The US Department of Agriculture has had a farmer/rancher cost share program called Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) (www.nrcs.usda.gov/PROGRAMS/EQIP), managed by the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Recently the program was expanded to include foresters and...
This week I completed the full Forest Stewardship Program. Closing night was a fun and rather different format than the rest of the program. The three main instructors led a game of "Jeopartree", hosted by Alex Treebeck. The class split into three groups (we were the Fir Fiends against the Pine...
Our property has naturally occurring rhododendrons sprinkled here and there throughout the entire property, including two very large bushes that happen to frame our chosen driveway entrance. Many flowers are pink salmon colored, with other color varieties as well.
Over the years, forestry sciences have developed a classification system for quickly summarizing the tree growing potential of a site. Sites may differ significantly in soil quality, nutrients, water availability, and environmental conditions, enabling the same seed to grow far stronger and larger...
As part of the Forest Stewardship Program, an interesting wildlife biologist gave us a presentation on wildlife ecology and forest habitat. Quite an interconnected web out there! Forest succession affecting water supply affecting small game affecting large predators affecting food sources affecting...
With our new chain saw and brush cutter, plus a trailer in tow behind a station wagon filled with garden tools, we headed to our land for the weekend. Heeding the old carpenter's adage of "measure twice and cut once", we again reviewed our proposed driveway path through the forest. I especially...