Forest
Stewardship News Release
April
21 , 2005- For Immediate Release
Contact: Allyson
Muth , Phone: 814-863-0401 E-mail: abm173@psu.edu
Plan Now for Summer Activities
Whether your goals are to create a trail, harvest some timber, perform some timber stand improvements, open a good picnic area, pick out an overlook site, enhance wildlife, or put in a new road, the best operating season for getting machinery in the woods is just around the corner. Successful forays into the woods require planning. Just as you have forest stewardship objectives for your property, so should you have plans for your mid-summer activities. Three key points to keep in mind as you make your plans include: location, access, and outcomes.
Location: Map out and flag sensitive areas to restrict access. These may include ephemeral streams (streams that are only there when it rains), wetlands or boggy areas, steep slopes, wildflower patches, etc. – whatever you deem important and do not want disturbed. Note on maps and flag out in the woods where activities are going to occur. This allows you and the equipment operator to know exactly where work will occur and prevents mistakes.
Access: Go ahead and make a plan for road access. Allow for a good buffer of undisturbed vegetation along streams. If you have to cross streams, do so at right angles (this may require a state permit to cross a waterway. Check with your county conservation district to be sure you are working within regulations.) Note areas where drainage structures can decrease runoff and erosion. Determine who will travel your roads: ATVs, cars, skidders, and horses make use of different types of access. Think about what equipment will go into your woods. Larger equipment, for example skidders, requires a wider route to travel – plan accordingly. In mid-summer the bark on the trees is tight. Less damage will occur to the trees should an accidental bumping occur. There are bulletins to help you with access issues. The Forest Stewardship Series Bulletin #12: Best Management Practices for Pennsylvania Forests is available at http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/uh102.pdf. It outlines specific tasks and the best management practices to consider before starting work of any kind.
Outcomes: When considering a harvest, think about what you want as your end result and work backwards from there. Ask for help from natural resource professionals. Consider regeneration, improving growth on existing trees – what are your objectives? For a picnic area, you might want a level site and open space on which to place a table or a blanket. When trail building consider scenic views, steepness, rocks or other objects that my force you to re-route paths.
Now is also the time to find natural resource professionals to help you with your planning and the activities themselves. Contact your Service Forester for lists of available foresters and loggers. Talk to your neighbors about their experiences with forestland activities. You just might find a willing cooperator to make some tasks that much easier, or, at a minimum, good advice on whom to use and whom to avoid.
Before you go into the woods this summer, take some time to plan your activities. The outcomes of your work will be that much more satisfying to you and your family if you plan to location, develop the access, and understand the steps to achieve desired outcomes.
The Pennsylvania Forest Stewardship Program provides publications on a variety of topics related to woodland management for private landowners. For a list of free publications, call 1-800-235-WISE (toll-free), send e-mail to , or write to: Forest Stewardship Program, Forest Resources Extension, The Pennsylvania State University, 7 Ferguson Building, University Park, PA 16802. The Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry and USDA Forest Service, in partnership with the Penn State's Forest Resources Extension, sponsor the Forest Stewardship Program in Pennsylvania.
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