest19-Oct Biodiversity Critical to Forest Productivity2-Nov The Incredible Moving Forest9-Nov How Urban Forests Benefit People16-Nov Sharing Wildlife Corridors23-Nov Take a Timber Hike30-Nov Lichens are Sentinels of Air Quality7-Dec Ascending the World’s Tallest Trees14-Dec Blue Jays Move Oak Forests21-Dec Using Construction Cranes to Study Tree Canopy

Other articles of interest:28-Sep Woodlot Donated to Local School5-Oct Family Owned Forests are Changing Hands12-Oct Forest Expansion Protects Endangered Species19-Oct Ag & Forestry Grads in High Demand26-Oct True Cost of Invasive Species26-Oct 8 Creepiest National Park Places2-Nov Should Money or Morals Drive Conservation?9-Nov IP Endows Forestry Economics Chair16-Nov Fewer Fires, Less Damage in 201623-Nov Time Lapse Photos of a forest for a Year30-Nov New Hampshire Uses Local Wood for Heat7-Dec Professor Warned of Tennessee Fires14-Dec Effect of Invasive Pests21-Dec Tradition and Science of Cherokee Forest Plan

To subscribe to the online Woodland Word, which is emailed to subscribers every Wednesday,

email: [email protected]


The Women Owning Woodlands web project strives to bring topical, accessible, and cur-rent forestry information to woodland owners and forest practitioners through news articles, blogs, events, resources, and personal sto-ries. We support women in forest leadership, women who manage their own woodlands, and all who facilitate the stewardship of forests. The web address is: www.womenowningwoodlands.net

Mission Statement

Intergenerational Land Transfer: Were We Ready?by Ginny Nipper

I grew up in Central Louisiana knowing that my family had been involved in the timber business for many years. My great-great- and great-grandfathers were loggers and sawyers in southwest Mississippi, and my great-grandfather eventually moved to central Louisiana and owned and operated E. S. Duck Lumber Company. That occupation continued through my father with the business becoming Duck Bros. Lumber. My husband’s family has been involved in agriculture and land ownership for many generations. In fact our new granddaughter will be the 14th generation of family landowners dating back to the 1670s in what is now the Commonwealth of Virginia. While neither family owned large tracts, Allen and I realized at some point we would have the opportunity to own and manage some of those lands. Our families had acquired land through intergenerational transfer of farming and timber operations over many years. Two tracts have now been in our immediate family for over 100 years, and one of the greatest legacies for us is that special feeling when the same dirt gets under their fingernails that was under our ancestors.’

Setting the Stage Neither of us have any formal training in forestry; I was trained as a professional office administrator and Allen as an animal nutritionist. We decided to start with phase I and II of the Southern Regional Extension Forestry Master Tree Farmer program, which was extremely beneficial in providing us, not only useful information, but also professional contacts. The long term involvement and commitment of the family to successfully managing the land and timber was an important lesson learned. Not long after completing the Master Tree Farmer programs, both our fathers passed away, and we suddenly became re-

sponsible for several tracts of land. Since that time, we have purchased additional tracts and now own five separate tracts covering over 400 acres, and help manage two other family tracts of about 200 acres—all in central Louisiana and southwestern Arkansas. Because intergenerational transfers provided the majority of our land holdings, we experienced numerous issues that arose as a result of those transfers. We know we are not unique in experiencing these issues. Because of these experiences, we have chosen to change how our land and timber legacy will be passed to our heirs. Three areas which we feel are important, and in which we put a lot of effort, are discussed below:

Communication New communication technologies have increased communi-cation opportunities, but direct face-to-face family discussions remain critical. Because I am the youngest of four there was a lot I was not told about my father’s business. In addition, the oldest siblings were males so it was just accepted that they would be the ones to be informed. My husband was a part of that same culture because he was the oldest, but his sisters knew more about their family lands than I did about my family’s lands. However, because of their lifestyles and distance issues, communication in Allen’s family was generally “catch as catch can.” Consequently, not everyone had the same familiarity with all aspects of the land and timber. When everyone does not meet as a family, it is harder to develop interactions, determine where squabbles will likely arise later, develop a means to maintain information and details, and be ready to address potential problems that will arise.

Management Neither of our families had any written plan—management, financial, or otherwise—as to what had been done and should be done to manage the land and timber. Without a road map it was hard to know where our ancestors had been and where they planned for us to go. When our fathers were gone, and without any written directions, many of the essential details were lost. There have been numerous times when both of us have wished for just one more conversation with our fathers to ask questions and take notes for reference in the future.

Financial As indicated above, limited management records were available, and essentially no financial records were available to establish land or timber basis, timber depletion allowance if


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needed, or to determine the internal rate of return for timber investments we now owned. Closing the Gaps Because of the gap in our forestry knowledge and in our knowledge of how the tracts had been previously managed, we had to accomplish many things quickly. Some tracts had to be located and boundaries identified. Professional forestry consultants were hired to develop management and cash-flow plans for all stands. An attorney familiar with land, forestry, and family succession was identified as well as a CPA familiar with forestry and land taxes. All these individuals were made a part of our management team and are still used routinely. We placed all our tracts in the American Tree Farm System to meet expected sustainability certification requirements and as a way to identify that we were socially and environmentally responsible. We decided early on that regardless of the number and size of tracts that we had or hoped to acquire, we would do everything possible to be sure our children were not surprised by and sub-jected to some of the same intergenerational transfer issues we had experienced. So we decided we would always attempt to maintain detailed written records, involve our children in some fashion with the management of the land and timber, continue to increase family communication, provide routine updates to all management and cash-flow plans, develop an understanding of the impact to internal return rates by varying inputs, outputs, and rotation lengths, and continue to offer opportunities to educate the entire family by participating in educational programs. Written records were easy to start because Allen was accus-tomed to keeping detailed research records from his training, and which also matched well with my administrative experiences. All our records are now electronic so copies can be stored off-site and so that computerized searches can be made looking for key words and phrases to help us remember what was done in the past. However, we continued to search for direction on how to accomplish the improved communication, participation, and involvement by the entire family. At a day-long training session conducted by Clint Bentz, many different topics were addressed related to the “Ties to the Land” program Clint developed in cooperation with the Oregon State University Extension Service. After the training session, we realized routine and structured family meetings would help us establish and accomplish many of the goals we had. Landowner family meetings became a routine part of the management of our properties, and we feel they will assist in making the transfer of our assets to our heirs easier. Our meet-ings are held generally twice a year with input from everyone in the family. Each adult child has a specific role associated with management of the property related to their interests, reports on their activities, and concerns within their responsibilities at each family meeting. Emilie is a meteorologist so she is in charge of making weather decisions related to planting, harvesting, and other operations. In addition, she manages off-site storage of electronic data and works with me when we assist other land-owners in developing their record keeping systems. William is a chemical engineer and is involved with soil and water quality decisions and dealing with companies working on the land that might impact either. William was instrumental in development, and now maintenance, of my blog (www.landownerlegacy.com), as well as other family web pages. Weldon, an upcoming college graduate already with a job in farm credit waiting, is in charge of maintaining boundary lines and growth plots on our tracts. In addition, he deals with planting management, hunting lease

issues, and courthouse records. Landowner family meetings were, and are, not just to report on activities and concerns. Early on, everyone provided their own short and long term goals for the family and the land. These goals are reviewed on a routine basis and modified as appropriate. Each family member had the opportunity to express their thoughts, feelings, and knowledge concerning each asset owned by the family so all others knew the importance of each one to individual family members. Not everyone valued each asset the same and those differences were considered as a family mission statement was developed and finalized. Open and candid discussions were also held early, related to ground rules that would guide the future meetings. Potential future operations and business structures have been discussed, and not all topics were or will be easily resolved. Some topics that were expected to generate little discussion when the agenda was developed turned into long, detailed discussions that were not resolved in one meeting. Our Passions Our experiences from educational training sessions and from our family landowner meetings encouraged us to develop the Landowner Legacy Communication program, intended to help educate fellow landowners on the importance of family landowner meetings. Because we learned so much from others, we have a passion to remain current and interact with other landowners through membership and participation in local landowner groups, the Louisiana and Arkansas Forestry Associations, Forest Landown-ers Association, American Tree Farm System, and Farm Bureau in Louisiana and Arkansas. We volunteer our time to serve on several committees and boards of the various organizations. Membership is paid for all family members in many of these organizations, and they are encouraged to attend as many meetings as possible.

Were We Ready? I began this discussion with that question. I hope you realize we were not, and that you are probably not ready either. But we are working towards making sure our children are ready, and I would encourage you to consider doing the same. We are experts at our own experiences with intergenerational transfer of land and timber and enjoy passing on our knowledge and the lessons we learned so that others can benefit.

CPA and forestland intergenerational consultant, Clint Bentz.


State Forestry UPDATE

While the term “urban forestry” evokes places like Central Park and the greenery in urban centers, it means much more. More than two thirds of the U.S. population lives in areas considered urban, and even more live in smaller communi-ties. State Urban and Community Forestry programs work to provide educational, technical and financial assistance to communities and landowners. Strong urban and com-munity forestry programs affirm that no matter where trees are planted, they are an important aspect of human life. Communities reap many benefits from urban tree canopies. Tree-lined streets in communities and urban areas help with storm water run-off, providing better quality water. Shade trees attract people, increasing businesses revenues along streets shaded by trees. People living in communities derive many of the same benefits from trees that family forest land-owners receive from their rural woodlands: clean air and water, jobs, aesthetics and so much more. State urban and community forestry offices work to bring information, techni-cal advice and financial assistance to both communities and homeowners. These state offices log their work through the U.S. Forest Service Community Accomplishment Reporting System (CARS). This reporting system also records the money and hours that community leaders are putting into their urban and community forests. According to 2016 CARS data, states in the South, high-lighted in this month’s issue, contain 422 communities with UCF management plans, with another 813 communities currently developing plans! These states also have logged a total of 274,196 volunteer hours toward community forestry. Georgia alone logged 77,389 hours in 2016.

The southern states represented have invested nearly $4 million of federal and state assistance in communities to assist them with creating tree ordinances, inventorying and planting. Two thirds of the grants from southern states in 2016 went to tree planting. Individual states shine through in their CARS data as well. For example, out of the 434 total communities in Alabama, one third—145 communities—have tree ordinances, and 126 communities have received assistance from their state urban and community forestry agencies. In Louisiana, the

state has awarded $240,000 to com-munity organizations across the state. CARS data demonstrates the efforts state agencies, as well as communities, take to protect community forests. Individual communities are utilizing their state urban coordinators and state forestry agencies in great ways. Many of these programs align with issues that matter to family forest owners, according to NWOA’s 2016 Top Issues of Family Forest Owners list. Here are some great stories to showcase what states in the South are doing to benefit their urban canopies.

Timber Markets and Urban Wood Utilization According to the Top 10 Family Forestry Issues NWOA found in 2016, timber markets are the second most important issue to family forest owners. Urban and community forestry programs are creating a new type of forest products market. For example, the North Carolina Forest Service is helping citizens develop a system of urban wood reutilization. The North Carolina Forest Service encourages communities to be aware of the quantity of urban wood they generate, and helps them contribute to a wood reutilization program. Created by the North Carolina Urban Forestry Council and sponsored by the North Carolina Forest Service, the

Trees and Forests: America’s Natural Capital

by Emily Bazydlo*

*Emily Bozydlo is Policy and Communications Intern at the National Association of State Foresters.


Southeast Urban Wood Exchange website provides the tools com-munity tree owners need to make decisions concerning urban wood utilization. The North Carolina Forest Service, through its urban and community forestry program, is helping to develop markets for the wood products produced through urban forestry.

Storm Recovery A major threat to forest health is extreme weather events that can wreak havoc on forested lands and communities alike. To support those who were affected by a tor-nado in May 2013, the Oklahoma Forestry Service partnered with several other community groups like RETREET to help distribute free trees. Each affected property could reserve one free tree of multiple species types to be planted in the front yard. By rebuilding parts of the Oklahoma urban canopy, the Okla-homa Forestry Service helped rebuild a community. The Arkansas Forestry Commission works with partners to better serve the people of Arkansas and their community needs. In March of 2016, the Arkansas Forestry Commission, the Arkansas Urban Forestry Council, and the Arbor Day Foundation worked together to replant the urban canopy in communities affected by a severe tornado in 2014. The partners distributed 6,200 trees to affected communities to help rebuild after their loss. The American Forest Foundation’s MyLandPlan.org web-site has an excellent section on natural disaster recovery: http://mylandplan.org/content/natural-disasters.

Water Quality and Quantity Urban and community forests reduce erosion and slow storm-water runoff. Trees and forests decrease peak stream flows, thereby reducing the possibility of flooding. They help provide a more constant water supply for aesthetics, recreation and wildlife habitat. With trees and forests in place, less water needs to be processed by town or city water works. A study done by American Forests in Forest Park, Georgia, showed that between 1974 and 1996, the area of land with less than 20 percent tree cover in-creased from 71 to 83 percent. As a direct result of tree loss, there was a 28 percent increase in runoff which amounted to 2.2 million cubic feet of additional water for the municipalities to manage. To address the issue of clean

water, the Tennessee Department of Forestry partnered with local governments and non-profits to implement its Clean Water from Urban Forests program. This program improved water quality by planting trees along streams in Davidson County. Nearly 3,000 volunteers planted 28,000 trees to offset the effects urban areas can have on stream ecosystems. Tennessee used this riparian buffer project to improve water quality with green infrastructure. Arbor Day and the benefits of the Tree City USA Program:When J. Sterling Morton founded Arbor Day back in 1872, his idea was simple: Set aside a special day for tree plant-ing. National Arbor Day is celebrated the last Friday of April. People around the country plant trees in recognition of the holiday. What better opportunity to host a tree planting event combined with a field tour on your land?

In an urban environment, trees can make a huge difference.

Many communities in the South have programs for replacing storm-damaged trees. Some are promoting urban tree reutilization programs to create a market for urban timber.


Choose SFIThere’s a simple way you can ensure healthy forests for generations to come while supporting the people and communities in North America who depend on them.

Choose the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) Standard for your working forests. It’s a symbol of responsible forestry.

Learn more at sfi program.org

Field tours are great for engaging with community members and showing them firsthand the benefits and direct impact an urban forest has. When they see the process in person, people are more likely to understand the importance of trees when you explain their ecological role in the environment, how trees improve conservation as well as their economic value. The Arbor Day Foundation, a close partner of the state forestry agencies, shares additional ways to celebrate Arbor Day and free resources and event planning materials on arborday.org/celebrate. Georgia uses Arbor Day to bring communities together. The Georgia Forestry Commission celebrated Arbor Day 2016 with a Mayors’ Symposium and a Tree City USA Celebration. For the symposium, six mayors from around Georgia spoke about the importance of trees in communities. For the Tree City USA Celebration, more than 30 different communities, schools, and utility companies received certificates from the Georgia Forestry Commission for their efforts to make urban canopies a priority in their towns. Tree City USA is an organization that celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2016, marking 40 years working to make crucial urban canopies recognized in the country.

Innovation and Communication Innovation is also a critical need for the forestry com-munity. How do we continue to communicate the benefits of healthy trees and forests to continue to engage the next generation of foresters? The Texas A&M Forest Service uses a unique media platform to increase knowledge of community forestry. Since April of 2015, there have been more than 20,000

listeners to Texas’ State Urban and Community Forest Co-ordinator Paul Johnson’s “Trees are Key” podcast. Every week, Johnson posts a short program highlighting one of the many ways in which trees are crucial to a community. These podcasts also include educational material for tree owners, a tree of the week, and information about events happening around Texas. You don’t have to live in Texas to appreciate Johnson’s helpful tips and tree care advice. In Mississippi, the state agency works to put the decision-making power with urban forestry into the community’s hands. Under the Urban Forestry tab on the Mississippi Forestry Commission’s website, resources are available to help communities learn more about how urban forests can benefit their communities. The Mississippi Urban and Community Forestry program not only has articles on its website, but videos published on the Mississippi Forestry Commission’s YouTube page. Viewers can learn how urban trees create economic value in the “Green brings Green” video or learn the role of a tree board in “Grow Trees to Grow Quality of Place.” These videos and print resources provide the information Mississippi communities need to learn how to be more involved with their urban forests. Urban and community forestry programs work to improve the quality of communities through canopy growth. The states of the southern region have developed programs and tools for communities to grow and benefit from their urban canopies. To learn more about your state’s urban and community forestry program, visit your state forestry agencies website or the NASF website at www.stateforesters.org.

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FIRE LOOKOUTS = EARLY DETECTION = SMALLER FIRESCheck www.nhlr.net for a complete listing of the more than 1000 fire lookouts in the United States and around the world that are listed on the NHLR. There are pictures, descriptions, a map on how to get there and even the current weather at the site! If the lookout appears to need some maintenance, check www.ffla.org to see how you can help!

Keep Them StandingRecognizing, Protecting, Restoring and Staffing Historic Fire Lookouts: The Most Recognized Symbol of Forestry in AmericaThis quarter’s listing includes a wide variety, representing five states.

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US# 1972, NY# 35One of the early lookouts in New York State, erected in 1917, and reconstructed in 1927 after it was blown down by a hur-ricane, Loon Lake Mountain Fire Tower is again a popular hiking destination since the NY DEC rebuilt the trail in 2013. The 35’ Aermotor tower is in poor condition and is scheduled for rehabilitation.

US# 1073, NY# 36Back in 1889 a prominent citizen of Stamford, NY purchased 20 acres on the top of Utsayantha Mountain, built an attractive four-story observation house (still there) and deeded the property to the town as a park. In 1934 the NY Dept. of Conservation built a 60’ Aermotor tower that is maintained and open to the public to climb.

Loon Lake Utsayantha

US# 1074, FL# 15The Lake Pierce Fire Tower, also known as Hatchinea-Catfish Creek tower, is a 100’ Aermotor LS-40 model built in 1939 by the Florida Div. of Forestry. The area surrounding the tower had a prescribed burn in 2009.

US# 1075, TN# 17Altamount Lookout in Grundy County is a Carnegie steel tower built in the 1940s. It is located at a Tennessee Div. of Forestry Work Center and available for emergency use.

Lake Pierce

Altamount Parker Springs

US# 1076, AL# 60Located in the Conecuh National Forest on the Florida State line, Parker Springs Lookout is an unusual live-in 12’x’12’ hip roof cab with catwalk mounted on a 100’ Aermotor tower. Unique to the Southern National Forests, there are only four left, two of them in Alabama. One of them is Open Pond Lookout nearby.

US# 1077, TN# 19Wolfpen Mountain was the first fire tower in Tennessee. Also known as Cagle Tower, it was a unique 60’ structure with 8’x8’ cab with catwalk. Each of the five landings ran from corner to corner. In the 1930s the tower was replaced by an 80’ Aermotor and is lightly maintained.

US# 1078, VA# 24The 80’ Leigh Mountain Fire Tower belongs to the Va. Dept. of Forestry. It is historic, and is for sale by the state. A new owner could move and restore it.

US# 1079, TN# 21Located in the heart of Cover Creek Wildlife Management Area, Cove Creek Fire Tower is a 100’ Aermotor with 7’x7’ cab. If affords remarkable views, including Norris Lake, and is in need of restoration.

US# 1080, TN# 22The Flat Woods Fire Tower is located in Wayne County, West of Columbia and just off Hwy. TN 13. It is a 100’ structure with diagonal stairs and still used by the TN Div. of Forestry as a radio repeater site.

US# 1081, FL# 14Located on Lake Wales Ridge, Archbold Fire Tower overlooks the headwaters of the Everglades. Close to the Archbold Biological Station, it is a 100’ Aermotor with 15 landings and maintained for emergency use and radio repeaters.

Flat Woods

Archbold


William C. Siegel, J.D.

NWOA

TAXNewsYouCanUse

Tax NewsYou

Can Use

by Dr. Linda Wang

Taxes have been consistently listed as one of the top con-cerns for the nation’s 10+ million individual and family private forest owners. Ultimately, taxes play an important role in in-fluencing forest investment, land tenure, ownership structure, timber management, and rural jobs. The following tax provisions are important to promote and encourage timber resource management and investment:

1. Maintaining capital gain tax treatment of timber sales Gains from qualified timber sales are taxed at the favor-

able long-term capital gain rates. Currently the maximum tax rate of long-term capital gains is 20 percent while the maximum rate for ordinary income is 39.6 percent. Current legislative status: House Tax Reform Blueprint (“Blueprint”)

released in June 2016 proposed to reduce the current capital gains tax rates to be three tax rates: 6 percent, 12.5 percent and 16.5 percent.

2. Reforestation cost deduction Forest owners may deduct the first $10,000 reforestation

cost per timber property per year with the reminder deduct-ed (amortized) over 84 months. Current legislative status: the House blueprint and President Trump’s campaign plan proposed to expense new capital investment, which could affect reforestation costs.

3. Deduct timber management expense Ordinary and necessary timber management expenses,

such as insect and disease control cost and fire break maintenance cost, can be expensed currently in the year such expenses are incurred.

4. Net investment tax of 3.8 percent Beginning in 2013, investment income and “passive” in-

come, including timber gains, are subject to a 3.8 percent tax if the taxpayer’s gross income exceeds the income threshold (i.e., $200,000 if single taxpayers, or $250,000 if married filing jointly). This is an additional tax, on top of the capital gain taxes, in the case of timber sales. It was en-acted as part of the health care reform legislation in 2010. Current legislative status: the House blueprint proposed to repeal the 3.8 percent tax.

5. Loss of forest from casualty or severe insect damage The deduction of casualty loss of timber due to events

such as hurricane or fire is limited to the property’s basis, which means little or no deductions for many forest owners with low basis in their timber property. Also, the majority of timber loss due to severe insect damage is not deductible.

6. Timber depletion deduction Depletion allows forest owners to take a deduction upon

timber sales to recover their cost of investment in timber assets.

7. Federal estate taxes Under the current tax law, one may leave up to $5.45

million without paying federal estate taxes in 2016 (or $10.9 million for a couple), indexed for inflation. Heirs receive stepped-up basis to the fair market value for the property inherited. Timber owners may elect to value the timber property at its current use vs. its highest and best use. However, the provision should be modified so that a timber sale does not trigger a recapture of estate taxes. Current status: President Trump’s campaign proposal and the House blueprint proposed to repeal estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes.

Tax Reform Issues for Forest LandownersAnd the Forest Products Industry

Maintaining capital gain tax treatment of timber sales.


Linda Wang is the U.S. Forest Ser-vice national timber tax specialist, author and coauthor of numerous articles. For more information, visit the National Timber Tax website, www.timbertax.org.

NWOA

For timber industry and REITs:

8. Corporate tax rate reduction The maximum tax rate for a C corporation is 35 percent.

Generally capital gain tax rates are not available for C cor-porations. Capital gains for C corporations are taxed at or-dinary corporate tax rates. However, a special 23.8 percent rate is allowed for timber gain in 2016 for timber C corpora-tions if the timber is held for at least 15 years. Current sta-tus: The House blueprint and President Trump’s campaign plan proposed to reduce the top corporate tax rate to be 20 percent and 15 percent, respectively.

9. Maintain timber REIT status A REIT is a tax efficient entity for holding real estate assets

such as timberland: it essentially pays no federal income taxes on its income at the entity level and it passes its tim-ber income to its shareholders as capital gains subject to the preferential tax rates. Maintaining REIT tax status for timber is important.

Other tax issues:

10. Conservation easement deduction Forest owners can take a deduction of conservation ease-

ment donation, up to 50 percent (or 100 percent if quali-fied) of their adjusted gross income in a year. Any excess donation amount over the 50- or 100-percent limit may be carried forward to 15 years.

11. Biomass for energy production Add biomass heating systems to the list of qualified renew-

able energy technologies that currently qualify for a 30-per-cent investment tax credit.

12. Open loop biomass for electricity production Revise Section 45 (Production Tax Credit) so that open

loop biomass facilities built prior to the currently required construction start date can qualify for the production tax credit, extend the tax benefit to longer periods and get the same treatment as other renewable resources such as wind.

Loss of forest from casualty or severe insect damage.

Biomass for energy production.


News From America’s Forestry Schools

Tennessee Healthy Hardwoods Project:Winner of the 2016 Family Forestry Education Award

Every year NWOA, in association with the National Association of University Forest Resources Programs, presents two awards for the best overall Fam-ily Forestry Education Program in the U.S. The first honors a department or school-wide program. A second award recognizes the best individual landowner education project. The Autumn 2016 issue of National Woodlands described the 2016 Program Winner, the Pennsylvania State Univer-sity Center for Private Forests. This issue follows with details about the Tennessee Healthy Hardwoods Project developed by the U.T. Extension Forestry Faculty. Twenty years ago the forestry associa-tions in Tennessee, with support from the Tennessee Forestry Association, began a long-term project of advising landowners about the benefits of sus-tainable forest and wildlife management. Although the majority of the county as-sociations did meet on a regular basis for evening educational programs, they had problems finding qualified speakers. In response to the need, the extension forestry staff devised the Tennessee Healthy Hardwoods program to match available speakers and workshops with the demand for programs. Additional speakers were drawn from the state Division of Forestry and equipment providers. The project launched in 2006, and renewed in 2012. Subjects included hardwood regeneration, importance of maintaining clean water, invasive spe-cies, forest health and marketing wood products. Over the five-year reporting period, 16 field days were held, reaching 1,025 landowners, for an average of 64 per event. Collectively these owners man-age 153,750 acres. Using a five-point Likert scale, where

1 = learned very little and 5 = learned a considerable amount, a concluding survey was conducted for each field day. The average results across all parameters tested is 4.7. Significantly 24 percent of the attendees had never attended an Extension education event before, giving confirmation that they were reaching the unreached. Another result of this program is how THH has bonded the forestry com-munity in Tennessee. Everyone now knows of it, wants to assist with it, and proudly displays the THH logo on hats, gloves, Biltmore sticks and herbicide bottles. In 2012, the program won the 2012 University of Tennessee Lewis H. Dickson Award for Innovative Extension Programming. Although many natural resource education efforts have moved toward electronic delivery, the Tennessee Healthy Hardwood program sought from inception to return to the woods. Two- thirds of woodland owners indicate that on-site forestry field days are a preferred method of forestry education. The woods become the teacher.

John Hosner, professor emeritus of forestry at Virginia Tech, has been recognized with the additional tribute of “honorary founding dean” of the College of Natural Resources and Environment by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. This additional honor comes as the College of Natural Resources and En-vironment marks the 25th anniversary of its founding in 1992, when it was known as the College of Forestry and Wildlife Resources. Hosner was named professor emeritus in 1992. Hosner, who at age 91 still comes into his office at the college every day, played a significant role in the establish-ment of the college. Today, the college commands a worldwide reputation of excellence in responding to society’s emerging needs for a sustainable planet. “We needed to recognize John with this title as he sacrificed much to set the foundation to create the college at Virginia Tech,” said Paul Winistorfer, dean of the college. “He was a visionary, and we thank him.”

Hosner Named VA Tech.Honorary Founding Dean

HealthyHardwoods

Tennessee

NWOA


New Hampshire Takes HomeOutstanding Forestry Law for 2016

Since 1986, NWOA has reviewed new forestry legislation every year that affects landowners and in all 50 states. While many would expect a serial list of regulatory and generally bad legislation, NWOA intentionally focuses on the best legislation, de-signed to solve problems before they occur. It would take a state with the motto “Live Free or Die” on its license plates to come up with a forestry law that is more respectful of private landowners than HB 1298, “The Private Right of Action Act.” Developed by the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association (NWOA affil.) in cooperation with other organizations, this legislation is brief (one page), clearly written, and appears to be enforceable (yet to be seen), with the following provisions:

1.) Landowner’s Right of Action. Describes the unlawful actions including trash dumping of all kinds including fuel, brush and hazardous wastes upon the land of another.

2.) Authorizes the owner of the land to seek cleanup and, if necessary, commence cleanup at the third party’s expense.

3.) Establishes the right of the land-owner to seek injunctive relief for

5.) Landowner is eligible to obtain reasonable attorney’s fees and professional fees associated with cleanup and remediation.

6.) Provides the option to obtain a bond from the third party guaran-teeing compliance if necessary.

In addition to damages to trees and shrubs, the law also specifies dam-ages to roads on private property, including restoration resulting from Off High Recreation Vehicles (OHRV).Although many states have laws that seek to deter dumping and damage to roads and property, to NWOA’s knowledge they all require a follow-up enforcement action by the sheriff, game warden, forest ranger or other public authority—a service that is understandably a lower priority of many agencies. The Private Right of Action Act puts the landowner in charge with-out restrictions or question. NWOA recommends this as a model law for landowner associations to seek throughout the United States.

Brad Simpkins, New Hampshire State Forester, accepts the Outstanding Forestry Law of the Year Award from NWOA President Keith Argow at the National Association of State Foresters Annual Meeting in Savannah. Georgia in November.

any future dumping.4.) Allows the landowner to obtain

multiple damages of up to three times the value thereof.

Illegal trash dumping can be a major expense that NH landowners hope to recover.

NWOA


*Russ Vaagen is Vice President of Vaagen Brothers Lumber Co. in Colville, Washington. His blog is theforestblog.com.

There are so many parts to the Softwood Lumber Agreement (SLA), some of which can be addressed in an agreement and much that cannot. It’s been my opinion for some time that the Canadian producers get hit with this duty because the U.S. government can’t get out of its own way. Think about it: The U.S. government has to impose a duty and/or quota system to protect U.S. mills from lower pricing pressure. In many cases this is because the mills don’t have an affordable supply of logs, and in many areas, not even enough logs to run a mill. Isn’t it interesting that the U.S. Forest Service is now trying to figure out what to do with logs in many market areas? Let’s contrast how the two countries operate their respective forest industries: Canada treats its forest industry with respect. Many of the mills have active, long-term forest licenses. This allows a company to manage that license to standards set by the Min-istry of Forests. The company lays out a management plan, then asks the Ministry of Forests to review the plan. Once all measures have been addressed, approval is granted, and the company carries out those management plans. Many of these licenses have been significantly reduced in size over the years to create a system that is more market-based. Much of this resulted from SLA disputes. The U.S. Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports frequently ac-cused the Canadian government of subsidizing its mills because so much of their supply came from these licenses. Many of these mills are in very remote communities with most of the land base controlled by the government. In the case of British Columbia, the mills pay a high local tax to the communities that they serve. This gives the communities and the mills a common goal of keeping the mills running and the people working. The Canadian government has a history of working with these forest industry companies to make sure they have what they need, so that they can compete and stay viable. The United States government controls vast forest lands in the western states. Historically the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and the states managed these lands aggressively and consistently. There were no forest licenses like in Canada; timber was simply sold to private companies. The projects were regular, and it gave the mills the chance to buy enough logs to manage their business for a year or more

based on the wood “under contract.” This was the way the West was managed until the late 1980s, when many people in the U.S. decided the heavy-handed ap-proach by the Forest Service on public lands was no longer acceptable. This brought on protests and legal challenges, resulting in a shutdown of the entire forest management system by the Forest Service. The federal timber volume sold went from more than 12 billion board feet of logs per year to less than two billion in a couple of years. This devastated communities, where it was clear the federal government had abandoned the rural areas where federally-owned forests were located. Hundreds of mills went out of business and were closed. Instead of figuring out how to address and mitigate the concerns of Americans, the Forest Service just stopped serving the needs of the forests, and thus, the communities. Today the U.S. Forest Service has recovered, by way of collaboration, to sell between two and three billion board feet annually. This is still nowhere near the treatment necessary to combat catastrophic wildfire risk and forest health concerns. To add perspective, more timber falls over and rots every year than is harvested. So we have a situation where the Canadian government has adjusted its policies to better reflect market pricing, while the U.S. government has stopped making logs available to mills. Now another part of the U.S. government is called in to remedy the market effect caused by Canadians selling too much wood into the U.S. marketplace. Does anyone else see a deeper problem here? The U.S. Forest Service and other landowners now have an extreme need to manage and restore their forests, yet in many cases, there’s no mill to sell the wood to. Mills in North America were created originally by providing an available natural resource and allowing the market to work itself out. Is there a need for the Softwood Lumber Agreement? I think so, but I would like to see a more sophisticated way of looking at it—one that takes into account all types of data to ensure that it’s a fair agreement all around. In the meantime, the U.S. government needs to ask itself a question: Why are we working hard to help an industry with trade adjustments, when we don’t substantively address our forest health issues? Better management of Forest Service lands using a conservation ethic, while making sure that the North American playing field works for North America—not just Canada or the United States—appears to be the best answer.

WOODLAND OPINIONS & IDEAS

U.S./Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement:A Tale of Different Values

by Russ Vaagen*

NWOA


Northeast

Improved Water Quality Standards Implemented in Vermont An improved set of practices de-signed to protect water quality on logging jobs in Vermont went into ef-fect as a revised rule in October. The Acceptable Management Practices for Maintaining Water Quality on Logging Jobs in Vermont, or AMPs, are a set of practices designed to protect water quality by minimizing soil erosion and runoff during and after logging activity. The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation revised the AMP

rule as a requirement of Act 64, an act passed in 2015 to improve the quality of state waters. The final AMPs are a result of significant public input and numerous discussions with foresters, landowners, loggers, environmental groups and other departments within the Agency of Natural Resources. It will apply to all logging operations on public and private lands in Vermont regardless of the purpose of the log-ging. The AMPs were originally adopted in 1987 and have been in effect for nearly 30 years. The revised rule clarifies how landowners and loggers should protect Vermont’s waters during logging, and creates room for more flexible interpre-tation, more effective implementation, and improved access to environmental enforcement when necessary. When the practices are implemented, land-owners and loggers also satisfy legal requirements under the State Water Pollution Control statutes and the

Vermont Water Quality Standards. “A landowner or logger who chooses not to implement AMPs may be subject to enforcement action and significant penalties if state waters are nega-tively affected by a logging operation’s health,” said Forests, Parks and Rec-reation Commissioner Michael Snyder.

Old Paper Mill Site To Make Wood Pellets in Vermont A Vermont company plans to build a pellet mill at the site of a former paper mill in the state’s Northeast Kingdom.Kingdom Pellet is leasing space at the site of the former Gilman paper mill and will make use of some existing assets, according to project partner Tabitha Bowling. “Adaptive reuse of the site is a huge benefit, obviously it decreases the capital expenses, and using existing infrastructure is also a benefit to the town and state—we’re not breaking ground and having to start anew,” she said.

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There are many ways to find out information about your woodland. The best place to start is to talk with a professional forester. Your forester will do a “walk through,” which is like a periodic health checkup of our woods. Learn about the diversity of the species and the possible presence of unwanted invasives. If it is time to sell some timber, getting a forester involved is highly recommended. You would not sell your cattle without counting them, nor should you sell your trees without counting them, either. Foresters come in all sizes and specialties. It is easiest to decide which is best for you by finding out where they work.

STEWARDSHIP or SERVICE FORESTERS, often known as “county foresters” work for your state forestry agency. They are funded with tax money because the public has an abiding interest in your ability to manage your land. The more you know, the more you will enjoy it. More importantly, the less likely you will be to run afoul of the law. County foresters provide an initial visit at no cost. Often they will provide an overview stewardship plan upon which to base your decisions. Most of the time you will want a more detailed forest management plan, which introduces the next kind of forester.

The CONSULTING FORESTER is a person you hire to work for you, just like a lawyer, to provide a service. If a timber sale is contemplated, hiring a consulting forester is a must. The consulting forester will mark your timber and advertise your sale to assure that all prospective buyers know about it. This almost always this brings a better price, which more than covers the consultant fees, plus leaving the managed woods in better condition to grow in value with potential future income.

EXTENSION FORESTERS are university employees who provide continuing education classes. This is an “inside job” that you have to do yourself. It takes an effort to learn tree species, to understand silviculture, decide to plant or not, and most important: learn the ever-changing tax code. To be forewarned is to be fore armed. Taking advantage of the natural resource extension courses is a landowner’s best defense.

PROCUREMENT FORESTERS work for a forest products mill. It is good to remember that their first priority is to buy wood, and there may be a conflict of interest. Unless they ask for your forest management plan, they will not know your long-term plans for your land. In the past, many sawmills adn pulpmills provided cooperative forestry planning as a service to woodland owners and to secure a source of wood for their mill. Only a few still do, but this is a service worth checking out.

HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT FORESTER FOR YOU. A good place to start is with your neighbors. It is smart to know them and understand where boundary lines run. County or Service Foresters are easily located in the phone book.

HOW TO FIND A CONSULTING FORESTER. Every state forestry agency now maintains a list of Consulting Foresters including their education, qualifications and specialties. If they list a membership in your state landowner association or NWOA (or advertise with NWOA), that is a good indication that they are interested in working with family woodland owners.

The project was recently approved for some tax incentives through the Vermont Employment Growth Incen-tive program, a job stimulus program run by the Vermont Economic Progress Council. “Our payroll taxes come back to us…downstream funds that we can use as working capital,” Bowling explained. “We’ll get that back over a five-year period, once we’ve proven out that we have created these jobs. We’re very excited to have qualified for the program.” Once built, the plant will require about 21 full-time employees. Bowling points out the additional economic benefits the mill would create by sourcing local raw materials. “We’ll pull from within a 30-mile radius, supporting the supply chain of truckers and loggers,” she said. “This benefit is quite significant in Essex County, which has the highest unemployment rate in the state.” Bowling described the size of the plant as “community scale. We will pull in material at sustainable levels,” she said. “The plan is for a 30,000-ton, super premium-grade softwood pellet mill.” A construction date has not yet been set, as the company is in the midst of financing the project. “It’s a moving target,” Bowling said. “Constructing a pellet mill is capital intensive, and there are lots of parts to the finance equation. We’re working on a number of different funding sources—grants, commercial lending—to make all of the pieces come together so we can commit to a timeline.” Vermont Wood Pellet Co., a 16,000–ton-per-year mill in North Clarendon, Vermont, is a partner in the proposed project.

Nine Priorities to “Strengthen & Diversify” Maine’s Forest Economy A coalition of leaders from the forest products industry, communities affect-ed by mill closures, and the education and economic development sectors has released its recommendations on how best to move Maine’s forest economy forward. The Maine Forest Economy Growth Initiative’s Recommendations Report lists nine priorities to address in the next three years. The top priority is to develop a long-term vision and roadmap for the forest economy. The plan will identify the key opportunities and challenges that must be overcome to attract capital investment, develop greater prosperity in the forest products sector, and sustain good paying jobs

Should You Use A Professional Forester?

Yes!


North Central

VISIT US ONLINE

INTERNATIONALFOREST.CO

NOT ALL SEEDLINGS ARE CREATED EQUAL.

Michigan PartnershipAims to Combat Invasives The past few decades have led to an increase in impacts and awareness of exotic invasive pests and diseases on Michigan’s forests. American chestnut, American elm, beech and all ash species—among others—have already been devastated by these invaders. With each tree species that becomes threatened, the state’s overall forest resource becomes compromised. Michigan State University Exten-sion’s Eyes on the Forest program gives citizens an opportunity to help keep new exotic pests and diseases from attacking the forest. The program asks volunteers to adopt a “sentinel tree” to periodically measure and monitor its condition. Once a sentinel tree is selected, vol-unteers can register it on the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network (MISIN) website. Currently there are three main threats the program is focusing on: Asian longhorned beetle, hemlock woolly adelgid, and thousand cankers disease of walnut. Although the program encourages volunteers to adopt a tree species that is vulner-able to these issues—black walnut, eastern hemlock, or a maple species, for example—any tree species can be selected. The Eyes on the Forest program can be a great way for organizations like local parks departments, nature centers, and conservation districts to call attention to their own im-portant tree and forest resources. Recently, the In-gham Conserva-tion District (ICD) decided to iden-tify some sentinel trees on their 20-acre property as a way to protect their own local re-source and serve as an educational tool for their own volunteers.

in Maine’s rural communities. This includes identifying the current and emerging global forest products markets where Maine is likely to be most competitive, and analyzing Maine’s current and future wood sup-ply in order to support new and future markets. Other recommendations include improving transportation infrastructure to move wood to market, developing more outlets for forest residuals such as through Combined Heat and Power (CHP) projects, increasing outreach to small woodland owners, and investing in the commercialization of new prod-ucts such as bio-based products. For affected communities, priorities include the redevelopment of closed mill sites, and diversifying and strengthening Maine’s rural economy. “A dedicated and diverse group of Mainers has spent months working together to understand where Maine’s forest economy has been, where it is today and what needs to be done to strengthen and diversify our valued forest products industry,” said Pat Strauch, Executive Director of the Maine Forest Products Council and co-chair of the working group. “We’re pleased with the results of that col-laboration and feel that accomplishing these nine priorities over the next three years will help to sustain and transform the forest economy.” The group has already begun working to advance the priorities and searching for funding opportunities to build the plan, according to Yellow Light Breen, President and CEO of the Maine De-velopment Foundation and co-chair of the working group. “We are excited to take the next crucial steps to position Maine as an innovator and leader in the global wood market, and in the process create new jobs and revive our rural communities,” said Breen. Breen noted that the Maine Development Founda-tion has brought its trusted research, and ability to convene diverse leaders, to help coordinate the project. The coalition’s work also included hosting a three-day visit to Maine last summer by a federal Economic Development Assessment Team that included representatives from several federal agencies. Breen and Strauch indicated they expect any federal report coming from EDAT to incorporate and respond to the coalition’s nine priorities and would begin to identify resources both immediate and long term to move the work forward.

USDA to Invest $32 MillionTo Promote Forest Health The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a new invest-ment of $32 million to improve the health and resiliency of forest ecosystems where public forests and grasslands connect to privately-owned lands. Through the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership, USDA’s Natu-ral Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Forest Service will invest new funds in FY 2017 to add ten new projects and support 26 partnership projects already underway. Federal, state and local partners will bring an additional $30 million through financial and in-kind contributions over three years to implement the newly added projects. With this funding, Joint Chiefs’ projects will extend to 29 states. “This collaboration helps local part-ners meet the growing challenges that come with protecting communities, watersheds, forests and woodlands from the devastating and costly im-pacts of wildfires and other threats, while protecting water resources, and improving wildlife habitat,” said Tom Krapf, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs. Through the Joint Chiefs’ partnership, USDA, tribes, private landowners and others recently completed the Lake Superior Basin Landscape Restoration Project in Wisconsin, providing multiple natural resource benefits on public, private and tribal lands. The nearly $4.4 million project im-proved and restored critical spawning habitat for brook trout by reducing sedimentation and removing in-stream barriers on 48 miles of rivers and streams; improved nesting habitat for golden-winged warblers, Kirtland war-blers and sharp-tailed grouse on nearly 3,000 acres; and reduced hazardous fuels on more than 5,360 acres of public lands.


Heartland Region

“The Lake Superior project and other Joint Chiefs’ projects show that smart, proactive investment in restoring forest ecosystems in these landscapes yields extraordinary benefits for landowners, communities, taxpayers and wildlife,” Krapf said.

Financial Assistance AvailableTo Minnesota Forest Landowners The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is encouraging fam-ily forest owners to take advantage of cost-share funds available in 2017 to improve their woods. “The DNR is here to help woodland owners with forest management ad-vice and financial assistance to keep your woods healthy and productive,” said John Carlson, DNR private forest management coordinator. “We have cost-share funds to help you complete a wide variety of woodland projects.” Cost-share funds can be used to re-plant woods after a harvest. Funds can also be used to protect newly planted trees by removing competing vegetation and protecting them from deer browse by applying bud caps, adding tree tubes or constructing a fence. To help prepare the woods for a future harvest, woodland owners can use cost-share funds to do a thinning so remaining trees have more

room to grow. Many woodland owners enjoy wildlife watching and hunting. Planting native trees and shrubs suitable for wildlife habitat is eligible cost-share activities. Creating a native prairie to increase food supply and cover for wildlife is another option. Funds are available to help address forest pests and invasive species. White pine blister rust can make growing a healthy white pine forest difficult. Cost-share funds can be used to pay to prune white pines to help reduce their chance of becoming infected. Removing and treating invasive species like buckthorn and garlic mustard, to keep the woods healthy, are also eligible activities. Family forest owners wanting to protect ponds and streams in their woods can use cost-share funds to create riparian woody cover by planting trees. Funds can also be used to reduce soil erosion by rehabbing forest roads or creating temporary grass cover during forest management activities. This year, a $300 reimbursement is available toward creating a new wood-land stewardship plan for woods 20 acres or more. This involves walking the woods with a professional forester to get ideas on how to improve its health and productivity. Having a current woodland

Former KY State Forestry EmployeeAccused of Setting Forest Fire A former Kentucky Division of For-estry employee is accused of setting a Wayne County forest fire that burned several acres, according to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office. Steven L. Vitatoe, 60, of Monticello is charged with willfully setting a fire on land that’s not his, setting a prohib-ited fire during a fire hazard season, criminal trespassing, criminal mischief and seven counts of wanton endan-germent, according to the sheriff’s

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stewardship plan allows owners to take advantage of tax incentive programs in 2017. Cost-share funds are available for a limited time. For more information on activities to improve a woods, visit www.mndnr.gov/woodlands/cost-share.html.


apply for the funding and develop forest management plans for their properties. State Forester John Seifert says land use changes during the past century have left Indiana lacking in young forest habitat. He says the multi-agency effort that includes conservation groups will also give a boost to the American wood-cock, the whip-poor-will and other bird species.

Ohio DNR Plants Chestnut Trees The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) recently planted American chestnut trees at three sites on department-managed lands. The Gorge Overlook area at Mohican State Park, the Scioto Trail State Forest fire tower and the Waterloo Wildlife Area were selected for a reforestation proj-ect that is part of a state and regional effort to re-establish the native Ameri-can chestnut trees in partnership with The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF). “We are happy to be a part of help-ing to return the American chestnut to landscapes across Ohio and the region,” said Robert Boyles, ODNR

deputy director and state forester. “The American chestnut was such an important component of our country’s eastern hardwood forest, and that is why great efforts are being made to resurrect this great tree to our wood-lands.” ODNR staff from the divisions of Forestry, Ohio State Parks and Wildlife conducted the plantings, with volun-teer assistance from the Mohican Trails Club at Mohican State Park. Approximately 1,000 seedlings were divided among the three sites. Tree shelter tubes were installed on the young trees to provide a greenhouse-like atmosphere and of-fer protection from wildlife browsing and to promote growth and increase seedling survival. The year-old seedlings were do-nated by TACF, and the foundation is dedicated to the restoration of the American chestnut through scientific breeding and cooperative research. These seedlings, known as “Res-toration” chestnuts, were bred at TACF’s Meadowview Research Farms in Virginia and were grown at the Clements State Tree Nursery in West Virginia.

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office. On Nov. 2, a forest fire was set by someone using an accelerant in the Brammer Hill area of Wayne County, according to the sheriff’s office. With help from the U.S. Forest Service, investigators were able to determine where the fire started. Using a tip that included a photo-graph, investigators were able to iden-tify Vitatoe as the suspect, according to the sheriff’s office. A timetable put together by investigators also placed Vitatoe at the origin of the fire at the time it was set, the sheriff’s office said.

State of Indiana Funds3,000-Acre Reforestation Effort A new state-run program backed by nearly $1 million in federal funding will enlist southern Indiana landowners to plant 3,000 acres of new forests. The state Department of Natural Re-sources says its Division of Forestry will oversee the five-year Southern Indiana Young Forest Initiative. The program will provide about $960,000 in cost-share funding to eligible land-owners in 43 southern counties to plant new forests. DNR foresters will help landowners


Mid Atlantic

Missouri Seminar: Market TreesLike You Market Livestock Study and know your market before you sell trees, says University of Mis-souri Extension forestry specialist Hank Stelzer. MU Extension, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Conserva-tion, offers a series of workshops to help landowners learn how to improve the quality of their timber and how to market it. MU Extension in Laclede County will host three workshops in Lebanon, 6:30-9 p.m. on Feb. 7, 14 and 21. “Many woodland owners see har-vesting trees as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Stelzer says. Too often, landowners sell trees for less than fair-market value, and loggers harvest the wrong trees, he says. “I often ask farmers and livestock producers if they ever sell their crops or take their livestock to market without knowing something about what they are selling,” he says. “‘Of course not!’ is the reply. Then why did you take

New York Funds BattleAgainst Southern Pine Beetle As part of the New York State Depart-ment of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC’s) aggressive efforts to combat the spread of the invasive Southern Pine Beetle, the agency will soon begin conducting ecological forest operations on Rocky Point Pine Barrens State For-est, the DEC announced recently. “The Southern Pine Beetle poses a threat to Long Island’s Pine Barrens and DEC is actively fighting to protect the area from these destructive pests,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “By thinning a portion of this forest, which represents one of DEC’s largest land holdings in the Pine Barrens region, we are potentially saving thousands of trees from this invasive insect.” The ecological research operation was made possible by a $34,900 grant from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). DEC staff began investigating potential solutions to battle Southern Pine Beetle on its Rocky Point Preserve Property after a small infestation was found on the 6,000-acre Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest in 2015. The project will be conducted over a 27-acre area. Nine acres will serve as a control, where no treatment is adminis-tered. The other 18 acres will be thinned according to silvicultural guidelines. The area will be broken up into three blocks of three-acre sections. Each block will receive different treatments in order to determine their effectiveness. The three treatment options are: control, thinning, and thinning and burning. The plan, which was developed by DEC and USFS foresters, will selectively remove varying amounts of pitch pine, scarlet, and white oak trees throughout the three-acre blocks. This is intended to give the remaining trees more ac-cess to sunlight and nutrients, allowing them to gain strength and better fight off the invading beetle. Each block will be analyzed to determine which block was the most effective in resisting Southern Pine Beetle attacks. Ecological forest operations are

that first offer the logger gave you?” Stelzer adds, “Working with a pro-fessional forester ensures the right trees are harvested, leaving you with a healthier, more productive forest capable of generating future income.” During the first session, Stelzer will provide an in-depth look at how wood-lot trees grow. In the second session, Stelzer gives advice on improving and developing woodlots. The final session focuses on marketing timber and the basic parts of a timber sale contract. Stelzer also discusses ways to improve profits and reduce costs when selling timber. “Knowledge is power,” he says. “With that knowledge, you can rest easier knowing you did the best for yourself and your land.” Missouri citizens own about 85 per-cent of the state’s 15 million forested acres. For more information, go to exten-sion.missouri.edu/laclede, call 417-532-7126 or email [email protected].


Southeast

New Forest Health ProgramBenefits 13 Southeastern States Tree-munching insects, maraud-ing fungi, and non-native plants are threatening the health of forests in the southern United States.

regularly conducted on DEC-managed forests throughout the state by private contractors to achieve different resource objectives, including invasive species management. Currently, DEC is searching for an eligible timber management company to implement the selective management of trees on the approximately 18-acre parcel in need of thinning. All work by private contractors will be conducted under DEC supervision to ensure that only trees previously marked for harvesting will be taken down. Work on the project is expected to start early in 2017.

West Virginia Forestry Staff CutsImpact Firefighting Efforts West Virginia fire departments were strained for resources during the recent fall fire season, after 37 foresters were laid off over the summer, meaning fewer personnel available to fight brush and forest fires during burn season. “Being a volunteer fire department, obviously, especially in the daytime hours, we’re limited on manpower, limited on resources,” Malden Fire Chief Squeak Peterson said. Volunteer fire departments are trying to compensate for cuts. “We’re going to still protect the struc-tures, we’re going to protect the property of our residents in the area but for us to commit people up on the hillside, it’s very difficult to do,” Peterson said. Fire departments typically respond to brush fires, but foresters are often called in because fire departments aren’t equipped with the right tools and resources to tackle the brush fires. “A lot of times these fires have to be contained by the DNR with the use of bulldozers rather than just rakes and blowers and they have to bring other equipment in,” Peterson said. Fire departments also lack the time and manpower required to fight brush fires.“We pay workers compensation based on our rates that we’re out there, so if we’re out there an additional two, three, four hours then we’re obviously going to have more costs,” Peterson said.

Pennsylvania Task Force AddressesJob Growth through Forestry Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has applauded the work of a panel of forestry experts from private, public and academic sectors that has been meeting to analyze current limitations to forest conservation and job growth, and to develop an action plan to address both objectives.

“Prioritizing conservation and job growth related to this field is vital to creating a sustainable, dynamic industry in this state where almost 60 percent is forested,” the governor said. The Green Ribbon Task Force was called together to determine how Penn-sylvania’s nearly 17 million acres of forestland could best play an active role in the governor’s call for statewide job creation. Addressed specifically were:

• A new conservation easement program for working forests that would keep forests as forest but provide increased opportunities for sustainable harvest of wood products;

• Legislation to give loggers, on whose shoulders the entire forest products industry rests, more incentives and advantages to get into the logging business and to be able to make a good living, including better worker’s compensation options, more training, and more opportunities for worker recruitment;

• Sustainable support for the Hardwoods Development Council to conduct research, marketing, training, and many other opportunities through a

public/private partnership between the industry and state government;

• Support and promotion of more maker’s spaces across Pennsylvania cities, where small manufacturing, wood crafters, artisans and others can share resources, networks and bring jobs back to forested Pennsylvania;

• Raising the profile of forest-based jobs through forest tours, job mentoring, early recruitment, apprenticeships and similar workforce efforts.


To combat these menaces, accurate, up-to-date information on pest and invasive species management and control is key. The Forest Health and Invasive Species Program, led by David Coyle and administered through the office of Southern Regional Extension For-estry, works closely with forest health organizations from throughout the southeastern United States. Coyle’s aim is to arm state forestry agency and county-level extension person-nel with the latest and most effective information on methods for ensuring that our forests remain healthy and free of hungry pests and damaging weeds. The program operates within 13 southeastern states and provides a wealth of online and in-person op-portunities for training and education. Many resources are available, includ-ing:

• Fact Sheets: these contain multiple color images to help with the diag-nosis of forest health issues, an overview of the biology and ecology of the pest, discussion on different management strategies, and a list of additional resources available. These are available on the website and are divided into categories based on whether a threat is plant-, insect-, or fungi-based.

• Webinars: these are presented during the spring and fall, and can be viewed live or on-demand about a week after the live webinar. All webinars are free, eligible for continuing education units (always the Society of American Foresters, Georgia Master Timber Harvester, Mississippi Professional Logging Manager, Texas Pro Logger Pro-gram, and sometimes International Society of Arboriculture), and avail-able at http://southernforesthealth.net/webinars. Work is proceeding toward accreditation for other state-specific CEUs as well (e.g. pesticide credits). Available webinar topics include Chinese tallowtree, cogongrass, emerald ash borer, gypsy moth, laurel wilt, Heteroba-sidion root disease, and oak wilt. Planned webinars for 2017 include hemlock woolly adelgid, southern pine beetle, southern pine decline, thousand cankers disease, the impact of weather on forest health, and the intersection of invasive for-est pests and firewood movement.

• Workshops: Dr. Coyle travels to

development strategies. “I applaud Floyd County and the New River Valley Regional Commission for their strong commitment to Virginia’s agricultural and forestry industries, and we are pleased to give them the tools to help them support those in-dustries,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, Basil Gooden. “Floyd County’s comprehensive approach to building entrepreneurial capacity from producer to customer will have lasting impacts on the area’s agriculture and forestry industries.” Gooden said. “I applaud Augusta, Halifax, Loudoun and Rockingham Counties for partnering with the New River Valley Regional Commission to study the economic impact of agritour-ism, an important and growing sector of Virginia’s agricultural economy. I am also excited that the AFID pro-gram can be part of the efforts to create the Old School Food Center at Prices Fork. These three initiatives all support Virginia’s agriculture and forestry industry sectors, and are a part of furthering the governor’s plan to build a new Virginia economy, he said”

Enviva Announces $500K GrantsFor Forest Conservation in 2017 The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities has released a new Request for Proposals for the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund. Up to $500,000 is available for 2017 grants to protect bottomland hardwood and other wetland forests in northeast North Carolina and south-east Virginia. This is the second year of a $5 million, ten-year program launched by Enviva Holdings, LP and the En-dowment in 2015. Not-for-profit orga-nizations, government agencies and tribes are eligible to apply for grants. The RFP and additional materials are available on the Endowment’s website and at http://envivaforestfund.org/matching-fund-grants/. “Given the success of the inaugural year of the Enviva Forest Conserva-tion Fund, we are very excited to invite applications for the 2017 program,” said Carlton Owen, the Endowment President and CEO. “The four grants awarded in 2016 were critically important to help protect more than 2,000 acres of sensitive, bottomland and wetland forests. Well-managed, working forests also are being protected from conversion to

several states each year conduct-ing multiple-day workshops. Work-shops include a classroom portion, complete with hands-on displays, and a field trip to see insect and fungal damage and invasive plants firsthand.

The Forest Health and Invasive Spe-cies program is a partnership between the U.S. Forest Service-Forest Health Protection program, the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, and Southern Regional Extension Forestry. In addition, Coyle regularly posts information pertaining to forest health, invasive species, and management on his Twitter profile (@drdavecoyle) or Facebook page (www.facebook.com/southernforesthealth). See more at: http://stateforest-ers.org/news-events/blog/keep-ing-southern-forests-healthy-and-strong#sthash.P6xxYPcw.dpuf.

Arson SuspectedIn Tennessee Wildfires Officials with the Tennessee De-partment of Agriculture, Division of Forestry, believe arson may be to blame for several wildfires burning around East Tennessee late last year. Authorities say the majority of the new fires were near the southern end of the Cumberland District. The new fires were burning a total of 263 acres. Besides arson, forestry officials also suspect escaped debris fire, campfire, and vehicle fires in some of the blazes. With dry conditions expected to con-tinue, forestry officials had no plans to issue new burn permits anywhere in the state.

Virginia Governor Announces Forestry, Ag Grants Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe has announced the award of three planning grants from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund. The Commonwealth awarded a total of $64,000 to projects by Floyd County and the New River Valley Regional Commission to support the growth of agricultural and forestry industries in the Commonwealth. The AFID planning grant program encourages local governments to promote agriculture and forestry and incorporate the needs of these industries into their overall economic


Gulf South

University of Georgia Research Foundation. New hybrid sweetgum trees could boost paper, bioenergy production. Researchers at UGA have crossed American sweetgums with their Chi-nese cousins, creating hybrid sweet-gum trees that have a better growth rate and denser wood than natives, and can produce fiber year-round. Credit: University of Georgia The new hybrid has been well accepted by forest landowners, par-ticularly in the western areas of the Southeast, including Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. ArborGen officials say they produced 300,000 seedlings this year and sold out before the hybrid could even be marketed.

Alabama to Grant $100,000To Volunteer Fire Departments Alabama Governor Robert Bentley recently announced that $100,000 is being made available to volunteer fire departments (VFD) in Alabama. The needs-based grant program will be awarded to reimburse depart-ments for costs incurred during their response to wildfires across the state starting October 1, 2016. A total of $100,000 is available; however, grants up to $2,500 will be awarded based on financial need and departmental budget structure.

New Forest Seedlings NurseryPlanned for Southern Alabama Officials with the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) recently announced an agreement to establish a nursery for containerized forest seedling produc-tion at the former E.A. Hauss Nursery site located in Atmore. A lease agreement was struck on property owned by the state in Escam-bia County with PRT USA Inc. (PRT), the U.S. subsidiary of a Canadian company that produces container-grown forest seedlings. The two entities signed a long-term lease which includes land, buildings, and infrastructure suitable for the nursery. According to PRT executives, the company will immediately commence construction of container growing facilities on the site, which it intends to expand over time in response to customer needs. In order to serve for-est landowners and other customers in the Southeast, PRT’s forest seedling product offering will include longleaf, slash, and loblolly pine, along with other species. Construction is anticipated to

be completed in early 2017, with sow-ing of seedlings to occur in the spring for shipping to customers during the 2017/18 planting season. “We are always proud to have com-panies make investments in Alabama, but we are excited for this redevelop-ment project as we partner with PRT to put life back into the Hauss Nursery site,” Governor Robert Bentley said. “Forestry is one of Alabama’s largest commodities and essential to sustain-ing a strong economy in our state. We look forward to a long and prosperous relationship through this new venture.” “We consider it our good fortune that this international corporation was interested in establishing a presence in Alabama,” remarked interim State Forester, Gary Cole. “Having remained vacant for several years, this AFC nurs-ery property was available, and we’re pleased that PRT realized its potential. In addition to being a much-needed seedling source for forest landowners in southwest Alabama, this operation will also provide jobs for the area. The lease is a win-win situation for all involved.”

Mississippi Wildfire Fatality One wildfire-related fatality has been reported in Montgomery County, the Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC) has announced. On October 27, 2016, MFC wildland firefighters were called to suppress a wildfire. It appears that a private land-owner had engaged in agricultural field burning while his county was under a burn ban. The burn ban was issued due to ex-treme drought conditions in the area. The fire escaped his control and be-came a wildfire, which started to spread quickly. During his efforts to suppress the wildfire, it eventually overtook him. An investigation into the incident is ongoing. Since September 1, 2016, MFC wildland firefighters have responded to and suppressed 658 wildfires that burned 5,761 acres. During this time, 31 structures were destroyed or damaged, while another 1,039 were threatened by wildfire activity and saved by MFC wildland firefighters. “We are deeply saddened by the news from Montgomery County,” said Char-lie Morgan, state forester. “Wildfires can start with just a spark and spread quickly to endanger forestland, homes, and lives. Please do your part to help prevent wildfires by observing local burn bans and exercising proper fire safety.”

Hybrid Sweetgum ProvesMore Versatile in Georgia Sweetgum trees thrive under diverse conditions, grow as fast as pine trees and provide the type of fiber needed for specialty papers—and they’ve long been desired by paper and bioenergy producers. But there’s a hitch: Harvesting mature sweetgums can often be too costly or even ill-advised because they typically grow best on the edges of swamps and in river bottoms, which are often inaccessible during the wet winter months. Researchers at the University of Georgia may have solved this problem: They’ve crossed Ameri-can sweetgums with their Chinese cousins, creating hybrid sweetgum trees that have a better growth rate and denser wood than natives, and can produce fiber year-round. The hybrid sweetgum trees have enormous potential for the production of bioenergy and paper, said Scott Merkle, a professor in UGA’s War-nell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. “The very best hybrid sweetgums are being propagated to produce elite varieties, so that landowners will be able to plant trees that produce more biomass in a shorter time than the top-rated native sweetgum trees,” he said. The new hybrid varieties are already being sold commercially by ArborGen Inc., which began offering rooted cut-ting seedlings of the new varieties in 2015. This important step came after ArborGen’s extensive field testing of the trees produced from tissue cultures in Merkle’s lab in Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama. The tests showed these new hybrids outperform either of the parent species by 20 percent in both growth rate and wood density. The hybrid varieties are co-owned by ArborGen, a forest seedlings company headquartered in South Carolina, and UGARF, the


pine grew faster, wood was more im-mature and subject to warping. When Hse graduated, he was offered a research job in Pineville and also a more lucrative position in Mississippi.“My professor advised me to take the job with Peter Koch,” said Dr. Hse. “He said he was a much better driver and you can learn more.” Back in Louisiana, there was much interest in a new market. “The price for pine was $10 a thousand which was really, really low,” said Char-lie Stout, retired forester for Industrial Lumber Co. in Elizabeth. His boss was W.N. Darwin, also the chairman of the Louisiana Forestry Association (LFA) research committee. In 1960, Darwin led a group, which included forest service personnel, Lloyd Blackwell of the Louisiana Tech School of Forestry, consultant Lewis Peters, Roy O. Martin Jr. and two other LFA board members, to the Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin. They spent a week there forming a liaison between the lab and the state and pushing for extended lab facilities in Pineville. The wheels were turning and in 1963, the first southern plywood mill opened in Arkansas. Vancouver Plywood of-ficials returned to Louisiana to meet with Blackwell and Charlie Lewis, LFA director, to study the on-the-ground resource in Louisiana.

Texans Gather on Arbor DayTo Celebrate the Value of Trees Texans from across the state gathered in November in the Oldest Town in Texas to celebrate the State Arbor Day and how trees can connect the past, present

and future. The celebration, themed “Leaving a Legacy,” is a nod to the City of Nacogdo-ches which celebrated its Tricentennial in 2016. The town is believed to be 300 years old—far older than the state of Texas itself. So are some of the area trees. They serve as living witness to local history. “I want to encourage us to continue the effort because ten years from now, 100 years from now they will be celebrating the things they see from our efforts,” said Nacogdoches Mayor, Roger Van Horn. “We owe the past to the future and we are just a byproduct from that.” The community has deep roots in traditional forestry as the home of the Stephen F. Austin State University Lumberjacks and the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture. But Nacogdoches, a Tree City USA, also values urban and community forestry and was recently named the Garden Capital of Texas by the state legislature.

End of Year Fire WarningFrom Oklahoma Forestry Service Oklahoma Forestry Services alerted the public of “critical fire weather” on New Years Eve. Dry conditions coupled with strong, gusty winds and low humid-ity created a situation where wildfires would be able to start and spread rapidly, the agency said. “As people prepare to celebrate New Year’s Eve we are asking them to recon-sider the use of fireworks in light of our ongoing drought and the fire weather potential,” said George Geissler, Oklahoma state forester. “Tomorrow’s weather calls for critical fire danger and even the smallest ember could spark a

South Central

Louisiana Celebrates50 Years of Plywood Production As Boise Cascade’s two Louisiana plywood plants surpass the 50-year mark, it is more than a birthday party for one company. It marks the start of a new Southern industry resulting from research and a driving need for new timber markets. Prior to 1963, plywood was a prod-uct of the Northwest where Douglas fir and a few other woods were made into high quality panels. As the price for big logs became more competitive, the problems using southern pine for sheathing grade panels seemed worth the time and research needed. Dr. Chung Hse (pronounced she), a researcher at the Southern Research Station in Pineville, worked with Peter Koch, credited with leading the research to make Southern pine into a plywood staple. “The average diameter of southern pine was less (than Douglas fir) and the absorption characteristics were very different,” he said. With less wood and more gluing problems, pine needed new techniques. Also, the warm weather for production compounded the problems. Because


Rocky Mountain

Moth Threatening NM Forests Appears to be on the Decline Over the past three years, moths have been feeding on the needles of Douglas firs across thousands of acres of forest land near Cañada de los Alamos, a community southeast of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The insect threatens to leave hundreds of dead trees in its wake. But the U.S. Forest Service has no plans to treat the infestation, according to the agency. Julie Anne Overton, a spokeswoman for the Santa Fe National Forest, said that the population of the Douglas-fir tussock moth in the Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger District is now declining. Overton said a team conducting an annual aerial examination of the Santa Fe and Carson forests in late July no-ticed a red coloration to pine trees in the area, caused by defoliation. Another forest team then hiked to the area and confirmed that the moths had been feeding on the trees. The specialists believe the infestation is in its third year of a four-year cycle, Overton said in the news release, and trees have already died. Live trees still remaining in the area that have been severely defoliated could be targeted by bark beetles, making them more vulnerable, the news release said. Many will probably die. Overton said the moth infestation likely will lead to “noticeable tree mortal-ity in the Cañada de los Alamos area near Shaggy Peak.” Santa Fe National Forest entomolo-gist Andrew Graves said in the news release that the moth is native to the American West. “So it is not unprec-edented to have these large outbreaks in forest stands with infill of white fir and Douglas fir,” he said. “But the outcome

can be quite dramatic over a two- to four-year period until the insect popula-tion dies off.” There have been outbreaks of Doug-las-fir tussock moths in states such as Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and California. The outbreaks happen in cycles and feed off Douglas fir and true fir. “The good news, if there is any, is that the [moth] population appears to be on the decline due to several conditions,” Overton said. Graves said the moths in the Shaggy Peak area are showing signs of being infected by a virus, and they are produc-ing low numbers of eggs, which should hatch next spring. “Both conditions are signs that the tussock moth population in this area is crashing,” Graves said.

Spruce Beetle Continues to RavageColorado Forests Spruce beetle was the most damag-ing forest insect pest in Colorado for the fifth consecutive year, based on a 2016 forest health aerial survey con-ducted by the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) and U.S. Forest Ser-vice (USFS), Rocky Mountain Region. Douglas-fir beetle populations also continued to expand, while mountain pine beetle, western spruce budworm and Douglas-fir tussock moth popula-tions continue to decline. Every year the CSFS and USFS work together to aerially monitor forest health conditions on millions of forested acres across the state. Spruce beetle populations continued to cause widespread tree mortality, impacting 350,000 acres of higher-elevation stands of Engelmann spruce statewide. The largest infestations were detected primarily in southern and central Colorado, with more than one-third of those acres “new” or not previously impacted. Blowdown events in Engelmann spruce stands, combined with long-term drought stress, warmer tem-peratures and extensive amounts of older, densely growing trees, have contributed to this ongoing epidemic. Since 1996, spruce beetle outbreaks have caused tree mortality on more than 1.7 million acres in Colorado. The aerial survey also indicated that activity of the Douglas-fir beetle, a close relative of spruce beetle that attacks and kills mature Douglas-fir trees, significantly increased on the Western Slope, with 19,000 acres

impacted in 2016. Unlike the spruce beetle, populations of this pest tend to erupt in numerous smaller pockets, rather than spreading outwardly from a few main population centers. “Our partnership with the U.S. Forest Service on the aerial survey provides another great example of how working together, we can most effectively ad-dress forest health concerns that span property lines, including bark beetle outbreaks,” said Mike Lester, state forester and director of the Colorado State Forest Service. “Information we obtain from the survey helps stimulate real work on the ground and allows us to focus our efforts on priority areas.” The CSFS and USFS are using tools such as the Good Neighbor Authority to together perform watershed restora-tion and forest management services on National Forest System lands. A Master Good Neighbor Agreement, signed by both agencies in 2015, fosters a collaborative approach and leverages state resources to accom-plish work across land ownership boundaries onto National Forest lands. Good Neighbor projects currently being implemented in Colorado to address spruce beetle-killed trees include an 86-acre timber salvage harvest operation in the CSFS Mon-trose District, to help address spruce beetle mortality on the Uncompahgre National Forest, and public permit-oriented wood-removal projects in the Rio Grande National Forest west of Alamosa.

Southwest

Wildfire May Inhibit Tree RegrowthCalifornia Study Shows There are warning signs that some forests in the western U.S. may have a hard time recovering from the large and intense wildfires that have become more common as the climate warms. After studying 14 burned areas across ten national forests in California, scien-tists from UC Davis and the U.S. Forest Service said recent fires have killed so many mature, seed-producing trees across such large areas that the forests

blaze. If you decide to celebrate with fireworks, please use extra caution.” Precautions would include having a source of water on hand and having someone on the lookout for any un-intended ignitions. Citizens were also asked to call their nearest fire depart-ment if they saw or smelled smoke.


Northwest

can’t re-seed themselves. And because of increasingly warm temperatures, burned areas are quickly overgrown by shrubs, which can prevent trees from taking root. “With high-severity fires, the seed source drops off,” said study co-author Kevin Lynch, a forest researcher at UC Davis. “We aren’t seeing the condi-tions that are likely to promote natural regeneration.” Historically, severe fires were uncom-mon in the forests covered by the study, largely made up of yellow pines and mixed conifers, but extended drought and heat waves have exacerbated fire conditions across the West. The chang-ing climate is also seen as a factor in recent wildfires in the Southeast, which is also mired in drought. For the study, published in the journal Ecosphere, the researchers surveyed 1,500 plots in burned areas at differ-ent elevations in the Sierra Nevadas, Klamath Mountains, and North Coast regions. There was no natural conifer regeneration at all in 43 percent of the plots, they reported. “[O]ur data support growing concern that the well-documented trend toward larger and more severe fires is a major threat to conifer forest sustainability in our study region,” the authors wrote. They said the study results could ap-ply to mixed conifer forests across the West. Welch said the study was aimed at helping forest managers decide where to apply limited funding to replant forests that aren’t regrowing on their own. “There aren’t enough of the right kind of trees growing back, the sugar pines and the ponderosa pines,” he said, describing the native species that are ecologically and commercially valuable.

Nevada Announces Grants ProgramPromoting Private Land Access Nevada Division of Forestry recently announced that applications are being accepted for the Community Forest and Open Space Program (CFP) competi-tive grant funding. CFP provides funding for the acquisition of private forest lands for public use. Community forests and open spaces are important to people and the places they call home, the agency says. Com-munity forests provide many benefits such as places to recreate and enjoy nature; they protect habitat, water quality and other environmental ben-efits. Community Forests have also long been sites for environmental and

Forest Fuels PowerCommercial Airline Flight Washington state-based Alaska Airlines recently made history flying the first commercial flight using the world’s first renewable, alternative jet fuel made from forest residuals, the limbs and branches that remain after the harvesting of managed forests, ac-cording to Washington State University. The alternative jet fuel was produced through the efforts of the Washington State University-led Northwest Ad-vanced Renewables Alliance (NARA).The demonstration flight departed Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. The flight was fueled with a 20 percent blend of sustainable aviation biofuel, which is chemically indistin-guishable from regular jet fuel. The flight, the first commercial passenger flight of its kind, continues to advance viable alternatives to conventional fossil fuels for aviation. “This latest milestone in Alaska’s ef-forts to promote sustainable biofuels is especially exciting since it is uniquely sourced from the forest residuals in the Pacific Northwest,” said Joe Sprague, Alaska Airlines’ senior vice president of communications and external rela-tions. “NARA’s accomplishments and the investment of the U.S. Department of Agriculture provide another key in helping Alaska Airlines and the aviation industry reduce its carbon footprint and dependency on fossil fuels.” While the 1,080 gallons of biofuel used on the flight has a minimal impact

NWOA

cultural education. Tribal and local governments, land trust organizations and other qualified nonprofit conservation organizations may apply for CFP funds on behalf of interested private landowners. In 2017, Nevada may submit up to three proposed projects for national funding consideration. Each individual project may not exceed $400,000.

on Alaska Airlines’ overall greenhouse gas emissions, if the airline were able to replace 20 percent of its entire fuel supply at Sea-Tac Airport, it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 142,000 metric tons of CO2. This is equivalent to taking approximately 30,000 passenger vehicles off the road for one year, the university said.

Interactive Forestry WebsiteLaunched in Oregon The Oregon Department of Forestry, in partnership with Oregon State University, announced the launch of an “interactive forest experience,” called ExploreO-regonForests.org. The project offers a unique opportunity to explore Oregon’s forests with the click of a mouse button. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition, the educational website is part of a collaborative effort to highlight the richness and diversity of Oregon’s forests and engage people in taking steps to conserve and protect these natural resources. Visitors will learn about the many benefits Oregon’s forests provide. To help visitors experience the unique ar-ray of forests and plan their next trip, ExploreOregonForests.org showcases four tours of diverse Oregon locations. The Travel Oregon site has informa-tion on three additional tours: Heritage Trees, Working Forests and Forest Park. Learn more about these tours here: http://traveloregon.com/author/reneezipp/.

Bureau of Land ManagementAt Odds with the State of Alaska A recent decision issued by the federal Bureau of Land Management to terminate a critical agreement with the State of Alaska and abandon the proven method for surveying the State of Alaska’s land entitlement, reneges on promises made in the Alaska Statehood Act, according to Natural Resources Commissioner Andy Mack. The BLM and the Department of Natu-ral Resources have worked together for 53 years under a memorandum of understanding that guides the transfer of federal lands to the State of Alaska under the statehood act. Recently, Mack said, the BLM pres-sured the state to agree to adopt satel-lite-based technology and abandon the placement of physical monuments to identify land ownership. Unfortunately, BLM cannot demonstrate that this tech-nology works, according to the state.


NWOA member landownernamed on the application

Named Insured

Comprehensive General LiabilityLimit of Liability: $1,000,000 each occurrance; $2,000,000 aggregateDeductible: none

WOODLAND LIABILITY INSURANCEINSURANCE APPLICATION: FOR LANDOWNERS ONLY

Woodland Liability Coverage provides legal liability coverage for woodland owners. This coverage is designed to provide general liability protection for owners of woodland who do not lease their land to a hunting club.

Owners, Landlord & Tenant - Liability Limit to $1,000,000 per occurenceSpecial Master policy rating basis. A certificate will be issued to each landowner.Liability coverage for the Landowner does not provide protection for owned timber.Coverage does not apply to commercial hunting operations including for-profitguided and/or fee hunting.

Landowner Name Telephone

Address Telephone (work/mobile)

City State Zip email

Woodland Location (County, city and State)

Are locations fenced or posted? Any lakes or ponds? Any leased hunting or commercial hunting? Any dams/spillways/bridges? If yes, are Certificates of Insurance required? Any property currently being used for mining?Any watercraft or docks? Any of the property leased for farming? Any buildings? Are Certificates of Insurance required?

Please answer the following questions.

What is the property used for?

Signature of Landowner

Premium Calculation - Woodland Liability InsuranceNumber of acres to be covered x .28 cents per acre =

Subtotal:

For your convenience, you may add your NWOA membership fee

Total Payment Due:

(subject to a minimum premium of $160 for up to 535 acres)

Please Specify Effective Dates:

Return this form completed and signed along with your check to:

National Woodland Owners Association374 Maple Ave E, Suite 310; Vienna, VA 22180-4718

Coverage is subject to approval by Outdoor Underwriters, Inc. Applications received will be effective upon approval and expired according to policy terms.

January 1, 2017 to January 1, 2018April 1, 2017 to April 1, 2018July 1, 2017 to July 1, 2018October 1, 2017 to October 1, 2018

Did you �nd us through a state a�liate promotion?If so, please staple your ad coupon to your application to ensure credit to your association.

(email will not be shared or abused)

($35/year $45/year sustaining)

$160 minimum

NWOA-2017

Winter 2017 Magazine of the National Woodland Owners...

Documents

Transcript of Winter 2017 Magazine of the National Woodland Owners...