Timber 2015 Expo June 5 and 6

University Park, PA

May 26, 2015

With live machinery demonstrations, as many as 85 commercial vendors and numerous business networking opportunities, the 2015 Forest Products Equipment andTechnology Exposition promises to provide professionals with a valuable trade show experience. But organizers of the event, known as Timber 2015, also have planned activities designed to entertain and educate the loggers, sawmill operators, value-added processors, forest landowners and members of the public who attend.

Hosted by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences and the Pennsylvania Forest Products Association, the biennial event will take place June 5-6 at Penn State's Ag Progress Days site, on state Route 45 nine miles southwest of State College.

A new attraction at this year's expo will be the Game of Logging national finals, a competition based on a world-recognized chain saw skills curriculum. The contest, with landowner and professional logger divisions, combines Scandinavian logging techniques with the latest systems for working safely around trees. Qualifiers from state-level competitions will compete on June 6 in categories such as Bore Station, Spring Pole, Big Stump, Precision Stump, Speed Cut and Tree Felling.

According to the Game of Logging website, "The 'game' refers not only to the friendly competitive aspect of the training, but also to the necessity of having a winning plan or strategy for felling trees and working safely. The program breaks apart saw work into steps that are practiced throughout the course. A fun scoring system helps focus participants' attention on the most important details and allows them to measure their progress."

Timber 2015 also will feature demonstrations by the Penn State Woodsmen's Team, which travels to compete in various regional and national collegiate events. Team members will demonstrate skills such as axe-throwing, underhand chopping and crosscutting on both days of the expo.

"These activities, which showcase the competitive talents of the participants, are fun to watch and emphasize the professional skills and safety expertise needed to be successful in the industry," said Timber 2015 manager Bob Oberheim, of Penn State.

In addition, the forest-product industry's charitable efforts will be highlighted by the "Log a Load for Kids" Truck Parade. The procession of vehicles around the show grounds will culminate with a check presentation to the Children's Miracle Network.

Nationally, the annual "Log a Load for Kids" campaign has raised about $20 million to help sick and injured children, noted said Paul Lyskava, executive director of the Pennsylvania Forest Products Association.

"Individuals and businesses in the Pennsylvania logging and forestry industries each year donate the value of a load of logs to support local Children's Miracle Network hospitals," he said. "This truck parade is a visual representation of our industry's commitment to the children of Pennsylvania and to the communities where we live and work."

The leading hardwood-producing state in the nation, Pennsylvania is home to more than 2,100 forest-product companies and 500,000 forest landowners. The forest-products industry has $11.5 billion in annual sales and generates about $19 billion a year for the state's economy.

Other activities on the schedule for Timber 2015 include the following:

--Woodlot management tours on both days will examine a 15-acre timber harvest that was performed in 2012 using the shelterwood regeneration method. Visitors will learn about harvesting and regeneration challenges, including shade tolerance, seed trees, exotic insects, invasive plants, competing vegetation and deer-browsing impacts.

--On-site and in-the-woods demonstrations will feature a range of forest-product technologies and machinery, including feller bunchers with processing heads, forwarders, log skidders, horizontal grinders and chippers. A ride-and-drive area will allow attendees to test-drive log skidders and forklifts.

--A Pennsylvania Sustainable Forestry Initiative training course to be held on both days of the show will enable loggers to meet their annual PA SFI continuing education requirements. The course is free to attend, but there will be a $20 administrative fee for those who wish to register for continuing education credit. The educational sponsor for the event is Metzler Forest Products LLC.

--The Pasto Agricultural Museum will present new displays and hands-on exhibits focusing on timber and logging history. Visitors can hear stories of the history of timber, logging and forestry in the commonwealth in presentations at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. each day.

Primary sponsors for Timber 2015 include Forest Products Credit by AgChoice FC, Foster F. Wineland Inc., Pendu Manufacturing Inc. and Taylor Machine Works Inc.

For information on Timber 2015, including details on exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities, call 814-863-2873 or visit the show website.

Pennsylvania: Welcome to Your Woods

I just received my Forests for the Bay email news blast and it included a publication that I did not know was in the works, "Welcome to Your Woods" (Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia) piece for each state gives landowners starting places for understanding the complex system that is the woods and where to get help.

Here's how they describe the publications:

Your woodlands provide you with a myriad of benefits every day from recreational and economic opportunities to wildlife viewing to a personal refuge away from life's daily rigors.  As land continues to transition to new ownership at a higher rate than at any time in our history, the number of new woodland owners in the region has exponentially grown. As a way to reach out to a vast number of newer woodland owners about the benefits of their natural resource we have developed the Welcome to Your Woods publications for Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. These succinct reference guides introduce landowners to the ecology and function of their woods, the benefits and challenges of woodland ownership and the resources available to keep them working and healthy.

We first developed the Welcome to Your Woods publication as a supplemental resource for our Real Forestry for Real Estate courses in Maryland. This innovative and highly successful program was first developed and pioneered by the Virginia Forest Landowners Education Program (VFLEP) at Virginia Tech and strives to reach woodland owners early in their tenure by educating real estate professionals about the benefits of wooded properties. Participants that complete the course receive the Welcome to Your Woods guide as a resource they can distribute to their clients; potential new woodland owners. VFLEP has produced a similar, Virginia specific publication entitled Welcome to the Woods.

Whether you have owned your land for 30 years or 30 days, there is always something to discover about your woods and its management and care. We have found these publications to be a useful resource in a variety of our other landowner workshops and trainings since they provide a good foundation of reference. Feel free to peruse these publications or share them in your own woodland outreach endeavors. They are also accessible on the Local Resources section of the Forest for the Bay website. We do have printed copies of Welcome to Your Woods (MD, WV, PA), so if you prefer to be able to flip actual pages of tangible fibrous cellulose pulp please email me, Craig Highfield, at chighfield@allianceforthebay.org.

You can link to the Pennsylvania version by clicking here.

Another tool for the toolbox, enjoy!

Help Monarch Butterflies and Pollinators: Plant Habitat

Asclepias tuberosa, Butterfly Weed

Loss of habitat is one reason populations of monarch butterflies and insect pollinators are declining. Native flowering plants provide food for monarch butterflies and native pollinators. The best way to support and protect monarch and pollinator populations is by preserving, enhancing, and restoring plant habitat they use as food sources and reproductive areas. For more information on this topic be sure to check out the publication entitled, Pollinator-Friendly Plants for the Northeast United States on the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Web site. Also, the Forest Service have just released a new brochure on this topic entitled, Creating Monarch and Pollinator Habitat in New Hampshire. Both are great resources to advocate for native plants used by pollinators. (Northeastern Area State & Private Forestry e-News, April 30, 2015)  

For more information on the monarch butterfly and creating pollinator habitat go to Monarch Joint Venture.

Also, check out the Milkweed Information Sheet.

Conifer Alternatives for Eastern Hemlock

White spruce ready for planting

With the prevalence of hemlock wooly adelgid and the hemlock mortality it is causing across the state the question often comes up concerning what, if anything, to plant in it's place. Most often if nothing is done we see hemlock stands being replaced by black birch. The Allegheny National Forest (Warren, Forest, Elk and McKean counties in NW Pennsylvania) has completed some small supplemental plantings under hemlock to enhance the conifer component in anticipation of hemlock mortality. In addition, PSU Forestry Extension just completed a stream corridor planting, where all the hemlock was lost, looking at white and red spruce as possible replacements.

The information below compares different coniferous species as a general guide for supplemental plantings. A special thank you goes out to Andrea Hille, Forest Silviculturist, on the Allegheny National Forest (ANF), for compiling and sharing this information. One species I have heard mentioned as a supplement to hemlock is Norway spruce. This species is not included in the list below because it is not native to the United States although it has been planted extensively.

Plant bare-root seedlings once frost leaves the ground and prior to bud break, when seedlings are dormant. In Pennsylvania this is generally between early March and early May. It is essential to plant bare root seedlings before buds begin to swell and new growth starts to emerge. There is more flexibility when planting potted or balled and burlapped trees which can be planted later into the growing season. Planting early in the spring helps ensure seedling root system establishment before the hotter drier summer months. Trees planted after mid-May might not survive summer’s intense heat and water stress. Planting in the fall may expose trees to severe winds and cold temperatures which can desiccate seedlings as well as frost heaving when the ground freezes and thaws.

For additional information on tree planting check out the Penn State Extension publication entitled: Forest Landowner Guide to Tree Planting Success. This guide is a great resource to help you get started planning your tree planting project for next year.

Species Considerations for Conifer Plantings:
Potential Alternatives to Eastern Hemlock

Red Spruce (Picea rubens)
Red spruce lacks the lower limb structure and the thermal characteristics of hemlock. It is the best replacement species for northern flying squirrel, as it supports lichens (bryoria fremontii) required by northern flying squirrel for food and nesting material. Its native range is north of PA and at higher elevations in the northern Appalachian mountains. Specimens found in McKean County occur at higher elevations and in locations with good moisture. Red spruce grows well on poor sites with acidic and shallow soils preferred. It is shade tolerant to very tolerant. Red spruce is long-lived (350-400 years) and slow growing. Browsing by deer does occur, but it is not a preferred browse. Its biggest pests are spruce budworm, eastern spruce beetle, and eastern dwarf mistletoe. It is potentially sensitive to pollution (sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and ozone).

White Spruce (Picea glauca)
White spruce retains its lower limbs. It is primarily found north of PA with specimens in a few counties south of the ANF. White spruce was planted on the ANF in the past. It is tolerant of a wide range of sites in northern North America, from moist to dry, alkaline and acidic. It is intermediate in shade tolerance and long lived (250-300 years). White spruce is not preferred as browse. White spruce can be susceptible to frost heaving. Its seedlings can be damaged by rodents. Its biggest pests are spruce budworm, European spruce needleminer, Tomentosus root disease, and various bark and wood boring beetles. It is considered a hardy tree and has a strong affinity to local environments. 

Black Spruce (Picea mariana)
Black spruce is a smaller tree, with a small diameter at maturity. It retains its lower limbs and is shallow rooted. It is primarily found north of PA with specimens occurring in Tioga County. Moisture is important to black spruce and it prefers dark brown peat, boggy areas, and wet organic soils. It is a common inhabitat of swamps or bogs. Black spruce is a pioneer species, though shade tolerant. A 200 year lifespan is typical. It is not preferred as browse. Its primary pests are eastern dwarf mistletoe, spruce budworm, bud and needle rusts.

Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea)
Balsam fir retains its lower limbs and has a fairly small crown area. It provides food and cover for wildlife and is the second best species on this list for northern flying squirrel. Generally found north of PA and at higher elevations in the Appalachian mountains, specimens do occur in the area. Balsam fir requires abundant moisture and prefers slightly acidic sites. It is very shade tolerant and slow growing with a typical lifespan of 80 years. Browsing by deer does occur, but it is not a preferred browse. Its primary pest is balsam wooly adelgid; it has an intermediate sensitivity to sulphur dioxide and is tolerant of ozone.

Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida)
Pitch pine lacks the lower limb structure and thermal characteristics of hemlock. It is usually found on dry, low quality sites with poor sandy soils. Pitch pine requires a mineral soil seedbed for regeneration. It is a pioneer species and is shade intolerant. A typical lifespan is 200 years. Browsing by deer is limited to seedlings and sprouts. Its primary pests are Sirex wood wasp and various wood boring bark beetles. Pitch pine is very good at surviving injury, and has the ability to “green up” after fire or pests.

Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana)
Virginia pine also lacks the lower limb structure and thermal characteristics of hemlock. It requires well drained sites and prefers poor sandy soils. A mineral soil seedbed is essential for its regeneration. Virginia pine is shade intolerant with a typical lifespan of 100 years. It is not preferred as browse. Its primary pests are Sirex wood wasp and various wood boring bark beetles. Virginia pine is sensitive to air pollution (ozone) and sometimes suffers from meadow mouse girdling. It grows well in old fields as a pioneer species and can successful outcompete other species.

Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Eastern redcedar has a general bush-like appearance though it may lose its lower limbs in forest grown areas. It is widely distributed through the eastern and midwestern U.S. Eastern redcedar can grow on a wide variety of conditions, but it prefers deep, moist, well drained sites and calacareous soils. It is shade intolerant to very intolerant and has a typical lifespan of 150 years. It is a pioneer species and can tolerate drought and temperature extremes. It is of intermediate preference for deer browse. Its primary pest is cedar gall and it is tolerant of air pollution (sulphur dioxide and hydrogen fluoride). 

Red Pine (Pinus resinosa)
Red pine lacks the lower limb structure and thermal characteristics of hemlock. It prefers dry sites but will grow on wetter sites. Red pine is shade intolerant to very-intolerant and has a typical lifespan of 200 years. It is not preferred by deer. Its primary pests are Sirex wood wasp and various wood boring bark beetles. It is sensitive to sulphur dioxide but tolerant of ozone.

Northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis)
Northern white-cedar has a general bush-like appearance, but it may lose its lower limbs in forest grown areas. It provides an abundance of food and cover for wildlife, especially in winter. It prefers moist, nutrient rich sites, such as those along streams and it prefers calacareous soils. Northern white-cedar is shade tolerant, slow-growing, and persistent. A 300 year lifespan is typical. It is a preferred browse for deer. Its primary pests are carpenter ants and leafminers. It is tolerant of sulphur dioxide and ozone and can withstand suppression for long time periods.

Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)
Eastern white pine lacks the lower limb structure and thermal characteristics of hemlock. It prefers well drained, drier sites, with coarse textured soils. White pine is intermediate in shade tolerance. A 200 year lifespan is typical, but it can be long-lived (450 years). It is preferred browse for deer and does not tolerate browsing well. Its primary pests are white pine weevil, Sirex wood wasp, white pine blister rust and it is sensitive to ozone and sulphur dioxide. White pine grows rapidly and is considered an excellent tree for reforestation projects.

Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata)
Shortleaf pine lacks the lower limb structure and thermal characteristics of hemlock. It is native to the ridge and valley region of southeastern PA and south. It occurs on a wide range of sites from dry sites to deep well-drained soils. It is shade intolerant with a typical lifespan of 200 years. Browsing by deer is limited to seedlings and sprouts. Its primary pests are Sirex wood wasp and various wood boring bark beetles, and it has intermediate sensitivity to air pollution. It is a pioneer species and competes better on dry sites.