Woodswise Wire
With
the leaves off the trees now is a great time to take stock of what is growing
in your woodlot. On Saturday December 6, 10-12noon, Hidden Valley Nature Center
(HVNC) will host a class called “Growing Good Timber.” Paul Miller will lead
participants on a field tour of different practices used to manage crop trees
for future value. Miller, a forester and consultant with decades of experience,
will cover topics like grading standing timber, the why and how of pruning,
species utilization, and will lead participants through several managed stands.
Managing
a woodlot can be enjoyable and rewarding at many levels. Miller will talk
extensively about pruning technique, and participants will have plenty of time
to try different saws in different applications. Pruning can be a great way for
landowners to add significant value to their woodlot, and get to know the woods
better at the same time.
This
class is intended for landowners and woodlot managers of all kinds.
Pre-registration
for this workshop is encouraged. Details available online at www.hvnc.org/registration.
The
cost for the class is $10 for HVNC members and $12 for non-members.
HVNC
was named the 2014 Maine and Northeast Outstanding Tree Farm.
HVNC
is a non-profit education and recreation center in Jefferson. HVNC is open to
the public three hundred and sixty-five days a year, dawn to dusk. Come explore
thirty miles of trails as they twist and wind across 1,000 acres of diverse
habitat. More information available online at www.hvnc.org,
info@hvnc.org, or call 207-200-8840.
 The emerald ash borer quarantine area in New England
is growing due to expansions in Massachusetts (immediate) and Connecticut
(pending). In New Hampshire, the planned expansion to Hillsboro County
occurred on October 30th, this brings the quarantine area in New
Hampshire to three counties. For more information on the southern New
England changes, see the update below from the Massachusetts Introduced Pests
Outreach Project. For more information on the New Hampshire situation,
check out www.nhbugs.org.
Emerald ash borer has not been found in Maine. This
year MFS and cooperators monitored for the invasive beetle at 610 trap sites;
31 trap tree sites and 35 biosurveillance sites. In addition, we received
hundreds of reports of suspected sightings of the pest from concerned
public. To learn more about emerald ash borer, including how to recognize
and report the pest visit: www.maine.gov/eab.
You can sign up to receive Massachusetts’ pest alerts by
visiting their website: http://massnrc.org/pests/signup.aspx;
New Hampshire’s at: http://nhbugs.org/nhbugs-news-updates
and Maine’s at: http://maine.gov/dacf/mfs/publications/condition_reports.html.
From:
Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2014
11:27 AM
Subject: Statewide quarantine
for Emerald Ash Borer goes into effect today (11/17/2014)
The Department of Conservation and
Recreation (DCR) announced late last week that the Emerald Ash Borer quarantine
area will go state-wide as of Monday, November 17, 2014. The quarantine area
previously covered only Berkshire and Essex County.
The quarantine order means that
certain products will be prohibited from moving outside the regulated area,
including all hardwood firewood (any piece of wood smaller than 48 inches), all
ash nursery stock, and any ash lumber that has not been treated. Proper wood
treatments include the removal of the bark plus an additional half an inch of
wood, dry kiln sterilization, or fumigation/heat treatments.
Ash trees also remain one of the 13
regulated host trees for the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB). The 110 square mile
ALB regulated area in Worcester County restricts the movement beyond the
regulated boundaries of ash along with any other ALB host tree. The ALB
regulated area includes Worcester, Shrewsbury, West Boylston, Boylston, and
parts of Holden and Auburn.
The full press release can be found
at http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dcr/news/2014/2014-11-12pr.pdf
Also, please note that Connecticut
is also making plans to extend their Emerald Ash Borer quarantine statewide (http://1.usa.gov/1vkKCQy)
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On
Friday December 12, 11am – 1pm, join naturalist Sue Kistenmacher for “Winter
Plant ID.” In a state like Maine trees spend more time without leaves and
flowers than not. Learning to identify plants in the cold months can bring the
winter world to life. Participants can expect to learn about basic identifying
characteristics and clues, to collect many diverse samples, and to work with a
few different guide books. This is a great class for the start of winter. FMI: www.hvnc.org/registration. $12 for
HVNC members, $15 for non-members.
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