Informational Workshop on Conservation Easements-Abingdon-May 1

Apologies for the late notice...a few of the participants mentioned an interest in conservation easements. The Virginia Outdoors Foundation is offering a workshop on conservation easements this Saturday, May 1 in Abingdon. Lunch is provided to those who RSVP.






From: Virginia Outdoors Foundation

Subject: Invitation to Informational Workshop

Date: May 1st, 2010

Location: Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, Abingdon VA Room 240


The Virginia Outdoors Foundation will host a free informational workshop for landowners, attorneys, CPAs, and appraisers regarding conservation easements. The workshop will be held on Saturday, May 1, 2010 from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center Room 240, One Partnership Circle, Abingdon, VA 24210. A complimentary lunch will be provided around noon. Registration will begin at 8:30 AM and space is limited, so please RSVP to Karen Fisher by April 27th to (276) 628-5210 or by email at kfisher@vofonline.org.

weekly update for forest makeover participants and guests

Dear Forest Makeover Participants and Guests:

1. Time: Thanks for all those of you who submitted the time you've spent working on the project. The six month report has been submitted. I will hang on to any other hours I receive and submit these in the next six month report, this fall. If anyone would like to see a copy of the six month report, please email me, and I'll be happy to share it with you.(david.richert@dof.virginia.gov).

2a. The next forest makeover course offering will be Thursday, May 6th from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Matthews State Forest Office in Galax, VA: Based on suggestions from several participants, the next course offering will be Forest Ecology, Part II. This course will help you answer forest ecology questions about your own forest. This will require participation, however--and here's what we need from you. Each participant should send a digital photo or two of a specific forested area on their land, along with a brief description. During the program, we'll show these slides and give the group a chance to discuss. So far, I have received photos and descriptions from at least 8 participants. Please send me any photos of your forest land that you'd like to include in this forest ecology program.

2b. On the evening of May 6th, a light home-made meal of soup and sandwiches will be served-(the DOF project leaders double as cooks). Small donations to help cover the costs of the ingredients will not be refused.

3. Guest lecture on fire, forests, and dendrochronology (the study of tree rings): On Wednesday, May 19th, Dr. Charles Lafon, a professor at Texas A&M university, will give a lecture on fire, forests, and dendrochronology. Dr. Lafon's research interests include vegetation dynamics, particularly the history and spatial pattern of disturbances such as major freezing rain events, fires, and insect outbreaks. He collects and studies tree cores and cross-sections to assess the influences of these events on vegetation. For more information about Dr. Lafon, please visit the following link: http://geography.tamu.edu/people/featured-faculty/charles-lafon

4. DOF foresters are working with many of you to develop your forest stewardship plans. Please be thinking of the 3 things you would like to in the next 3 years...and be ready to talk about these projects at our next "full" meeting in late June.

Questions about hemlock wooly adelgid and controlling tree of heaven (ailanthus altissima)

Questions submitted by a forest makeover participant--via email:

1. Can you direct me to information on treating about 8 big hemlocks with their feet in the creek?


2. Also, I have one tree of heaven - on the edge of a field - I know cutting it down will spread it - I'm sure you know of a link to the correct treatment.

Answers:

1. Several websites suggest trunk injections of imidacloprid for treating hemlocks infested with hemlock wooly adelgid (Adeleges tsugae) near open water. See information from North Carolina State University (http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/trees/note119a/note119a.htm) and Save our Hemlocks (http://www.saveourhemlocks.org/controls/my_prop.shtml) and also the University of Kentucky (http://www.ca.uky.edu/ENTOMOLOGY/entfacts/ef452.asp). Rutgers University has some excellent information on the life cycle of the hemlock wooly adelgid (http://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/download-free.asp?strPubID=FS751).

2. Controlling tree of heaven is most effective when combined with some type of chemical control--herbicide is either sprayed on the cut stumps (cut stump treatment) , or sprayed on the bark at the base of the tree (basal bark spray), injected into cuts made in the bark (hack and squirt treatment), or sprayed on the leaves of young plants (foliar spray). The Virginia Department of Forestry has published an excellent resource for forest landowners that provides detailed instructions on how to control tree of heaven using one of these 4 chemical options, and it also discusses other, non-chemical options, including hand pulling, cutting, digging, scarification, spot treatment with weed burners, grazing, etc. Please download this publication at http://www.dof.virginia.gov/health/resources/pub_Ailanthus-Control-and-Utilization.pdf

I have hard copies that I will make available at the next meeting.

Perfect / imperfect flowers on red maple trees

Question: The past 2 days the maples have been at the stage where some are red orange and some are lime green. I've been told this is perfect and imperfect flowers?

Answer: The difference in color in red maples may be due to the perfect and imperfect flowers. For an interesting, comprehensive treatment of the question, please visit the links below.

http://piedmontdiscovery.blogspot.com/2010/03/maple-flowers-opening.html

http://northernwoodlands.org/articles/article/flower-show-in-the-woods

4-11-10 update for participants and guests

Summary of the March 31st forestry program: We had an enjoyable evening with Doug Ogle on Wednesday, March 31st. Doug talked about a variety of ecological factors (biotic and abiotic) that set the New River Valley apart from other areas in Virginia. After Doug's talk, David Richert and Zach Olinger (DOF foresters) covered information about forest ecology, including soils, topography, climate, competition, and site index. If you were not able to attend the March 31st meeting, this program will be available on DVD.

The next forest makeover course offering: Based on suggestions from several participants, the next course offering will be Forest Ecology, Part II. This course will help you answer forest ecology questions about your own forest. This will require participation, however--and here's what we need from you. Each participant should send a digital photo or two of a specific forested area on their land, along with a brief description. During the program, we'll show these slides and give the group a chance to discuss. Visit the following Doodle link (http://www.doodle.com/it6n55ibttzfi7qd) to help us schedule this course offering.

Guest lecture on fire, forests, and dendrochronology (the study of tree rings): On Wednesday, May 19th, 6:30pm, Dr. Charles Lafon, a professor at Texas A&M university, will give a lecture on fire, forests, and dendrochronology, at the Matthews State Forest Office in Galax, VA. Dr. Lafon's research interests include vegetation dynamics, particularly the history and spatial pattern of disturbances such as major freezing rain events, fires, and insect outbreaks. He collects and studies tree cores and cross-sections to assess the influences of these events on vegetation. For more information about Dr. Lafon, please visit the following link: http://geography.tamu.edu/people/featured-faculty/charles-lafon

Request for time information: The Extreme Forest Makeover six-month report is being submitted. Please forward your hours to David Richert

(david.richert@dof.virginia.gov).

DOF foresters are working with many of you to develop your forest stewardship plans. Please be thinking of the 3 things you would like to in the next 3 years...and be ready to talk about these projects at our next "full" meeting in late June.

Thanks, and I look forward to seeing you in late April / early May.