Regeneratig Hardwood Forests Webinar

The PA Forests Web Seminar Center is pleased to announce the January program. David R. Jackson, Extension Forester, Penn State Cooperative Extension-Centre County, will be presenting Regenerating Hardwood Forests: Managing Competing Plants, Deer, and Light on Tuesday, February 9th at noon and again at 7 p.m. Each seminar lasts approximately one hour and qualifies for 1.0 Society of American Foresters CFE, Category 1-CF.

The regeneration, or re-growth, of forests requires that sufficient numbers of desirable trees seedlings become established following a timber harvest. Often times, regeneration is not easy. Regeneration failures and re-growth of less desirable tree species is common. Competing plants, over-browsing by deer, and insufficient light to the forest floor interfere with tree seedling establishment and growth. Forest sustainability is threatened without adequate forest regeneration. This presentation will provide information on key practices used to successfully establish hardwood forest regeneration.

Live seminars are scheduled for the second Tuesday of every month at noon and 7 p.m. 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. Of course, none of the interactive elements will be available when watching the recording.

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 view upcoming seminars schedule click here.

PA Game Commissioner's Proposals for 2010

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave preliminary approval to hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for 2010-11, including broad changes to deer, bear, turkey and small game seasons.

The public may offer comments on all proposed 2010-11 seasons and bag limits, as well as other Board actions, between now and the Board’s next meeting, April 19-20, at which time the Board will finalize seasons and bag limits for 2010-11.  Also, the Board will take action on setting antlerless deer license allocations for the 22 WMUs at its April meeting. Deer harvest estimates for the 2009-10 seasons will be available in mid-March.

Following are highlights that could have a dramatic affect on the 2010/2011 deer season.

The Board of Game Commissioners gave preliminary approval to a slate of deer seasons for the 2010-11 seasons that includes adding Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 2C, 2E, 4D and 4E to the split five-day antlered deer season, Nov. 29-Dec. 3, and seven-day concurrent season, Dec. 4-11.  Those WMUs now part of the split season structure are WMUs 2C, 2D, 2E, 2G, 3C, 4B, 4D and 4E.  The proposed package retains the two-week (12-day) concurrent, antlered and antlerless season in the remaining 14 WMUs.

Based on a motion by Game Commissioner Thomas Boop, the Board directed staff to prepare for its April meeting to suspend the issuance of Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) antlerless deer permits to public landowners, unless an approved management plan is in place.  Boop noted that this action does not impact private landowners ability to enroll in DMAP, which enables landowner to address deer management objectives on their properties. (PA Game Commission: 1-26-2010, http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/)
 
To read the full story click here.

PSU Water Resources Webinar Series

Water quality and water conservation will be the focus of five Web-based seminars produced by Penn State Cooperative Extension this spring.  Topics will include water testing, septic systems, managing ponds and lakes, and safe drinking water.

The first webinar will cover strategies to monitor water wells, springs and streams that are near gas-drilling sites.  That presentation will air Wednesday, Jan. 27, at noon and again at 7 p.m.

"We're starting to get a lot of questions about how people should monitor or test water wells or streams when there is drilling nearby," said Bryan Swistock, senior extension associate in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.  "This webinar will cover what they should do in terms of testing, what tests to run, who does it, how often and how much it will it cost."

Swistock said there are many different testing options, depending on the water use. He said the simplest way to monitor water quality is to test for total dissolved solids.  "If there is a spill or leak from a drilling site, the dissolved solids would indicate that," he said.  "But if you want to test drinking water, you'll need a more thorough test than that."

Swistock stressed that testing performed by the homeowner may have limited value if a case were to develop into a lawsuit.  He suggested that in instances when legal action may occur, homeowners should hire a third-party lab or tester to collect the sample.  Such precautions ensure that the water samples retain a "chain of custody" and that they are collected in the proper manner by a professional, he said.

The water-testing webinar is part of an overall series targeting the most common water questions and concerns people have about water resources on their own property, whether those are water wells, septic systems or ponds.  The series will discuss water-resource types, what kinds of threats exist to water supplies, and how property owners can manage them.

Participants must pre-register for the webinars, but only one registration is required for the entire series. To register click here.  Once participants have pre-registered, they may visit this Web site on the day of the presentation and simply click on the link with the title of that day's webinar.

Penn State Cooperative Extension Water Webinars are held the last Wednesday of each month from January until May and will air at noon and 7 p.m. on each date. 

Dates, topics and presenters for the 2010 series include:
--Jan. 27, Water Testing and Monitoring Strategies Near Gas Drilling Activity, Bryan Swistock, Penn State water resources extension specialist.
--Feb. 24, Saving Money and Your Septic System through Water Conservation, Tom McCarty, Penn State Cooperative Extension, Cumberland County.
--March 31, Managing Your Pond or Lake, Susan Boser, Penn State Cooperative Extension, Beaver County.
--April 28, Safe Drinking Water Clinic, Peter Wulfhorst, Penn State Cooperative Extension, Pike County.
--May 26, Managing Your On-Lot Septic System, Dana Rizzo, Penn State Cooperative Extension, Westmoreland County.

For more information, contact Bryan Swistock at (814) 863-0194, or e-mail at brs@psu.edu.

Pennsylvania 4-H Youth Natural Resources Events

Penn State Cooperative Extension is again providing two quality field days for 4-H members to explore and learn about the outdoors, the Wildlife Field day and the Forestry Field Day.  For details on each see below.  For more information on 4-H and the Field Days contact Dr. Sanford Smith at 814-865-4261 (phone) or sss5@psu.edu (e-mail).

There is no fee for either event, but all youth and adults planning to attend should sign up through their County Cooperative Extension Office. Please let them know which Program and Tract you wish to undertake. Volunteer Leaders, Agents, and parents are welcome to attend the field day to observe either option. Participants must bring their own sack lunch and drink, and everyone is encouraged to dress for field conditions.


4-H Wildlife Field Day - Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!

A wildlife field day for fun and learning is scheduled on Saturday, April 17, 2010, (9:30 AM - 3:00 PM) at Rock Springs (Ag Progress Days Site) near Penn State. This state event is wide open to all 4-H'ers (ages 8 -18) interested in or currently taking wildlife projects. 4-H adult volunteers and parents are also encouraged to attend. There will be two program options offered concurrently at the event.  Sign-up deadline is April 9, 2010!


The first option is the "Exploratory Tract," designed for youth ages 8-11. It will include hands-on wildlife educational activities and guest speakers. This year's theme for the Exploratory Tract is "Wild Turkeys." These fascinating birds are found throughout North America, and they have many unique features and adaptations! Come explore wild turkeys and participate in lots of fun outdoor activities while doing it!

The second option is the "Competitive Tract." It will offer youth, ages 12-18, a chance to participate in a wildlife habitat evaluation contest. This is an educational competitive event that provides a great opportunity for youth to apply their knowledge about wildlife to real life situations. The Competitive Tract will also include a habitat tour. There is a project book that 4-H'ers should study before coming to this event. It is available on request through the County Cooperative Extension Office, or it can be downloaded from the web site listed below. Four 4-H'ers, between the ages of 14 and 18 years old, will be selected to attend the 2010 National Wildlife Evaluation Event.

Pennsylvania 4-H Forestry Field Day - Get Smart About Forests!

Pennsylvania?s 4-H Forestry Field Day is slated for May 15, 2010, from 9:45 AM - 3 PM at Laurel Haven Conservation Education Center, Julian, PA (near Penn State). This event is open to all 4-Hers who have taken, or are planning to undertake any 4-H forestry project. The event has two options. There is an "Exploratory Tract" for younger 4-Hers (ages 8-11) and a "Competitive Tract" for older youth (ages 12-18). All adults and 4-H volunteers are welcome to attend.  The sign-up deadline is May 7th, 2010.



Participants signing up for the Exploratory Tract will learn about trees, compass use, and tree measurement, which are all components of the Trees + Me = Forestry 4-H project. This is non-competitive, educational, and fun. No advance study is required for the Exploratory Tract. 4-Hers in the Competitive Tract will participate in a forestry knowledge and judging contest. A project book with everything one needs to know for this tract is available as a download at the web site listed below or by contacting your County Cooperative Extension Office. The top four teens (ages 14 years and up) will go on to participate in the 2010 National 4-H Forestry Invitational in West Virginia.