Reinventing Smethport’s Forest Legacy

Biomass magazine recently reported on a group of foresters from Pennsylvania who traveled to Austria a year ago to see how the nation has managed its forests for multiple uses for centuries. According to the article, Austria, “which is about two-thirds the size of Pennsylvania, has 1,560 district heating plants using woody biomass—about 20 of those are combined-heat-and-power (CHP) systems. Soon 50 percent of Austria’s energy will come from renewable resources, with 15–20 percent from wood.”

Smethport, a small town in northwestern Pennsylvania, will soon be online utilizing the same technology. The town wants to be the first small town in the U.S. with a woody biomass-fired combined-heat-and-power district heating system.

To read the full article, visit the Biomass magazine website. http://www.biomassmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=2712

Edited from the Society of American Foresters E-Forester (June 29, 2009)

Insect in Hemlock Forests Causes Loss of Canopy, Increase in Invasive Plants

According to new research by ecologists at the University of California–Berkeley, canopy loss in eastern hemlock forests as a result of the hemlock woolly adelgid also is setting the stage for the invasion of non-native plants. The canopy decline leads to even greater invasion of non-native plants when combined with a high concentration of the plants’ seeds and white-tailed deer in affected areas.

For more information, visit the University of California–Berkeley website.

Edited from Society of American Foresters E-Forester June 15, 2009.

Central PA Biomass Energy Workshop

A Biomass Energy Workshop is being offered on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 at the Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Penn State University Park from 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM, cost $20.00. The workshop is sponsored by Headwaters RC &D, Penn State Cooperative Extension, and Biomass Connections.

Topics include warm season grass establishment, mineland and biomass production, biomass bennefits to wildlife, markets for energy crops, and a tour of biomass energy projects at Penn State.

Do you have an interest in how biomass energy crops support your local economy and protect your environment? Are you a landowner interested in establishing biomass energy crops for home, farm, or industry use but don't know what funding sources are available to help you get started? Would you like to see a machine that makes pellets out of switchgrass up close and personal?

To register or for more information contact the Headwaters RC & D Council at 478 Jeffers Street, Bldg 3, Ste D, DuBois, PA 15801, 814-375-1372 or e-mail Adam Dellinger: adam.dellinger@pa.usda.gov

PA Forest Web Seminar Center - Short Summer Series

The PA Forests Web Seminar Center ( http://rnrext.cas.psu.edu/PAForestWeb/) is pleased to announce a special Short Summer Series for the months of July and August.

Summer Tree ID Made Easy - Wednesday, July 22nd, 7-8:30 PM, presented by Sandy Smith, Youth and Natural Resources Extension Specialist, Penn State School of Forest Resources. The identification of trees by their leaves is perhaps the easiest way to distinguish one species from another. This session will present the basic types of leaves, their characteristics, and how to use a "tree key" for identification. Old and young alike will benefit from learning this valuable skill. Before attending this webinar, each participant should download and print out the 4-H Summer Key for Pennsylvania Trees (available on the website) that will be used during the session.

An Introduction to American Ginseng Forest Farming - Wednesday, August 26th, 7-8:30 PM presented by Eric Burkhart, Instructor and Program Director, Plant Science, Shaver's Creek Environmental Center. Establishing or "farming" American ginseng on Pennsylvania forestlands is a fascinating and potentially profitable activity that can contribute to both plant and forestland conservation. In this presentation, participants will be introduced to one of Pennsylvania's most valuable crops, American ginseng. The botany, biology, ecology, markets, growing options, propagation techniques, and management issues (pests, theft, regulations) will all be covered.

Each session is recorded and loaded onto the Web Seminar Center along with a copy of the presentation and any handout materials. So, if you are unable to participate in the "live" session, a recording of it will be available for you to view at your convenience. To participate in the live seminars you must register and have a "Friend of Penn State" user ID. The "Register Now" page on the website will walk you through this process. If you are a member of the Penn State community, you already have your User ID, but we would ask you to register on the website so that you can receive reminders of upcoming programs. Participation in the web seminar does not require any special software.

To view live and previously recorded seminars all you need is a high-speed internet connection and sound. To register and take part in the live seminars or to view the upcoming seminars schedule, visit http://rnrext.cas.psu.edu/PAForestWeb/.