March 8, 2012 meeting

VERNAL PONDS
Vernal ponds are a significant component of Pennsylvania's natural heritage and provide critical habitat for a unique set of species adapted to seasonal wet and dry periods such as salamanders, frogs, and fairy shrimp. On Thursday, March 8th at the Cumberland Woodland Owners’ Association meeting, Gene Wingert, Environmental Science Instructor at Dickinson College, will give a presentation on Pennsylvania’s vernal ponds and the important role they play in our ecosystem. The meeting will be held at 7:00 P.M. at the Cumberland County Extension Office which is located at 310 Allen Road in Carlisle. You do not have to be a member and there is no cost to attend.

Seasonal pool wetland ecosystems, known commonly as "vernal ponds," are isolated from streams, rivers, and other bodies of water and characterized by a seasonally fluctuating water level, often drying out completely for some part of the year. Vernal ponds are often small, seemingly "minor" waterbodies that are particularly important to amphibian populations. Amphibians that breed in vernal ponds produce the greatest vertebrate biomass in the forest. Seasonal pools are beginning to gain recognition as important habitats because of their unique role in the landscape, their valuable wetland function, and the critical habitat they provide for plants and animals of special concern.

The Cumberland Woodland Owners Association is an organization of forestland owners and others interested in forestry issues in south central Pennsylvania. For more information about the meeting or the Cumberland Woodland Owners Association, contact Fred Peabody at 717/776-3565 (email: fredp5@earthlink.net).

Deer Ticks and Lyme Disease

"Deer Ticks and Lyme Disease" is the topic of the Thursday, February 9th meeting of the Cumberland Woodland Owners Association. Norm Conrad is the featured speaker and he will talk about ticks, Lyme Disease, and how to manage your property to reduce tick-human interactions. The meeting will be at 7:00 PM, at the Franklin County Ag Heritage Building which is located at 185 Franklin Farm Lane in Chambersburg. The meeting is open to the public. You do not have to be a member of the association and there is no cost to attend. The workshop is handicap accessible. If you need specific accommodations, please contact Penn State Cooperative Extension in advance at 717-263-9226.

According to Steven Jacobs, senior extension associate in entomology, the majority of Pennsylvania counties have populations of blacklegged ticks, and they often carry and spread Lyme disease. Wooded, brushy places are common blacklegged tick habitats.  Campers, hikers, outdoor workers, and others who frequent wooded, brushy, and grassy places are commonly exposed to ticks, and this may be important in the transmission of Lyme disease in some areas.  Because new homes are often built in wooded areas, transmission of Lyme disease near homes has become an important problem in some areas of the United States.  The risk of exposure to ticks is greatest in the woods and garden fringe areas of properties, but ticks may also be carried by animals into lawns and gardens.

The Cumberland Woodland Owners Association is an organization of private forestland owners and others interested in forestry issues in south central Pennsylvania. The mission of the association is to provide information, education and an exchange of ideas to its members and others about the methods and benefits of proper forest management.
For more information about the Cumberland Woodland Owners Association and the February 9^th meeting, contact Fred Peabody at 717/776-3565 (email: fredp5@earthlink.net).

CWOA 2012 Meeting Schedule

CUMBERLAND WOODLAND OWNERS ASSOCIATION MEETING SCHEDULE FOR 2012

 

January 12^TH – Dr. James Finley will speak to us about environmental issues including the Marcellus Shale and erosion problems. This meeting will be held in the Cumberland County Extension Office at 7:00 PM.

 

February 9^th – Norm Conrad will be the guest speaker for this meeting. He will be talking to us about Ticks and the consequences that they pose in our forests. He will also be talking to us about Lyme Disease and what precautions should be taken to prevent this happening to you. The meeting will be held at the Franklin County Extension Office at 7:00 PM.

 

March 8^th – Gene Wingert will speak to us about Vernal Ponds. He will be presenting a slide program related to the creatures that live in the Vernal Ponds. The meeting will be held at the Cumberland County Extension Office at 7:00 PM.

 

April 14^th – We will visit Spring Haven Nursery and visit with Eric Burkhart who will talk to us about Ginseng. We will also tour the Nursery. Dave and Dianne Cornman will also have native plants for sale at this meeting (a portion of the profits to go to the CWOA scholarship fund) The meeting will start at 1:00 PM and last till 5:00 PM. Light refreshments will be served.

 

May 10^th – Dave Armstrong and/or Tracey Coulter will speak to us about the reintroduction of the American Chestnut that should be disease resistant. They will talk about the different stages of reintroduction and the success of each stage. The meeting will be held at the Adams County Extension Office at 7:00 PM.

 

June 9^th – Zack Roeder from DCNR will lead a tour at Pine Grove Furnace and explain to us the dangers of invasive plants and insects. The meeting will start at 1:00 PM. Please meet us there in the parking lot of Laurel Lake.

 

September 13^th - Aura Stauffer (biologist) and Mike Wright (forester) will talk to us about reptiles in our forests, including rattlesnakes, turtles and other snakes. The meeting will be held at the Cumberland County Extension Office at 7:00 PM.

 

October 13^th – Professor Ross Pifer from Dickinson School of Law will speak to us about landowner liabilities as it pertains to hunting, hiking and trespassing on private property. The meeting will be held at the Franklin County Extension Office at 7:00 PM.

 

The Cumberland Woodland Owners Association is starting a scholarship fund for future foresters that will be attending Penn State Mount Alto Campus. To help us with this endeavor it would be appreciated if your annual dues are paid in a timely manner. We will also accept any donations that members or non-members would like to make on behalf of this worthy cause.

 

FOR POSSIBLE CANCELLATIONS DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER PLEASE CALL THE FOLLOWING:

                FRED PEABODY – 776-3565

                DAVE CORNMAN – 423-6652

                BOB WRIGHTSTONE – 249-2705

                MIKE WALDRON – 677-7317

Grafting and Propagation of Fruit Trees

Home tree fruit production can be a rewarding venture. Since most fruit trees do not come true from seed, vegetative propagation by either grafting or budding methods are used. Knowing which methods of propagation to use with which plant is what makes it all work. On Thursday, October 13th, Tom Callahan from Adams County Nursery will speak about grafting and propagation of fruit trees. The meeting is sponsored by the Cumberland Woodland Owners Association and will be held at 7:00 P.M. at the Cumberland County Extension Office which is located at 310 Allen Road in Carlisle. You do not have to be a member and there is no cost to attend.

Grafting and budding involve joining two genetically distinct plants so that they
unite to continue growth as a single plant. Grafting and Budding are the most important means of propagating fruit and nut trees for two reasons. First, species and cultivars that cannot be propagated by cutting or layering can be propagated by budding and grafting. Second, budding and grafting allows the use of rootstocks with desirable characteristics that make them preferable to growing a tree on its own roots. Tom Callahan has over 26 years of experience with Adams County Nursery in growing fruit trees with these methods.

The Cumberland Woodland Owners Association (CWOA) is an organization of private forestland owners and others interested in forestry issues in south central Pennsylvania. The mission of the association is to provide information, education and an exchange of ideas to its members and others about the methods and benefits of proper forest management. For more information about the Cumberland Woodland Owners Association and the October 13th meeting, contact Fred Peabody at 717/776-3565 (email: fredp5@earthlink.net).

Upcoming Meetings

"Understanding Timber Sales,"

September 8^th - Understanding Timber Sales at 7:00 PM, at the Franklin County Ag Heritage Building

 

"Understanding Timber Sales," is the topic of the Thursday, September 8^th meeting of the Cumberland Woodland Owners Association. Lloyd Casey, an expert on Timber Taxation from Chester County, will speak about private woodland owner' responsibilities when it comes to taking and selling timber from a woodlot. Mr. Casey, who is retired from USDA Forest Service, was the Landowner Assistance Program Specialist, State and Private Forestry, Northeastern Area. He has over 36 years of experience in forest management and taxation issues. The meeting will be at 7:00 PM, at the Franklin County Ag Heritage Building which is located at 185 Franklin Farm Lane in Chambersburg. The meeting is open to the public. You do not have to be a member of the association and there is no cost to attend.

An important component of managing private forestland is managing the costs, income, and taxes associated with forestland. Properly managing your property's finances and taxes can make the difference between maintaining and dividing, or losing the property, either for you or your heirs. Any time one is dealing with land or forest management expenses or income, it triggers tax consequences. Landowners are potentially liable for income, property, and estate taxes from their land and the natural resources therein. The majority of woodland owners have limited exposure to current information that addresses federal tax issues for private forest. Woodland owners need to make decisions about their passive versus active role in management, determining their basis, structuring their management plan for optimal tax advantages, allowable deductions, accounting for federal cost share payments, and more. Because woodland owners infrequently address these issues they look for professional assistance – yet commonly woodland owners struggle to find assistance.

 

October 13^th – Tom Callahan from Adams County Nursery will be speaking to us about grafting and propagation of fruit trees. The meeting will be held at the Cumberland County Extension Office at 7:00 PM.

October 15th - The 1st Annual Forest Festival is taking place at the Ironmaster's Mansion in Pine Grove Furnace State Park on Saturday, October 15th from 10am - 5pm. It is a one-day celebration to bring recognition to the economic, ecological and social value our forests provide and build awareness of Community Supported Forests. The Forest Festival is in conjunction with the week-end long Fall Festival activities occurring throughout the park.

Ironmaster's Mansion Meeting

Ironmaster's Mansion Meeting

On Thursday, May 12^th, the Cumberland Woodland Owners Association will meet at 7:00 PM in the Ironmaster's Mansion located at Pine Grove Furnace State Park.  Debra Bowman, Executive Director of the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy, will be the featured speaker.  She will be speaking about the Ironmaster Mansion Restoration Project and the Conservancy's educational effort to help communities called "ReVisionPA."  She will also be giving a tour of the mansion.  The meeting is open to the public and there is no cost to attend.  The address for Pine Grove Furnace State Park is:  1212 Pine Grove Road, Gardners, PA 17324.  The park is easily reached from I-81. Visitors should take Exit 37 to PA 233 south then travel for eight miles.  To reach the park from the south, at the intersection of Route 30 and PA 233, take PA 233 north for 13 miles.  Pine Grove Furnace State Park website is: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/pinegrovefurnace/pinegrovefurnace_mini.pdf. 

The Central Pennsylvania Conservancy is restoring the Ironmaster's Mansion at Pine Grove Furnace State Park.  This building, a longstanding historical structure, is an important landmark in our local history and through volunteer efforts will remain a viable community center into the future.  For years it has served as a hostel and has been frequented by many Appalachian Trail hikers as a famed half-way resting area. 

The Ironmaster's Mansion, registered in 1977 with the National Register of Historical Places, holds stories tracing back to 1827 when the bricks to construct the building were made on site.  It is the location of not only the Pine Grove Furnace, but an Underground Railroad site, the half way point of the Appalachian Trail, and home to many famous families in Pennsylvania's history. 

ReVisionPA is an education initiative of the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy that focuses on three approaches to help citizens and leaders become more experienced and informed decision-makers — visioning services, workshops, and programs.  The concept behind ReVisionPA is that the more people experience the role natural resource assets play in their community, the more in-tune they will be with opportunities to protect and enhance them.  Conservancy experts help communities examine how different zoning, planning, and management strategies can help to maintain the balance between natural, human, and economic resource assets. 

The Cumberland Woodland Owners Association (CWOA) is an organization of private forestland owners and others interested in forestry issues in south central Pennsylvania. For more information about the Cumberland Woodland Owners Association and the April 16^th meeting, contact Fred Peabody at 717/776-3565 (email: fredp5@earthlink.net).

Rivers Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp

Rivers Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp

The Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited is offering its 17th Rivers Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp in June to educate students in the importance of coldwater conservation.  The camp is co-ed for youth ages 14 to 17 and up to 32 students will be selected.  It is hosted by the Cumberland Valley chapter of Trout Unlimited and held at the Allenberry Resort on the Yellow Breeches in Boiling Springs, PA, Sunday through Friday, June 19-24, 2011. Cost is $350 which includes tuition, room and board. Financial aid is available. The deadline for the early acceptance period is March 31, 2011.  If any vacancies remain, there will be an extended acceptance period until April 30, 2011.  Applications and additional information are available on-line at:  http://www.riverscamp.com/. 

The Camp provides a balance of instructional material and hands-on learning.  Classes include principles of ecology, hydrogeology, wetlands, trout stream entomology, aquatic invertebrates, hydrology, watersheds, the biology of pollution, trout behavior, reptiles and amphibians, acid deposition, the politics of conservation, and the effects of humans on the Chesapeake Bay. Even though this is the learning experience of a lifetime, it is not all work. Instructors lead streamside programs to collect aquatic invertebrates, review angling history and the evolution of an angler, conduct field identification of riparian corridors, and demonstrate wader safety and survival. Sessions include beginner and advanced casting, knot tying, fly tying, and advanced fishing.

Camp faculty are leaders in their respective fields. They come from all walks of life and have an intense interest in conservation. State agencies such as the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources provide some of the faculty. Leading experts in the fly fishing community also volunteer their time and talents to provide a faculty that is well rounded.

If you have any questions about the camp, send an email to: riverscamp@gmail.com.  You may also contact the camp by mail at:  Rivers Conservation & Fly Fishing Youth Camp, PO Box 71,Boiling Springs, PA 17007.