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December 2024

Enabling Pennsylvania communities to thrive through a successful forest products industry.

Hello Doty,


Welcome to Forest 411, our newsletter dedicated to keeping you informed about the Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee and promoting sustainable forestry in Pennsylvania. Stay tuned for more valuable insights and information!

What will my woods look like?

This is often one of the first questions that forest landowners ponder when considering forest management options that involve harvesting timber on their property. The visual aesthetics of their forest is important to them and the fear of how a harvest might alter the look of their woodlot can often hold them back from implementing necessary management practices. The Hardwood Development Council & the Hardwood Utilization Groups have developed this pictorial resource for forest landowners to see before and after examples of various silvicultural treatments utilized in Pennsylvania.


The PA SIC is pleased to share this new resource with you. This resource aims to give forest landowners a better understand of forest management and the various practices/techniques all while providing before and after pictures. We envision foresters and educators utilizing this resource by sharing it with private forest landowners.

Click to download "What will my woods look like?"

PA SIC hosts SIC Regional Meeting

On November 12th and 13th, the Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee (PA SIC) had the pleasure of hosting a regional meeting for the Implementation Committees from the Northeast and Lake States at Grey Towers National Historic Site in Milford, Pennsylvania. The event brought together representatives of SFI Inc, and the Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia Implementation Committees to collaborate and exchange ideas and best practices. SIC Regional Meetings provide an important opportunity for Implementation Committees to share knowledge, collaborate on efforts for achieving the SFI Standards, and strategize on future initiatives at a regional scale.

 

Grey Towers, the former family home of Gifford Pinchot, provided an inspirational setting for the event, deeply rooted in the legacy of forestry and conservation in the United States. Pinchot, a pioneer in sustainable forest management, the first Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, former Commissioner of Pennsylvania’s Department of Forestry, and a two-time Governor of Pennsylvania, helped shape the modern conservation movement. His commitment to balancing forest conservation with responsible resource use is carried on in the principles of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative today.

Visit Grey Towers Website

MONTH IN REVIEW

PA SIC Implementation Committee attends PFA Annual Symposium

On November 16th the Pennsylvania Forestry Association held their annual symposium and business meet at the Ramada Hotel and Conference Center in State College. This year both Mark Ott and Doty McDowell represented the PA SIC by attending the conference. The 2024 theme was "What makes a healthy forest?". Speakers included; Guy Dunkle from the Foundation for Sustainable Forests, Mario Giazzon, from the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Jeff Osborne, from the Finley Center for Private Forests, Cathryn Pugh from Penn State Extension and Mike Powell from Penn State Extension and the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

AHUG Executive Director awarded Conservationist of the Year by the Pennsylvania Forestry Association

Amy Shields, Executive Director of the Allegheny Hardwoods Utilization Group and member of the Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee received the 2024 Mira Lloyd Dock Award from the Pennsylvania Forestry Association at the 2024 Annual Meeting. With a deep understanding of the importance of Pennsylvania's forest and the forest products industry, Amy has dedicated her career to forest conservation, education, outreach and collaboration in support of the forest products industry, local communities and keeping forests healthy.


Mira Lloyd Dock was an exceptional woman; a university-trained botanist, lecturer, and public official - the first woman appointed to the Pennsylvania state government. In her twelve years on the Pennsylvania Forest Commission, she allied with the likes of J.T. Rothrock, Gifford Pinchot, and Dietrich Brandis to help bring about a new era in American forestry.

Turkeys and Forests

Since you may be still digesting your Thanksgiving dinner we thought we would share some interesting facts about turkeys and forests  

· Wild turkeys are only native to North America.

· Pennsylvania wild turkeys are one of five subspecies found in North America.

· Pennsylvania’s wild turkey population was 275,000 plus as recently as 2001.

· Wild turkeys can cover up to 2 miles per hour while feeding.

· Their home range varies by season and can range from 400 to 2,000 acres or more.

· Wild turkeys can fly 40 -55 miles per hour and can travel up to a mile in flight.

· Wild turkeys utilize trees each night for their roosts.

· Wild turkeys depend on forested habitats, and thrive in different aged forests.

· Forests provide vital resources such as food, water, cover, and space for turkeys to survive.

· A flock of wild turkeys will use thousands of acres of forests per year.

· Trees like oaks, beech and cherry and their mast are critically important to turkeys.

· Forest clearings are especially used by hens and poults. Here, sunlight penetrates the tree canopy and allows grasses and forbs to spring up. Increased plant life gives rise to increased insect life, and insects form a key part of a young turkey's.

· Each forest successional stage will offer different types of food and cover for turkeys to utilize. 

More about the wild turkey
Wild Turkey Habitat Management

INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHT

Our monthly newsletter will showcase our SFI-Certified Organizations, and esteemed SIC Partners and Supporters who’s support of the SIC are making a positive impact on Pennsylvania’s forests. This month we are highlighting FD Timber LLC.

The FD Timber LLC property was purchased from Elk Timberlands LLC in 2019. The

ownership is comprised of five tracts located in various municipalities in Elk County, Pennsylvania. The City of Saint Marys is the nearest population center, which is located north of the property. The area is served primarily by US Highway 219, and secondarily by SR-255 and SR-120. The property is encumbered by a conservation easement with The Nature Conservancy on approximately 9000 acres.


Prior to ownership by Elk Timberlands LLC, the Elk Timberlands Property was owned by The Kaul and Hall Oil and Gas Corporation. The Kaul and Hall family (under various company names) managed the property from around 1850 until it sold in 2009. The mineral rights of the ownership were sold in 1926 to a predecessor of Seneca Resources Corporation. Many of the streams and hollows on the property are named for the families who operated the lumber camps for Kaul and Hall such as: Lecker, Geitner, and Hoover. Andrew Kaul and J.K.P. Hall, the founders of the Kaul and Hall Lumber Company, built a hunting lodge in 1887 on a tract between Trout Run North and Trout Run South. The property and lodge are still held and used by the Kaul family to this day. Management strategies have remained consistent throughout the past 25 years, resulting in a high-quality resource with a broad spectrum of management possibilities for timber and non-timber resources going forward.


The Elk Timberlands Property is surrounded primarily by small to medium sized non-industrial private landowners. There are however several large sized ownerships nearby, including Allegheny National Forest, Elk State Forest, Lyme Timber, Collins Pine, and various Pennsylvania State Game lands.



FD Timber LLC have been certified to the SFI Forest Management Standards for the past 4 years.

SFI-certified organizations are crucial to the success of the SFI program. These entities have pledged to uphold the SFI Standards and have received third-party certification from independent auditors confirming their compliance. SFI-certified organizations prioritize sustainable forest management and fiber sourcing practices, which include maintaining forest productivity and health, protecting water quality, preserving biological diversity, and safeguarding special sites. They also provide training and education for employees, contractors, and harvesting professionals, support research efforts, and promote sustainable forestry through landowner outreach and community involvement. In addition to implementing these practices on forestland they manage, SFI-certified organizations also advocate for sustainable forestry practices on other lands.

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