Pennsylvania Tree Farm News: Signs of Spring

We are hearing some new birdsongs as songbird migrations begin. We noticed the turkey vultures are back and have been perching on the barn roof, annoying the dogs to no end. The finches at the feeders are starting to show color. Likely this is not the case for fellow Tree Farmers in the northern part of the state, but rest assured, signs of spring are on their way.

Signs of spring get us thinking of our forest management plans for the new season. We need to measure tree growth in the four management plots that we monitor. We are getting late on this one but will do it over the next week before the new growing season starts. We are expecting good growth numbers since we had abundant water this last year. We need to monitor a patch of bittersweet that we treated last fall. We will likely have to treat it again, once it starts growing.

The pressing needs that were not part of the plan are the repairs to the access roads that need attention from all the rain. Then we have more routine items to attend to, like checking and repositioning tree tubes, and checking for deer damage so we can replace trees or maybe save them by pruning.

A new list of Tree Farms that require inspections has been developed by the PA Tree Farm Committee. If your Farm is on this list, you should have received a notice letter by the end of March with directions on how to complete this task. Dust off your management plan and start thinking on how you can update it and what you can cross off the list. Of course, if you have any questions, please contact the office at 1-800-835-8065.

The chore list is long for a Tree Farmer, longer than we have time for, but the work is rewarding when you can walk through a woodlot and enjoy the new growth of spring.

For additional information, please contact the Pennsylvania Tree Farm Program (Pennsylvania Forestry Association Office) at 1-800-835-8065, email, or visit the website.