C6-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 19, 1994
THE FORGOTTEN
RESOURCES
Robert S. Hansen
County Forester Towanda
Most often when we talk about
forest resources, two resources
seem to stand out in our minds.
These resources are the trees (tim
ber) and wildlife.
In most cases the other re
sources that can be found in a for
est environment are ignored. The
ignoring of these other resources
is generally not a conscious effort
but more of just forgetfulness and
not realizing that these resources
are there.
What are some of these forgot
ten resources? One is the water re
source found in the woods. The
streams and rivers that may flow
through your woods are generally
not forgotten, especially if they
flow all year round. Other water
resources exist, however. There
may be streams that may only
flow part of the year, during the
spring runoff or during heavy
rains. For this reason they are im
portant. Much erosion can occur
during the spring runoff season or
during heavy rains.
It is important to protect these
stream channels. A thoughtless act
can increase the instability of
these channels and the direct re
sult can be the increase in the
amount of erosion during a storm.
This can lead to an increase in
sedimentation of a trout stream for
example.
Vernal ponds (ponds that only
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Since 1903
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#MORTON BUILDINGS, INC.
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717/624-3331
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exist during the spring) can be im
portant water sources for wildlife
and habitat for a variety of insects
and amphibians. Wetlands are
also a valuable source of wildlife
habitat as well as serving as natur
al flood control devices. Springs
and seeps are.also valuable water
resources. They are important wa
ter sources for wildlife. Protecting
these seeps is important. It doesn’t
really take much activity to dam
age this resource.
The riparian vegetation zones
found along streams, lakes, and
ponds are other valuable forest re
sources. These zones are valuable
wildlife habitat and play an im
portant role in protecting streams
and lakes from erosion and sedi
mentation. Riparian vegetation
controls, to a large extent, the tem
perature of these waters. Extreme
fluctuations in water temperatures
limit the variety and number of
fish and insect species found in
streams and lakes. Trees are also
able to screen out a large propor
tion of nutrients before they reach
streams and ponds. Cattle should
be excluded from these areas and
timber should not be harvested
close to these areas.
More information on riparian
vegetation management and care
can be found in the following pub
lications: “Woodlot Management,
Water Quality, The Law, and
You” by the Endless Mountains R
C & D Council, Riparian Forest
Buffers NA-PR-07-91 by the
US.D.A. Forest Service, North-
Excellence Since 1903
CONTACT:
1-800-447-7436
P.O. Box 126,
Philllpsburg,
NJ 08865
908/454-7900
Uhnok only, call
1-iO(M2B-8888
eastern Area; and Stream BAnk
Fencing Extension Circular 397
by Penn State College of Agricul
tural Sciences.
Nongame wildlife species such
as owls, song birds, and chip
munks are often overlooked. They
are often not as spectacular as
many of the game, species, but
many individuals very much enjoy
seeing these animals in the woods.
To these people they are just as
important as a deer or grouse.
Managing for game species can
sometimes be detrimental to the
habitat of non-game species. This
is another aspect to consider dur
ing forest management activities.
Another resource that is often
overlooked, until it is gone, is the
visual resource itself. This can be
a difficult resource to identify be
cause we all have different tastes.
What is very beautiful in the land
scape to one person is not even
noticed by others.
Sometimes the management of
the timber resource will tempor
arily damage the visual resource.
However, this damage can be dim
ished and, keep in mind that when
timber is harvested properly, the
visual resource has the ability to
recover relatively quickly.
Other activities can essentially
destroy parts of the visual re
source. As an example, when you
walk the woods of northeastern
Pennsylvania you wil often come
across old stone walls. To many
individuals these walls are import
ant to the charm of the Northeast
Removing these stone walls can
damage the visual resource.
Again, this depends to a large part
on your personal perspective.
There may be areas with special
wildflowers, unique trees or tree
species, and areas with special
meaning to the landowner found
in the woodlot A forest landown-
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For more information call
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agn
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i
Northeast
er has the ability to protect these
areas if he or she desires.
What is difficult for woodland
owners is that being a forest ste
ward requires thought about how
your actions affect not just the re
source you are most interested in,
but how your actions affect all of
these important, but often forgot
ten, forest resources. Your forest
stewardship plan should address
all of these resources to some ex
tent and can be a helpful guide in
decision making. The Stewardship
Incentive Program also provides
cost-share assistance in address
ing 1 the management of these other
resources.
It is not easy being a steward,
but it can be very rewarding when
you see a job well done!
FOREST STEWARSHIP VIP
There is something new and in
novative happening in the woods
of southcentral Pennsylvania. It’s
called the Forest Stewardship
Volunteer Initiative Project, or
VIP for short.
The purpose of the VIP is to
train volunteer woodland owners
in the principles of forest steward
ship so that they will not only bet
ter manage their own forestlands,
but motivate other woodland own
ers to become actively involved in
the future of Pennsylvania’s forest
resources.
The project is sponsored by
Penn State College of Agricultural
Sciences, School of Forest Re
sources, the Pennsylvania DER,
Bureau of Forestry, and the Co
verts Prograom of The Ruffed
Grouse Society.
Woodland owners that are sel
ected to be a Stewardship VIP will
be an important link in the nation
wide stewardship effort to pro-
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Flywoy Business Park store hours. Mon -Fit 7.30 to aso
139 A West Airport Road Sat. 8.00 to Noon
Lltitz, PA 17543 24 Hf - 7 Do >' Ropar Service
Ph: (717) 569-2702
George Hurd
Franklin Co. Agent
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mote proper forest and wildlife
management by private forest
landowners.
Stewardship VIPs will receive
approximately 40 hours of class
room and Held training in forest
ecology, the concepts of biodiver
sity, silviculture, wildlife science,
environmental resource manage
ment and other subjects related to
stewardship. In exchange. VIPs
agree to invest a like amount of
their time relaying what they’ve
learned to motivate forest land
owners in their communities.
What type of individuals are we
looking for? First of all, you
should be a forest landowner who
is active or has the desire to be
come more active in forest man
agement. Outstanding candidates
who are not currently landowners
will also be considered. We are
looking for concerned local resi
dents who are considered by their
peers to be responsible members
of the community.
Equally important, the appro
priate participant must be interest
ed in forestry, able to articulate
well-informed opinions, and must
have the time to contribute to
wards community-sharing activi
ties.
If you are interested in more in
formation or an application, con
tact George Hurd at the Penn State
Franklin County Cooperative Ex
tension Office, (717) 263-9226.
Deadline for selection of this
year’s Stewardship VIPs is Fri
day, March 25.
DON'T LOOK
ANY FURTHER!
YOU'LL FIND IT IN
LANCASTER FARMING'S
CLASSIFIEDS
with the
MODEL 90
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1-800-673-2580