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Sunday, June 12, 2005
By
Matthew Paul
For the Poughkeepsie Journal
Across
the Hudson Valley, forests cover the mountains and shade
the streams that make living here such a pleasure. Those
forests – thousands of acres of maple, oak, birch and pine
– are part of a working landscape, one that cleans the air,
filters the water, provides wood for local industry and
renews our spirits.
And
most of those trees are owned by private citizens and groups.
At last count, nearly 17 million acres of forestland blanketed
the state – with 65 percent of that land in private ownership.
Historically,
farmers owned most of the property and farmed it actively.
As job opportunities changed, cars and roads proliferated
and national priorities shifted, the character of the Hudson
Valley changed as well. During the 19th century, roughly
85 percent of New York 's forests were cleared for agriculture
or fuel wood. The Erie Canal and railroads transformed upstate
economies from agrarian to urban, and many farms reverted
to forests. Take a hike through any local forest, and you're
bound to come across a stone wall. Those walls – now snaking
through acres of forest – used to divide farm fields.
The
forests that reclaimed abandoned farms are very different
from their predecessors. While some are thriving, others
are riddled with manageable problems. The introduction of
non-native invasive species, overabundance of white-tailed
deer, and lack of forest stewardship planning has degraded
the overall health of local forest ecosystems.
That's
why it's important for forest owners to care zealously for
their trees. Good forest stewardship provides a gamut of
benefits – healthy wildlife habitat, clean water and air,
bucolic landscapes and rich soils.
State
aid available
Forest
owners in New York can take advantage of several programs
available through the Department of Environmental Conservation
and the USDA Forest Service. And there are two programs
specifically tailored for New York forestland owners in
the lower Hudson Valley.
The
Watershed Agricultural Council, headquartered in Westchester
County, offers assistance to landowners in the New York
City watershed and the Hudson Highlands region of the state.
Those with five or more acres of forest in the Highlands
, or 10 or more in the watershed, are eligible for funding
to develop non-binding, forest management plans. Parts of
southern Dutchess County are in the Highlands and the New
York City watershed.
Forest
stewardship plans are strictly voluntary and written by
qualified professional foresters. These natural resource
professionals write plans based on the landowner's objectives
for the property. Goals could include enhancing wildlife
habitat, removing invasive vines, improving streamside forest
health, harvesting timber or recreation. With a forest management
plan in place, landowners can access government grants to
accomplish their goals.
In
the Highland, federal funds are available to assist the
landowner with payment of up to 75 percent of the plan's
cost, and additional money is available to accomplish the
goals of a completed plan.
Adelgids
a common problem
For
example, many properties in the Hudson Valley are suffering
from hemlock woolly adelgid infestation. This pest aggressively
attacks and eventually kills hemlock trees. After studying
the soils and habitat characteristics of the area, a possible
solution could be to plant a resistant coniferous species
such as Eastern white pine and Norway spruce in the understory.
These
seedlings would eventually grow to replace the dying hemlock.
A forest stewardship plan can include this recommendation,
thereby making the landowner eligible for additional funding
to assist with the purchase of the seedlings if they choose.
On
a larger scale, these forest stewardship plans will help
to preserve the health of a forested landscape in private
ownership that no government can manage.
Matthew
Paul is the Hudson Highlands forester for the Watershed
Agricultural Council.
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