Cicadas Active in Virginia

In Virginia both the 17 and 13-year cicadas are active, and have drawn lots of notice from citizens. Cicadas are not poisonous and do not have a stinger, but the emerging cicadas create a substantial noise. The insects damage many ornamental and hardwood trees. Heavily infested areas reveal cicadas on just about any type of plant. Halifax and Hanover counties experienced heavy cicada activity.
http://www.gazettevirginian.com/index.php/news/34-news/3120-cicadas-plague-halifax-county-residents

Purple Prisms Pluck Pests

The large, purple triangle-shaped objects you may have seen hanging in a tree are part of the 2011 Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) survey. This year, the survey has expanded significantly. More than 5,500 traps have been deployed statewide. With one trap placed per 2x2 mile grid area, you’ll probably see one soon.

The traps are especially useful for revealing new infestations that would otherwise remain undetected. This year, a large swath of central, southern and western Virginia forms the trapping grid. The 14" wide by 24" long traps are baited with natural plant oil attractant and covered with a non-toxic glue to catch the insects.

The EAB larvae kill ash trees by feeding on the inner bark and disrupting the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients. EAB was introduced accidentally into the United States and was first detected in Michigan in 2002. The first EAB detection in Virginia occurred in Fairfax County in 2003. Subsequent detections at multiple sites in 2008 resulted in the establishment of a quarantine for more than 10 northern Virginia counties and independent cities. The quarantine is an effort to slow the spread of this destructive beetle by restricting the movement of articles capable of transporting EAB.

Find additional information about the EAB at http://www.emeraldashborer.info/.  Additional information regarding specific trap locations can be obtained by calling Delta-21 Resources, Inc. at 877.207.9406.

Restoration American Chestnuts Planted in Virginia

The Virginia Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF), a conservation nonprofit, planted over 600 of its most advanced, potentially blight-resistant American chestnut trees at the Georgia-Pacific Big Island, VA mill just northwest of Lynchburg, today. TACF’s partnership with Georgia Pacific is part of a project funded through the Sustainable Forestry Initiative^® (SFI^®) conservation grant program.

“The Virginia Chapter’s partnership with both Georgia Pacific and SFI represents giant step in our chestnut restoration program. We are now testing and evaluating these trees, which are the result of more than 30 years of scientific research, for blight resistance and American growth characteristics,” said Dr. John Scrivani, Virginia Chapter president. Assistance was provided by the Virginia Department of Forestry in preparing the site and raising the seedlings at its Augusta nursery. About 40 volunteers from the Foundation, Georgia-Pacific and the Lynchburg Tree Stewards turned out to help with the planting.

These plantings are part of an overall science program to test and evaluate the level of blight resistance and the growth characteristics of these American chestnut trees. TACF expects that landscape-level reintroduction of the potentially blight-resistant chestnuts could take another 75-100 years.

Estate Planning For The Future Of Your Land

More than 50 landowners and forestry professionals attended VDOF’s Tomorrow Woods estate planning workshop in Smithfield.

Attorney Julie King and Certified Public Accountant Becky McCoy covered essential estate planning and tax issues. Participants learned about current tax laws; selecting and organizing their business structure, and tips for a successful and efficient intergenerational transfer of their estate.   

A panel of landowners provided case studies of the estate and tax-planning process. Panel members Richard Carchman of Goochland County; Everette Prosise of Dinwiddie County, and Pickett Upshaw of King William County detailed their partnerships with VDOF. They described their conservation easements and the family communication challenges they faced.  The landowner panel permitted an open dialogue with the audience, allowing attendees to discuss the emotional side of the process, and their love for their family and their land.

Forestland conservation is an integral part of VDOF’s mission to protect and develop healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians. VDOF will continue to offer estate planning workshops for landowners. For more information, visit the VDOF website.

Rob Suydam, Forest Conservation Specialist

Predatory Beetles Released on the Channels State Forest

Researchers from Virginia Tech released 1,000 Laricobius nigrinus beetles into a stand of eastern hemlocks on the Channels State Forest. The tiny black beetles are known predators of the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA). Raised under controlled conditions at Virginia Tech, the beetles are part of an ongoing research project under the direction of Dr. Scott Salom. 

The hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) is a non-native invasive pest that is devastating eastern hemlock trees.  Since its introduction from Asia in the last century, the HWA has advanced throughout the range of the eastern hemlock, leaving a swath of dead and weakened trees in its path.  With a plentiful food source and no predators to slow it down, HWA has spread unchecked for decades. Chemical treatments can control HWA on an individual tree by tree basis; chemical control of HWA on a large-scale forest landscape is not practical.

Prior to its introduction in the eastern U.S., HWA was identified on western hemlocks in the Pacific Northwest. Western hemlocks have survived the HWA invasion much better than their eastern counterparts. The presence of predatory insects in the Pacific Northwest may limit populations of HWA.  From this comparison, it is generally accepted that the only effective means of saving our eastern hemlocks will be biological control.

Not much bigger than the bug that it eats, Laricobius nigrinus is a native of the Pacific Northwest.  And while it will feed on other species of adelgid, studies show that it prefers HWA.  Also, L. nigrinus is active during the winter months, which coincides with peak HWA activity. 

The slow-growing, shade-tolerant hemlocks provide crucial protection against erosion.  Hemlocks shroud and protect most of the cold streams that tumble down our mountains and provide increasingly rare habitat for native brook trout and many other species.  Multiple hemlock stands stretch along the numerous streams of the Channels State Forest. Over the next several years, the research team from Virginia Tech will monitor the selected hemlock stand to determine if the beetles are surviving, reproducing and having an effect on the HWA populations.  The tiny bug with a big name may provide an opportunity to save an important species.

Zach Olinger, Matthews State Forest

Furniture Retailer Continues to Donate Trees

Dulles-based retailer Belfort Furniture renewed its seedling donation program with the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF). Under the program, Belfort donates a tree seedling for every delivery it makes. These trees help restore our forests, beautify the landscape and help offset carbon dioxide emissions. Since 2007, the company has donated more than 100,000 tree seedlings to the citizens of Virginia.

“This season, shortleaf pine and second generation loblolly pine are available,” said Terry Lasher, assistant regional forester and manager of the program for VDOF. “Shortleaf pine is a native species that has diminished in Virginia, and loblolly pine is one of our most important economic species. So, Belfort’s seedling donation program helps both restore a species as well as support the supply of raw material for the furniture industry.”

Seedlings can be used for school programs, outreach programs and reforestation projects. The seedlings are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For ease of handling, minimum available quantity is 500. Interested landowners and groups should contact Terry Lasher.

According to the Belfort website, the company also recycles, on average, more than 3.75 tons of cardboard per month. For more information regarding Belfort Furniture and its community outreach and donation programs, visit belfortfurniture.com

Virginia Timber Sales Post Slight Increase

After two straight years of significant declines (a drop of 40 percent since 2006) in the value of timber harvested on their properties, forest landowners in the Commonwealth saw the value increase six-tenths of one percent last year, according to officials with the Virginia Department of Forestry.

“While it’s not anywhere near where we want it to be, we did see a turnaround in 2009,” said Carl Garrison, state forester of Virginia. “Landowners received more than $208 million last year – about $1.4 million more than in the year 2008. While it’s a far cry from the $347 million they received in 2006, we’re hopeful that the increases will continue.”

Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore said, “Governor McDonnell has tasked me with the job of sustaining and growing Virginia’s forest industry as part of his focus on economic development. While it is good news that Virginia’s private forest landowners are starting to see an increase in the market value of their products, we must continue to do all we can to support our highly valued, existing industry, which employs 144,000 Virginians. We must also work to attract new forest industry jobs to the Commonwealth, so that forestry continues to be a $27.5 billion economic engine for rural Virginia.”

Charles Becker, VDOF’s utilization and marketing manager, said, “Based on forest products tax receipts, the volume of both hardwoods and pines harvested in 2009 was the lowest in 34 years. There were 406 million board feet of pine and 529 million board feet of hardwood harvested last year. We haven’t seen totals like that since 1975. But it’s a good news/bad news thing. On the one hand, while pine harvests were down 17 percent from 2008 and hardwood harvests were down 19.5 percent during the same period, the total value landowners received for the timber harvested in 2009 actually increased six-tenths of one percent over the year before. So, Virginia’s forest landowners are seeing some better prices for their timber.”

Becker said an unfavorable economy; lower demand for wood products, and the closing of several mills in Virginia have contributed to the decline in the volume of timber harvested during the past couple of years.

Randy Bush, president of the Virginia Forest Products Association, noted that the majority of his association’s members report the current economic situation has been the most severe in their memories. “Normally, with most economic cycles, our industry is the ‘first one in’ and the ‘first one out’ of a recession,” he said. “This cycle has not been typical, however, and we have yet to see a significant movement out of the downturn, although some areas are showing a small improvement.”

Note: Attached is a spreadsheet that details by county and/or city the volumes harvested and the value of that harvest for 2009. The list is ordered by total harvest value – highest to lowest. MBF means thousand board feet. CDS means number of cords of wood. V is value in dollars.