FORESTS FOR THE FUTURE - 2019- Spring/Summer - NJ.gov
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Spring/Summer
2019-
FORESTS FOR THE FUTURE
Newsletter for the New Jersey Forest Stewardship Program
Contents
Considerations for Forest Management Planning............................. 2
Keep an Eye on Your Oaks..................................................................... 5
2017 Tree Farmer of the Year Award................................................... 7
Women and Their Woods; A Forestry Initiative
Tailored for Women................................................................................ 8
Northern Forests Futures Project..................................................... 10
Wilson Lake Memorial Park................................................................ 12
Walkill River Watershed Management Group;
Reforesting Critical Riparian Zones................................................... 14
Spotted LanternFly, An Invasive Species now in New Jersey...... 17
New Jersey Forest Stewardship Program
Turns One Year Old............................................................................... 19
Invasive Plant: Jetbead............................................................................ 20
Editor’s Log Tree Feature...................................................................... 21
Calendar of Events................................................................ Back Cover
Stewardship Leaves Forests for the Future
New Jersey Forest Stewardship Program
Editor Kristen Caggiano,
New Jersey Forest
Articles and photos by Kristen Caggiano, unless otherwise identified.
Stewardship Program
Please send questions, comments, or ideas for future articles to: NJ Department of
Kristen Caggiano, kmh0222@gmail.com or Environmental Protection
Jon Klischies, Jon.Klischies@dep.nj.gov (Forest Stewardship Program) NJ Forest Service
Mail code 501-04 PO Box 420
Cover photo by: Nicholas Tonnelli Trenton, NJ 08625-0420
Considerations for Forest Management Planning
By: Jeremy M. Caggiano
In 1986, amendments to the Farmland Assessment for New Jersey Forest Stewardship Plans” checklist
Act began to require some woodland owners must be fulfilled. The third management planning
to have a Woodland Management Plan. Today, checklist that is often forgotten is the “New Jersey
New Jersey Forest Service is responsible for Forestry and Wetlands Best Management Practices
reviewing both Woodland Management Plans and Manual” which may require additional plan
Forest Stewardship Plans. In addition, the agency elements to be included and approved by the
periodically inspects enrolled properties to ensure State forester before harvesting commences. It’s
planned activities are being conducted in a legal, necessary to consider that on June 20, 2016, New
sustainable manner. Jersey Department of Environmental Protections
Flood Hazard Area Control Act was amended
The foundation of responsible stewardship must
and finalized. The Flood Hazard Area Control
always begin with a clear Woodland Management
Act’s Permit-by-rule 26 enables responsible forest
Plan or Forest Stewardship Plan designed to
management activities to occur in regulated
achieve individual landowner goals and objectives.
areas as long as the plan is approved by the State
Upon implementation, a well conceived plan will
Forester and activities follow guidance provided in
identify, protect, and often enhance a woodland
the Best Management Practices manual.
property’s core conservation attributes. In order
to ensure forest planning consistencies, the agency Fulfillment of the checklist requirements and
has developed three guiding documents. individual plan development styles don’t need to be
1. Criteria of a Woodland Management mutually exclusive. To the contrary, a good deal of
Plan Checklist the value and enjoyment that comes with reading
2. Minimum Guidelines for New Jersey and following a new or updated management plan
Forest Stewardship Plans is the inimitable way that each Approved Forester
3. New Jersey Forestry and Wetlands Continued on next page
Best Management Practices Manual
Approved Foresters and woodland owners are
encouraged to periodically get familiarized with
these documents, as well as the laws and
additional agencies referenced within.
Every plan, whether it’s a Forest
Stewardship Plan or a Woodland
Management Plan written to
satisfy Farmland Assessment
Act requirements, must
contain sufficient and
accurate information for
each criterion on the “Criteria
of a Woodland Management
Checklist”. If one chooses to
pursue a Forest Stewardship
Plan, the “Minimum Guidelines
Continued previous page
guides their client towards realization of their area outside the scope of their plan and causes
forest management goals. As we know, silviculture an adverse effect to threatened or endangered
is equal part art and science. So yes, there are many species protected by the Endangered Species Act.
ways to shine a penny, however, all checklist criteria That said, nearly all noncompliance issues can be
must still be met. For instance, easily avoided by following
Forest Stewardship Plans the approved management
require stand and stock data. plan. If landowners are unsure
This quantitative information about how to interpret a
is meant to summarize forest
As conservationists plan’s recommendations they
inventory data, by stand, as are highly encouraged to have
prescribed in texts like the 4th we are well a conversation with their
and 5th Editions of Avery and Approved Forester or a New
Burkhart’s Forest Measurements. acquainted with all Jersey Forest Service Regional
Each stand should contain a Forester.
table, organized by diameter or of the long term
size class. At minimum, this table During the early stages of the
must depict the number trees, positive impacts plan development process,
every Approved Forester asks
as well as volume per acre.
their client, “What are your
Describing forest conditions responsible, objectives and goals?”. This
and recommendations
is an opportunity, not to be
consistently and mathematically
will help New Jersey Forest
respectful, and squandered, when you tell your
Service ensure the sustainable Approved Forester what you
management of our timber
well planned forest want to accomplish and where
resources. you’d prefer to manage your
management will lands over the next 10 years.
New Jersey Forest Service Too often landowners leave
expects woodland owners have on a tract of these initial determinations
to strictly follow their plan. exclusively to the Approved
Ensuring adherence to the plan woodland. Forester. It is important for
is determined during periodic landowners to realize that, if
site inspections by the agency. they desire to alter the scope
While this may sound relatively or location of their planned
straight forward, the lion’s share woodland activities, it is
of non-compliances come from perfectly allowable. However,
well intentioned landowners New Jersey Forest Service must
who’ve simply had a change of heart about receive a plan amendment or Practice Plan before
where or how they’d like to manage their forest. commencement of the management. The plan
Sometimes, forestry activities are completed and amendment or Practice Plan will provide context
reported on the Woodland Data Form, however, and rationale to why the silvicultural prescription
the activity is nowhere to be found in the plan. has changed and what it has been adjusted to.
Worst case scenarios can rapidly unfold if a In light of such changes, it may be necessary to
woodland owner accidentally harvests in a regulated incorporate additional Best Management Practices,
Continued on next page
3
Continued previous page
laws, endangered species searches, maps, etc.
As conservationists we are well acquainted with
all of the long term positive impacts responsible,
respectful, and well planned forest management will
have on a tract of woodland. Conversely, no plan
should include activities that intentionally denude
a property of its forest resource, nor should any
landowner inappropriately use their plan as a
justification to do so. In almost every scenario,
conversion of woodlands to non-forest use is
not a Farmland Assessment qualifying woodland
activity. Such an action provides no betterment to
the forest or the surrounding community and is
deemed a noncompliance by New Jersey Forest
Service.
In the end, a thorough management planning
process should provide the woodland owner
a clear course of action to responsibly, safely,
and legally accomplish their forest management
objectives. While there are many considerations,
some of which must be incorporated into the plan,
the best plans often aren’t complicated or lengthy
documents. New Jersey Forest Service welcomes
the opportunity to meet up with and get to
know private woodland owners in the Farmland
Assessment program during routine inspections.
The agency’s regional offices are available to
help answer any question you may have about
management planning. We hope you take the
opportunity to work closely with our agency and
your chosen Approved Forester to prepare the
perfect plan tailored to meet your needs.
4
Untimely leaf discoloration from Bacterial leaf scorch
Keep an Eye on Your Oaks!
By: Pam Zipse, Outreach Coordinator, Rutgers Urban Forestry Program and Rosa
Yoo, Forest Health Specialist, NJ Forest Service.
There are several serious diseases that can attack the populations of bacteria build up again quickly.
our oak trees in New Jersey. Two that are of Drought heightens the negative effects of bacterial
increasing concern are bacterial leaf scorch and leaf scorch, so keeping your oaks watered through
oak wilt. This article is intended to help increase dry patches is a good cultural practice. Bacterial
your awareness of these two diseases of oaks, leaf scorch acts slowly, but will eventually kill a tree,
explain the differences and similarities between although it may take a decade or more.
the two, and provide some direction if you suspect Oak wilt is a new problem for oaks in New Jersey.
the oaks on your property may be affected. Although it has not yet been confirmed in New
Bacterial leaf scorch of oak has been present in Jersey, trees as close as Brooklyn and Long Island
New Jersey for many years. It mainly affects the have been found infected with oak wilt. Oak wilt
red oak group (red oak, pin oak, black oak, scarlet can impact trees in both the red oak and white
oak, etc.) Trees in the white oak group (white oak, oak groups, however the effects are much more
swamp white oak, chestnut oak, post oak, etc.) drastic and progress much more quickly in red
are occasionally impacted. Bacterial leaf scorch oaks. Oak wilt is caused by a fungus, Ceratocystis
is caused by a bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa, which fagacearum, which clogs the xylem and phloem
clogs the xylem vessels preventing water transport vessels cutting off the transport of water and
in the tree. Bacterial leaf scorch is spread from nutrients throughout the tree. Oak wilt is spread
alternate host vegetation and from tree to tree by a variety of sap and bark feeding insects (mainly
by several species of leafhoppers and treehoppers; nitidulid beetles), as well as through root grafts
insects that feed in the xylem. A tremendous (when the roots of nearby trees fuse together).
amount of research has been conducted regarding This makes the spread of the oak wilt fungus very
bacterial leaf scorch, however no permanent cure difficult to control. There is no chemical treatment
has been identified. There are antibiotics that can for oak wilt, and states that are dealing with this
be injected into the tree to kill back the bacteria, disease are removing infected trees and chipping,
but if these injections are not repeated annually burning, or covering the wood to prevent the spread
Continued on next page
5
Continued previous page
of the fungus. Root grafts are severed by cutting deep by bacterial leaf scorch and oak wilt at the same time,
trenches at a distance of 100 feet or more from the along with other secondary problems, which can
infected tree. It is believed that the fungus can survive make it very difficult to diagnose a specific disease.
for five to seven years in the soil, so oaks should
Oak trees are important in New Jersey.The Northern
not be supported in infected areas. They should not
red oak is our state tree.They are great mast producers
be replanted or allowed to seed in or sprout until
for wildlife, and are an important timber species, we
sufficient time has passed, in order to prevent the
should be aware of the problems they face. It may be
fungus from continuing to spread.
too late to notice this year, but next year, keep an eye
The visual symptoms of bacterial leaf scorch and oak on your oaks (especially the red oaks)! If you notice
wilt can be difficult to tell apart since both manifest leaf scorch or if your oaks are dropping their leaves
as scorched leaves. The most prominent difference early, read up on these two diseases of oaks (http://
is the timing of scorch development. Oak wilt will www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/forest/njfs_forest_
affect the majority of the crown, causing leaves to health. html). There are cultural things you can do
scorch and both green and scorched leaves will fall to slow the progression of bacterial leaf scorch, such
in July. Scorching caused by bacterial leaf scorch as watering through drought times, and pruning out
affects individual branches or sections of the crown infested branches. Although there is no cure for oak
and tends to appear in mid to late August and into wilt, eradication is most feasible when detected and
September.These trees will hold onto scorched leaves managed early.
longer. However, timing of leaf discoloration can vary,
For more information on oak wilt, please contact the
creating overlap between oak wilt and bacterial leaf
New Jersey Forest Service, Forest Health Program
scorch symptoms. A red oak tree with oak wilt can
at foresthealth@dep.nj.gov. If you suspect that you
scorch, drop all leaves, and die in a matter of weeks or
may have oak wilt on your property, please contact
months. Trees in the white oak group can tolerate the
the New Jersey Department of Agriculture at
oak wilt fungus for several years. Trees can be infected
(609) 406-6939.
An example of a thinning live crown which is indicative of Oak wilt
2017 New Jersey Tree Farmer
of the Year Winner
Pete Buist
of the Morford Conservation Company
Pete Buist receives the Tree Farmer of the Year Award. (second
from right).To his right Ridge and Valley Forest Consultants
Andrew Bennett and Dylon Borger (left to right).
Morford Conservation Company is located off Peter, a retired Alaskan forester, enjoys spending a
Sand Pond Road in Vernon Township, New Jersey. few months of the year back in his home state
The 191 acre private woodlot contains Sand of New Jersey. Mr. Buist’s family history in Sussex
Pond which is roughly 45 acres in size. They have County dates back to Pre-American Revolution.
participated in the Farmland Assessment Program He is graduate of SUNY Environmental School of
since 1990. The property has been managed by Forestry in New York. He retired from the Alaska
Ridge and Valley Forest Management Services Division of Forestry in 2004 and began spending
since their enrollment into the program. In 2015 winters on the Morford property in Vernon
and 2016, President Peter Buist along with New Township, New Jersey. Peter has an Alaska Master
Jersey Approved Foresters Andrew Bennett and Hunting license and has outfitted hunting trips for
Dylon Borger, successfully implemented a 30 more than 30 years. He incorporates his passion
acre commercial timber harvest which yielded and knowledge of habitat management into his
roughly 50 thousand board feet of sawtimber forestry goals.
and 25 cords of firewood. According to Borger,
“Peter understands forestry and was very open His management is geared towards improving the
to our management practices. His professional health and vigor of the forest via silviculture while
experience as a forester enhanced the success of enhancing wildlife habitat specifically for whitetailed
the operation.” deer and turkey. In addition, the woodlot provides
shareholders, also living on the property, a
sustainable source of firewood. They also manage
and enjoy the sweets of a small sugar bush.
7
Women and Their Woods;
A FORESTRY INITIATIVE TAILORED FOR WOMEN
Forestry has long been considered a male control methods, conservation and cost-sharing
dominated field. Increasingly today more women opportunities, and estate planning. Educational
are becoming engaged as land stewards on their retreats feature workshops led by professionals
own private woodlots. The Women and Their that can assist landowners with proper land care
Woods Program is an interactive and educational objectives, connect with the next generation of
endeavor that seeks to provide women, who are stewards, and provide useful information regarding
responsible for private woodlands, the skills and monetary funding opportunities specific to the
tools to meet the challenges of managing forestland landowner’s resident state.
in an ecologically sustainable manner. Attendance
to regional events throughout the year, biennial In 2008, The Delaware Highlands Conservancy
retreats, and networking opportunities are some of keenly recognized a need for programs tailored to
the perks for participants in this program developed women. With the support of the US Forest Service,
by Delaware Highlands Conservancy in Hawley, Pa. an educational program was offered for women
Currently, the program has a membership made landowners in northeast Pennsylvania. This event
up predominately of residents of Pennsylvania and was held at Grey Towers Historical Site in Milford,
New York. Increasing their membership to include Pa. The success of this first meeting largely inspired
forest landowners from New Jersey would broaden the birth of the Women and Their Woods program.
the geographical scope of the program. Participants began to see the value of meeting
multiple times throughout the year.
Past regional program topics for participants
included private land forestry goals and objective The informal nature of these meetings coupled
setting, invasive species identification and with the immense educational opportunities
Continued on next page...
Women forest landowners from NJ, PA, and NY learn about tree identification from Sarah Hall-Bagdonas of the Northern
Tier Hardwoods Association, one of the many expert speakers at the Women and Their Woods retreats.
10
Women and Their Woods provides a peer-learning network of knowledgeable landowners.
Continued previous page
encouraged a valuable networking system
within the program. Mentorships play a key role
in their growth and expansion. Amanda Subjin,
Conservation Programs Team Lead with the
Delaware Highlands Conservancy, shared that
she is most surprised by, “the draw of people
and contacts throughout the mid-Atlantic states
and its outliers.” In addition to the landowner
constituent, the Women and Their Woods
program welcomes forest consultants, land
use organizations, and other interested entities
to support their endeavors. With education
being the key component, forest landowners,
particularly women new to forest stewardship,
can recognize themselves as an integral piece
to the health and vitality of our regional forest
landscapes.
9Northern Forest Futures Project
It is vital for natural resource managers of all kinds to
have as much insight into predicted ecological trends as
possible. It is fair to say that most forest practitioners
conduct their daily management work within a limited
geographic area. For professional foresters, knowing your
region fosters an invaluable relationship between the
forest resource and owner’s objectives. It also enables
the forester to witness what is affecting management
outcomes in a real-time fashion. However sometimes
a silvicultural management decision that is considered
responsible today could become regrettable in the
lifetime of a newly regenerated forest. Until recently,
foresters have had a limited ability to mitigate such
decisions. of future climate change to presence of newly emerging
nonnative invasive vegetative species that occupy growing
U.S. Forest Service’s Northern Forest Research Station space and have the ability to augment surrounding soil
believes, “The Northern Forest Futures Project is a chemistry.
window on tomorrow’s forests, revealing how today’s
trends and choices can change the future landscape of Researchers are hopeful that this project has the potential
the Northeast and Midwest. Using the latest inventory to help assure responsible and sustainable decisions made
data and scientific projections, the Northern Forest now will remain sound in the eyes of the resource managers
Futures Project helps visualize what’s here today 50 to 100 years from now. For example, the project makes
and what to expect tomorrow.” This is of upmost predictions regarding the migration of certain tree species, in
importance, especially now. More than ever before, unmanaged forest scenarios, under varying climate conditions.
modern day foresters are managing limited areas. Sugar maple, as we know, is relatively close to the southernmost
They have to work within the constraints of variable terminus of its ecological range. Anecdotally, this species
stakeholder interests and are dealing with an array of is extremely successful at establishing and releasing within
ecological stressors. Stressors can range from impacts forests of northern New Jersey via uneven aged silvicultural
Continued on next pageContinued previous page
techniques like Single Tree Selection. Given this, predictions
made Continued on next page by the project will likely
be counter-intuitive to many, regardless of how logical the
science is.
Unfortunately, as resource managers we need to ask The Northern Forest
the hard question, “Will sugar maple be here in 2075?”
According to certain models imbedded in this project, the Futures Project is a
answer is “No.” Ongoing warming trends will force the
migration of sugar maple further northward out of New window on tomorrow’s
Jersey entirely. This has its implications for management
geared towards natural regeneration success. It should forests, revealing how
leave one contemplating whether silvicultural prescriptions
should be aimed at sugar maple recruitment or is there today’s trends and
another technique that could assist with recruitment of a
different species that could be expected to survive through choices can change the
predicted climatic shifts. This is just one example, using
one tree species. There are substantially greater uses and future landscape of the
implications for this recently published research.
Northeast and Midwest.
Forest management of public land in New Jersey is essential
and requires consideration of all known variables. U.S. Using the latest
Forest Service stated, “Large-scale, strategic analyses of
future conditions can help focus attention on improving the
inventory data and
resiliency, health, and diversity of northern forests, making
them more economically, socially, and ecologically sustainable
and able to continue supporting the quality of life for the
scientific projections,
125 million people who live in the region now, as well an
additional 15 to 50 million people expected by 2060.”
the Northern Forest
Beyond the publication, the Northern Forest Research
Station has created a toolbox of user friendly models Futures Project helps
that allow you to plug in known variables under different
scenarios. The predicted outcomes will most certainly visualize what’s here
help New Jersey Forest Service develop prescriptions for
their Forest Stewardship Plans and management activities today and what to
moving forward..
expect tomorrow.
11Wilson Lake Memorial Park
By:Warren Carr, Esquire and Robert Williams, Forester
Wilson Lake Memorial Park, Inc. was selected by of Williamstown, New Jersey. Each of the four churches
the New Jersey Forest Service and the New Jersey were named as beneficiaries “FOR THE BENEFIT OF”.
Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee as the
Outstanding Steward of the Year for 2016-2017. Wilson The property originally consisted of nearly 1,000 acres
Lake Memorial Park is a small woodland of 67.90 acres of land and nearly 80 acres of lake owned by the Wilson
located on Wilson Lake within the Borough of Clayton, family consisting of Seymour Wilson and Mae Wilson.
Gloucester County, New Jersey. The Trust was managed by National Bank and Trust
Company of Gloucester County and ultimately, as a
Wilson Lake Memorial Park began on August 7, 1980 result of litigation in the Superior Court of New Jersey,
with the filing of a Certificate of Incorporation known the property was conveyed to Wilson Lake Memorial
as Wilson Lake Memorial Park, Inc. The property began Park, Inc. All but 67.90 acres of land situated on the
from the Estate of George H. Wilson, deceased who easterly side of the lake were sold and the funds from
left a Last Will and Testament and a Trust for the benefit the sale deposited with that same bank as a Trust for the
of his sister, Mae, and four churches as follows: First management, maintenance, and upkeep of a memorial
United Methodist Church of Clayton, New Jersey, First park dedicated to the benefit of the four churches.
Presbyterian Church of Clayton, New Jersey, Downer
Continued on next page
United Methodist Church, and First Presbyterian Church
Atlantic white cedar regeneration above. Soccer field planted with pine below.Continued previous page
Thereafter, the four churches organized their corporation
with each church having one representative with an
individual vote. The first project that was constructed
was a church pavilion and a change house facility for both
men and women. A road was cut through, power was
installed, and finally Wilson Lake Memorial Park became
a reality for the benefit of the four churches. Later, a
ranch house was built with an office to accommodate
the meetings of the organization and record keeping. From left to right, John Phillips, Board Member, Shirley Mellish, Board Member,Warren Carr,
The ranch house is occupied by a Ranger who lives on General Counsel, Chrystal Ingold, Pool Director, Roy Bradshaw, Park Ranger
the property. Next came a Junior Olympic swimming
pool which was built approximately 25 years ago and health and vigor of the upland oak stands. Along with
provides swimming for the benefit of the four churches this came the concern to keep an aesthetically-pleasing
limited to members of the churches and their respective forest cover for the entrance and the compound as a
guests. The pool is operated by a licensed pool director whole. Near the entrance, there was a seven-acre field
and lifeguards. used by the Borough of Clayton for soccer sports. Over
the years, stewardship has been the primary goal for
During the course of all of this, and most important of this small patch of forest that sits in the middle of over
all to the Forestry Program, is that we have retained 1,000 acres of public park lands. In 2013, the seven-
the annual services of a noteworthy Forester, Robert acre soccer field was planted with loblolly pine to allow
Williams, who has guided Wilson Lake Memorial the field area to also become part of the forest. The
Park for many years in the development of a forest municipality now has its own soccer field and no longer
program which we are very proud of. Bob has annually needed Wilson Lake’s field.
selected areas of the property for development and
redevelopment of trees and most recently, within the Throughout the years, there has been an ongoing
last five years, we planted approximately seven acres effort to improve and care for the Atlantic white cedar
of loblolly pines across part of our regeneration. This effort includes cedar
frontage. While the pool facility salvage harvesting, oak selection harvesting,
is open to members only of the “The forest precommercial stand improvement work,
four churches, we have had groups
visiting our forest over many years management activities as well as replanting. This effort has yielded
many cords of firewood as well as several
by invitation and by request for those were designed to thousand board feet of cedar and oak
who would like to see and understand
how a forest could be managed. restore Atlantic white timber.
cedar trees and The landowners have participated in
The group initiated their forest the former Forest Land Enhancement
management program late in improve the health Program (FLEP) and were able to plan a
1992. Their forest, like all forests and vigor of the deer fence around their Atlantic white
throughout southern New Jersey, cedar restoration efforts. Being within
had been periodically harvested for upland oak stands.” a county parkland presents significant
forest products since early colonial concerns from an over population of deer
settlement in this region. The forest that browse young tree seedlings.
is primarily an upland, mixed-species
oak forest type and an Atlantic white Our forest program has won the rather exalted awards
cedar swamp. The Atlantic white cedar swamp had of Forest of the Year Award twice up to this date.
been burned over in the 1960’s and was turning into a Wilson Lake Memorial Park is very proud of the fact
younger stand of red maple which has, and continues to that we were able to win this through the direction of
occur, throughout most cedar swamps across southern our Forester, Robert Williams.
New Jersey.
In 2008 the property was presented with the Outstanding
The forest management activities were designed to Tree Farm Award by the American Forest Foundation’s
restore Atlantic white cedar trees and improve the 13 Tree Farm Program “for their services”.Walkill River
Watershed
Management Group;
REFORESTING CRITICAL
RIPARIAN ZONES
The Walkill River Watershed Management Group
works tirelessly to enhance ecologically vital
riparian corridors throughout the northern most
reaches of New Jersey. For more than fifteen
years, under the leadership of Watershed Director
Nathaniel Sajdak the group and its coalition
partners have implemented some of the most
tremendous restoration projects in the region.
Simultaneously, this small yet incredibly efficient,
talented group of individuals have provided
outreach and education to a wide cross section
of the public about the importance of responsible
stewardship. Eric VanBenschoten (Agricultural
Outreach Specialist & Watershed Technician) Nathaniel Sajdak talks tree planting with students and members of the
and Kristine Rogers (Watershed Education and Stillwater Environmental Commission on December 1, 2017.
Outreach Specialist) are responsible for the day to
day tasks of the organization and over the years,
have obtained an intimate knowledge of some of
the most environmentally critical tracts of Walkill
Watershed’s privately owned lands.
such as reed canary grass replaced cattail and
Over the past several decades land use changes barberry replaced northern spicebush fostering
and an influx of non-native invasive species have site conditions that disallowed establishment of
taken its toll on the landscape. One could argue natural tree regeneration. Site condition challenges
that the land most negatively impacted by these became further complicated by pressure exuded by
fluctuations are the riparian zones of critical water white-tailed deer herbivory and periodic flooding.
bodies like Walkill River, Paulinskill River, Papakating The Walkill River Watershed Management Group
Creek, and Clove Brook just to name a few. and its partners quickly realized one of the most
Historically, traditional agricultural land owners effective mitigation methods to restore riparian
farmed and even tilled right up to the edges of integrity and habitat would be to begin planting
water bodies. Over time many of these fields native trees and shrubs along the banks of these
have been abandoned and left fallow. Species waterways.
Continued on next page
14Ridge and Valley Charter
school students Ellie
Napolitano and Aurora
Trussell work together to
plant one of many trees
along the Paulinskill River
in Stillwater, NJ.
Continued previous page
The Walkill River Watershed Management Group
“When forest consultants
learned that theory versus application were very and The Walkill River
different from one another. When asked about the
most difficult tree planting obstacles the group Watershed Management
had to learn how to overcome, VanBenschoten
explained, “If you can’t protect it, don’t plant it,” Group work
gleaning through trial and error that after deer
browsing, field rodents can severely damage the
together, we are able to
lower stem and roots of newly planted trees. Of leverage extended
the species they plant, red and silver maple along
with sycamore seem to perform the best in terms conservation partnerships
of crown growth and expansion, growing quickly.
River birch, grey birch, alders, and pussy willow
that support landowner
are appropriate and have success in bottomland management objectives.
riparian zones. Cutting shrubs back to single stem
has proven to be an effective technique for the Forest landowners
overall health and vigor of the plant. If you’ve had
tree planting challenges on your property or as a benefit the most.”
Continued on next page
15Continued previous page
professional it is likely The Walkill River Watershed Environmental Commission, 26 middle school
Management Group has experienced it too. students from Ridge and Valley Charter School in
Oftentimes, the greatest challenges are legal and Blairstown helped to plant trees along a section
political in nature. For instance, many of the most of the Paulinskill River in Stillwater Township. This
critical remaining stretches of un-restored river in was the second planting experience for Ridge and
Sussex and Warren Counties occur on Farmland Valley students in an 18 month period resulting in
Preserve lands. The Walkill River Watershed the successful installation of 369 native and locally
Management Group team is very interested in represented floodplain trees. As the management
seeing preservation areas become eligible for this group’s Outreach Specialist, Kristine Rogers
work. is dedicated to the facilitation of many school
volunteer opportunities in the region.
The Walkill River Watershed Management Group
values to a great extent the many organizations The Walkill River Watershed Management Group
that participate in furthering their mission. also hopes to continue to foster important
Over the years they have worked with regional affiliations with consulting foresters in the
nonprofits, federal agencies such as Americore, northern region. There is a great deal of respect
and local residents to name just a few. They for the existing restoration work taking place in
have formed relationships with entities on the the watershed areas on both public and private
municipal level as well. Their collaboration with lands. Nathaniel Sajdak shared, “When forest
Stillwater Township Environmental Commission consultants and The Walkill River Watershed
in Sussex County is an exemplar in the northern Management Group work together, we are able
New Jersey region. The reciprocal nature of their to leverage extended conservation partnerships
work together is evident not only on the ground, that support landowner management objectives.
but it promulgates the mission further out to Forest landowners benefit the most.”
adjacent communities. On a recent December day,
Nathaniel Sajdak and the Walkill River Watershed The Walkill River Watershed Management
Management Group hosted their hardest working Group’s mission is to ‘undertake basic watershed
volunteers, students, at a tree planting day in information research, utilize sound scientific
Stillwater Township. In addition to the Stillwater principles, and develop and implement watershed
management plans and initiatives for the purpose
of promoting the restoration, maintenance, and
enhancement of Sussex County’s surface water
quality and general environmental health while
concurrently providing community outreach, public
education, and advocating active stewardship by all
members of the County.’ More information about
The Walkill River Watershed Management Group
can be found at http://www.wallkillriver.org.
16The Spotted Lanternfly
AN INVASIVE SPECIES NOW
IN NEW JERSEY
The spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula is a colorful
plant hopper that made its way into Pennsylvania in 2014,
making it the first North American detection of this insect.
The spotted lanternfly is native to China, India, Japan, and
Vietnam. Its likely pathway into the United States was
through the importation of spotted lanternfly egg masses
that hitchhiked on ornamental rocks and stones.
Egg mass
The spotted lanternfly can be identified by its colorful Richard Gardner , Bugwood.org
appearance. The nymph stages are black with white
spots, then progress to bright red with white spots. As
an adult planthopper it is one inch long and half and inch
wide, with a reddish/ orange underwing that can be seen
when the insect is in flight. The spotted lanternfly has
an aggregation behavior, so it is common to see many
spotted lanternfly on a single host plant, or swarms in
a single area. They feed with their piercing and sucking
mouthparts, causing weeping wounds, or a drippy, wet
appearance on the bark. In addition, the insect excretes a
honeydew liquid that causes sooty mold, fungal mats, and
a fermented yeasty odor to occur on and around its host.
The spotted lanternfly uses over 70 different hosts,
ranging from trees, vegetables, herbs, and vines. However,
Continued on next page
Egg mass and larve on a Ailanthus altissima, tree-of-heaven
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture , Bugwood.org
Spotted lanternfly adult Damage on a Ailanthus altissima, tree-of-heaven
Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture , Bugwood.org Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture , Bugwood.orgContinued previous page
its most preferred hosts are hops, grapes, and tree of
heaven, ailanthus. It is believed the spotted lanternfly feeds
on ailanthus to obtain toxic metabolites that make them
unpalatable to predators. However, it does not appear to
--
have a negative impact on ailanthus.
USDA
When the spotted lanternfly was first detected in
Pennsylvania, it was thought the insect was primarily an
agricultural pest, impacting grapes and other fruit trees
and plants. Not only did they stress the fruit trees and
plants by consuming the sap from the stems, but they also
excret the honeydew causing sooty mold to develop on
the maturing fruits, making them unmarketable. In addition,
farms that used pesticides as a means to control spotted
lanternfly were finding dead spotted lanternfly insects
in their fruit harvests. This was particularly an issue with
What to do:
Spotted lanternfiy
grapes, as it is difficult to see the dead spotted lanternfly If you see egg masses, scrape them off, double bag and throw away.
insects in between the grape bunches. In Korea, where You can also place the eggs into alcohol, bleach or hand sanitizer to kill them.
CollectHowever, in 2017, tree dieback caused by spotted
spotted lanternfly was introduced and is found causing a specimen:
lanternfly
Specimens of anywas observed
life stage in Pennsylvania.
can be turned Tree Department
in to the New Jersey species of
detrimental impacts to their grape industry, they hand Agriculture's lab for verification.
such as black walnut and maples had signs of flagging
wrap each grape bunch in a protective bag, then remove Take a picture:
Withandyourbranch dieback.
GPS function It isonpredicted
turned that continual
your smartphone spotted
or a camera with GPS,
the protective bag when the fruit is ready for harvest. take a photograph of ANY life stage (including egg masses)
lanternfly feeding on these trees will eventually cause tree
This greatly increases the amount of labor required to Submit picture to: SLF-plantindustry@ag.nj.gov
mortality, creating a negative impact on the numerous
maintain marketable grapes. Report a site:
host
If you tree
can't takespecies, affecting
a specimen forest health
or photograph, call andand the
leave timberyour
detailing
industry.
sighting and contact information
Treatments around the base of the tree is one way to help stop this pest. NJ Spotted Lanternfly Hotline at 1-833-223-2840 (BADBUG0)
Spotted lanternfly populations have been found in New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, with incidental records (only
dead adults found) in Delaware and New York. Intensive
summer surveys are scheduled to obtain a better grasp
on the distribution and establishment of spotted lanternfly
within the state.
Please contact the New Jersey Department of
Agriculture if you see or find spotted lanternfly in New
Jersey. Either call the spotted lanternfly hotline at (833)
2232840 (BADBUG0) and leave a message detailing your
sighting and contact information, take a picture and email
it to SLF-plantindustry@ag.nj.gov, or collect a sample and
submit to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture for
identification.
For more information on spotted lanternfly please
visit www.state.nj.us/agriculture/news/hottopics/approved/
topics180305.html or www.agriculture.pa.gov/Plants_Land_
Water/PlantIndustry/Entomology/spotted_lanternfly/Pages/
default.aspx.NEW JERSEY FOREST STEWARDSHIP
PROGRAM TURNS ONE YEAR OLD
After many years of rule writing, regeneration or native colonization
stakeholder meetings, revisions of understory plants) won’t be in
and more rule writing, the Forest jeopardy of total failure. What this
Stewardship Program regulations means with respect to Farmland
were adopted on December Assessment is that the landowner
18, 2017. A few early adopter can implement activities according
landowners, approved foresters to the plan for a few years while
and the New Jersey Forest Service not generating income but still
worked together to develop their qualify for Farmland Assessment.
template for the new minimum Landowners can then perform
plan criteria according to N.J.A.C. the harvest when conditions are
7:3-5. There are almost 200 forest favorable.
stewardship plans successfully
prepared and approved covering Landowners who have an
over 9,600 acres of woodland approved Forest Stewardship
statewide since adoption, with Program prior to January 1, 2019
more being submitted every day. do not need to generate income in
2019 for Farmland Assessment but
According to landowner’s goals, do need to follow their approved
approved foresters are prescribing plan. Landowners new to having
activities that didn’t previously a woodland management or
generate income, Active Devotion, Forest Stewarship Program still
for farmland assessment and need to participate for two full
landowners are now implementing them to reach their calendar years before they qualify for Farmland Assessment
target forests. Many of the activities include thinning high regardless of the need for income.
density stands of value challenged trees and chemical or
mechanical removal of understory and/or non-native The New Jersey Forest Service and the New Jersey Forestry
invasive vegetation that creates a fuel ladder, hinders Association held a series of training sessions about Farmland
natural regeneration, and is not preferred wildlife habitat. Assessment for woodland owners throughout the State
The planting of trees to establish a forest on open ground in late summer and fall of 2018. Over 200 landowners
or in poorly stocked forest stands is also being prescribed. participated and anticipate additional training for 2019.
These activities typically are a cost to the landowner The New Jersey Forest Service, Division of Taxation, and
and do not generate income, but now under the Forest Department of Agriculture held two training seminars for
Stewardship Program regulations and forthcoming posting tax assessors in northern and southern New Jersey about
and adoption of the Division of Taxation regulation N.J.A.C. the programs in 2018 and will hold two training seminars
18:15 will qualify the landowner for Farmland Assessment. in 2019 as well.
Woodland owners and approved foresters who want The New Jersey Forest Service will continue to provide
to prescribe a harvest but are concerned that certain information to landowners as the program progresses. As
invasive species present will expand following a harvest, new participants are approved they receive a Stewardship
can now control or eradicate those species, along with sign, which is the new design selected by the US Forest
other activities, for a few years until they are reasonably Service. Look for them across the landscape. If you have
confident the desired harvest and corresponding any questions about the new Forest Stewardship Program
postharvest activities (such as the establishment of natural please contact the New Jersey Forest Service or your
approved forester for more information..
19NEW JERSEY INVASIVE SPECIES STRIKE TEAM
Jetbead WWW.NJISST.ORG
Family Name:
Rosaceae - Rose family
Native Range: Japan
Latin Name: Rhodotyposscandens
NJ Status: Emerging Stage 2 –
Uncommon (may be regionally
common or abundant). Highly
threatening to native communities.
Description:
• Deciduous shrub
• Clumping, multi-stemmed
• Grows to a height of 6’ and width of 7’
Leaves:
• Opposite and simple, 2.5” - 4” long
• Bright green
• Doubly toothed, with a rough appearance
• Ribbed veins with a long pointed tip
• Persist into fall, obvious lime green color
Flowers:
• White, large four petaled flowers
• 4 large toothed sepals
• Blooms April - early June
Fruit:
• Cluster of four black bead-like fruits
• Single seeded fruits
• Immature fruits are dark, reddish orange
• Appearing midsummer; ripening
September - December
Habitat:
• Meadows, roadsides, forest,
edges, landscape
• Prefers full sun but can grow in full shade
• Tolerates a wide range of soils and
conditions, including salt and pollution
Look-alike:
Linden viburnum (Viburnum dilatatum)
• Invasive shrub/small tree
• Shallowly toothed leaves
• Fuzzy leaves & stems
• Bright red berries
Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum)
• Native woodland shrub
• Leaves more deeply toothed
• Round, dark blue fruits,
occurring in clustersEditor’s Log | Tree Feature
Article by Kristen Caggiano
Sycamore, Platanus occidentalis,
grows abundantly throughout most of
New Jersey but is nearly nonexistent in the
Pinelands. It is often infected by anthracnose,
a fungal disease. If healthy, this tree has the
potential to grow to one of the largest
deciduous trees in the eastern United
States. NJ Forest Service’s Champion Big
Tree Register includes a sycamore tree in
Hardwick Township (Warren County) that
Characteristics
is over 100 feet tall and greater than 26 *Cer tain information directly obtained from DEP’s Trees of NJ publication
feet in circumference. In the Village of Hope by Christopher T. Mar tine
(Warren County), George Washington
rested in the shade of a sycamore treewhile Size
traveling north to New York State in July of Large tree, 75 to 100 feet tall by 2 to15 feet in diameter.
1782. That tree is still alive today. Max. 112 ft. tall x 26 ft. circumference, NJ ‘s Champion Tree
Shape
Other common names include:
Upright pyramid
Buttonwood, American planetree, button-
ball tree Leaves
• Maine to Ontario and Minnesota Deciduous, alternate, 4-9 inches wide and 3-5 inches long,
south to Florida and Texas palmate and toothed, veined and star-shaped. Typically, leaves
• Grows on rich bottomlands and along have 3-5 lobes. Petioles may reach up to 4.5 inches long.
banks of rivers and streams
• Excellent for wood carving projects Twigs
• Used as veneer and to build boxes, Zigzagged and stout, green and fuzzy when young,
crates, and particle board becoming shiny yellow-orange-brown; with large nodes
• Major pioneer species of large river and small pale lenticels; terminal bud absent, laterals large,
floodplains shiny reddish brown, single scale visible.
Native Americans Uses: Flowers
Sycamore was commonly used to build dugout Monoecious, not showy; male dark red, in axils of leaves along
canoes. The inner bark has medicinal qualities. Tea stem; female red tinged, at tips of twigs; appear with leaves.
made from the bark was used internally for treating
common colds, coughs, tuberculosis, dysentery,
measles, and many other ailments. Fruit
Single ball of multiple, hairy fruits; one inch in diameter,
Colonists and Pioneers Uses: light brown when ripened in September or October; on
Early uses included barber poles, wooden washing slender glabrous 3-6 inch stems.
devices, pails, piano cases, and protective boxes.
Similar to Native Americans, early settlers also valued
sycamore for its medicinal properties. Like sugar Bark
maple, sycamore sap was reduced to sweet syrup. Thin, reddish brown and exfoliating in rounded plate-
This sap was sometimes later fermented into wine. like scales, exposing large irregular patches of white, pale
yellow, or greenish innter bark, lower trunks of older trees
Current Uses: becoming light grayish and broken into small, oblong,
The wood from sycamore is commonly used in
furniture, lumber, and in specialty wood products appressed scales.
like butcher blocks. It is also milled as interior trim
and flooring or further processed into particleboard, Wood
plywood, or paper products. Average dried weight is 34 lbs/ft. Sapwood is white to
light tan, heartwood is reddish brown. Distinct ray flecks
Value to Wildlife: noticeable on quartersawn surfaces. Small to medium
Sycamore seeds are eaten by purple finch, goldfinch,
chickadees, and dark-eyed junco as well as by
pores are numerous and tyloses are occasionally present.
muskrat, beaver, and squirrels. Dead and dying large Not considered decay resistant and very susceptible to
diameter trees provide cavity habitat for a gamut of insect infestation.
wildlife such as Barred Owl. Some cavities are large
enough to be bear dens. Bottom land Sycamore Hardiness Zones Photos from top:
Leaves by Ryan Armbrust,
may offer shelter to Wood Duck, waterfowl, upland USDA 4B through 9A. Twig by David J. Moorhead
game birds and deer. Bark by T. Davis Sydnor
Fruit by Brett Marshall2019 Backyard Forestry
Calendar of Events in 90 Minutes
Free Program
Sponsored by: Rutgers Cooperative
Extension, New Jersey Forest Service,
New Jersey Forestry Association
Farmland Assessment deadline August 1st, 2019 Held Monthly every Thursday
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Wild Expo At Forest Resource Education Center (FREC)
495 Don Connor Blvd Jackson, NJ 08527
September 7 & 8, 2019 - Saturday & Sunday Contact: Lori Jenssen, njfalorij@aol.com
Colliers Mills WMA, Jackson Township
Contact: Matt Hencheck, matthew.hencheck@dep.nj.gov To register visit:
www.njforestry.org/mybackyard
Fall Forestry Festival
Upcoming Topics:
October 5, 2019 - Saturday
Forest Resource Education Center, Jackson, NJ July 11, 2019
Raptors of the Woods
Spirit of the Jerseys State History Fair
September 14, 2019 (Raindate September 15) August 8, 2019
Lichens
Monmouth Battlefield State Park, Manalapan, N.J.
September 12, 2019
Woodland Stewards Training Cranberries or Fire
October TBD - Thursday-Sunday
Camp Linwood MacDonald, Sandyston, NJ October 10, 2019
Big Trees
Contact: Lori Jenssen, info@njforestry.org
November 14, 2019
Tax Day April 15, 2020 Cranberries or Fire
December 12, 2019
State Lands ManagementYou can also read
