Additional landowner assistance foresters to offer advice to family forest owners

New to DNR’s staff is Ken Bevis, who advises small forest landowners on wildlife habitat management issues. Photo: DNR.

Need advice and access to resources to better manage your forestland? Small forest landowners across the state turn to Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for onsite forest management consultation. Now, we have more professionals to provide you with more assistance.

The Small Forest Landowner Office (SFLO) at DNR recently welcomed two highly experienced professionals to its Forest Stewardship Program staff. The Forest Stewardship Program helps family forest owners manage and care for their lands. DNR’s foresters offer consultation and advice to landowners on timber harvests, resource protection, leaving trees for wildlife, reducing wildfire risk, attracting waterfowl, and many other topics.

Meet the new foresters  

They’re baack… Tent caterpillars spotted in Island and Whatcom counties

Western tent caterpillars basking in sunlight on the trunk of an apple tree. Vashon Island, Washington, 2003. Photo: Karen Ripley/DNR.

Yes, your deciduous trees might have campers! It’s simply the pesky western tent caterpillar
(Malacosoma californicum) ganging up and consuming the leaves. Their favorite trees are alder, willow, cottonwood, and many other types of broad-leaved ornamental and orchard trees.

The caterpillars are currently seen in Island and Whatcom counties. But don’t worry. These creatures are native to Washington and most likely will not kill your trees if they’re healthy.

Tent caterpillar outbreaks are a natural, cyclical event in northwest forests. About every nine years, they rise to noticeable levels, and the populations remain high for about three years. The actual caterpillars are only present for about six weeks each spring, eating the new leaves.

In July and August, there may be clouds of brown tent caterpillar moths flying about, mating and laying silvery masses of eggs on tree twigs. As the moths die, all is quiet until the following spring, when a new generation of hungry caterpillars hatches.

The 1½-inch-long skinny, smooth, orange and black caterpillars are abundant on trees, roads, houses, mailboxes, and just about everywhere, especially as they complete their feeding and are wandering about trying to find protected sites to construct cocoons. They construct noticeable, dark, silky nests for protection from bad weather.

It’s useful to recognize these features of outbreaks: 

WSU Extension, DNR team up for Forest Owners Field Day

Get tips, ideas and technical advice from experts at the Family Forest Owners Field Day this Saturday in Newport, Washington. Photo: WSU Extension.

If you are on the eastside this Saturday (June 16) and want to learn a lot about forestry in a very short span of time – and at relatively little cost — drop by the Family Forest Owners Field Day. This year, the annual, all-day educational event comes to the town of Newport in northeast Washington (actually, the site is on a property about 10 miles southwest of Newport off Scotia Road, but well within driving distance from Ferry, Spokane, Stevens, Lincoln and Pend Oreille counties). Get driving directions, a schedule, and more details online from WSU Extension.

Educational events start at 9 a.m. and there’s a lot to take in — experts on forest health, taxes, tree pruning, wildlife, and other topics will be there. There’s even a session for new and future forestland owners.

Whether you own a ‘home in the woods’ or many acres of land, this ‘out in the woods’ educational event is packed with practical how-to information that you need to know to manage your trees successfully and sustainably.

The Field Day is sponsored by WSU Extension, the DNR Forest Stewardship Program, and the Family Forest Foundation. Sponsors and cooperators include the US Forest Service, the American Tree Farm System, several state agencies, and nonprofits.

Are you on the state’s westside? Don’t worry, a Field Day is scheduled for August 18 in Thurston County.

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Federal and state agencies to coordinate services to forest land owners

Representatives of several federal and state agencies (including Aaron Everett, Washington State Forester, DNR) sign an agreement for coordinating landowner assistance services. Photo: Washington State Conservation Commission

Woodland and family forest land owners of Washington State will get better coordinated service to help improve their conservation and management under a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by state and federal agencies.

Help answering technical questions about forestry, education and planning opportunities, and incentives to enhance economic value or improve environmental performance are available through an array of state and federal programs. These programs help forest owners plan for the future and prevent forest loss, protect their property against wildfire and forest health hazards, grow better wildlife habitat, protect clean water and restore salmon runs. 

As public budgets tighten, it’s important that these opportunities are closely coordinated to maximize public benefits. But because these forms of assistance come from many different sources and agencies, it can be confusing to know where to start. For example, having a written management plan is almost always required as a condition to receive incentive program benefits, but until now different agencies had different standards for what plans must contain. This agreement aligns those standards, so that one plan works for all.

Forest and woodland property owners learn more about forestry at a Forest Owners Field Day in Jefferson County. Photo: Washington State University Extension.

The agencies and signatories working together on the Washington State agreement include:

• Washington State Department of Natural Resources  (Aaron Everett, State Forester)
• Washington Association of Conservation Districts (Dave Guenther, President)
• Washington State University Extension (Randy Baldree, Associate Director)
• Washington State Conservation Commission (Fred Colvin, Chair)
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (Roylene Rides at the Door, Washington State Conservationist)
• US Forest Service (Peg Polichio, Director of State & Private Forestry, Pacific NW Region)

The newly signed Washington State MOU mirrors a national-level collaboration agreement among many of the same parties, who participate in an organization called the Joint Forestry Team.

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DNR Stewardship Forester receives top award

Thanks to his efforts to provide advice and education to small forestland owners, DNR Stewardship Forester Mike Nystrom was named Tree Farm Inspector of the Year by the Washington State Tree Farm Program. Photo: DNR

DNR Stewardship Forester Mike Nystrom was recently named Tree Farm Inspector of the Year by the Washington State Tree Farm Program at its annual awards program in Spokane.

What’s a stewardship forester and what does the State Tree Farm Program do?
As part of DNR’s Forest Stewardship Program, Mike provides forestry advice to family forest owners (generally, small landowners) across Western Washington to help them meet their habitat, revenue and other goals for their forest. The Tree Farm Program certifies that qualifying family forest owners manage their lands in a sustainable manner.

The award recognizes the inspector who performed the most certification inspections in the past year. Mike was selected for the top honor from nearly 100 volunteer inspectors statewide.

Mike is widely known among peers and clients for his exceptional dedication and willingness to go the extra mile to help Washington’s family forest owners. In addition to his days spent advising forest owners, Mike spends many evenings and weekends helping landowner education programs conducted by Washington State University Extension Service across Western Washington. Washington’s small forest owners are very fortunate to have access to Mike’s vast forestry knowledge and experience.

Mike is now being nominated for the Regional Tree Farm Inspector the Year.

The American Tree Farm System began with the certification of the nation’s first Tree Farm near Montesano in 1941. Today, more than 96,000 family forests across the nation are certified by the program.

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Summer tree care tips: How to help your new tree through the warm months

That nice little tree you planted last year is going to need special care now that summer is here. There’s an 18 percent mortality rate for newly planted trees, which points out the need to keep paying attention to your investment.

Here are some dos and don’ts for summer care: