Wood Processing Workshop

Wood Processing From Our Forests Workshop On September 14 from 9:00 am to Noon, the Cumberland Woodland Owners Association is sponsoring a wood processing workshop at a 110 acre woodlot near Bloserville. The utilization of standing timber and sawing techniques using a portable sawmill and wood processing equipment will be demonstrated. You do not have to be a member of the Cumberland Woodland Owners Association to attend and there is no cost for the workshop. The workshop will be at a woodlot owned by Robert Drawbaugh and is located at 150 Church of God Road, Newville, PA 17241. To get to the woodlot from the intersection of Route 233 and 641 in Newville, take 641 east 3.7 miles and turn left onto Bloserville Road. Proceed 3.3 miles to a stop sign in Bloserville. Go Straight onto Enola Road (944 East). Proceed 1 mile and continue straight onto Church of God Road. Proceed for 0.6 of a mile to a left turn at first place on left after white church. You have arrived at the Drawbaugh property. Sometimes woodlot owners want to or need to harvest some timber from their woods. This is the time when you can improve your woods for the future or cause real damage from which it might not recover for generations. Portable sawmills can be economically beneficial to private landowners who have small volumes of timber which need to be salvaged or harvested. The end-product from a portable sawmill is quality lumber which can be either sold at a profit or used to meet a landowner’s personal needs. The program on September 14 will demonstrate timber management practices that are sustainable, produce income, and help meet the goals of a woodlot owner’s Forest Stewardship Plan. A guide titled, “Small Woodlot Harvesting” is available on-line from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to help woodland owners plan sustainable timber harvest operations (http://www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/pdfs/WWI.pdf). This publication is a guide for landowners, land managers and forest products operators derived from the study of biologic, social and economic aspects of small scale harvesting. The Cumberland Woodland Owners Association is 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 meeting, contact Fred Peabody at 717/776-3565 (email: fredp5@earthlink.net).

Forestry Meeting and Tour At Penn State Mont Alto

Forestry Meeting and Tour At Penn State Mont Alto

On Saturday, May 18, 2013, there will be a combined meeting between the Dauphin County Woodland Owners Association and the Cumberland Woodland Owners Association at Penn State Mont Alto.  Penn State Mont Alto Forestry Department staff including Dr. Beth Brantley, Craig Houghton and Dr. Peter Linehan will be conducting tours of the campus and the arboretum.  They will also be presenting information on the history of arboretum and forestry education in Pennsylvania. The meeting will be from 9:30 am to noon on May 18.  Participants will meet on campus at the Mill Café. Penn State Mont Alto directions including a campus map showing the location of the Mill Café and parking are available at: http://www.ma.psu.edu/Information/map.htm. 

The Penn State Mont Alto Arboretum was established on Arbor Day in 1905, just two years after the founding of the Pennsylvania State Forestry Academy in Mont Alto. According to the college, on that day students searched for native tree species not present on campus, and brought back more than 400 specimens (30 species). These original plantings were then augmented by seeds from other trees native to the United States. A number of trees in the arboretum are currently listed as Pennsylvania "Champion Trees." A champion tree represents the largest of each species of tree found in the state.The campus recently created an Arboretum Masterplan to outline the growth and maintenance of the campus arboretum.

The Dauphin and the Cumberland Woodland Owners Associations are organizations of private forestland owners and others interested in forestry issues in south central Pennsylvania. The mission of the associations 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 information about the Dauphin County Woodland Owners Association, contact Matt Weir at 717/534-1235 (email:  DCWOA@live.com).  For more information about the Cumberland Woodland Owners Association and the meeting, contact Fred Peabody at 717/776-3565 (email: fredp5@earthlink.net). 

Native Plants Program

Native Plants Program

On Saturday, April 20th, at 1:00 pm, the Cumberland Woodland Owners' Association is sponsoring a "Native Plants" program at Spring Haven Nurseries in Newburg.  Spring Haven Nurseries specializes in native woodland plants and shade perennials grown either in propagation beds or in the gardens located there.  Annette McCoy, Penn State Extension Consumer Horticulture Educator will lead a tour and present information about "Spring Ephemerals" and other early spring blooming plants.The meeting is open to the public and there is no cost to attend. Participants should also plan to bring their own lawnchairs.  Spring Haven Nurseries (http://springhavennatives.com/) is located at 1362 Mountain Road in Newburg. A light meal will be available around 4:00 pm. Donations towards the cost of the meal will be accepted.

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 meeting, contact Fred Peabody at 717/776-3565 (email: fredp5@earthlink.net).

Diseases and Insects Effecting Our Forests

Diseases and Insects Effecting Our Forests

On Thursday, March 14, 2013, at the Cumberland Woodland Owners Association meeting, Sharon Coons and
Nathan Fite, Foresters with the PA DCNR Bureau of Forestry, will be speaking about diseases and insect pests threatening Pennsylvania forests. Information for woodland owners on identification and methods for controlling forests insect pests such as Gypsy Moth, Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, Emerald Ash Borer, Tent Caterpillars, Scale Insects, and Weevils
will be presented. The meeting will be at 7:00 PM, at the Penn State Extension office which is located at 181 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.

It is estimated by the U.S. Forest Service that native forest insect pests and diseases cause losses of approximately 18% of forest products (e.g., lumber, pulp) valued at $9.8 billion annually. Invasive insects, plants, and microbes also have had and continue to have a significant harmful impact on U.S. forests. It is estimated by the U.S. Forest Service that economic damages caused by non-indigenous species and costs for control and management of these species exceed $137 billion per year.

Pennsylvania annually surveys approximately 17 million acres of public and private forestlands to determine the impact of forest pests throughout the Commonwealth. Surveys focus not only on current pest threats, but also on pests that have historically caused damage to Pennsylvania's forest resources, as well as invasive threats that are not yet here.

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 meeting, contact Fred Peabody at 717/776-3565 (email: fredp5@earthlink.net).

Restoration of High Grade Forests

Restoration of
High Grade Forests

Unsuspecting woodland owners selling timber often fall victim to the practice of "high-grading" or cutting the best trees and leaving the rest.  Where this practice has occurred, there generally has been a decline on long term forest health and productivity.  How can woodlands impacted by this practice be restored?  On Thursday, February 14th at the combined meeting of the Dauphin County Woodland Owners Association and the Cumberland Woodland Owners' Association, Dr. James Finley, Penn State Professor of Forest Resources, will speak on the "Restoration of High Grade Forests in Pennsylvania."   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. Directions are available on-line at:  http://extension.psu.edu/cumberland/directions.

What is high grading?  High grading is harvesting only those trees that will give the highest immediate economic return.   It is also often referred to as select cutting or diameter limit cutting where all trees above a specified diameter are harvested.  Whatever you call it the effect is the same....a decline on long term forest health and productivity.  High grading removes important seed sources and decreases long term income potential.  No concern is shown for the species composition, quality, and density of the remaining forest. 

Cutting the biggest trees might produce a brief financial windfall, but the consequences can last decades. High-grading will increase the time between harvests while decreasing the value of those harvests. The remaining trees are usually not as vigorous, generally more at risk from diseases and insect pests, and more vulnerable to damage from extreme weather. The practice also can reduce the diversity of tree species in a forest, leaving wildlife with a diminished supply of food and shelter.

Pennsylvania's forests are an important renewable natural resource and include some of the nation's most commercially valuable hardwood species.  They are not only a source of aesthetic beauty, but also of economic viability and employment for thousands of residents.  Understanding the benefits our forests provide and taking stock of our forest resources is necessary for ensuring its sustainability for future generations.  To learn more about restoring high grade forests, plan to attend this meeting.

The Cumberland Woodland Owners Association and the Dauphin County Woodland Owners Association are organizations of forestland owners and others interested in forestry issues in south central Pennsylvania.  For more information about the meeting, contact Fred Peabody at 717/776-3565 (email: fredp5@earthlink.net) or Matthew Weir at 717-534-1235 (e-mail  Mweir508@yahoo.com).