OFFICERSJ. Morgan Heussler, President900Porterville RoadEast Aurora, NY 14052

Allen F. Horn, 1st Vice President3978Pompey Center Rd.,Manlius, N.Y. 13104

Harold Petrie, 2nd Vice PresidentRD 1,Box 117,Parish, NY 13131

Stuart McCa.rty, Treasurer4300East AvenueRochester, NY14618

Ruth Thoden, Executive SecretaryPO Box 123Boonville, NY 13309

Howard O.Ward, Assistant Treasurer240Owego StreetCandor, NY 13743

Alan Knight96Targosh Rd.Candor, NY 13743

Alec C. Proskine9370Congress Rd.Trumansburg, NY 14886

Robert SandCotton-Hanlon, Inc.Cayuta, NY 14824

Dean FrostRD1BoxOOWhitney Point, NY 13862

Robert A. HellmannPO Box 231Brockport, NY 14420

Thomas A. Conklin10Artillery LaneBaldwinsville, NY 13027

Richard J. FoxRD 3, Dresserville Rd.Moravia, NY 13118

Affiliate/Chapter Representatives:Thrift-Donald Colton5595Trinity AvenueLowville, NY 13367

Catskill Forest Assn.Donald GilbertCatskill Forest AssociationArkville, NY 12406

Cayuga Chapter-Wendell HatfieldRD1Moravia, NY 13118

Tioga Chapter-Howard Ward240Owego st.Candor, NY 13743

Southern Tier Chapter-Donald KellicuttRD1, Box 103Lisle, NY 13797

Western Finger Lakes Chapter-John Marchant45Cambridge Ct.Fairport, N.Y. 14450

THE NEW YORK

FOREST OWNERPublished for the New York Forest Owners Association by

Karen Kellicutt, Editor

Materials submitted for publication should be addressed to: Editor, N. Y. ForestOwner, RD #1, Box 103, Lisle, New York 13797. Articles, artwork and photos areinvited and are normally returned after use. The deadline for submission is 30 daysprior to publication in November.Please address all membership and change address requests to Executive Secretary.PO. Box 123, Boonville. N. Y. 13309.

President's Message

J. Morgan Heussler

that are available. So, it wiIl notsurprise you to hear that John has hiswoods staked off in five acre plots andthat each plot has its own computerterminal. He is working now ongetting the trees in one section talkingwith the trees in another section. Ourthanks to these two gentlemen for twofine walks. The weather was perfectand so was the hospitality,Hope to see many of you at the Fall

meeting at the Community College ofthe Finger Lakes on September 22and23. Mary McCarty has planned ameaningful program and you shouldall have the reservation forms by now,

Sincerely,Morgan Heussler

2

On July 29, John Marchant andGeorge Appleton hosted woods walksa t their woodlots in the Wheeler-Avoca area, Their woods are aboutfour miles apart. This was a goodthing because forty-four walkersshowed up and I, for one, do not everremember a group this large otherthan at a Fall meeting. So, half of uswalked the Marchant woods in themorning and the Appleton woods inthe afternoon, The other half did theopposi te thus keeping SeniorForesters Stan Martin and BillyMorris busy at each place,Unfortunately, time only permittedme to join the Marchant group sothese comments must be confined toJohn's lovely, well managed wood lot.In his TSI work, John has cut the

hophornbeam heavily. He likes it forfirewood and so do I. It is a weed tree,does nothing for the forest but itshardness makes for long burningfires. We saw a sugar maple standwhich is outstanding. The trees grewin competition so they are tall andstraight and have no lower limbs.Most are poles but some aresawtimber size. We had alwayswondered what caused thedepressions and ridges in a woods.They make it hard to drive a tractor

'around, Billy Morris explained thatthe hollows were caused by trees inthe virgin forest uprooting and thatthe ridges are the decayed rootsystems, John has introduced someblack locust in an aspen stand and it'sdoing well.Now, most of you know that John

Marchant is deeply interested inforestry applications of the computerand the various software programs

FOREST OWNER

Member Questions 'Plant' That CouldReplace PulpwoodLetter to Editor

In response to our invitation forsuggestions, I have enclosed a copy ofan .article from the NY TIMESregarding Kenaf, the miraculousplant (?) that is supposed to be able tosupplant much of the pulpwood grownin the southern states.I cannot help but have the feeling

that the case for Kenaf is beingoverstated. But, the subject may beworth an article by an appropriateexpert at the College of ESF inSyracuse or at Cornell Those in treefarming should have a chance to learnwhat impact (if any) Kenaf couldhave on them and how soon it mighthappen -and what they mightconsider doing about it.

There's a lot of questions to beanswered: how far north and on whatkinds of land can Kenaf be grown? canbiotechnology (which NY State ispromoting under Agriculture 2000)adapt Kenaf to northern, lessproductive areas? will it put forestowners and farmers in directcompetition as pulpwood suppliers?What does this plant do to the soil, interms of nutritive capacity?Anyway, that's it. I hope someone

can answer some of those questions indue course. (Assuming of course thatother readers would be interested.)

Sincerely,Mark 1:... Johnsen

Scientists Eye AncientAfrican PlantBy JANE E. BRODY

reprinted from New York Times Magazine

Newspapers would be brighter,tougher, easier on the eyes and lesslikely to yellow or leave ink on thehands. if they were printed on papermade from an ancient African plantthat is on the verge of commercialproduction in the American South.Studies by the Federal Department

of Agriculture spanning three decadeshave shown that the fast-growingkenaf plant can be rendered into high-quality newsprint and many otherfibrous products that are now madefrom trees.If kenaf (pronounced Keh-NAFF

comes into wide use by the pulp andpaper industry, it could help to saveforests, reduce dependence onimported newsprint, curbenvironmental contamination frompaper mills and become an importantsource of income for Americanfarmers, the studies indicate.Kenaf paper has already been used

as newsprint in test runs by sevennewspapers, which proclaimed theresults as good or better thantraditional newsprint made fromwood pulp, said Daniel E. Kugler, aneconomist in the AgriculturalDepartment's Cooperative State

Research Service in Washington whois director of the Kenaf Demonstra-tion Project.The resulting newspapers were

brighter, had high contrast and goodcolor. Less ink was needed to printthem and the ink did not rub off onhands and clothing. Even after a yearin storage, the kenaf newspapers didnot turn yellow.OTHER ADVANTAGES OF KENAFFurthermore, with kenaf, less

energy and fewer chemicals wereneeded to produce the pulp and whitenthe fibers, which would mean lowercosts and fewer pollutants in thewaste water from paper mills.On an annual basis, kenaf can

produce three to five times morepaper pulp per acre than trees do, atroughly half the cost, field trials haveshown. While a tree takes 7 to 40 ormore years to mature to harvestablesize, kenaf, an annual crop; reaches amature height of 18 feet in just 120 to150days after the seeds are planted. It .can be grown without pesticidesthroughout the Cotton Belt, and, byusing irrigation, in the drier Southernstates as well.' It can even toleratesome salinity without a major declinein yields, Dr. Kugler said.

While newsprint is the primaryfocus of the kenaf developmentprogram, Dr. Kugler cited severalother possible uses for the resilientfibers. In addition to blending kenafwith wood pulps to produce varvina.

kinds of paper, kenaf itself could beformulated into poultry litter, carpetbacking and padding, molded fiberparts for automobiles, cattle feed,roofing, felt, fire logs and cardboard.In Africa and parts of Asia, it isalready used to make clothing,nautical rope, twine and cigarettepaper.Until this year, Dr. Kugler said

commercial development of kenaf ashampered by the lack of agriculturalequipment to harvest, handle anddeliver the plant to user industries.A stand of kenaf resembles sugar

cane or bamboo, but the plant isactually a close relative of thehibiscus (it produces similar creamywhite flowers) 'and a cousin of cottonand okra. According to Dr. Kugler,historical data suggest that kenaf wasused in Central Africa as long ago as4000 B.C. by people who through themillenniums have eaten it, fed it toanimals and used it for weaving andfor staking plants.Although kenaf was introduced to

this country in the 1940'swhen war cutoff the supply of jute for making rope,its full technological potential wasonly recently recognized through amassive screening programundertaken by Federal agriculturalscientists.In the late 1950's, Federal scientists

gathered more than 400 specimens ofplants, some woody and some non-woody, in a search for those withpulpand paper-making potential thatwould grow well in this country. Thesamples were shipped to Peoria, Ill.where researchers tore them apart toassess their fiber content, subjectedthem to chemical pulping to test theyield and composition of the fibersand explored their agriculturalpotential in the United States.

HIGHEST OVERALL SCOREOf the 82 most promising plants,

kenaf got the best overall score andwas singled out for furtherdevelopment, said Marvin O. Bagby,a chemist at the Agricultural Depart-ment's Northern Regional ResearchCenter in Peoria.Mr. Bagby, who directed the assess-

ment of kenaf's fiber potential,Continued on Page 11

FOREST OWNER 3

New York Forest Owners Association

Fall Meeting - September 22 & 23 1989Community College of the Finger Lakes, Canandaigua, N.Y.

The theme is to be how to turn your trees into money in the bank, hearing from those who have done it with their woodlotsand from those who have purchased everything from veneer logs to pallet wood and firewood.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 225to6:30p.m.6:30p.m.8to9p.m.

RegistrationDinner -- Chicken, Wild Rice, Vegetable, Salad, Dessert, BeverageMartin C. Dodge, Professor of Conservation, CCFL, talking on Small Woodlot Managementand the Community College.Jerry R. Miller, Senior Forester, Trathen Logging Co., presenting an "International Viewof New York State's Hardwood Resources". Jerry recently traveled in the Far East andItaly, visiting present and potential customers.

1O:15a.m.10:30a.m.

SATURDA Y, SEPTEMBER 23Breakfast -- Juice, Fruit, Cereals, Muffins, Danish, Beverage.Panel of woodlot owners discussing their experiences in selling products from their woods,moderated by David W. Taber, Senior Extension Associate, Cornell Cooperative Extension,Department of Natural Resources.CoffeePanel of businessmen who have purchased products from forest owners, moderated byBilly Morris, Senior Forester, DEC.Update on Governor's Task Force on Forest Industry.Lunch -- Vegetable Soup, Sandwich Bar, Fruit, Cookies, Beverages.

8a.m.9a.m.

11:30a.m.Noon

Afternoon optional activities: Sonnenberg Gardens, Cumming Nature Center (special exhibit on Yellowstone Fires), CCFLWoodlot Sanctuary.

Accommodations can be made directly by you at the following: (Holding rooms until 9/1, mention NYFOA when makingreservation) Econolodge -- Rtes. 5& 20, (716) 394-9000Rates $40/45. Best Western Victor, (716) 924-2131Rate $59.For otherscall Chamber of Commerce (716) 394-4400.

Register For The Meeting By Saturday, September 16, 1989.We Can Handle About 100For The Meetings At The College, SoDon't Delay.

Return this form by 9/16 with check payable to NYFOA.

1) Dinner (Friday) @ 10/person

2) Breakfast & Lunch (at.) @ to/person

Total

$----

$----

Send check to S. McCarty4300East AvenueRochester, N.Y. 14618Phone (716) 381-6373

Name _

Address _

Map of Canandaigua area will be sent upon receipt of your reservation.

4 FOREST OWNER

Chapter Reports:Western Fingerlakes

ByMARY McCARTYOn a clear day in Wheeler, Steuben

County, one can see nearly "forever"from Helen and John Marchant'sFarm. About 100of the 160acres are inforests of varying degrees ofmaturity, from scrub to medium sawtimber.Forty six NYFOA members

gathered July 29th to experience aspecial day - sunny, cool and perfect.Sandwiched between hot, humid andwet days, the delightful weatherpleased hosts and guests alike.One -half of the group proceeded to

Ginny and George Appleton's 170acrefarm -about five miles away. StanMartin, Forester, DEC, Bath office,was' our leader. He had marked astand about sixteen years ago and waspleased with the present condition. Aneven aged stand of maple, ash, somebeech and cherry, it was interesting tosee the uneven growth. Some ash wereclearly ahead of the other species.After a discussion of the future of thisplot we moved on to the fine pond nearthe cabin, and then to the streamwhich is becoming a rather largebeaver pond. Beaver have built about2,000 feet of dams and dikes l Ted

Markham added to the history of thisspot saying that he had introducedsome "brookies" many years ago,and then brought back his youngchildren who had the thrill of catchingthem a few years later.Ginny and George Appleton's cabin

and hardwood grove presented alovely setting for lunch. Billy Morrispresented John Marchant with hissign and certification as a member ofthe American Tree Farm System. SueKeister added appropriate remarks.She is a forester and active in theSystem.Each group then proceeded to take

the alternate walk. A handout at JohnMarchant's Farm was presented withthe SILVAH computerized standanalysis and prescription. BillyMorris, forester, DEC Bath, led thishalf of the walk and has worked withJohn on this plan. Three major stopswere made where the acre plotmanagement scheme was graphicallydemonstrated. Plot centers of 14acreswere used in the computer analysis,and the three that we observedshowed one with the marked treesremoved (by John and his son) thesecond with no trees removed yet, and

Thrift Chapter NewsFrom Scandinavia to Brazil to Tug

Hill - that's the armchair trip takenby THRIFT members at the Aprilmeeting as Dick Mark, forestryprofessor at Syracuse University,treated us to some beautiful slides andfascinating information.Scandinavia, traditionally the

woodbasket of Europe, has a forest--growth climate not unlike Tug Hill's.For centuries, - the Norwegians,

Swedes and Finns have built justabout everything out of wood -including cathedrals!Now, their forest growth cannot

keep up with their building needs. Asthey turn increasingly to steel andconcrete, they are preserving somesignificant but aging woodenstructures in historical parks.If the depression had not closed

Keystone and slowed some of theother wood-using companies in the_area, Tug .Hill might well be in the_same position.

In Brazil, the climate is tropical tosub-tropical. Rain forests have beensystematically stripped to make wayfor cattle ranches.None of those trees have been used

in construction! The climatediscourages the use of wood, becauseit deteriorates so rapidly in the hot,humid conditions. Stone, stucco, tileand concrete are the prime buildingmaterials, with wood used only fordecoration."Meanwhile, back at the ranch,"

when the soil loses its fertility, theranchers move on to clear more forestfor more ranchland, leaving behind analmost desert condition. -

the third plot a sugar maple stand.The last woods stop was a ten acrepopple stand that "just grew" abouttwelve years ago. Ash and maple arecoming along on their own, and thereare some fine black locust as well as afew Douglas Fir that John hasplanted.En route back to the barn for the

band saw demonstration the morninggroup was treated to some deer in thefields, and the afternoon group sawwild turkeys, with chicks - allorchestrated by Cecil B. de Mille??Even after that display the band

saw demonstration was impressive-minimum kerf, accurate cut, ease ofoperation, and enviable piece ofequipment. As John Marchant said inclosing, getting the tree to the saw isthe hardest part. From what we couldsee, he'll have that challenge foryears to come, with an impressivesupply on the fine Tree Farm thatthey have. Our chapter is rich inmembers and their woods. We hopethat there will be many more dayssimilar to this to inspire us to pursueour dreams.

Researchers saw a huge need forsomething to save those barren tractsof land. They began importing somespecies of eucalyptus trees fromAustralia, where climatic conditionsare similar, and growing themexperimentally.

The Brazilian researchers carriedtheir experiment so far, they are-nowcompeting successfully in Canada'spulpwood market!All these advances have won the

Brazilians the prestigious Wallen burgPrize for technological contributionsto the forest industry. The geneticresearch, including cloning ofsuperior trees, took 25 years toaccomplish!

FOREST OWNER

315/497:-0183

COTE WOOD PRODUCTS, INC.• Pine Mulching Chips • Landscape Ties. 2-Sided Cobin Logs

300 Peru Road, Dept. FGroton, NY l3073

5

Ask a ForesterSend Questions to: Wes Suhr, R.R. #1, Box 59B Oswegatchie, N.Y. 13670

ByWESSUHRIn the July/August issue, I outlined

the broad scope of silviculture usingstandard definitions. Near the end ofthe article, I stated, "In the next fewarticles, I want to explain howimprovement cutting and commercialthinning have been and are beingimplemented on my woodlot, hopingthis will be of some assistance toyou." But to know what treatmentwas necessary, I had to make a standanalysis.You should take an overall look at

your woodland before beginningtreatment. In order to decide needs,priority and location for this action,you should divide (map) yourwoodland into stands, areas havingfairly uniform species, age, size andcrown position. Each stand becomesthe basic unit for measurements,record keeping, analysis andsilvicultural treatment. To give you ageneral idea of the process, take alook at my woodland.When purchased in 1976, the

younger stands looked like densejungles of growth, composed mainlyof two-storied sugar maple/beech,averaging 6 to 9" dbh <diameter-breast-high) in the overstory. Therewere several undesirable species inthe understory. The older stands werefully-stocked, even-aged, 11 to 18"+dbh maple/beech, interspersed withsmaller-acreage stands or pockets ofblack cherry/white ash of about thesamedbh.Market quality-wise, the average

sawtimber stand had about one-thirdof its stems in the grade 3 or lower

Improvement cutting and commercial thinning; for a more profitable woodlot.

category <low-quality) with two-thirds grade 1 and 2. In other words,there were many defective (damaged,crooked, etc.) stems in my sawtimberstands. The crowns of the larger ordominant cherry/ash trees, even thebetter stems, showed signs ofdeteriora tion (die-back, sparsefoliage, etc.) , indicating physiologicalmaturity and certainly at or pastfinancial maturity.About 20% of the property was (is)

non-commercial for this landowner'sobjectives; that is, sites with shallow,bouldery soils and clear-cut areas

with seedlings and shrubs. Thecommercial area of merchantabletrees (80%) may be divided into aboutone-half high site-quality (Site Index70+ and the other half of medium site-quality (Site Index about 60 to 69).Black cherry and sugar maple appearto be the naturally preferred specieson the commercial sites; that is, theyare the largest and most vigorousspecies at maturity on the better sites.The average market demand, based

on stumpage value for sawtimber, ishighest for black cherry which has

Continued on Page 11

BASIC INGREDIENTS FOR SILVICULTURAL TREATMENTStand ,,/Name Type/Species Acres Owner Date _

Stand Age/Origin __ /__ Even/Uneven-aged Stories ('I) __ DBH__ Stocking:BAIRD__ /__ ; Trees/acre _

CrownQuality/LCR __ %/Expanding __ or declining __ /Dead __ %Stem Grade (% of stems): Grade 1_2_3_ AGS/UGS__ /__ %

Site Quality: Ht. ofDominants __ Ft. High__ Me~ Low__ Index __ ; Advance Regeneration: Stems/ AC__ Ht__ FtInsec~/D~eases(preseMandanti~pa~d) _

.Preferred and Target Species:' _

StandObjective/Prescription:----------- _

6 FOREST OWNER

On Bartering FirewoodBy MORGAN HEUSSLER

If you make more firewood than youcan use each year, consider bartering.Start with the knowledge that almosteveryone has a fireplace or woodstove and uses it. Then, when you findsomeone who has something youwant, you have the makings of abarter. We will cite a few examples.I give my doctor a face cord of wood

and $15.00 every year for a physicalexam and a flu shot. It's not an exoticphysical with an EKG or other fancytest. But it has blood work and all theusual thumping and poking. One year,I got a bill for $30.00 from the doc'swife. I called and said: "Hey Mar-garet, what is this bill for $30.007"She replied: "Henry has raised hisrates." To which I said: "I just raisedthe price of my firewood." She wasfurious but Henry told her that a dealwas a deal and $15.00 was all shewould get.A friend of a friend referred me to

Isiah Robertson, the big linebackerthe Buffalo Bills got from the L.A.Rams. He was building a house in awooded area and needed seven goodhardwood trees removed for the houseand driveway. I would do the workand keep all the wood. Isiah okayedthe trees we marked when his wifepopped up and said: "And I want youto take down all the trees in back ofthe house". Isiah is a very large blackman married to a tiny white wife. Hewanted to know why on earth shewanted all those trees behind thehouse removed. She said she neededthe sun on her sun deck. Isiah said:"Hell woman, if you was born like me,you wouldn't need to lie in the sun toget tan." I had NO comment on thatremark and the trees stayed.Isiah sent me to his coach, Tom

Catlin, the defensive coordinator andlater Asst. Head Coach of the Bills.Tom had two hard maples on his lotthat were in trouble., He wanted themfelled, made into 24" firewood and hewanted the wood. He asked me what Iwould charge. I asked him if he hadgood tickets to the Bills games and hedid. So, I charged him one ticket foreach hour I worked (the tickets werethen worth $15.00 each). So, Betseyand I went to three Bills games and

sat with Betty Catlin and the othercoachs' and players' wives. Theyknow a lot about football so it was funas well as educational. Our fullbackthat year was Curtis Brown. The firsttime Curtis carried the ball, hefumbled. Mrs. Brown shouted for allto hear: "You do that one time Curtisand you get no dinner tonight." Curtisdidn't fumble again.Most of our barters are made by

Betsey. Example: I knew that a friendhad a meat packing plant. But I didn'tknow he had a wood stove and usedfive or more face cords a winter. She.got us together and I gave him 3%face cords for a loin of beef. That's 45pounds of strip steaks, cut, wrappedand frozen. A good deal for both of usbut then, that's what a barter shouldbe.. Betsey got talking with a friend inher refinishing class. Seems herhusband owned Federal Meats. Wegave them a face cord for a largestanding roast of beef and a large legof lamb.The one place I learned not to barter

was in a jewelry store. You work hardcutting and splitting and deliveringtwo cords of wood. But you get

precious little jewelry for $100.00.Wegot some trinkets for our daughters

. one year but never again.Other things we have acquired by

bartering are: sharp cheddar cheese,peanuts, clamato juice, a telephone,rototilling Betsey's garden, BuffaloSabres tickets, wallpapering and carwaxing.Lastly, I went to the East Aurora

Art Show one year. I don't know muchabout art but I know what I like.Michelle Conley Vogel is the officialRoycraft artist here. In her booth, Isaw a marvelous print of a blue heronstanding on one leg and it was in awood Roycroft frame. I had to get itfor Betsey's birthday. So, I askedMichelle if she wanted a check orfirewood. When she understood what Imeant she said firewood, by allmeans. I made the barter with herhusband and everyone was happy.Giving credit where it is due, I

should say that the idea for this articlewas not mine but rather, AlecProskine's. We were talking at KarenAnderson's woodswalk in Machias. Itold Alec some of the barter we hadmade and he suggested that I write itup for the Forest Owner.

Cornell Catalog AvailableThe 1988-89 Catalog of Cornell

Cooperative Extension Publications,which lists more than 500 items forconsumers and educators, is nowavailable at Cornell CooperativeExtension offices in every county inNew York State."Resources listed in the catalog are

just one way Cornell CooperativeExtension provides research-basedinformation and helps you putknowledge to work," said CornellExtension Director Lucinda A. Noble.Titles such as "Livable Landscape

Design," "The Home VegetableGarden," "Facilitator's Guide toWorking with Single-ParentFamilies," "You, Your Children andTV," "Know Your Trees,""Remodeling and Repair ~'actSheets," "Accessory Apartments,The Most Asked Questions,""Training and Pruning Apple Trees,"

"Job Express" and "A Guide to SafePest Management Around tho Home"are included.Copies of the Catalog of Cornell

Cooperative Extension publicationsare a lso available from CornellUniversity. 7 Research Park. Ithaca,N.Y. 14850.Enclose a legal-size self-addressed envelope.

PORTABLEBANDSAWMILLING

"Anything from 2x4's to Log Cabins"

TIM ROBERSONRR3, Box 218, Oept. FMoravia, NY 13118

315/496-2253

FOREST OWNER 7

Support Bill that EncouragesProductive Timberlands

Dear "Forest Track" Reader:Forest landowners now have a rare

opportunity to support tax lawprovisions under consideration byCongress tha t will encourageproductive use of America's privatetimberlands. The House Ways andMeans Committee will soon considerlegislation regarding tax legislation ingeneral, and timber capital gains and"passive losses" in particular.By writing your elected federal

representatives or members of the taxwriting committees (see attachedlist), you can document your localsupport to persuade Congress thatlittle-known provisions of the tax lawmean a great deal to Tree Farmerslike yourselves.WHAT'S THE PROBLEMFirst, regarding capital gains for

timber landowners, recall that the1986 Tax Reform Act eliminated thecapital gains differential for TreeFarmers. Unwittingly, Congressdeprived some of the nation's mostproductive forest land of a major andproven investment stimulus. Since1944, the timber capital gainsprovision has benefited all Americansby helping to renew Americanforestlands. President Bush supportscapital gains, but not for timber usedin a trade or business, and not forcorporations, only individuals.Your congressmen and senators

might like to know that capital gainsfor timber is not a tax break for therich. It is an important and valuableprovision that helps renew forestsused by all Americans. Tell yourrepresentative in your own words thatcapital gains is an essential provisionfor attracting adequate forestryinvestment to an enterprise withexceedingly long investment horizonsand illiquidity.Regarding "passive losses", the

IRS recently proposed regulations toimplement portions of the 1986 TaxAct. Unfortunately, these regulationssimply don't reflect anyunderstanding of Tree Farming. TheIRS would force Tree Farmers tosubmit to an arbitrary hourly test of"material participation" - as if TreeFarmers spend time each day withtheir crop. Tell your representative

that H.R. 1086 now underconsidera tion offers a sensiblealternative that recognizes the wayTree Farmers really manage theirtimber crops. This bill would proposea test for material participation basedon direct management decision-making - on actual work performed.H.R. 1086 needs more supporters.

Few in Congress understand how TreeFarming is different from row crop

farming. You could tell them in yourown words, and urge support for H.R.1086, a bill which recognizes thatdifference.CALL FOR HELPIf you're interested in writing your

congressmen or Senators, but wouldlike more help, call Bill Sellery, LukePopovich, or Lester DeCoster at202/463-2455.

WE SPECIALIZE IN LOGGINGAND ALL YOUR FORESTRYWORK

Buyers of Standing Timber

A A PEPPETimber ProductsLOGGING AND FIREWOOD

Dept. FMoravia, NY 315/497-1760

Loggers Saw Mills

Skidders Log Trucks

Fire liability

607-898-3821 315-497 -0410dayevening

• '-- ••..J \..__ ---..1 •

AGENCYDAVID W. TREGASKIS

All forms of insuranceDept. F

10 Centro I StreetMoravia, N.Y. 13118

315-497'·0410

MORAVIA/LOCKERECYCLES

+IT MAKES SENSE

8

INSURANCEMember Cayuga Chapter - NYFOA

FOREST OWNER

NYC AdirondackerIs Outstanding Tree Farmer

American Tree Farm System of the coal deal~rship. to suppl~ fuel. forBy DAVID W. TABER, American Forest Council in home heating, BIll took an immediate

Senior Extension Associate, Washington D.C. He is a New York liking to the Adirondacks when at theDepartment of Natural Recources, State Forest Owner member. age of 6 his father took him fishing at

Cornell University For his dedication to wisely caring Trout ~ake.Renewable Resources Extension for his forest land, being active in But It took a few.decades before Bill

Program, Ithaca, NY 14853 forestland conservation organiza- was abl~ to .turn hIS ~ream of a ruraltions, and taking an active leadership way. of hf~ in the A~Irondacks into arole in promoting good forestry reaht~. BIll served ~n,World War IIthrough his newspaper column and chmbed mountams from one endwritings, and communications with of Italy to the other, as a member ofpolicy makers, Bill Roden has been the 14th Arm?red InfantI?: Battalion.

. awarded one of the highest hallmarks Al~hough BIll ~nce climbed theof distinction - the 1989Outstanding Adirondacks' highest peak, Mt.Tree Farmer of New York State Marcy,. he prefers to admire theAward. moun tams from the pleasure of theFrom the Harlem River area of lowl~nds. He refers to himself as an

New York City known as Spuyten "A~Irondack Valley Man."Duyvil in the Bronx, where in the BIll attended college at Babson1930's and '40's his father ran a retail Continued on Page 12

Renowned sportsman, conserva-tionist, writer, and tree farmer,William McKee Roden, owner of theTrout Lake Club in Bolton, N.Y., is the1989Outstanding Tree Farmer of NewYork State.Bill Roden, as he is, and has been

known to thousands of readers of hisoutdoor sports column over the years,and the manyrecreationists who eachsummer visit his 150-acre Trout LakeClub, has been honored the

Warren County's Bill Roden (sitting in center) in his Trout Lake woods is as ng TreeFarmer of the Year in New York. With him are, Lester A. Decoster (crouching at left), Vice President of Tree Farming,American Forest Council (AFC), WDC; and (from left standing) Andrew (Andy) J. Roden (Bill's son and businesspartner); Robert S. Stegemann, Executive Vice President of the Empire State Forest Products Association (co-sponsor ofthe New York Tree Farm Program); John T. Hastings, Senior Forester, Warrensburg, NY, NYS DEC (co-sponsor of NYTree Farm Program); Stephen H. Satterfield, Chairman, New York Tree Farm Committee, Glens Falls, NY; and JaneDifley, Northeast Regional Manager, American Tree Farm System, (AFC) of Troy, NY.

FOREST OWNER 9

Getting Firewood - The Distaff ViewBy ELIZABETH DENSMORE

As a member of the newly-formedAllegheny Foothills chapter ofNYFOA I am pleased to discover thatthe distaff members are - above all- FOREST OWNERS. And that theirreason for being members ismotivated by a sincere, deep interestin forestry.These women are not a social

"auxiliary". They really care aboutforests. They WANT to tour a lumbermill and understand the operation.They ask incisive questions. Theydon't mind a woods walk in pouringrain. Listening in on randomconversations as they wait for anactivity to begin, or during lunchbreak, the emphasis with thesewomen is on forestry. They haven'tgotten together to gossip or indulge in"girl-talk". They are vitallyinterested in the business at hand.Most of them, like me, get - or help toget - firewood.On the 448 acres that my husband

and I own, about half is forested.Ranging from mature forest tobrushland forest beginnings, itprovides us with all the firewood wecould ever need. I love polished oakfloors and wood carvings; I love thesmell of freshly split wood, the beautyof the grain. I love the peace andbeauty of the forest. I love everythingabout wood. Wood is, quite simply,wonderful.Certainly getting firewood is hard

work. It can also be cold, wet anddirty ... but I wouldn't miss it for theworld. There are few things moresatisfying than neatly split andstacked wood. For me it's a great dealmore than that.We never just go into the woods and

cut an appropriate number of trees.Picking out the trees to fell for awinter's wood supply is as good anexcuse as was ever invented for atramp throughout the entire woods.This is also the dog's favorite part. Wealways chase out a deer or two, somepartridge and sometimes turkey. Thisis also the best opportunity of the yearto assess the timber potential of ourforests.Even though the selection process

can take two days, we finally settle onspecific trees to cut. We have growncautious in cutting trees. After a few

10

sad episodes of cutting down treesthat were occupied by such variouscreatures as flying squirrels, bats,chipmunks and bees; we try hard notto cut down trees that are home tosomeone. Our name is on the deed butthese creatures have a more thanvalid claim on the land. We would liketo be a part of the solution ofpreserving nature; not part of theproblem.While cutting, we always manage to

get at least one tree hung up on aliving neighbor. We have learned thatthe danger and aggravation of pullingit to the ground is not worth the effort. . . the wind and time will bring itdown.We prefer to wait till mid-Fall to

really begin to cut up the wood andbring it home. I want it to be cold andgloomy when I get wood; if it is nice Iwill want to wander all over the woodswith the dogs. The cold lends anurgency to actually getting somethingaccomplished.My husband takes the tractor and

wagon over to the woods early in themorning. The dogs and I walk over(with lunch) later. Anyone who hasever had a teeth-jarring, spine-wrenching ride in a wood wagon willunderstand why I prefer to walk. Ofcourse lunch includes dog lunch.Having two pairs of hungry eyesfastened on you during every bite soonteaches you to do this.

FOR SALETREE FARM for sale. Central NewYork. 215 acres and home.Income and retirement. Call owner:(607) 756-6655.

My husband cuts the trees into 18"chunks which I split and load on thewagon. I can't split them all, but I try.A few ineffectual whacks of thesplitting maul on the toughest onesconvinces me that my husband'sname is written on them. He knowswhat that pile of unsplit, gnarlychunks is all about.We could probably get our wood a

lot quicker if we didn't have to have somany "flavors". We want a mix ofcherry, beech, maple, ash and oddbits of ironwood (that's HopHornbeam to the purist). All of thevarieties burn well; it's just thebeauty of all the different colors andgrains in the finished woodpile that isso appealing. That wonderulwoodpile-safe and dry-like money inthe bank.The long days in the woods really

build an appetite, too. When we finallyget home one of us unloads the wagonand the other goes up to the house tostir up the fire and get it roaring.After a day in the woods, our homefireis down to a bed of coals and the houseis cool. It would be nice to come hometo a warm house and a nice supper butsince the cook has spent the day in thewoods only the person who unloads thewagon will come in to a cheery warmhouse with the smell of freshly brewedcoffee and supper cooking.I'm never the one who gets to

unload the wagon.

FOR SALE or LEASE:Landlocked Forestlands,Cayuga County. VariousParcels 315-497-1078.

FOREST OWNER

Scientists-Continued from Page 3explained in an interview that aplant's usefulness for making paper isinfluenced not just by total fibercontent but also by how readily theplant can be pulped, the process inwhich the cellulose and hemicellulosefibers used to make paper areseparated from the lignin that gluesthem together in the living plant.Whereas wood chips are pulped by

using large amounts of odoriferouschemicals, kenaf can be treatedprimarily by high temperature andpressure, with only a minor chemicaltreatment to whiten the fibers.In addition, Mr. Bagby said, in

pulping kenaf "you get back about 90percent of the original weight as fiber,as against about 50 percent with thechemical pulping process used inwood."Another winning characteristic of

kenaf as a raw material for paper isthe presence of long fibers thatstrengthen the paper and the ability ofthe fibers to bond together when thepulp, a water-based slurry, is driedand pressed. Kenaf's resistance totearing is particularly important inmaking newsprint, which must hostup on high-speed presses.Kenaf contains two types of fibers:

long ones of about 2.6 millimeters inthe outer bark and shorter ones ofabout three-fifths of a millimeter inthe inner core. The fiber types can beused either in combination or the barkand core can first be separated toproduce different kinds of pulp.The first American kenaf paper

milling plant would be built nearMcAllen, Tex., in a joint project undernegotiation by Kenaf International ofBakersfield, Calif., and CanadianInternational Paper of Montreal, theworld's second largest newsprintproducer. The $400 million plantwould produce about 215,000 tons ofkenaf newsprint a year, or about 1percent of the amount currentlyproduced in this country. If plansproceed as expected, the plant couldbe in operation by the end of 1991.

Kenafproduces three tofive times more pulp thantrees do.

But Dr. Kugler noted that if kenafcatches on, existing paper mills could

be adapted, with a few modifications,to process it.In Queensland, Australia, a kenaf

mill that should be operating by theend of 1990will separate the long-fiberbark from the short-fiber core, pulpthem and then reblend them indifferent mixtures to produce tissueand other paper products. And inFrance, the Institut de Recherche duCoton et des Textiles Exotiques isseeking to produce 100 percent kenafnewsprint to avoid forest depletionand dependence on imported woodpulp.Dr. Kugler said his role in

developing kenaf is nearing an end.He said it is now up to commercial

enterprises to express a demand forits fibers, which would in turn promptfarmers to plant it. Just last summer,agricultural researchers successfullytested a harvester for kenaf. Notsurprisingly, the machine is anadaption of one used to harvest sugarcane.Mr. Bagby said that while kenaf

could "satisfy many pulp and paperneeds without being blended withwood," he does not expect that it willever replace wood. Rather, he expectsit to supplement wood.The chemist projected that kenaf

could eventually replace 10percent ormore of domestic newsprintproduction.

Aska Forester- Continuedfrom Page 6

been about 1.5 times that of white ashand 2.5 times that of sugar maple inthis area. Unfortunately, thecherry / ash component amounts toless than one-third of the total volumeof the merchantable stands.In the past, there has been serious

defoliation by epidemic populations ofsaddled prominent (maple) and theforest and eastern tent caterpillars(cherry). A present problem is thegirdling of sugar maple sawtimberstems by the larvae of the sugarmaple borer. They have seriouslyweakened larger stems and have evenkilled some trees. Disease or diebacksand wilts have also affected white ash,yellow birch and presently, sugarmaple. The Dutch elm disease haskilled all of the American elm in thelowlands, and the beech bark diseaseis decimating the American beech inthe highlands.So you think you've got problems!

The point of all this detail is tooutline some of the basic informationthat is required before you canadequately prescribe silviculturaltreatment for your standstreatments require prescriptions andprescriptions require plans based onpresent, expected and desired standconditions. I'm giving you an actualexample of how I approached"practicing silviculture" on my own"forest". You can relate the basicelements (words above in bold type)to develop the plan for your "forest"or stand conditions. Begin your ownplanning by supplying standinformation or data from your forestto the form or guideline below,

"BASIC INGREDIENTS FORSILVICULTURAL TREATMENT" .And you foresters and

silviculturalists out there, give me abreak! I know specific examples ofhow it might or should be done cannotbe "all-inclusive"; that is, I mayhave missed what you consider to besome basic elements or ingredients.As I continue to construct mysilvicultural example in futurearticles, that "missing element" maybe presented. But let's have somedialogue on it - the readers and Iwant to know your thoughts - afterall that's how we develop the bestguides for the forest owner: throughthe input of many. I welcome yourthoughts or comments in "letters tothe edi tor" .

STAND TALLY SHEETThe details to "Basic Ingredients"

and the tally sheet will be discussed inthe next issue of FOREST OWNER.

EASTERN DIVISIONP.O. Box 14020, Dept. F

Albany, NY 12212__________ (?18) 869-2131 _

MAIL ORDERlogger's and Woodcutter's Supplies

at Discounted Prices

Call or Write for Free Catalog

11FOREST OWNER

R.D. #1, Box 103Lisle, N.Y. 13797

Outstanding Tree FarmerContinued from Page 9Institute in Wellesley, Massachusetts.After the War he sought employmentin the Adirondacks: Plattsburgh,Glens Falls and Tahawus; but to noavail. He then went to work for 5 yearsat the National BroadcastingCompany in Manhattan, beforedeciding to fulfill his dream of a life in. the Adirondacks. Bill's father hadmoved to Trout Lake in Bolton, N.Y.in 1950.A few years later Bill decidedto leave the City for the Adirondacks.He was able to settle down on a 3 acreIsland in Trout Lake, where he built ahome with his wife, Hilda, who wasoriginally from the Blue RidgeMountains of Virginia. On the islandthey raised their 4 children.Bill Roden manages a total of some

850 acres of forestland for multipleuse purposes including firewood,hunting, income from commercialtimber-crop harvesting, scenicbeauty, watershed protection, andrecreational atmosphere. About everyyear, services of the NYS DECforester are used in order to haveabout 25 acres of woods marked forharvest, natural regeneration, andimprovement. Bill notes that hedoesn't need to plant trees becauseabundant regeneration of hardwoodsand softwoods occurs naturally in theAdirondack woodlands. By providingyoung trees with sunlight through theremoval of harvested trees, the forestis maintained forever - albeit in anever changing way. Roden says he

r

Lkeeps his forest productive on asustained yield basis by balancing thecutting of trees with growth. Throughselectively cutting marketabletimber, according to Bill, his forestedlands grow trees, bigger and better,for harvesting in 10to 20years.For landscaping purposes,

however, near Roden's Trout Lakeresort of cottages and valley hikingtrails, white cedar trees have beenplanted by 4 generations of Rodens,dating back to the 1920's.Having a written contract and a

mutual understanding of expectationswith a professional logger whoharvests the timber marked by a NYSDEC forester, have resulted in "totalsatisfaction" for Roden, as aconservation minded owner offorestland.Since 1954,when Bill Roden and his

family moved to Trout Lake, Bill hasbeen active in developing andpreserving the Adirondacks as aninspirational and recreational retreatfor city people, a viable business areafor the local economy of eachAdirondack community, a healthyand dynamic forest resource, and aquality year-round place for the full-time residents of the AdirondackPark.His activities include being a

former Executive Director of theAdirondack Mountain Authority thatled to the development of a familyskiing area at Gore Mountain, and the

Non-Profit Org.U.S. POSTAGE

PA I DMarathon, N.Y.

13803Permit No.2

_Iconstruction of a highway to the top ofProspect Mountain in the town ofLake George, He has been active inmany associations and organizationsthat relate to protecting, preserving,and promoting the Adirondacks'wildlife, fishing, tourism, and theforest industry, As a conservationist, .Bill Roden's long list of accomplish-ments over 4 decades symbolize aunion of preservation and progress tomeet society's ever changing needs,As part of the year long celebration

for Bill Roden, in honor of hiscommitment and achievements inforestry, he was recognized at theNew York State Woodsmen's FieldDays on Saturday, August 19, inBoonville, There, in appreciation ofhis accomplishments, he waspresented with a number of itemsincluding a chain saw, before a crowdof over 3,000people.

MagazineDeadline

Materials submitted for theNov.lDee. issue should be sent to:

THE FOREST OWNERBOX 103

LISLE, N.Y, 13797NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 10

12 FOREST OWNER