Washington Tree Farm Program News

Summer 2018

Letter from Jenny Knoth co-chair

Message from the co-chair

This May we came together at the beautiful Sun Mountain Lodge for our Annual Awards Luncheon to recognize outstanding Tree Farmers and Tree Farm Inspectors. As John Henrikson noted in the last newsletter, it is no trivial matter to fulfill the requirements of certification. This year we awarded the Tree Farmer of the Year to the New Family, owners of the Nourse Tree Farm. You are invited to meet the family and learn more about their tree farm during an open house on July 21^st please find the details for this event below. In the meantime click here to see their tree farm.
I’d like to also congratulate the two other nominees; Michelle Morgan who owns HoJo’s Newaukum Tree Farm located near Onalaska and Dr. Peter Rinaldi owner of Mike’s Orchard and Big Timber Ranch located near Spokane. You can learn more about these fantastic tree farms through their stories and video tours. Join Michelle by clicking here and Peter by clicking here
Washington Tree Farm Program has 394,515 certified acres and 1040 active tree farms. Wow! This doesn’t happen without a dedicated cadre of volunteers and committed landowners. This year we recognized Tim Kyllo as the Inspector of the Year. I’d like to also recognize a special group of inspectors who have served the WTFP for over 30 years:
Jim Frost
Andy Perleberg
Brian Vrablick
Richard Woods
Tom Westergreen

Whether you have been a tree farmer or inspector for one day or 75 years, you are all part of the fabric of the Washington Tree Farm Program. It was great to become more acquainted with many of you who attended the event and who also participated in the Washington Farm Forestry Association’s Annual Meeting. I am proud to be a part of the tree farm community. You all have a great story to tell and no one knows it better than you. It’s no secret to timberland owners that our forests are integral to the high quality of life afforded by clean water, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities and contributions to the local economy.
Our mission is to recognize your well-constructed and executed management plans and to promote your tree farm story to the greater public. To do this, we need your help! Just like trees need a little help to grow best, WTFP needs active participants so we can do the best for you. There are several ways you can be an active participant in the WTFP: Send us your photos and tell us about what you are doing on your farm so we can highlight your work; Be part of the state committee by adding your talents and experience to the mix; Encourage your neighbors to become Tree Farm certified; Provide financial support through a one-time or annual donation. When we all provide a little, a lot can happen!

2018 Tree Farmer of the Year
Nourse Tree Farm, LLC

The Washington Tree Farm Program is proud to announce that the recipient of the 2018 Tree Farmer of the Year is the New family, owners of the Nourse Tree Farm, LLC. The award was presented at the Washington Farm and Forestry Association’s annual meeting.
The New family received American Tree Farm System certification of their 160-acre tree farm last year, although they actively managed their forestland seven years and have owned the land for 75 years. “To be honest, I was quite surprised to hear that I was receiving the Tree Farmer of the Year award,” said David New. “I thought there were people who have been doing this a lot longer than I have.”
David credits the Washington State University Extension Forestry program and the Washington Farm Forestry Association for helping the family develop forest management plan and fulfill their stewardship goals. In conjunction with the Snohomish Conservation District, the New family restored over 30 acres of fish habitat by planting conifers in the riparian area and reengineering the stream. One of the stream’s side channels had led into a grassy field, which resulted in the death of a number of spawning salmon.
“One of our many goals is restoring fish habitat,” said Ryan Williams, the program integration manager at the Snohomish Conservation District. “We’re here to help landowners improve the stewardship of their land.”
Because of these restoration efforts, the Nourse Tree Farm has served as an outdoor classroom for local school groups and WSU extension classes. The New family also donates firewood to a local church who distributes it to members in need.
“The New family’s commitment to be good stewards of their forestland and their desire to educate their community and share their story is why they deserve the Tree Farmer of the Year award,” said Jenny Knoth co-chair of the Washington Tree Farm Program. “Their management approach, which incorporates sustainable harvests, wildlife enhancement, and recreation, fulfills the spirt of being an American Tree Farm System-certified tree farmer.”

Welcome: 2017 newly certified Tree Farmers

Clallam County
John Warrick & Ruth Jenkins
Grays Harbor County
Morris & Nina Boyer
Bruce Bodey & Trudy Bendzak
Andrew and Joyce Watts
Lewis County
Bruce and Mary McDonald
Omroa Bhagwandin

Tribecca LLC
Norseman Timber Company LLC
Pacific County
Gerald and Deborah Bannish
Pierce County
Robert and Nancy Loiselle

New FORI Information

We heard you! Inspectors and landowners have been asking for a list of resources that can be easily found in one place. Check out the Landowner Resources page:

http://watreefarm.org/landowner-resources/
Thank you to Andrea Watts and Jon Matson for adding a collection of great Landowner Resources to the Tree Farm webpage. We want to especially highlight the FORI Tool developed by Inspector Nick Kunz.

The FORI Tool is a valuable resource to tree farmers and inspectors. We anticipate landowners will find the tool useful not only for answering the FORI question but also for providing a unique way to visualize their own tree farm in the context of the neighboring landscape. The last step of the FORI Tool is to leave your feedback or ask a question. You can find the feedback link in the tool; you get there by clicking or scrolling to the bottom navigation dot in the grey bar on the left. Can't find it? You can always ask at info@watreefarm.org

Don't see your favorite resource? Let us know about it.

Meet Your Local ATFS Inspector

Philip Hess

Tree farm inspectors are the heart of the American Tree Farm System. The time they spend visiting with landowners to conduct inspections or represent ATFS at events is all voluntary. Many of these inspectors have spent decades in the woods and enjoy sharing their lessons learned.

For our summer issue, we'd like to introduce you to Philip Hess. An inspector since 2000 for the East region, Philip owns his own consulting forestry business.

What do you enjoy best about being an inspector?
I enjoy meeting with family forest owners, walking their property with them and discussing their ownership objectives and what they have accomplished and have planned.

What do you find fascinating about trees?
Trees make up the dominant vegetation in the forest, which is in a continual state of change. I find it fascinating to observe that over time the trees grow, the canopy closes and the understory responds to variations in sunlight filtering through the canopy to the forest floor.

What are you hobbies, besides being out in the woods?
You'll find me skiing, drift boat fishing, hiking and exploring the out-of-the-way places in the northwest.

A Shout Out to Our Inspectors

The Washington Tree Farm Program is extremely fortunate to have a number of volunteer inspectors across the state who conduct our tree farm inspections. They provide the on-the-ground validation that is essential to the integrity of the American Tree Farm System, and their work with all of you—our Tree Farmers—inspires long lasting good forest management practices, which leads to healthier forests, improved habitat and water quality, and more reliable materials for market.

Last newsletter we recognized 18 inspectors who have volunteered with the program for over 15 years. Now we would like to recognize 30 inspectors who have volunteered 5 to 10 years.

Since 2004
Bill Berrigan
Charles Lorenz
Dennis Parent
Since 2005
Luke Machtolf
Since 2006
Hans Rudolf
Since 2007
John Hess
Orv Mowry
Lawson Starnes
Since 2008
Al Craney
Steve DeCook
Michael Jackson
Wesley Romberg
Ray Taipale
Thomas Terry
Kevin Zobrist

Since 2009
Jeff Berend
Douglas Bradetich
Since 2010
Garth Davis
Rick Kuykendall
Tim Kyllo
Van Smith
Since 2011
Randy Bartelt
Samantha Chang
Rick Hanson
Doug Hooks
Paul Kriegel
Ben Peterson
Paul Wagner
Since 2013
Bob Obedzinski
James Rochelle

Nourse Tree Farm Open House - Arlington - July 21st

You are invited to visit the 2018 Washington State Tree Farmer of the Year's tree farm on July 21st. The Nourse Family is co-sponsoring an Open House (1130 Stanwood Bryant Road, Arlington) with the WFFA, the Washington Tree Farm Program, the Snohomish County Conservation District, and WSU Extension Forestry from 10 am to 3pm. Come celebrate the Nourse Family's award, learn about their tree farm management which has included an extensive stream restoration project that involved re-creation of about 200 yards of stream channel and approximately 30 acres of stream bank restoration and share in their vision of what small forest landownership is all about.

Question: Do you have a story or picture to share?

Have you overcome a hurdle on your property or were surprised with an outcome that you would like to share? Do you have a picture of a unique tree or place on your property that you like to share? If so please share that with us here info@watreefarm.org .

2018 Fall Forestry Seminar

Plan to join us at the Pack Forest in Eatonville for the Fall Forestry Seminar September 22nd where we will explore Tree Farms in the Ecosystem: Options and Opportunities. It's no secret to timberland owners that our forests are integral to the high quality of life afforded by clean water wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities and contributions to the local economy. While we all share a common goal of sustainable forest management we don't all have the same management plan. What works on one tree may not be appropriate for another. This year's event will highlight several different management applications. We'll start the day with presentations about different silviculture systems, ground and cable system for meeting silviculture goals, methods for promoting wildlife, and developing recreational trail systems on your tree farm. The afternoon is dedicated to various field stops within the Pack Forest looking at different types of alternate harvest plans, treatments for wildlife and developing trail systems. Onsite overnight accommodations are available. Look for registration and lodging information on the Fall Forestry page of our website.

Spotlight on a Tree Farmer

The story of an alder patch, as told by stumps and generations,
by Dave Robbins

Two years ago I got involved with some alder - a totally
neglected,16 year old thicket of alder, maple, wild cherry, willow, and a
few doug firs. And a ground cover of 5 foot tall nettles.
The story of the land is told in the stumps: the old growth stumps on
this tract are massive, but they are fading. The only ones left are the
cedar and the fir that were full of pitch. Those stumps take me back to my
grandfather's generation: he was born in 1880. When those men were logging
this country in the early 1900's, they had no thought whatsoever that
timber might be a renewable resource. They could count rings as well as we
can, and they knew that taking out that 300 to 500 year old timber was a
one time extraction of a resource. They logged it and left it. Whatever
grew back was purely happenstance.
Then my Dad's generation: he was born in 1920 and pretty much had the
same mentality--to start with. He logged a fair bit in the 1960's and told
me they never thought of re-planting or pre-commercial thinning. There
wasn't a nickle left over to do that sort of stuff with. What dad did that
was amazing was to simply hang on during those lean decades. Paying the
annual property taxes was just huge, nearly backbreaking. Many a farm
didn't make it. During the 1930's, cut-over timberland was worth about
1$/acre, (if one could find a buyer...), and the property taxes were one
dollar per acre per year. So a lot of land reverted to county ownership
through tax default, and subsequently became DNR "County Trust Land".
So back to my alder patch: in year 2000 the owners decided to log it
off. The second growth stumps don't last. In ten to 20 years they have
melted. But the ones I see show it was a natural mix of doug fir, hemlock,
cedar, and maple. But the owners had already decided to sell the land. They
planted it back to doug fir (because the law required it...), and then they
put it on the market and never even looked at it again. It turned into an
uninviting mess of Himalaya blackberry and alder and maple, and the firs
were soon overwhelmed. As were any potential buyers.
Sixteen years later.... here comes old Davy. This tract has become my
mission, my purpose: I want to see this good land produce something useful,
and I thank the good Lord for every day I get to go there and thin, thin,
thin.
The final thought is this: we all tend to think and act within the
context of the times we live in, and the changes have been huge. It makes
one wonder... what will the next generation see and do?

Upcoming Events

Join us July 12th for our quarterly meeting noon at Washington Forest Protection Office. For more information please contact Elizabeth Ide at info@watreefarm.org
For other events please visit our webpage at: www.watreefarm.org

If you have questions, suggestions, or comments about this newsletter, please contact Elizabeth Ide at info@watreefarm.org or 360-602-1603.
If you have interest in volunteering with Washington Tree Farm Program's committee, please send a letter of interest/qualifications to the address below.
Washington Tree Farm Program
P.O. Box 1814
Olympia, WA 98507

Copyright © *If you have questions, suggestions, or comments about this newsletter, please contact Elizabeth Ide Email: info@watreefarm.org Phone: 360-602-1603.
If you have interest in volunteering with Washington Tree Farm Program's committee, please send a letter of interest/qualifications to the address below.
Washington Tree Farm Program
P.O. Box 1814
Olympia, WA 98507|CURRENT_YEAR|* Washington Tree Farm Program, All rights reserved.