Woodland Owners of Centre County
Want to learn about what your forest can do for you?  Join us at WOCC.
Whispers from the Woods
WOODLAND OWNERS OF CENTRE COUNTY, P.O. BOX 1156, STATE COLLEGE, PA 16804-1156

WHISPERS FROM THE WOODS
March 2013
wocc_newsletter_3-13.pdf
8.1 MB


     Festival of Trees 2012 – Jim Walizer, Dave Jackson, and John Buzzell, along with CPI students had set-up almost done when the rest of the WOCC members arrived. At right is a picture of WOCC members taken after teardown.  Jim and Libby Walizer's grandson, Jason, helped, as well as Dave Jackson's sons, Tyler and Austin.  These guys went right to work with the rest of us and, in 1-1/2 hours, all traces of the Festival were gone!!  Thanks to these young men and WOCC members that helped with setup and teardown. 
(picture)
     Kim Hacker from United Way sent WOCC members the following note:

 

  As you know, the event moved from Penn State’s Ag Arena to the Central PA Institute of Science and Technology (CPI) this year.  We were excited about the change in venue but also concerned with the limited amount of setup and teardown time.  Thanks in large part to the Woodland Owners volunteers we realized we had nothing to worry about! Your help with laying the tarps, installing

the tree stands, stringing the lights and coordinating the electricity to the trees was simply amazing.  We can’t thank you enough for your continued work with this event.

 

     The proceeds of this year’s event were over $11,000.

     Very nice pictures of the Festival of Trees may be seen here.

 

 

Next WOCC Program:

Thursday, March 28, 2013 – 7pm – Foxdale Village Auditorium, 500 E. Marylyn Ave., State College (parking available in Foxdale Village parking garage – deck level – well lighted). Early Lumber Industry, Jim Walizer, WOCC Board Member – a slideshow on the early lumber industry in the Williamsport, PA area which will cover the era from when the first log raft came down the Susquehanna in 1807 to the flood of 1889 when Williamsport lost its dominance in lumber manufacturing.  Jim will discuss how new technology continually improved harvesting.

 

Anya and Josh’s Maple Syrup Adventures (photos missing)

 

We first started making maple syrup a few years ago with a few buckets and a general knowledge of the process.  Over the years we’ve added a few more buckets and learned a lot, making our process more efficient and yielding a better product. 

 

Syrup season in our area generally starts in early February.  The weather has to be just right, with warm days above, and cool nights below freezing.  This starts the sap flowing in the trees and begins our season.

 

e use a 7/16" aluminum spout and metal buckets to collect our sap. he bucket hangs from the bottom hook, and the lid sits just over the top point.  When the equipment is thoroughly washed and the spouts and drill bit sanitized, they are ready for the tree.  We drill into the tree 1 ½ to 2 inches at a slight upward angle, remove the sawdust and lightly tap our spouts into the hole.  If the weather is right, the sap will begin pouring out of the tree as we drill the hole!  The bucket is hung on the spout and we are in business!

 

 


Newlyweds Anya and Josh Miller grew up loving the outdoors in Bald Eagle Valley. Their new home is in Julian woodlands.

 

 

We empty our buckets daily.  Depending on the weather, sometimes they are overflowing, sometimes they are empty.  Although it is best to boil down sap as soon as it is collected, our schedule does not allow for that.  Instead, we collect our sap in food grade plastic containers and boil down on weekends.  As long as the weather remains cold enough, the sap will keep.  If it gets too warm, the sugars in the sap will start to ferment, turning it cloudy and spoiling our hard work!

 

e boil our sap down the old fashioned way in cast iron and copper kettles over a wood fueled fire. 

 

St  As it gets close, the syrup starts to foam up and bubble.

When the syrup is finished, we pull it off the stove and quickly filter it again through the pre-filter and a felt filter.  It is then jarred hot so it seals.  Syrup processed early in the season will naturally be lighter in color versus syrup produced late in the season, which is often darker in color and has a stronger maple flavor to it.  (We like it better this way)The color and quality of the syrup is also greatly affected by the amount of time it is heated and type of process used to evaporate the water out of the syrup.  One thing is for sure, though.  It is always, always good!

 



Upcoming WOCC programs and activities:

 

Saturday, April 27, 2013 – 9am – Laurel Haven Education Center, located in Julian, PA. Spring Cleaning Day!! - Bring cleaning supplies, work gloves, and outdoor equipment to clear trails.  One of the jobs is to plug holes drilled by carpenter bees.  Lunch and drink will be provided by WOCC.  Many organizations will visit the site during the springtime, and the cleaning of the facility makes these visitations more pleasurable.

 

Friday and Saturday, May 10 & 11, 2013.  Private Forest Landowner Conference, The Future of Penn’s Woods, Blair County Convention Center, Altoona, PA.  This is the first-ever comprehensive conference for private landowners in PA.  Whether you own five or 500 acres, you are one of nearly 740,000 PA woodland owners who make decisions about the health and well-being of nearly 12 million acres of private forests.  Presentation topics will include conservation options, invasive species, taxes, tending your woods, water quality, wildlife, and woods in your backyard.  Registration information and forms are available on the WOCC website: http://woodlandownerscc.info/ or visit ecosystems.psu.edu/private-forest-conference.

 

WOCC will have a display table at this event – stop by and visit.  Also, bring someone with you that is interested in forestry and is currently not a member and WOCC will give you a one-year free membership!

 

PA Timber Show 2013 – Friday and Saturday, June 7-8, 2013 – Ag Progress Grounds.  Exhibits of forest products equipment and technology.  More information is available at: PaTimberShow@psu.edu or call: (814)863-2873. 

 

Thursday, June 13, 2013 – WOCC Annual Picnic and Program - 6:00-8:00 – PSU Ag Progress Grounds, Special Events Building.

This annual event is a time to enjoy a picnic meal provided by WOCC and visit with members. Following the meal, a woodlot tour will be led by Dr. Jim Finley, Penn State Professor of Forest Resources and State Forest Resources Extension Leader.  Dr. Finley has been managing the Ag Progress Days Woodlot for nearly 40 years. 

The tour will focus on a recent timber sale to salvage hemlock dying from the wooly adelgid. The hemlock wooly adelgid is an exotic invasive insect that attacks hemlock. Seeing the pending loss, plans were set in motion to harvest the dying trees. The tour will discuss why some trees were left and others selected for harvest. Tree value as seed sources, wildlife habitat, and aesthetics will be highlighted. A discussion of harvesting options will demonstrate how to achieve appropriate future forest conditions, the highest long-term economic return, and improved wildlife habitat. The tour will also touch on other items including pre-commercial thinning, woods road stabilization, invasive plant control, and deer browse impact.

 

WOCC dues for the current year 2013 or the coming year 2014 may be paid at the picnic.

 

Contact: Kathy Ryba <kryba@beasd.org> or 355-5949 for reservations.

 

Mark your calendar - 2013 PA Tree Farm of the Year Tour. August 17, 2013 Beartown Tree Farm - 2087 acre property owned by the third generation of the Shoemaker family located at 1225-2189 Governor's Road, Snow Shoe, PA.

 

Presentations and discussions on integrating natural gas and wind energy resource development with good forest management. Also included will be discussions of water and soil protection and site management during and after development.  Tours of current management practices will be included. Due to the remote location, only the primary site is handicap accessible.

 

PFA annual meeting field day - Saturday, September 28, 2013 –  at Lake Raystown, Huntington County; the topic is Forestry and Recreation. Details will be in the summer issue of the PA Forest magazine and on the web.

 

Festival of Trees – dates to be announced at a later time.

Wildlife Young Forest Initiative, May 7,2013 - Bald Eagle State Park, Howard, 9:00 am-1:00 pm.

The Pennsylvania Sustainable Forestry Initiative will be holding a “Wildlife – Young Forest Initiative” training course in our region as part of their 2013 spring training block.  Developed through a cooperative program with the Wildlife Management Institute, this course discusses the importance of creating early successional forest conditions for the benefit of multiple wildlife species. Participants will learn and be given tools to identify and create habitat systems for the American woodcock, golden winged warbler, and other young forest dependent wildlife species important to forest landowners. This course involves classroom and outside components and will be presented by Carl Graybill Jr., former director of the PA Game Commission Bureau of Information and Education.

Call Chuck Coup, Program Manager, Sustainable Forestry Initiative (814-355-1010), for further information.

 

Other Woodland Owner Associations Programs:

Mifflin County Woodland Owners Association - Contact: Gerald Hoy, phone:  (570)922-3344

March 27 – Backyard Forestry

April 27 – Kid Connection

June 25 – Invasive Species ID and Control Field Tour

August 24 – Managing Declining Hemlock Stands

North Central Forest Landowners Association, Inc. website for events: www.orgsites.com/pa/ncfla - click on 2013 events and activities.

 

 

 

 WOCC Board Meetings:

Tues. May 21st; Oct. 8th

 

WOCC dues are for the year Jan. 1 through Dec. 31.

$15 – Individual or Family Associate (owns less than 5 acres)

$20 – Individual or Family/family Partnership (owns 5+ acres)

$50 – Sponsor (commercial or industrial)

Please send your check payable to WOCC, to Woodland Owners of Centre County, POBox 1156, State College, PA 16804-115

 

 



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WOODLAND OWNERS OF CENTRE COUNTY, P.O. BOX 1156, STATE COLLEGE, PA 16804-1156


WHISPERS FROM THE WOODS
Feb 2012

President  Mark Ott (mott@beasd.org) Ph: 814)625-2741
Vice President 
Secretary  
Treasurer  Mark Ellenberger
Newsletter and Publicity Kathy Ryba (kryba@beasd.org)
Board Members  Ruth Park, Jim Walizer, Susan Benedict
Advisors Tim Cole (DCNR); Dave Jackson (Cooperative Extension)
 
 This past September, WOCC lost a friend and PaFS member.  Bill Park passed away shortly after the annual PaFS meeting held at his family property in Lycoming County.  Bill, Ruth and their children have spent the past several years working on forest sustainability on their property and were proud to share their work and accomplishments during a well-attended PaFS meeting in July 2011.  Bill and Ruth have been WOCC members for many years, serving in many leadership roles.  Ruth and their children continue with their forest stewardship plan on their property.  WOCC has made a donation to PaFS in Bill’s memory.  More information on both Bill's life and the annual PaFS meeting held at their farm is available on the WOCC website
http://woodlandownerscc.info/
 
Festival of Trees – 2011
The Festival of Trees was hosted by United Way this year.  What a wonderful turnout of volunteers!
Kim Hacker from United Way said since this was her first year as coordinator, the help from WOCC and the State College High School Dream Team made her first venture so much easier.  We are sooo good and, being the veterans that we are, had the job done in 1-1/2 hrs!!  The event was well attended and brought in over $5200 in proceeds to be split among organizations involved in United Way.   WOCC has a tree at the Festival of Trees each year.  This year’s tree was left ‘natural’ – just like in your forest, and it was mentioned in the local newspaper, the Centre Daily Times.  Thank you all for coming out on set-up and tear-down days.

Women and Their Woods
The Delaware Highlands Conservancy and Penn State’s Natural Resources Extension, with funding from the USDA Forest Service and the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, are partnering to offer outreach and education to women forest landowners across PA.  In addition to informative newsletters and emails about events and cost-share incentive programs, the partnership offered a long-weekend educational retreat for these women which was held last October.  Plans are underway to offer a follow-up event in the spring and a second retreat in the fall of 2012.  For more information on this group, email conserve@delewarehighlands.org
Note: At the end of this WOCC newsletter is an article taken from the Winter 2011 Women and Their Woods written by Susan Benedict entitled: It Takes a Village to Raise a Tree Farmer. 
News Release from USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry.  Four Chesapeake Forest Champions were honored at the 2011 Chesapeake Watershed Forum held at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, W.Va.  The U.S. Forest Service and Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay sponsored the inaugural Chesapeake Forest Champion contest in honor of the International Year of Forests.  The awards recognize groups or individuals that have made a difference for people and/or the Bay through their promotion of trees and forests.
There are four categories for the Forest Champions: 1) most innovative program, 2) most effective at engaging the public, 3) greatest on-the-ground impact, and 4) exceptional forest steward/landowner.

The forest landowner modeling exceptional stewardship was WOCC member Susan Benedict.  Susan manages a certified Tree Farm on her family’s property, implementing many conservation projects on the land, including planting pollinator habitat in a forested ecosystem.  A local activist, Susan heads the Centre County Natural Gas Task Force in which she advocates for responsible gas drilling to minimize the negative impacts on Pennsylvania’s forests and other natural resources.  She is a WOCC board member, a trained Pennsylvania Forest Steward volunteer, and a member of a long list of other forest organizations.

No one knows better than Susan that forests provide wood products, clean water and air, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and a host of other benefits to people. She acts on her knowledge by educating and assisting anyone who will listen.

"I was extremely honored that my fellow WOCC members would nominate me for this award.  Coming from you guys, the nomination means as much to me as the award.  I can only aspire to live up to your many excellent examples of good landownership.  I am proud to be a member of this group.  Thanks so much" – Susan Benedict       February 10, 2012

The Chesapeake Watershed Forum brings together representatives from local watershed organizations and governments to learn the latest restoration science and direction and network with other groups facing similar challenges, and to be inspired to continue the work of preserving and restoring the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests. Forests in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed not only provide clean air and filter our water; they also support the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of residents.

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay works to develop partnerships to address issues that affect the Bay and its streams and rivers. The alliance engages, educates, partners, and inspires through work with other organizations, communities, businesses, and individuals.
http://www.alliancechesbay.org/

UPCOMING WOCC PROGRAMS:
Saturday, February 25 -  2012 Central Region Forest Landowners Conference – 9am-4pm, Penn State School of Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA.  Cost: $25/person.  Registration deadline is February 17.  Contact Dave Jackson, Penn State Extension-Centre County 814-355-4897 or CentreExt@psu.edu for details.  Fee covers lunch and materials.  This year’s conference provides valuable updates and information for Pennsylvania’s forest landowners.  Some of the topics included are the young forest initiative by the Wildlife Management Institute, a closer look at the American Tree Farm System by the American Forest Foundation, how to manage openings for wild turkeys and other wildlife by the National Wild Turkey Federation, how to pass your forest on to your heirs by the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy, how to interpret the forested landscape, by the Penn State School of Forest Resources, and other informative topics.
Tuesday, March 13.  7pm – Foxdale Auditorium - Bryan Swistock, Extension Associate,  PSU School of Forest Resources will present a program on forest water.
Saturday, May 12.  WOCC Work Day at Laurel Haven Conservation Eduation Center in Julian. Meet at the Center at 9:30am and work until around noon with a lite lunch served.  Spring cleaning of Laurel Haven, both the classroom and outside, is a help to those that hold various events.  Bring: gloves, buckets and cleaning supplies.  Please email Kathy Ryba at kryba@beasd.org if you plan to help.  Come volunteer and spend time with WOCC members.
Thursday, June 7.  WOCC Annual Meeting/Picnic.  Special guest speaker, Margaret Brittingham, Professor of Wildlife Resources, Penn State University, will present “Impacts of Marcellus Shale Extraction on Forest Resources.”  There will be a special emphasis on examining the potential impacts on breeding forest birds.  The program will be held at the Special Events Building, Ag Progress Grounds.  Yearly dues may be paid at the picnic.


EVENTS OF INTEREST:
Saturday, March 10.  The Woodland Owners of the Southern Alleghenies (WOSA) will hold its 15th Annual Forestry and Wildlife Conference on March 10th at the Breezewood Fire Hall, 8am to 4:30pm.  Registration deadline is March 2nd.  Fee is $30 for nonmembers.  Topics include: invasive insects and tree diseases and White Nose Syndrome.  Checks may be sent to WOSA, Box 29, Bedford, PA 15522.  For more information contact Ben Tresselt, Jr., 814) 652-9150 or see tresseltjr@centurylink.net.

Friday, March 30 – Keystone College or Saturday, March 31 – East Stroudsburg University.  9am – 3:30pm – Registration Required
Woods in Your Backyard-
Small Lots...a Big Deal
This one-day workshop is designed specifically (but not exclusively) for smaller landscapes. These small lots are a big deal, for the vast majority of Pennsylvania’s landowners have less than 10 acres. This land, wooded or not, can provide benefits.
By enhancing wooded areas or creating natural areas on your lot, you can enjoy recreation, aesthetics, wildlife, improved water quality and reduced energy costs. 
Owners of even the smallest landscapes can make a positive difference in their environment through planning and implementing simple stewardship practices learned at this workshop. 
Resources 
Each workshop attendee will receive a free copy of The Woods in Your Backyard: Learning to Create and Enhance Natural Areas Around Your Home (a $20 value). The full-color, 139-page manual is a self-directed book that guides you through the process of developing and implementing projects to enhance your land's natural resources.
Contact: For more information – Vincent Cotrone, Penn State Forester, Ph: 570)825-1701
April 21, 2012, 8:30am- 5:00pm
Want to be a better chainsaw operator?
Woodland Owners of the Southern Alleghenies (WOSA), DCNR Bureau of Forestry, Buchanan Forest District and Keystone Training Solutions, LLC have teamed up to present a one day comprehensive, hands on learning experience.  Selection, maintenance, handling, ergonomics, limbing, bucking, felling and sharpening chainsaws for the wood lot owner will be covered.  Do you know the difference between a bucking and a felling wedge? How can you tell if your saw is sharp before you even start it? The impact of tree dynamics, lean, and overall health affect every chainsaw operation in the woods? What is a five step felling plan and how can it get you home for dinner on time? 
Bring saw, personal protective equipment (chaps, gloves, hardhat, eye and hearing protection….some equipment will be available), sharpening and maintenance tools.
Advanced registration is required by April 14, 2012. No admittance at door. Contact Ben Tresselt, Jr.
110 Long Bend Beach Rd. Hopewell, PA. 16650    (814)652-9150
btresseltjr@centurylink.net 
Location: Sideling Hill
Forest Foreman
Headquarters 3017
Lincoln Hwy,
Harrisonville, PA 17228
Tuesday, June 5.  Sustainable Forestry II: Advanced Forest Management. 9 AM-3:30 PM, Penn State’s Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center Ag Progress Days Woodlot, Rock Springs, PA (Centre County).  $45 per person. Registration deadline May 29. Contact Dave Jackson, Penn State Extension-Centre County 814-355-4897 or CentreExt@psu.edu for details. 
EAB webinar
Tim Pierson, PhD, Extension Educator/Forester, Penn State University Extension, and Ned Karger, Forester, The Collins Company, Kane Hardwood Division, will present Emerald Ash Borer: Description, Lessons Learned and Management Strategies for Forest Landowners and Managers on Tuesday, February 14th at noon and again at 7 p.m.  Each seminar lasts ~1 hr and provides a description of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), problems associated with the infestation in Pennsylvania, and lessons learned from researchers, scientists, forest landowners and forest resource professionals in Michigan and Ohio. They conclude with forest management strategies for landowners and managers to decrease the negative impact of the Emerald Ash Borer.
Each session is recorded and loaded onto the web with a copy of the presentation and handout materials.  If you are unable to participate in the live session, a recording will be available.  However, none of the interactive elements will be available when watching the recording.
Registration is required for the live seminars. See the "Register Now" page on the website. To log in, a Penn State UserID and password (or Friend of Penn State account) is needed, or, a new feature allows log in as a “Guest” with no UserID or password.
Participation in the web seminar requires no special software. For live and previously recorded seminars, only a high-speed internet connection and sound are needed.
To register for the live seminars or to view the upcoming seminars schedule, visit http://extension.psu.edu/private-forests/tools-resources/webinars.

Looking Ahead:
Forest Stewardship Series
Second Tuesdays of the Month
March 13, 2012
Regenerating a High-Graded Stand. Jim Finley, Ibberson Chair of Forest Management, Penn State School of Forest Resources, Noon and 7 p.m.
April 10, 2012.  Early Successional Habitat. Linda Ordiway, Biologist, The Ruffed Grouse Society, Noon and 7 p.m.
Viewpoint:
“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” Aldo Leopold, Naturalist

2012 WOCC membership dues are for the calendar year January 1 – December 31.
Associate Membership (no forest land owned) - $15
Full Membership - $20
Sponsor Membership - $50
Make checks payable to WOCC and send to:  WOCC, Box 1156, State College, PA 16804.  Include mailing address; phone number (optional); and email address.  Dues may be paid at the annual picnic in June.

Note:  If you prefer to receive the WOCC newsletter by email 
rather than paper, please email me at kryba@beasd.org

Future Board Meetings:  April 10, October 9, 2012

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WOODLAND OWNERS OF CENTRE COUNTY,
 P.O. BOX 1156, STATE COLLEGE, PA 16804-1156 
WHISPERS FROM THE WOODS 
August 2011 
President Mark Ott (mott@beasd.org) Ph: (814)625-2741 
Vice President (vacant)
Secretary (vacant)
Treasurer Mark Ellenberger 
Newsletter and Publicity Kathy Ryba (kryba@beasd.org) 
Board Members Bill and Ruth Park, Jim Walizer, Susan Benedict 
Advisors Tim Cole (DCNR); Dave Jackson (Cooperative Extension)

Forestry, Wildlife Habitat and Weed Control Field Days 
3 Programs will be held in August and September – 
     The 1st program will be held on Saturday, August 20, 2011 – 9 am, we will spend the morning looking at various projects on WOCC member Harry Pionke’s Forest Stewardship Property, Moshannon, Centre County. Harry is in the process of restoring a large forest area that was devastated by gypsy moth and drought some years ago. There are practically no hardwood sprouts and the ferns have taken over. His first steps have been to salvage cut and herbicide spray to kill the fern. Replacement tree planting has begun. In other areas, conifer colonies for wildlife corridors were planted but most were lost to deer, drought and assorted infestations. About 1/3 of the trees survived. The species are Norway spruce and white pine. Following lunch, anyone wishing to stay can visit a wildlife pond where construction is taking place; see a field that is mowed to manage wildlife; and hummingbird feeders 15 feet up in the trees (bear proof!). Send completed registration and fee to the address noted in the brochure. 
     2nd Field Day will be held on August 27 in Jefferson County
     3rd Field Day will be held on September 17 in Elk County

Ag Progress Days
– Rock Springs – August 16-18, 2011

The 10th Annual Central Pennsylvania Woodlot Management Workshop--West Branch Forest - A workshop to help forest landowners make good decisions about the management of their woodland. Saturday, September 24, 2011—9 am to 3 pm - 

The School of Forest Resources invites you to celebrate the International Year of the Forests at The Arboretum at Penn State, corner of Bigler Road and Park Avenue, University Park, PA. Learn about our forests while enjoying music, exhibits and other activities. This Penn State Extension program is free and open to the public. Sunday, September 25, 2011 – 10 am to 3 pm.

Festival of Trees, Ag Arena, Penn State University – WOCC will be a co-sponsor of the festival again this year. Setup will be Tuesday, December 6 at 9 am (lunch provided) and teardown on Monday, December 12, at 10 am (drinks provided). Centre County United Way has now undertaken the festival. Proceeds from the event benefit The United Way which partners with 40 Centre County agencies. Come out and spend the morning with WOCC members as we place trees, trim with lights and run electrical cords. Bring ladders, gloves, cutters, and a chainsaw is always useful. Please support this worthy cause.

Centre County Woodland Owners Serve at Laurel Haven Members of the Woodland Owners of Centre County (WOCC) recently volunteered to do spring clean-up chores at the school’s Laurel Haven Conservation Education Center. This is their second year of collaboration at Laurel Haven. WOCC members are also involved in teaching educational programs conducted at the Center. Participating at this year’s clean-up day (l to r) are John Buzzell, Tim Cole (Center County Service Forester), Ed Meek, Kathy Ryba, Andy Bater, and Jim Walizer.
Submitted by: Sanford "Sandy" Smith

About ForestConnect Webinars
  • Webinars use internet technology to connect national-caliber speakers with woodland owners, managers, and practitioners
  • Free, but require one-time registration
  • Offered live at noon and 7 PM on the third Wednesday of each month Documentation of participation is available and provided for participants of the live webinars.
  • Documentation allows for CEU credit requests by the participants to their professional organizations.
  • Educational effectiveness has been documented Learn more and register
More About ForestConnect
Favorite Publications available through the webinars.
  • Managing American Beech
  • Northeastern Regeneration of Hardwood Forests
  • Tree Planting Guide
  • Woodlot Management for Wildlife
  • Forestry Guide for Municipal Officials

Woodland Owners Forum
A place to ask and answer questions

Where to Find Assistance
  • Master Forest Owner Volunteers, peer counseling
  • Links to other agencies
Future ForestConnect Webinars
Fall webinar dates are under discussion with speakers.
Save these dates: September 21, October 19, and November 16. There is no ForestConnect webinar in August.

Tentative topics, in no particular order, include:
Update on Emerald Ash Borer Control and Management
An Introduction to Silviculture: Regeneration and Intermediate Treatments
Forest Harvesting Considerations: Harvesting Systems and Using Harvesting for Landowner Goals
December 21, 2011Webinar - Restoring the American Chestnut. Join Bryan Burhans, President and CEO American Chestnut Foundation for a discussion of the history and restoration of the American Chestnut. The American chestnut once stood as the dominant hardwood tree in our Eastern forests. An Asian fungus introduced to the US in the early 1900 eliminated the chestnut as a canopy tree in just four decades. Efforts are underway to develop a tree that can withstand this pathogen. Presentation will provide up-to-date status of efforts by the American Chestnut Foundation to develop a disease-resistant tree and eventually reintroduce the species back into our Eastern forests.

Other Forestry Webinars
Cornell Maple Program
National Network of Forest Practitioners
Penn State University - Forest Stewardship Webinar Center
Penn State University - Woody Biomass Webinars
Purdue University
Southern Extension Forestry Webinars
University of Minnesota Webinars
USFS Northern Research Station Webinars

Pests and Disease
 Insect threat to U.S. forests worsened by drought, climate change Marauding insects have become a leading threat to the nation's forests over the past decade, a problem made worse by drought and a warming climate, a federal report says. Bark beetles, engraver beetles and gypsy moths are the primary culprits behind a threefold increase in forestland mortality caused by insect attacks between 2003 and 2007, according to the 2010 National Report on Sustainable Forests. The volume of forests in the lower 48 states killed by bugs totaled 37 million acres during this period, up from 12 million during the previous five years. Millions of additional acres have perished since.

Some links at which to look:
National Association of State Foresters: http://stateforesters.org/blog/insect_threat_u_s_forests_worsened _drought_climate_change
A federal report: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/07/07/1736659/insects-leading-threat-to-forests.html 2010 National Report on Sustainable Forests: http://www.fs.fed.us/research/sustain/

This is not good news... Federal and State Officials Announce Tree Survey Efforts in Ohio Due to the Discovery of Asian Longhorned Beetle Area Residents Are Encouraged to Report Any Signs of ALB And to Avoid Moving Firewood
WASHINGTON, June 17, 2011--The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) announce that surveys are under way in Bethel, Ohio, after the detection and identification of the Asian longhorned beetle. Bethel is located 30 miles southeast of Cincinnati. http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/2011/06/adult_detection_ALB.shtml

The following program aired on National Public Radio. It’s what we (forestland owners) already know. Subject: NPR Deer Survival of the Forest: Growing Deer Population Hurts Survival Of Forests : NPR www.npr.org 2011

WOCC membership dues are for the calendar year January 1 – December 31.
Associate Membership (no forest land owned) is $15
Full Membership is $20
Sponsor Membership is $50
Make checks payable to WOCC and send to: WOCC, Box 1156, State College, PA 16804.
Include mailing address; phone number (optional); and email address.

Next Board Meeting: September 13, 2011
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