Part II: Working with a Forester to Steward your Land

Working with a Forester to Steward your Land

Part II.​ of MANAGING YOUR FAMILY FOREST Blog Series 

Researched and written by Sandy Lower and Corey Wrinn

The previous post was about the elements of forest management and how to begin the process. In this post, you will be provided information and resources on foresters, where to contact them, and what types of management strategies they may suggest based on your land. We encourage the reader to click on the links provided within the blog as additional sources to further your research. 

Photo credit: Mass Audubon

Managing your woodland is a lifetime endeavor. Enlisting a professional forester to help make informed legal, financial and environmental decisions is an important component in caring for this ever-changing ecosystem.

Professional foresters have a college level education and experience in a broad range of topics including forest and wildlife ecology, legal issues, climate change, economics and the growing and harvesting of forest products. In Massachusetts, foresters are required to hold a state license based on experience, training, and ongoing continuing education.

Foresters can help landowners develop goals and understand available options, outlining alternatives based on the landowner’s goals for their property.

A landowner’s first contact with a forester may be to call a Public Service Forester. They can visit your land and can provide you with basic information on your forest, its potential for various benefits and products, and specific information on programs that affect forest property taxation, all for no fee. Many landowners need more detailed information and assistance, and will seek the advice of a private professional forester.

Private professional foresters can help build on the preliminary plan discussed with the public service forester. A forester can work with you and for you, helping you to understand alternatives, supplying information to help you make informed decisions and providing the following services:

Forest Management Plan

A forest management plan allows a woodland owner to define and organize land-use and stewardship objectives. Foresters will assist the landowner about the management plans of Chapter 61, 61A and 61B. The plan provides a description of the natural resources of the woodland and defines a schedule of activities for a specified period of time. Timber harvesting, climate resiliency, fostering wildlife, clearing of invasive plants, protection of water quality, recreational use, and scenic beauty are all potential components of a forest management plan.

Estate Planning

Woodlot planning often extends well beyond the life span of the current owner. Land values can result in taxes so high that, in the absence of advance estate planning, there is a risk that the land itself may need to be sold to pay the taxes. Most foresters are familiar with the important elements of estate planning and can suggest sources of additional information.

Table 1: Carbon Terminology (USDA Forest Service)

Our Changing Climate

Our forests are an ever-changing landscape and their structure and health is changing right before our eyes. From drought, flooding, extreme weather events, and invasive species infestations; your forester will incorporate one or more of these attributes into your final forest stewardship strategy. Your forester can help provide actions to allow your forest and its wildlife to adapt to these changes by reducing stressors, building resilience and proactively managing for the future. Mitigation strategies can help your forest be more productive in the long term and increase the landscape's ability to absorb and store carbon (Table 1). 

Sale of Timber
Retaining a professional forester who can provide advice on current price information, markets, and environmental regulations will help a woodland owner to navigate the somewhat complicated process of harvesting and selling timber. Foresters can help identify which trees should be harvested to help achieve a landowner’s objectives. They can also draft a contract and supervise the harvest to protect the landowner’s interests especially when multiple parties are involved in the harvest (Table 2). 


Forest Inventory and Appraisal
A woodlot owner or prospective buyer of forestland may need to know the quantity and value of the timber on the land. The forester can prepare a forest inventory

Table 2: Options for Selling Timber Diagram (MassWoods)

with a site analysis to assess the type of habitat, health and potential challenges a forest may face post cut (such as invasive insects or diseases).


Timber Stand Improvement
TSI can include a combination of forest care activities designed to improve growth and quality of your chosen timber species. While thinning constitutes most of the TSI work conducted in Massachusetts and the rest of  New England forests, it may also include invasive plant management, planting of key habitat species and weeding out unwanted species from your timber stand.

Finding and Working with a Forester
• Contact your public service forester:
• Select a private forester: Shop around, get a second opinion, ask for references of satisfied clients, visit a prior job site.
• Inquire as to payment: Ask to have payment method stated in the service contract
• Find a forester you can effectively communicate with and who understands your needs.

Tune in next week for our next edition: Part III Land Owner Expectations

Resources:

• Guide to Working with Foresters
• Foresters and the Caring of Your Land
• Climate-Smart Forestry
• Chapters 61, 61A and 61B
• Running the Numbers
• Adapting to Changing Conditions
• Managing for Forest Carbon
• Your Land, Your Choices
• Your Land, Your Legacy

Part I: Formulating Your Plan

Owning a Woodland ~ Having a Plan

Part. 1 of MANAGING YOUR FAMILY FOREST Blog Series

Researched and written by Sandy Lower and Corey Wrinn

Your decisions regarding your forested land will be influenced by many factors, including your family situation, income needs, taxes and your philosophy of land ownership and the environment. We encourage the reader to click on the links provided within the blog as additional sources to further your research. 

Elements of a Forest Management Plan

A common misconception on the rural-urban fringe is that a healthy forest is always an untouched forest. While that may be true in some regions, the forested landscape of a developed New England requires a different approach. Whether you are concerned about wild fires or invasive species mitigation, a professional forester can assist you by taking an inventory of your forest resources including your land’s timber, wildlife habitat and water features. A well-written plan should begin with a statement of your goals. Long-term goals are achieved through specific management activities such as timber stand improvement, stand thinning, timber harvests, site preparation and regeneration.

Statement of Landowner Goals
The first step is to determine your priorities, set goals and identify the management activities to reach those goals. A good way to begin is by asking yourself the following questions:

• Do you want to observe wildlife in your forest?
• Do you want your forest to produce income?
• Will you use your forest for recreation?
• Is the beauty and health of your forest important to you?

The second step we recommend is to compare your property and your planned management goals with Chapter 61, 61A and 61B. 

• Chapter 61 is for landowners who have long-term forest management goals;
• Chapter 61A is for landowners who take part in agricultural practices;
• Chapter 61B is for landowners who plan to keep the forested in a natural state and for outdoor recreation.

Each program comes with different attributes, and we encourage landowners to further research these options through the links provided and with your forester. These plans will influence your management plan.

Stereum genus

Property Map
Your plan should include a map and aerial photo showing the location of the property, access, boundaries, timber stands, and other key features: Are there wetlands? Is your property within an Area of Environmental Concern? Are there agricultural lands currently in use? To quickly access that data, you can find it here on MassMapper.


Protection and Maintenance
Include a description of activities relative to the following key protection and maintenance requirements:

• Timetable for review and update of the forest management plan
• Marking and maintaining property lines and corners
• Access such as roads and gates, trails
• Insect and disease inspection, protection, and salvage

Agricultural cut in 2019

Stand Descriptions and Inventory Data
Each stand should be described and marked on the property map. Soil types, number of acres, tree species, stand age, average tree height, standing timber volume, tree condition and health, and unique water quality or drainage. Descriptions are done by a forester.


Forest Management Activities
A forest management plan applies your goals to your forest stands and creates a timetable of planned activities which may include:

• Timber harvests
• Commercial timber thinning
• Timber stand improvement practices
• Establishing and maintaining wildlife management practices
• Installing and maintaining water quality protection practices.
• Enhancing the stand’s aesthetics, recreational use, and diversity of plants and wildlife species

Forest Management plans are unique to each owner and forest and could have a project timeline from 5 months to a year depending on the acreage, topography and ecology. If you decide to develop a forest management plan, it should be reviewed and updated at least every 10 years or as conditions change or the owner’s objectives change.

We will cover a few of the Management Activities in Next Week's post about Working with Foresters. 


Additional Resources:

• Find your Regional Forester Here
• Private Consulting Foresters
• USDA Resources
• Caring for Your Land
• Caring for your Woods Starting point (MassDCR)
• Sample Management plan (NRCS)
• Monterey Forestry Cut

New Blog Series!

MANAGING YOUR FOREST

New Blog Series!

In response to your strong interest in the role of managed forestry in the stewardship of your woodland, the CR Team will soon be sharing some basic information relating to forest management from our interviews with several Massachusetts foresters.

Check for upcoming updates in our OnTheLand blog!

It is our hope that these blog posts will provide some useful resources to help you formulate a plan and achieve your individual forestry goals.

Whether the primary objective for your woodland is producing a sustained yield of timber, increasing wildlife habitat, or improving water quality, these posts will serve as a handy reference as you assess your woodland, formulate a plan, and choose a professional forester and qualified logger to help you manage your forested land for the future.

Check back next week for a new installment of this series!

Citizen Science Apps

 

Citizen Science Apps:
A game or scientific tool

by Corey Wrinn

When I was 12, I got my first Nintendo gaming system and with it came Pokémon, a game I would later find to be so relatable to my Conservation career. The creatures in the game resemble the biodiversity on Earth, and has you wander the forests, fields and seas in search of Pokémon for a professor, so they can better understand how humans and Pokémon live in harmony. There are many details, bad guys and plot lines, but what’s important to understand is this: you discover and document Pokémon to complete in-game scientific research. The icing on the cake is getting to meet the rarest and most incredible mythical types. Trust me when I say, everyone who played the game wishes it was real.

Photo by Denise Jans on Unsplash

Years later, I was introduced to iNaturalist, a public smartphone app and international database of flora, fauna and fungi observations that anyone who signs up can contribute to. By simply taking a picture of any life form, the automated species identification program generates the closest result based on thousands of peer reviewed entries. To my great excitement, it is as close to Pokémon as anyone could get in real-life.

Corey using iNaturalist

Here, a user can interact with thousands of accredited scientists, enthusiasts, and amateurs to share data, experiences, and discoveries. And all the while contributing to our understanding of the grand masterpiece of biodiversity. Every opportunity I get to use the app in the field, I do.

But wait, there are more! iNaturalist is not the only app that bring the secrets of the natural world to our fingertips. Here is a list of the other fantastic apps and databases I use, that you can use to contribute to scientific research or for personal enjoyment:

*NOTE: this list is just a fraction of the amount of naturalist apps that exist at the moment. 

Apps:

• Seek by iNaturalist - Fast and easy to use for all ages. You can upload your observations to iNaturalist.
• eBird - Created by the Cornel Lab of Ornithology to document birds globally. You can add location specific lists that contribute to current research efforts.
• Audubon Birding App – Highly specified dichotomous key that also includes various calls and clicks from juveniles to adult bird species. Add observations to personal lists.
• Budburst- a phenology project from the Chicago Botanic Garden is a plant-focused for conservation efforts. Now (spring) is the best time to use this app!
• Merlin Bird ID – A dichotomous key focusing on sights and sounds of bird species, using a visual key for bird calls. State of the art!
• NatureID – an app that helps you make a list of the plants in your garden, and provides resources on how to better care for your garden.
• ShroomID- identify mushrooms by taking a picture. Only pick mushrooms to consume if you were shown by an expert naturalist or have extensive experience. Consumption of wild mushrooms can be fatal.
• LeafSnap- An electronic field guide created by Columbia University, University of Maryland and Smithsonian, that covers all 185 tree species in the United States.

Website Databases:

• GoBotany – an online dichotomous key provided by the Native Plant Trust. Includes "Plant Share" to get in touch with fellow enthusiasts.
• National Heritage Endangered Species Program – a state run information database that accepts reported sightings of vernal pools and rare species.
• EED MapS- Report sightings of invasive plants, wildlife and diseases to a national network of verifiers and view current distribution maps.
• Beecology Project - this citizen science project aims to fill the gaps in our knowledge about pollinators. Participate in real-time science!

*NOTE: most of these databases have smartphone apps.

Photo by David Grandmougin

Around the time I was discovering these naturalist tools, San Fransisco based Niantic released PokémonGO, a highly successful virtual reality (VR) smartphone gaming app, similar to the original game but set on our Earth. To find different Pokémon, you had to travel to environments where they would live: grass types in parks or farms, water types near lakes and oceans, some are even said to only be found on mountain tops. The app caused a behavioral shift in people who normally would be inside working or gaming, to step outside. Users of the game have also discovered non-virtual wildlife while playing, connecting the world of Pokémon to our own. Some calculations have projected that if PokémonGO users were to use these naturalist apps I've listed above, they could "...produce more wildlife observations in 6 days than have been collated over the past 400 years by naturalists." What do you think Rachael Carson or Alexander Humboldt would say to that? 

The original game's creator, Satoshi Tajiri, collected insects as a child and later wished for the turn-of-the-century generation to know what life was like pre-industrialization of Japan. Multiple surveys show that children know more Pokémon species than in the natural world around them. The game can teach us so much about environmental education and how to connect with the fading natural world. The more we use apps based in the real-world, I believe more people will understand how to better protect the biodiversity in their neighborhood.

Photo by Corey Wrinn

Spring is just around the corner, and with it comes the sights and sounds of millions of life forms emerging from swamps, dens and burrows, accompanied by the blossoms of every tree and flower for miles around. I remember the springs of my childhood when the air was stirring with excitement and the nights are loud with the chirping of insects and amphibians, I wouldn’t dare fall asleep least I missed the excitement of the night, only to wake to find a new crocus or snowdrop that had finally made its journey to the surface and warming sunshine.

And yet, there were many times then as I find myself now, not knowing the identity of those creatures and plants which I share a neighborhood with. Lucky for me, I am a human living in the 21st century, and curiosity is a trait best harnessed in spring when shedding the heavy cloak of winter. There are hundreds of search engines at our disposal, and best of all, we can access them on our smart phones, sharing the wonders of the world through pictures and sound. So get out there with your friends and families! Join a BioBlitz or start documenting the life in your neighborhood. You'd be surprised with how many others are doing the same when they're outside: stopping to smell the roses? Maybe. Maybe they are discovering a new species or making life long connections with the natural world. See you out there!

Christmas Bird Counts

by Tom Dodd

You don’t have to be an expert birder to participate in National Audubon’s Christmas Bird Counts (CBC)! Many, if not all the count compilers will gladly take a list of the birds that you are seeing at your feeder on the day of their count.

 

In 1900, Frank M. Chapman, an ornithologist, proposed a new holiday tradition that would count birds on Christmas Day rather than hunt them. There were 25 counts on that first day. Fast forward to 2021, and there are now over 2500 CBC’s in the United States, Canada, Hawaii, the Pacific Islands, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

 

Each bird count is done within a 15-mile diameter circle with 33 count circles located in Massachusetts. Surprisingly, 72% of the Massachusetts Conservation Restrictions that are held by The Trustees are located within CBC circles. Each count has a compiler that is responsible for scheduling the count sometime between Dec 14 and Jan 5 and recording all the bird sightings that were seen on that day. 

"Each bird count is done within a 15-mile diameter circle with 33 count circles located in Massachusetts." 

Most counts are held on the same weekend day each year and have many people participating, by walking trails, looking out over lakes and ponds, recording sightings (both observed and heard) while driving, and waking for early morning listening of owls. Other people participate by sending in their important observations of birds at their bird feeders while sitting comfortably inside their house. So how many people do these counts? The Millis, MA CBC has been done every year since 1973, with nearly 50 years of bird counts! In 1985, a huge effort was made to have 500 participants, with most of those people reporting birds from their feeders. This was an astounding number of people participating that hasn’t been repeated since. Typically, there are 35 participants counting with only a handful of people sending in results from watching their feeder.

 CBC’s are a great resource for monitoring winter bird populations. The Millis, MA Count records an average of 68 bird species each year. Common birds, such as, Black-capped Chickadee, Northern Cardinal, American Crow, and Blue Jay are seen every year. However, that can’t be said for all the species recorded with some interesting trends occurring over the years. Here is a comparison of Count data of what was seen in the first 20 years (1973-1993) versus what was seen in last 20 years (2000-2020). Note that this is a quick analysis. Proper studies would consider the number of hours people were in the field or watching feeders (count hours). But, in general the trends are what is being seen.

 

Bird Species	First 20 years	Last 20 years	Status
Ruffed Grouse	Average of 18/year	6 sightings	Severe decline
Ring-necked Pheasant	Average of 23/year	Average of 3/year	Severe decline (maybe less stocking by state)
Wild Turkey	6 sightings	Average of 59/year	State reintroduction has been successful
Turkey Vulture	No sightings	Average of 4/year in last 10 years	Increasing due to less snow cover?
Bald Eagle	No sightings	Average of 2/year in last 5 years	State reintroduction has been successful
Red-bellied Woodpecker	8 sightings	Average of 23/year	Large Increase – due to warmer winters?
American Kestrel	Average of 10/year	1 sighting	Severe decline – loss of habitat?
American Crow	Average of 1566/year	Average of 419/year	Decline –West Nile Virus affected them in 2000; other causes?
Common Raven	No sightings	Average of 2-3/year in last 10 years	Increase – Reason?
Carolina Wren	Average of 3-4/year	Average of 42/year	Large Increase – due to warmer winters?
Eastern Bluebird	No sightings in first 15 years	Average of 70/year	Large Increase – due to warmer winters? Nest box availability?
American Robin	Average of 32/year	Average of 469/year	Large Increase – due to warmer winters?
Evening Grosbeak	Average of 106/year	No sightings	Severe decline – Reason?

 

For more information, you can contact https://www.audubon.org/conservation/join-christmas-bird-count.

Tom Dodd is the CR Stewardship and Data Specialist at The Trustees. He has been doing the Christmas Bird Count since 1975.  

Vernal Pools

It’s just near midnight on an early April evening and the dripping of the rain has finally let up while the quacking of wood frogs can still be heard in the background. We are walking along the slick black pavement, with small rivulets flowing along the roads edge – my flashlight held low, and shining ten feet ahead, slowly sweeping the width of the road, back and forth, looking for any bump in the road. Ah - there’s one! No… Just that same stick that I saw on previous passes. We meet at the half-way mark of our section and report our tallies. After recording another 2 wood frogs and 1 spotted salamander and with traffic non-existent, we decide to call it a night. 

We are part of a small group participating in an event called “Big Night”: the annual mass movement of terrestrial amphibians from their foraging grounds in the surrounding forests to their natal vernal pools for breeding. They usually move during the first rainy evening in Spring above 40F. Both salamanders and wood frogs move slowly across the roadway, sometimes stopping for minutes. We moved them across if they were in imminent danger. At this road crossing, we have seen maximums of 400 wood frogs (with approximately 20-30 casualties from cars), 32 spotted salamanders, and 6 blue-spotted salamanders on separate nights.

 

Vernal pools are unique wetland habitats that typically fill with fall and spring rains and dry out by summer. They can be as small as 100 sq ft, or as large as several acres in size, and are typically 2-3’ deep. Salamanders and wood frogs have adapted their breeding life cycle to use these pools since fish can’t survive in these conditions, providing protection for their eggs and larvae. The adults will only spend a few days in the vernal pool to mate, deposit eggs, and then head back into the surrounding woodlands. 

The most common salamander using vernal pools in Massachusetts is the spotted salamander. As adults, they are 6-10” long, as round as your finger, and a purply-brown-black color with pea size yellow spots in two rows. Their eggs are laid in fist-size clumps of up to 100 eggs, surrounded by an opaque or transparent gelatinous outer layer, and often attached to underwater plants or branches. They require that the pool does not dry out for at least 2-3 months to complete their metamorphose from an egg to larva to a juvenile salamander when they leave the water. 

Spotted Salamander and egg masses

The adult wood frogs are 2-3” and are brown with a dark eye mask. Their egg mass size is similar to salamanders but have up to 1500 eggs. The egg mass has an outside appearance of a bunch of grapes. They are also attached to underwater plant or branches and develop from an egg to larva (tadpole) and leave the water as a froglet.

Wood Frog and egg mass

In 2000, Massachusetts started a state-wide program to certify and map vernal pools by finding isolated water bodies on aerial photographs. Nearly 30,000 pools were identified. They are labeled “potential,” since it is not known if these pools contain fish or support species such as spotted salamanders, wood frogs, fairy shrimp, or a host of other species. The State not only recognized these pools as valuable environmental resources, but also the surrounding woodlands. The amphibians that develop here will travel as far as 800’ from the vernal pool into the uplands and subsequently, most return to the same pool to breed. 

Certification can be done by professionals or citizen scientists. It requires providing information on the pool location, its size, and showing evidence that obligate vernal pool species are breeding by having photographs of egg masses, larvae, or juveniles, or even audio recordings of calling wood frogs.

Certifying a Vernal Pool

This information can then be entered online at the State’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) database, with further review by a state biologist for accuracy, and then certification if complete. 

 

Why certify the vernal pools on my land that already has a conservation restriction? 
 
There are several reasons to do this: 

• Landowner outreach – Experiencing the wonder of nature. Knowing that your land is protecting something special. Seeing the soft blue transparent salamander egg masses or a fairy shrimp swimming upside down through the pool. 

• Not all vernal pools were detected by the state mapping effort. Some of them were hidden under tree cover and others were too small, preventing identification during the aerial photograph review process. 

• Some Conservation Commissions have more stringent bylaws for certified vernal pools to not only protect them from being filled, but also protecting some of the upland habitat surrounding them to provide at least a minimal amount of uplands for them to survive.

• Observations of Jefferson or marbled salamanders should be reported to the NHESP, as land-protection efforts for these species are dependent on knowing where local populations occur.

Fairy Shrimp (< 1.5") can also be found in some Vernal Pools
(swimming upside down)

• MA-Forestry-BMP-Manual specifies: 

• No machinery can operate in a certified vernal pool at any time of the year 

• Filter strips are required for certified vernal pools. Filter strips extend 50 feet back from the bank. Within these buffer strips, no more than 50% of the basal area may be cut at any one time 

• Additional guidelines: Apply required certified vernal pool BMPs to potential vernal pools functioning as vernal pool habitat. Avoid making ruts deeper than 6 inches within 200 feet of a vernal pool. If filled with water, these can trick amphibians into laying eggs in them.