Web Seminar - Timber Sales and Marketing

The PA Forests Web Seminar Center (http://rnrext.cas.psu.edu/PAForestWeb/) is pleased to announce the February on-line program. Dave Jackson, Forestry Extension Educator, will be presenting, “Timber Sales and Marketing Forest Products” on Tuesday, February 10th at noon and again at 7 p.m. Each seminar lasts approximately one hour.

Timber harvesting is an important management tool for private forest landowners. With planning, it allows owners to meet many of their objectives. This seminar will cover the recommended steps owners should take in order to have a successful timber harvest. This seminar also counts towards 1.0 credit of Category 2 SAF CFE credits.

Live seminars are scheduled for the second Tuesday of every month at noon and 7 p.m., skipping July and August. 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 register and take part in the live seminars or to view the upcoming seminars schedule, visit http://rnrext.cas.psu.edu/PAForestWeb/.

(Photo credit: Fountains Forestry)

Forestry Internet seminar: Understanding Forest Exploitation

An unsustainable forest harvesting practice, diameter-limit cutting, has been recognized in several scientific studies for its exploitive effects on forest growth and productivity. Join Dr. Ralph Nyland, Distinguished Service Professor of Silviculture at SUNY College of Environment Science and Forestry, on Wednesday February 18th, 2009 for a webinar on "Diameter-limit Cutting and Exploitation." The webinar will address the correct role of silviculture relative to the negative impacts of diameter-limit cutting on forest growth, yield, and value. Dr. Nyland has researched and written broadly about this subject. He is the author of numerous articles, bulletins, and the textbook: "Silviculture - Concepts and Applications."

ForestConnect is a program of Cornell University Cooperative Extension and offers the monthly Internet seminar series using web conferencing technology. The ForestConnect Internet Seminar Series is an interactive web conference and was the first of its kind in the US. Each seminar uses the Internet to distribute, or webcast, a live and interactive presentation. Since May 2007, web-based seminars have connected forest owners, managers, and practitioners from throughout the United States and overseas. More than 1000 owners and managers from 40 states and three countries are registered and receiving announcements for the monthly webcasts.

Seminars occur on the third Wednesday of each month. Each webcast is provided live, twice. The initial broadcast each month is from noon to 1:00 PM with a repeat live broadcast the same day from 7:00 to 8:00 PM, Eastern Time. Participation is as easy as a high-speed internet connection via a web browser. Participants will connect to a secure Cornell Cooperative Extension server to join the presentation. Participants must pre-register once, without charge, at http://www.forestconnect.info/. Email notification of internet URL details for the web conference will be sent to everyone registered.

New PA Study of Split Antlered/Antlerless Deer Seasons

The Pennsylvania Game Commission and U. S. Geological Survey’s Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Pennsylvania State University today presented an overview of a new deer research project to the Board of Game Commissioners.

For the 2008-09 deer seasons, the Board approved a change in the firearms deer season in WMUs 2D, 2G, 3C, and 4B. The change made antlered deer legal for the first five days of the two-week firearms deer season, followed by seven days of antlered and antlerless deer hunting. Previously, these four WMUs had a two-week concurrent firearms season for antlered and antlerless deer season.

To read the full story go to:

http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?Q=175759&A=11

(PA Game Commission Release #012-09, Jan. 26, 2009, For Information Contact: Jerry Feaser, 717-705-6541, PGCNews@state.pa.us)

Announcing the 2009 Forest Landowners Conference

2009 Central Region Forest Landowners Conference
Planned for Saturday, February 28, 2009

Penn State Cooperative Extension, in cooperation with Penn State School of Forest Resources, the DCNR Bureau of Forestry, the Woodland Owners of Centre County, and the Clearfield/Jefferson Counties Forest Stewardship Committee are providing an educational conference specifically for forest landowners. The conference is scheduled from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm., Saturday, February 28, 2009, at the Penn State School of Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA.
This conference focuses on energy and is subtitled “Your Forest, An Energy Source for the Future.” Topics to be presented include: woody biofuel, forest certification, carbon trading, energy leasing opportunities, tree planting for energy production, reducing energy exploration impacts on wildlife and water, and farm bill opportunities; all as they relate to private, non-industrial forest landowners. Conference sponsors include the Woodland Owners of Centre County, Centre County Conservation District, Melville Forestry Services, and Fox Rothschild LLP.

Forests cover nearly 60% or over 17 million acres of Pennsylvania. Over 750,000 private forest landowners own approximately 75% (12.5 million acres) of this land. Forests provide us with many benefits including wood products, wildlife habitat, places to recreate, and beautiful vistas. They also give us clean water by protecting watersheds and clean air by removing carbon dioxide. Forests are also vital to the economy of Pennsylvania. The forest products industry is the fourth largest industry in the state, employing over 90,000 workers in 2,500 firms and contributes more than 5 billion dollars to the state’s economy annually. To continue providing these benefits into the future forests must receive proper management.

To register or for more information contact the Penn State Cooperative Extension office in Centre County at 814-355-4897 or e-mail CentreExt@psu.edu. The registration fee is $20.00 per person and includes presentations, a luncheon, and educational materials. The deadline for registration is Friday, February 20. Participants must be pre-registered. To download a copy of the conference brochure go to: http://centre.extension.psu.edu/ and click the Natural Resources link.

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of special accommodations or have questions about the physical access provided, contact Centre County Cooperative Extension at 814-355-4897 in advance of your participation of visit.