Current Forestry Issues (Vermont Monitoring Cooperative)

Forest Management has been defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as:

“ The science and art of cultivating, maintaining and developing forests. The management of a forest land.”

Scientific forest management didn’t exist in the US until nearly 1900 when the early "Conservation Movement" began to take hold. In the early years, the primary emphasis of forestry was to ensure a steady flow of products and services from the forest, while maintaining productivity for the future. This concept of “sustainability”, the production and use of resources to meet the needs of present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs is still the basis for forest management today.

Silviculture is the art & science of managing forests; whereby forests are tended, harvested, and replaced, resulting in a forest of distinctive form. To learn more about the silviculture and management of northern hardwood (beech, birch & maple) forests, check the links below:

Silvics of North American Trees

Northern Hardwood Notes (USFS North Central Experiment Station)

Silvicultural Guide for Northern Hardwoods in the Northeast

The links below address just a few of the many issues facing natural resource managers today, from the effects of “fragmentation” to global climate change.

Sustainable Forestry & Certification

USFS Sustainability Pages

Carbon Sequestration and Forest Management

USFS Global Climate Change Program

Forest Fragmentation

QUICK LINKS

Sugarbush Management: A Guide to Maintaining Tree Health (scanned document)

Managing Maple Trees for Sap Production

Sugar Maple Management Note (Ontario)

Cornell Sugar Maple Tree Improvement

How to Manage Northern Hardwoods

Managing Young Hardwood Stands for Sawlogs (Ontario)

Silvics of North American Trees

Northern Hardwood Notes (USFS North Central Experiment Station )

Silvicultural Guide for Northern Hardwoods in the Northeast

Management of Maples

The management of maples, like the management of any tree species requires a number of choices by a landowner. Forests can provide a number of “products” at the same time, but ultimately the owner must chose which of these products or values is most important.

If a landowner is interested in managing for maples (generally sugar or red maple) or northern hardwoods (beech, birch & maple) in general, the first determination to be made is whether or not the land is suitable for the species. Sugar maple general grows best on moderately to well drained, fine textured soils, while red maple is more common on poorer soils which are too wet, too dry or too shallow for sugar maple.

Next, the owner needs to determine the product or products to manage for…With sugar maple, the most common first step is to make the choice between managing for sawlogs, destined to become maple lumber or veneer, or to manage for the production of maple sap. Trees best suited to produce maple sap have large crowns, with branches that extend close to the ground, and are free from competition for sunlight. These trees are typically fast growing, and produce large quantities of sweet sap.

The best maple lumber and veneer are produced by trees which have had to compete for sunlight, growing tall and straight. This competition leads to the shading and death and shedding of lower limbs, resulting in more valuable, clear lumber. Tapping trees leaves holes in the lumber produced from the butt, or base of the tree (the most valuable portion), greatly reducing its value.

Once the management goals are determined, a forester can help to assess the site, and recommend a course of action. Recommendations, or prescriptions, are based on a number of factors including the current condition and health of the trees, site limitations, wildlife and esthetic concerns.

Additional information on forest management and management of maples can be found by browsing the links listed here… more technical information can also be found by viewing the Resources for Foresters pages.

QUICK LINKS

Forest Stewardship for Vermont Landowners

Internet Resources for Forest Landowners

Virtual Forest Tours (Cornell Extension)

Forestry Terms

Introduction to New England Forest s

Forestry for Landowners (Maine)

How to Manage Northern Hardwoods

Managing Winter Storm Damaged Forests

http://cecommerce.uwex.edu/pdfs/G3297.PDF

Timber Tax Web Site

Wildlife Habitat Management (NH)

Recreational Trail s

Income Opportunities

Forest Management Information for Landowners

The links to the right provide landowners with some excellent web sites and general information related to forestry and forest management.

The links to university extension and state forestry web sites allow landowners to access a wealth of state-specific, information on forestry and landowner assistance programs throughout the Northeastern US.

The US Forest Service’s Woodland Assistance for Landowners web site provides contact information for advisory and financial assistance for all fifty states. While the Internet Resources for Forest Landowners web site is a searchable site containing hundreds of links to national and international forestry related sites.

University Extension Forestry & Natural Resources Program Pages

State Forestry Organizations

Connecticut Division of Forestry

Delaware Department of Agriculture Forest Service

Illinois Division of Forest Resources

Indiana Division of Forestry

Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources - Forestry Division

Maine Forest Service

Maryland Forest Service

Massachusetts Division of Forests & Parks - Bureau of Forestry

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources - Division of Forestry

Missouri Department of Conservation

New Hampshire Division of Forests & Lands

New Jersey Division of Parks & Forestry

New York Division of Lands & Forests

Ohio Department of Natural Resources - Forestry

Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry

Rhode Island Division of Forest Environment

Vermont Department of Forestry, Parks & Recreation

West Virginia Division of Forestry

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forestry Program

Resources for Foresters

The following links are intended to put many of the more popular forest management texts and web sites for foresters in one place. If you have suggestions for additional sites please contact the web master.

Please check the Information for Landowners pages for links to university extension programs and state forestry organization web sites.

General

Reference Handbook for Foresters

Northern Hardwood Management

Northern Hardwood Notes (USFS North Central Experiment Station)

Silvics

Silvics of North American Trees

Silviculture

Silvicultural Guide for Northern Hardwoods in the Northeast

Silvicultural Guide for Tolerant Hardwoods in Ontario

Approaches to Ecologically Based Forest Management on Private Lands

Crop Tree Management in Eastern Hardwoods

Crop Tree Management Quick Reference

How to Release Crop Trees in Pre-commercial Hardwood Stands

Silvicultural Guide for Spruce/Fir in the Northeast

Silvicultural Guide for White Pine in the Northeast

Software/ Technology

Northeast Decision Software

Quick Silver (Economic analysis of resource management projects)

U of Minnesota Technology for Forest Management Site

Storm Damage

Managing Winter Storm Damaged Forests

Sustainable Forestry

Sustainable Forestry & Certification

Sustainable Forestry Virtual Tour (SAF)

Taxes

Timber Tax Website

Timber Pricing

Vermont Stumpage Price Data

Northeast Mill Prices (Northern Woodlands)

Forest Stewardship for Vermont Landowners

Stewardship is a simple concept- one of taking good care of the land. This Stewardship guide is intended to serve as a basic guide to concepts, resources, and issues. It won’t tell you everything you want to know about any of the topics listed. What it will do is help you to explore different aspects of sound land management or put you in touch with individuals and information that can assist you in caring or your land.

Forest Management Plans

Developing a Forest Management Plan

A forest stewardship or forest management plan is a document that describes the natural resources found on your property and outlines goals and objectives for management. The plan also serves as a flexible schedule for conducting management activities and recording accomplishments. It can be useful as a diary for yourself, your heirs or for future owners of your land in addition to its benefits as a plan of action.

How do I start a stewardship plan?

The first thing a landowner should do is list personal objectives in owning land. Is it an investment property? Do you intend to manage it for recreation for you and your friends? Would you like periodic revenue from timber production? Perhaps you enjoy wildlife and intend to manage your property to increase deer, grouse or non-game wildlife. In all likelihood, your goals include more than one of these objectives and perhaps others.

You need to consider how long you intend to own your land. Short-term management plans will differ from those developed for long-term goals. If the land will pass to heirs, who will also be interested in management, your goals may be different than if you plan to sell your land. A stewardship plan will enable future managers to understand the practices conducted on the property and your intentions for the land.

A natural resources professional can help you prepare a stewardship plan based on your goals and sound forest practices. If you do not know the resources professionals in your area, call your County Forester. The County Forester can help you or can recommend a consulting forester, wildlife biologist, Tree Farmer or Coverts volunteer to speak with you.

One of the first things a resource professional will ask is whether your property has been surveyed and if you have a map. If your land has not been surveyed, you need a qualified surveyor. Clearly marked boundaries and accurate maps can save you time, money and legal problems. It will be easier for people involved in writing your management plan to quickly become familiar with your property. A surveyor or forester can draw a map of your property at a prescribed scale.

What information should be included in the plan?

Once your ownership objectives have been identified, boundary locations are known and a map is prepared, your land can be evaluated for important features. Access roads, soils, vegetation, habitat and timber types and condition are all important pieces of information to be included with your map to assist with activity planning. A natural resource professional may measure your trees to determine if they are healthy, crowded or ready for harvest.

If you have multiple objectives, your land has several timber types or if your parcel is too large to manage from a single access point, you may divide your land into management units on the map. This makes it easier to identify portions of your land for different activities. A swamp may be delineated or a deeryard or a stand of trees. A group of trees sufficiently uniform in size, age, type or condition is usually referred to as a stand. Wildlife habitat types may follow timber or cover types (classifications based on the predominate trees). The resource professional may point these out to you on your land.

Your plan should describe the current status of your woods by stand, age and timber type. A description of the underlying soil may be included, and the professional may assess the quality of the site for growing trees. Based on timber types, site quality and other factors, the resource professional can help predict how your future forest will look if you choose different management activities.

The plan also may discuss forest health and special concerns for wildlife or other resources. The plan will recommend a schedule of activities for your parcel. These may include timber harvests, wildlife plantings, thinnings or creating new roads and trails.

Once the plan is written, your planning efforts are not over. You need to keep a continuous written record of the dates, places, expenses and income of your activities. Since the plan is meant to be flexible, you may find it necessary to update it now and then as your objectives change.

How can I learn more?

There are many books, periodicals and leaflets available on forest management. Check your local library or try an internet search to learn more. Here are a few we like:

The US Forest Service’s Woodland Assistance for Landowners web site provides contact information for advisory and financial assistance for all fifty states. While the Internet Resources for Forest Landowners is a searchable web site containing hundreds of links to national and international forestry related sites.

Harvesting Your Trees

Forest landowners who actively manage their lands eventually will face choices, which include cutting trees. The purpose may be to create small openings to stimulate wildlife food or cover; thinnings to improve stand vigor; or the harvest of trees for pulp, firewood or sawtimber. No matter what the goal of your plan, cutting trees is an important tool to manage vegetation.

The decision to cut trees should not be made lightly. The harvest should be based on sound forestry principles, not the offer of a neighbor or logger to take out a few logs or cords of firewood. The management plan written for your forest should outline the expected harvest types, areas and best times for harvest. This doesn’t mean a forest owner is bound by rigid dates for harvest. A good plan will simply allow the flexibility you need to take advantage of weather, forest health conditions, market conditions or availability of local contractors.

In many cases, even the most careful logging will alter the landscape so that the results may be dramatic for a short period. Changes are often necessary to mimic natural processes to achieve management goals. Mistakes can be long-term and costly. If logging is planned, and the objectives are known to all parties before the first tree is felled, the landowner will have more control over the outcome of the harvest.

While your management plan does not need to name who will perform the tree cutting operations on your property, landowners should know about appropriate logging practices before they plan a harvest. A natural resource professional can outline what to expect from a logging operation.

Many landowners enjoy selecting, cutting and processing firewood for home use or sale. As you plan for management, working with a forester can ensure that trees capable of producing high-quality forest products are not inadvertently used for firewood.
If you do not wish to personally harvest your trees, you will probably need assistance in writing a contract for the work to be done by a logger. The natural resource professional can tell you how to locate a logger, contract for harvesting and, if necessary, market your wood products.

The forester may also mark and measure the trees to be cut, oversee the logging and supervise post-operations activities to minimize soil erosion or benefit wildlife, such as seeding disturbed areas and constructing water bars.

A contract or written agreement with the logger is important to protect you as a landowner and assure your intentions will be achieved during harvesting. It can also help protect you from legal liability associated with the harvesting. The contract protects the logger by specifying what is to be done during the course of the job.

Where can I go to learn more?

If you wish to visit a logging site or talk with other landowners about harvesting, your County Forester can recommend a Tree Farmer or Coverts cooperator to visit. The following references are available from the UVM Extension, Morrill Hall, Burlington, Vermont 05405:

Timber Harvesting in Vermont: Summary of Laws and Regulations, UVM Extension Service, #BR-1389, 53 pages, $4.25 + [S&H: $2.50]

Wildlife Habitat Management

Many people assume the best way to manage their woods for wildlife is to avoid cutting trees or disturbing the forest.

Protecting some areas from human disturbance may be appropriate management of some types of wildlife habitats or natural communities. Understanding the forest you are managing and the needs of the wildlife that could live there is the first step in planning for wildlife on your property.

Vermont has more than 250 types of woodland wildlife species. All need food, water, cover and space. Each animal requires different amounts of these, but knowing the “critical habitat” needs for the species to be managed gives us necessary information to begin improving or maintaining habitat conditions for that species.

The forest is constantly changing; trees grow, die, decay and fall. Openings in the forest, including roads and trails, fill in with shrubs or trees. Wildlife species take advantage of every stage in the development of the forest, so assessing the current condition of your woodland is important to determine which wildlife species may thrive there. If you wish to manage for species that require more land than your own or for attributes your parcel does not have, the conditions of adjoining ownerships is also important.

Since wildlife does not recognize property boundaries, attracting animals that may prove a nuisance to neighbors or creating situations that encourage wildlife to cross hazardous highways or open areas should be avoided.

Creating different habitats, complementing or extending suitable habitat features or working with adjacent landowners to manage for common goals are ways to maximize the suitability of your land for wildlife.

For many forest landowners, managing wildlife may not be a primary goal. If wildlife habitat enhancement fits in with other objectives, this may be integrated into the broader goals of management. Working with natural resource professionals and writing long-term plans for woodlands can enable the landowner to fit wildlife management into the stewardship plan for these parcels.

Where can I go for more information?

To learn more about wildlife habitat enhancement on your property, please contact your County Forester, District Office of the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Vermont Coverts Program, or a consulting forester in your area.

Forest Recreation

Whether you like to cross country ski, fish, hunt, ride your bike or ATV or walk in the woods, your property can provide valuable recreational opportunities for you, your family and perhaps your neighbors.

Why is recreation on private land important in Vermont?

As most of Vermont is privately-owned, it is estimated that 85 percent of all outdoor recreation takes place on private lands. These lands include portions of the Long Trail, Catamount Trail, the VAST (snowmobile) trail network, local swimming holes, hunting areas and cross country ski trails. Public use of private lands is a very important recreational resource in Vermont.

Some landowners may not want their property used by the public for recreation. Concerns about privacy, liability and property damage are among reasons cited for posting lands. Under Vermont’s Constitution, fishing and hunting rights are protected on all lands not legally posted according to the Vermont statutes. But motorized vehicle users must have the expressed written consent of the landowner to legally use their vehicles on private land. Landowners should know that it is possible to exclude certain uses and allow other activities by the public.

As a landowner, you need to understand the issues and importance of public recreation opportunities on private property. Landowner liability, easements, public access to private land, posting, Class IV roads (old town roads), trails, connections between public and private property, town planning and the economic and aesthetic aspects of local recreation are complex issues for property owners.

Where can I learn more?

For this or for information about liability on private lands, contact the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation in Waterbury at 241-3678.

Public Recreation on Private Land: A Landowner’s Guide

Cultural/Historical Resources

Vermont has resources representing three centuries of history and roughly 12,000 years of pre-history. These resources are diverse and scattered throughout the state. Sites and structures, not just documents and objects in museums, are important in helping us understand our history. Historical landscape features range from stonewalls and family burial grounds to the sites of events that shaped Vermont’s history. The protection of these cultural and historical resources is an important aspect of the stewardship of any property.

What is of cultural and historical importance?

What may be culturally significant to one person may hold little meaning to another. If you believe that you have a site on your property that may hold historical significance and want more information on it, there are several local resources. Your friends and neighbors may know about the history of your property. Most are happy to chat about previous owners, local history or tales of past events that might concern your land or buildings. Exploring the history of your property and its former residents can be a fascinating adventure.

Your town clerk’s office may contain old maps, deeds, grand lists or vital statistics that can help in your investigation. Local libraries, historical societies or genealogical groups are also great sources for local researchers.

Some clues to items of historic significance include:

If you should find surface scatterings such as ceramics or flint chips, please note that archaeological sites should only be excavated under the supervision of an archaeologist. Contact the Vermont Division of Historic Preservation for information on archeology.

Where can I go for more information?

If you would like to learn more on researching the history of your property or would like help determining the historical significance of a site, contact the Vermont Division of Historic Preservation, or the Vermont Archeological Society.

Forest Health and Protection

Insects, disease and fire can damage the health of a forest and the investments in it that a landowner has made. Individual or groups of trees may die, growth may be slowed or tree species may disappear from forest stands. If ecosystems are altered or if tree species disappear, the forest’s ability to provide resources to people and wildlife may also be diminished.

Losses from forest pests can be serious. They can also be magnified by other environmental stresses. Pollutants that are produced by combustion of fossil fuels, ozone, particulate matter and toxic metals all find their way into the atmosphere and are deposited on the landscape. These and other chemicals may weaken the resistance of trees to insects, adverse weather and disease.

What can landowners do to protect their woodlands?

Forest protection and response to changing health conditions should be addressed in management plans. Historical conditions, information from state monitoring projects and correlation of known pests and disease with specific stand condition (age, size, site, species, etc.), can be used to create a list of potential problems. Early detection strategies that include periodic inspections can be incorporated in recreational or professional visits to the property. Flexible harvesting schedules can time silvicultural accomplishments during low pest activity to reduce stand damage. Actions to control outbreaks or to reduce the potential for outbreaks should be integrated into the management plan.

Where can landowners get more information on protection?

Leaflets, brochures and lab diagnosis of insects and diseases are available from the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. They also maintain records of past outbreaks and monitor current trends. Advice on specific pest management techniques or fire protection is also available to foresters and landowners on request through your County Forester or FPR Forest Protection Specialists.

References:

Forest Health Conditions in Vermont, (annual), FPR, Waterbury.

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Wetland Values

Until recently, wetlands were looked upon as “unproductive” areas; unsuitable for most crops, difficult to access, and breeding grounds for annoying insects. It wasn’t until the effects of draining, filling and polluting wetlands were discovered that people began to take them seriously. Today, wetlands are known to be our most productive areas for wildlife. They serve as storage areas for floodwaters and serve to filter and recharge drinking water sources.

Laws to protect wetlands have been passed at both the federal and state levels. Silviculture is permitted in the Vermont Wetland Rules, but planning for forest management activities should minimize the impacts on wetlands during harvesting activities. (See “Water Quality and Soil Protection”.)

Whether forested or open, wetlands hold great values for watershed and wildlife. Management activities may include:

How do I know if I have wetlands?

There are many types of wetlands. The definition includes marshes, bogs, swamps, sloughs, mud flats, river margins, lake shores and beaver ponds; all qualify under state and federal rules for protection. Even man-made ponds and wet meadows may be protected. Three characteristics that all wetlands share are: presence of water either at or near the surface, plant types that only grow in wetlands and soil types only found in saturated conditions (hydric soils). About seventy percent of Vermont’s wetlands are either forested or shrubby wetlands.

A resource professional can map these resources and help you plan management activities to minimize impacts. Significant wetlands have been mapped in Vermont. To see if your land is included in the National Wetland Inventory map series, contact your regional planning commission or town office.

Where can I go for more information?

For brochures, fact sheets and general information on state or federal wetland regulations, contact the Wetlands Section, VT Department of Environmental Conservation or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

References:

Vermont Wetland Rules

Wetland Rules and Regulations: What They Mean to Your Logging Job in Vermont. (Contact VT FPR at 802-241-3678)

Water Quality and Soil Protection

Careless forest practices that cause soil erosion and stream pollution can be extremely damaging to a forest watershed. Silt from erosion can smother the eggs of aquatic animals, destroy fish spawning areas, degrade drinking water and reduce the natural beauty of forest streams.

Fortunately, soil erosion from forest practices such as logging, can be controlled by applying some simple procedures, which have been adopted by the State of Vermont as “Acceptable Management Practices” or “AMP’s.”

Water quality protection measures may include:

- careful design of skid trails and roads
- placement of bridges or culverts over streams
- construction of waterbars on roads and skid trails
- use of silt fences to protect streams

The AMP’s were developed as rules under the Vermont Water Quality Statutes in 1987. According to the revised law, permits are required for discharges of any waste substance or material into waters of the state. However, individual permits are not required for logging operations if Acceptable Management Practices are in place; that is, if loggers and landowners have followed proper measures to protect the waters of the state.

Where can I go for more information?

For a copy of the “Acceptable Management Practices for Maintaining Water Quality on Logging Jobs in Vermont,” contact your County Forester or District Office of the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation.