by Ryan Reed An article reprinted from Forest Fridays, a DCNR publication.
 
Roughly 17 million acres of Pennsylvania are covered by forests; approximately one third of which is publicly accessible.  We should all be thankful for these facts for so many reasons, including benefits of clean air and water, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and so many more.
 
One reason to be thankful for forests, which I don’t often encounter in things I read, is much less quantifiable and admittedly abstract, but I would bet that many readers feel the same.  I think I speak for many of us when I say that I’m thankful for our forests for the sense of wonder they inspire. 

 by Jim Hyland "This is reprinted from Forest Fridays, a DCNR newsletter publication.  Jim makes some excellent points about how we have become removed from the “real” world- where our food, shelter, clothing, and many more necessities come from.  We need to regain that perspective..  For those as old as me, remember cutting off birch branches and chewing on the ends of them?  They taste really good.  For those young whipper-snappers who have never experienced it, try it.  I haven’t had Birch Beer in a long time.  It seems to be a lot harder to find these days, but it tastes really good."- Kevin Brown

​By Kevin Brown- BCCD, Ag team Leader
If you are a regular reader of the column, or you have read something that sparked your interest, or you just disagree with something you have read, here is your chance to talk about it.  We have received a grant to hold two meetings to talk about a lot of the conservation practices that we continually talk about and promote.  I am going to structure the meetings to be more informal where we can listen to each other and find out what experiences other locals have had.  There are a lot of people out there that are a lot smarter than I am and they have maybe done things a certain way for a long period of time and have been very successful at it.  Why wouldn’t we want to hear from them?  If you would like to be one of “them”, or if you want to hear from “them”, make plans to be there.  I think we have plenty of great topics to talk about.

​By: Kevin Brown, Ag Team Leader, BCCD
Do you operate a chainsaw?  It is probably one of the most dangerous things that one can do, especially now.  Ash trees are everywhere, and they are all dead or dying.  The woods are dangerous enough before we had that hazard.  Now it is much worse.  It is imperative that you know how to operate a saw safely.  If you have ever looked into learning safe techniques to operating a chainsaw, you have probably heard of The Game of Logging.  It is a world-class program designed to train people to be able to safely navigate the felling and cutting up of trees.  It is a commercial logger training program taught at a “backwoods/weekender” level.  It IS the standard and people that have attended it hold it in the highest regard.  Do something for yourself that could potentially save your life.  We all know people that have been killed in the woods.  Let that statistic not be you.  The course is being offered on March 12th by the Northern Tier Hardwood Association (NTHA).  You must register and they are looking for participants.  Please contact them at NTHA- Facebook, website, etc.  Or contact us with the information below and we will steer you in the right direction.  It is a top-notch program and you won’t be sorry.

​By Chad Gadsby, Service Forester
By now most of you are aware that ash throughout the region are mostly dead or dying due to emerald ash borer (EAB) infestation. The US Forest Service has been working since 2018 to develop a process and begin breeding EAB resistant ash out of their Delaware, Ohio research lab. The goal is to breed a genetically diverse population of all ash species native to the US.
To accomplish this task, they developed a set of criteria to identify healthy and/or lingering ash that carry some form of resistance.

Small Scale, Big Reward Forest Management Tools
By: Adam Chorba, Forest Specialist
 
Forestry is often viewed as only large-scale, long-term projects, and this is often true. Forestry is always about planning ahead and getting the most benefits out of an area. However, some concepts can be utilized to benefit small areas, from a few acres to even just a few trees, and it can be accomplished in a relatively short time. If these concepts are done properly, they can have great rewards for both nature and landowner.

​By: Adam Chorba, Forest Specialist, Bradford County Conservation District
Forestry is often looked at as a large-scale, long term project, and it commonly is. Forestry is always about planning ahead and getting the most benefits out of an area. However, some concepts can be utilized to benefit smaller areas, from a few acres to even just a few trees, in a relatively short time. And if these concepts are done properly, it can have great rewards for both nature and landowner.
The term clearcut is just as it sounds, clearing an area of land by means of cutting. Its purpose is to expose the forest floor to a period of full sun, about 6 hours. This is to promote vigorous regeneration that aids in diversity of species, density, age structure, and habitat. Some important species like Sassafras, Black Cherry, Aspen, Poplar, and Walnut require full sun while other important species like Oak might not require full sun but can benefit greatly from it. Clearcutting is often met with negative connotation due to historical misuse and misunderstandings. These misunderstandings often leave a valuable component of forest management unused. Clearcutting mimics the naturally occurring conditions found after a serious weather event or fire but in a more controlled manner. 

​By: Adam Chorba, Forest Specialist, Bradford County Conservation District
Forestry is often looked at as a large-scale, long term project and it commonly is. Even though forestry is always about planning ahead and getting the most benefits out of an area, some concepts can be utilized to benefit from a few acres or even just a few trees in a relatively short time frame. If these concepts are done properly, it can have great rewards for both nature and landowner. 

​By: Adam Chorba, Forest Specialist, Bradford County Conservation District
The Black locust and Honey Locust are native, medium-sized hardwood deciduous trees with compound leaves. They are an early successional forest species, meaning that they are adapted to grow quickly in a variety of areas to aid in the natural progression of forest development. Black locust is a nitrogen-fixing legume, meaning it adds nitrogen to the soil instead of removing it and in some cases, this helps to improve soil quality. Honey locust is non-nitrogen fixing, but it develops larger and sweeter, bean like pods that are beneficial for livestock and wildlife. The wood of locust is extremely tough and rot resistant and is favored for making fence posts. They are commonly found along roadways and forest edges, often in groves. Both types of locust have a common insect that targets it that often goes unnoticed until this time of year and is often mistaken as tree blight or sudden mortality.  

​By: Joe Quatrini, Technical Team Leader, Bradford County Conservation District
Bradford County Conservation District (BCCD) welcomes Adam Chorba as the new Forest Specialist.
With forest land being the dominant land cover of Bradford County, the need for someone to be available to assist landowners with questions on how to manage that land is critical. To fill that need, BCCD recently hired Adam Chorba. Adam is a Penn State graduate with an associate degree in wildlife technologies and a bachelor's degree in wildlife & fisheries management with successful completion of extensive forestry- related coursework. Adam is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hunting, fishing, and most any other outdoor recreation, but he favors waterfowl hunting most. Adam also helps manage his family's beef farm with a focus on wildlife habitat improvement. Adam's favorite part about working in this field is being able to help improve the quality of nature and to help others do the same. Adam feels “the forest is a key component of nature and an important resource that must be managed wisely because, without it, life couldn't sustain”.