Forest
Stewardship News Release
August
25, 2006- For Immediate Release
Contact: Dave
Jackson, Phone: 814-355-4897 E-mail:
Centre County Tree Farmer Receives Regional Recognition
Written by Dave Jackson, Phone: 814-355-4897 E-mail:
Jim and Libby Walizer, fourth-generation Pennsylvania landowners, are making sure their land will be taken care of for generations to come. Active farmers with properties near Mingoville and Hublersburg, Jim and Libby have enhanced their beef cattle farm and other properties to promote sustainable forest management, preserve water quality, and improve wildlife habitat.
In recognition of their hard work, the Walizers have been chosen the Northeastern Regional Tree Farmers of the Year. At the National Tree Farm Convention in Mobile, Alabama, October 19-22, they will receive their award and also be in the running for the title of National Tree Farmer of the Year along with three other Tree Farmers from across the United States.
Both Jim and Libby developed a conservation ethic early. Jim’s grandfather used to tell him, “No man owns the land; you are only the caretaker for your generation. The goal is to leave the land better than you found it.” Many of the Walizers’ management activities involve improving the land for future generations--for example, returning the streamside pasture to forest for wildlife habitat. "We're giving this area back to nature instead of farming it fencerow to fencerow. There's going to be a regular little forest coming up in here in 20 years. I won't be here in 20 years. This is all for them," Jim says of his seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Jim and Libby are
slowly making their way out of farming, maintaining beef cattle on one
of their three farms and converting the others toward more forestry and
conservation practices. They also give their time and energies to the
general public. They often host woodland owner groups, school groups,
Scout troops, Penn State classes, and neighbors to showcase best forestry
practices.
What Is a Tree Farm? Tree Farms contain many different
stages of forest growth, from seedlings to mature timber, and habitats
for wildlife. These privately owned forests are working examples of applied
forestry that produce continuous crops of trees while providing clean
water, outdoor recreation, and wildlife habitat.
Tree Farm
History. (portions reprinted with permission from the American
Tree Farm System)
The first Tree Farm was designated by the American Tree Farm System (ATFS)
in Montesano, Washington, in 1941. The aim was simple but farsighted.
Leaders from industry feared that America's private forests were being
cut at unsustainable rates without reforestation. Tree Farms, recognized
for their outstanding practices, would become demonstration sites for
other forest owners, showing them the benefits of scientific forestry
and how to practice it on their own properties.
Today there are more than 51,000 certified Tree Farms covering over 33 million acres in 46 states. Pennsylvania has nearly 1,000 certified Tree Farms, with more than 260,000 acres in the program.
The ATFS is sponsored by the American Forest Foundation (AFF), a nonprofit education and conservation organization working to achieve healthy forests, provide quality environmental education, and help people make informed decisions about our communities and our world. It is supported by individual contributions and by grants from foundations, government agencies, and corporations.
Jim and Libby Walizer got involved with the program nearly 20 years ago when Bureau of Forestry service forester Jim Stiehler, introduced himself at a Penn State Cooperative Extension forestry meeting in Centre County. They asked Stiehler about getting a forest management plan for a farm they had recently purchased that had extensive forested acreage. Stiehler wrote the plan and invited the Walizers to enroll in the ATFS as pioneer members. Since that time, the Walizers have learned a lot about trees and forest management. Through their activities, experiments, and experience, they’ve also taught many others a thing or two about managing a working farm and forest.
ATFS Benefits.
Some of the numerous benefits of membership in the ATFS are as follows:
· Recognized, professionally certified, sustainable forest
· Periodic consultation with a Tree Farm certified, professional
forester at no cost
· Annual issue of Tree Farmer magazine (full subscription available
at cost)
· Subscription to the Penn State Forest Leaves quarterly newsletter
· Information and updates on forest-related legislative issues
· Landowner representation in Washington, D.C.
· Invitations to field days and the National Tree Farm Convention
· Participation in the National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the
Year contest
· Right to display Tree Farm sign and certificate
Tree Farm Qualifications. For your land to become a certified Tree Farm, you must own at least 10 acres of forestland, have a written management plan, and have your property inspected by a certified Tree Farm inspector. The management plan must cover wood and fiber production, wildlife habitat, water quality, and recreational opportunities.
The property must also meet certain minimum standards and guidelines (covered during the initial property visit) regarding reforestation, water quality, wildlife habitat, forest aesthetics, special sites, biodiversity, slash disposal and utilization, prudent use of chemicals, and the use of forestry contractors.
The Pennsylvania Tree Farm Program. In Pennsylvania, the Tree Farm Program is sponsored by both the ATFS and the Pennsylvania Forestry Association. The program is managed by the State Tree Farm Committee, made up of representatives from the forest industry, the Bureau of Forestry, consulting foresters, tree farmers, Penn State Cooperative Extension, and Penn State School of Forest Resources. Their primary goals are to promote tree farming and sustainable forest management and to coordinate the Tree Farm re-inspection and recertification process each year.
Getting Started. Sound forest management begins with determining your objectives. Work with a professional forester to determine what you have on your land and develop a plan that meets your objectives. There are more than 100 foresters in Pennsylvania who are certified to inspect tree farms. For a list of these individuals, contact your local DCNR Bureau of Forestry office or visit the Pennsylvania Tree Farm Program web site at: http://patreefarm.cas.psu.edu.
The natural cycles of a forest are much longer than a human lifetime. Stewardship means caring for those resources now so they will be available well into the future. Jim and Libby Walizer have used the American Tree Farm System and other forestry and conservation programs to help create and sustain their legacy of stewardship. It’s no surprise that they’ve earned regional recognition for the great job they’ve done. We congratulate them!
Jim and Libby will receive their award at the National Tree farm Convention in Mobile, Alabama, October 19-22. If you would like to head south this October and support the Walizers, this year is the first year that non-Free Farm certified landowners are welcome to attend the convention. For more information on the convention go to the ATFS web site located at: http://www.treefarmsystem.org.
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, 320 Forest Resources 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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