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IFOA Newsletter
G. Kirk David, Editor
Copyright © 2015
Idaho Forest Owners Association
IDAHO FOREST OWNERS ASSOCIATION
Spring 2015
IFOA Newsletter
FFLC - Recipe for Enrichment!!
1) Begin with a schedule packed
with knowledgeable speakers
2) Blend in a large variety of informative vendor displays
3) Season with the spice of great raffle prizes, generous door prizes,
and the thrill of bidding for over
100 silent auction items
4) Finally, fold in over 230 dedicated
folks who love their land and forests… and you will experience
the full flavor of the 2015 Family
Forest Landowners & Managers
Conference & Exposition!
This year’s Conference,
which was again held at the very accommodating University Inn in
Moscow, Idaho, lived up to its title
of “Questions You Have & Answers
You Seek”. Well-qualified speakers
covered a great range of topics, including successful tree planting,
wildlife habitat improvement, landowner taxation issues, and more.
Landscape-scale grants and “Forest
Collaboratives” were explained.
Methods of documenting forest projects and the advantages of having
that information were discussed.
One information-packed session on
quaking aspen, and another about
all kinds of bees, were crowd favorites, and drawings for valuable door
prizes at the beginning of each session helped to keep presentations on
IN THIS ISSUE:
2015 FFL&MC&E
page
1
schedule and insured time for
Meet a Member:
“Questions & Answers” following Gordon & Tina Sanders, 2
each topic.
Cataldo
There’s something about
sharing a good meal that starts good Ann. Meeting Report 3
conversations, and the lunches proComing Events
4
vided by the Inn, as well as the Social held at Smoky Mountain Pizze- Ann. Financial Report 5
ria & Grill proved to be great times
The Forest
for comparing notes, networking,
6
Seedlings
Arrive
and just plain shootin’ the breeze
with forest-minded folks. Mean- My Neck of the Woods 7
while, actual demonstrations of a
THANK YOU!!!
8
portable sawmill were taking place
in the Palouse Mall parking area Three Opportunities
9
and, strolling through the Mall, one
Managing NF Lands 10
could drool over exhibits of all sorts
Ways Thieves
of equipment that would surely
11
Steal Trees
make woodland chores easier and
Copse Corner
12
safer.
Some other attractions held
Log Market Report
13
in conjunction with this Conference
were the annual meetings of the
The Board Walk
14
Idaho Forest Owners Association
and the Idaho Tree Farm Program, IFOA “Team” Items 15
as well a “Ties to the Land” work- 2015 IFOA OFFICERS
shop, which provides valuable infor-  President – Paul Buckland
mation surrounding the issue of Coeur d’Alene 771-0251
passing on the ownership of your  Vice President – Larry Packard
Viola (509) 336-0483
forest land.
This year’s Silent Auction  Treasurer – Sandra Murdock
was the biggest yet and offered an Athol 683-2105
– Al Naugle
amazing array of treasures: trail  Secretary
Harrison 664-7059
cameras, artwork, pruning tools and
(Continued on page 5)
 Executive VP – Kirk David
Athol 683-3168
IFOA WEBSITE: www.idahoforestowners.org ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ IFOA E-MAIL: [email protected]
Page 2
IFOA Newsletter
Spring 2015
Meet A Member:
Gordon & Tina Sanders, Cataldo
Gordon is one of the newest members of the IFOA Board, so I was interested in getting to know
him and his wife Tina a little better—and I thought our membership would as well. I caught up with
Gordon one afternoon in late February and he graciously passed on to me the following information
about their life journey.
Gordon is an Idaho product - born and raised in Emmett. Tina hails from the state of New York
near Niagara Falls. As fate would have it, they met up in Kamiah, Idaho where Gordon was working in
the woods at various logging jobs. After their marriage, they moved to New York to live and work near
Tina’s home territory. But after 4 or 5 years, the call of Idaho became too loud to ignore and they
moved to Coeur d’Alene where Tina taught at North Idaho College and then served as a family therapist for the Idaho Youth Ranch. Meanwhile, Gordon was employed by the Idaho Bureau of Weights
and Measures, a job he retired from after 18 years.
While living on a small acreage in
Cougar Gulch near Coeur d’Alene, Gordon
and Tina started to feel that they needed
more land where they could live closer to
nature. They searched for and found a 347
acre parcel of forested mountainside in 1998
at the end of the Killarney Lake Road near
Cataldo. The remoteness of the area coupled with the lush forest growth and abundant wildlife was just what they were looking for and they eagerly snapped it up.
There was an old home on the property that
they fixed up to provide the room and comfort that they needed.
Their forest has a great variety of
coniferous trees including western red cedar, western larch, western hemlock, grand
and Douglas fir, western white and ponderosa pine, and even a few lodgepole pines. The beauty of the
land is such that when they first saw it they immediately named it: ‘est Terra Pulcra’, a Latin phrase
which translates to ‘The Land is Beautiful’. Most of the acreage is forested but there are about 40 acres
of small meadows that are scattered along the creek bottoms.
The Sanders have a management plan for their forest that focuses primarily on improving the
species composition, health and vigor of the trees. They have done some logging to take out the dead
and unhealthy trees to further that objective and to reduce wildfire hazard. Wildfire is a major concern
to them since they have forest land for miles around them, much of which has lots of accumulated fuels.
About 160 acres of their land was clearcut before they purchased it, and it is growing up as a dense
thicket of brush and tree seedlings. Gordon is now working with agencies that administer federal cost
share dollars in hopes that he can get this area thinned to improve tree growth and reduce wildfire danger.
Gordon enrolled in the Master Forest Steward program offered by the University of Idaho Extension and completed the requirements for his certificate. That’s where he learned about IFOA and
joined our group in 2010. He really focuses on the function of IFOA that promotes the education of forest owners and legislators. With Gordon’s strong interest in that direction, his activities on the Board
will be a benefit to us all.
by Tom Leege, IFOA Forest Seedling Program Committee Chair
Spring 2015
IFOA Newsletter
Page 3
IFOA Annual Meeting Report
The 2015 IFOA Annual Meeting was held during FFLC on the morning of March 31. For those
of you that missed it, here are the highlights of what your President had to say:
What is IFOA, really? Our brochure says that we are “an alliance of forest owners dedicated to
the management, use and protection of private forest resources in Idaho.” Yup, that about sums it up, I
suppose. But, really, I think of us as a team – maybe a team in the Senior Citizens League, but a team
nonetheless. Now, I hesitate making the team or teamwork analogy because it’s often overused and only
given lip-service. Believing in teamwork is like believing in grandma’s apple-pie – we all think it’s the
best thing ever, but how often do we actually make that pie? But I’ll forge ahead with the forest owner
team analogy anyway – cuz that’s what Grandma would’ve done!
So, as a team, we generally have similar ideals. If something benefits forests, forest owners, or
educates Idaho citizens about forestry – we support it! For example, IFOA supports, and several members are involved with, the Sustainable Forestry Tour for Teachers. This tour educates Idaho teachers
about all aspects of forest management and ownership. These teachers come away with a positive view
of forestry and they pass that view on to many dozens of schoolchildren each year. We want our young
citizens knowing where wood and paper products come from. Things like houses, computer paper, and
swing sets don’t just magically appear, they are sustainably grown and harvested by folks like you and
me! This tour is hugely successful in fighting forestry ignorance!
Even when you’re busy managing your property, planting trees, burning slash, or whatever –
YOUR IFOA team is representing you to those that govern. Earlier this year, a new taxation rule was
proposed to the legislature. One of the Representatives in the House that had attended a tour IFOA was
involved with, recognized that the new tax rule could negatively affect “tree farmers” - so he called
IFOA for our input (little known fact: he called IFOA first, and didn’t call anyone else)! So, sometimes
we’re recognized for our expertise on issues affecting forest ownership. Other times, it’s because we’re
wearing the same uniform, an IFOA hat or shirt. See the order form in this newsletter about getting
YOUR jersey!
When we plant a tree, we inspire ourselves and others to nurture hope in the future. A couple of
years ago, landowners’ ability to buy affordable forest seedlings through the SWCDs was in jeopardy of
being lost. YOUR IFOA team recognized this and rallied to form the Forest Seedling Program within
IFOA to keep this resource available to Idaho landowners. We’ve sold every seedling while the program continues to grow…along with the hope for the future.
Forest management and ownership is like football…or whatever sport suits your fancy. We all
play by the same rules – the rules of nature, the rules of the Forest Practices Act, or the rules of society.
But, each player and each team does not play the same as the others. So, you may not manage your forestland like your neighbor, or a large forest products corporation, or even another IFOA member. But,
we’re on the same team and you could probably learn some tips and techniques by interacting with your
fellow teammates – that’s what IFOA is about. I encourage you to talk to another forest landowner –
someone you’ve never talked to before, perhaps. More importantly, quit picking your nose in the outfield or sleeping in the dugout – get out there and BE an active member of the IFOA Team. Become a
Board Director, a committee member, help out with a project, or simply recruit another team member.
YOUR TEAM NEEDS YOU!
For those of you who don’t gravitate to the sports team analogy, here’s another little tidbit. “Just
as a single tree is protected and enhanced by growing within a forest of trees, landowners can be strengthened and enriched by their association with other landowners and patrons”…Hmmm, if you want to be
part of a healthy forest and associate with some good people, consider growing with IFOA members.
You’ll be glad you did. Thank you!
by Paul Buckland, IFOA President
Page 4
IFOA Newsletter
Spring 2015
Coming Events
MAY 2015
Idaho Master Forest Stewards
Spring Gathering
Athol, Friday, May 29, 2015
www.uidaho.edu/ extension/
forestry/content/masterstewards
JUNE 2015
After the Burn (PLT & IRRC)
Mountain Home, June 4-5, 2015
www.idahoforests.org/plt1.htm
IFOA Board Meeting
Hayden, Tuesday, June 9, 2015
www.idahoforestowners.org
Focus on Literature with
WILD, WET & PLT
Boise, June 9-10, 2015
www.idahoforests.org/plt1.htm
Sustainable Forestry Tour (PLT)
Post Falls, June 22-26, 2015
www.idahoforests.org/plt1.htm
PLT Walk in the Forest
Moscow, June 23-24, 2015
www.idahoforests.org/plt1.htm
Idaho Lands Resource
Coordinating Council Meeting
Moscow, June 24-25, 2015
www.idl.idaho.gov/forestry/ilrcc/index.html
Idaho FPA Stream Protection
Twilight Tour
Moscow, Tues., June 30, 2015
Forest to Faucet (PLT & WET)
Twin Falls, July 23-24, 2015
www.idahoforests.org/plt1.htm
Forest Insects & Disease Field Day
Coeur d’Alene, Fri., July 24, 2015
www.uidaho.edu/extension/forestry
PLT Wildfires & Weeds
Boise, July 28-29, 2015
www.idahoforests.org/plt1.htm
AUGUST 2015
www.uidaho.edu/extension/forestry
Forest Insect & Disease Field Day
Cottonwood, Thu., June 18, 2015
www.uidaho.edu/extension/forestry
www.uidaho.edu/extension/forestry
PLT Wildfires & Weeds
Coeur d’Alene, July 21-22, 2015
www.idahoforests.org/plt1.htm
Forestry Shortcourse
Priest River, June 12, 19, 26 &
July 3, 10, 17, 2015
www.uidaho.edu/extension/forestry
Idaho FPA Stream Protection
Twilight Tour
Saint Maries, Thur., July 16, 2015
Poplar for Biofuels Field Tour
Hayden, Tues., June 30, 2015
hardwoodbiofuels.org
Root Disease: The Hidden Menace
Moscow, Thurs.,, June 11, 2015
www.uidaho.edu/extension/forestry
An Intro to Forest Habitat Types
Coeur d’Alene, June 16-18, 2015
IFOA Board Meeting
Hayden, Tuesday, July 14, 2015
www.idahoforestowners.org
www.uidaho.edu/extension/forestry
www.uidaho.edu/extension/forestry
www.uidaho.edu/extension/forestry
Hayden, Fri., July 10, 2015
[email protected]
PLT Walk in the Forest
Orofino, July 16-17, 2015
www.idahoforests.org/plt1.htm
Pruning to Restore White Pine
Moscow, Wed., June 10, 2015
Thinning and Pruning Field Day
Sandpoint, Sat., June 13, 2015
ID/WA Tree Farm Inspector Training
JULY 2015
Using your GPS
Bonners Ferry, Sat., Aug 8, 2015
www.uidaho.edu/extension/forestry
PLT Walk in the Forest
Idaho City, July 7-8, 2015
www.idahoforests.org/plt1.htm
IFOA Board Meeting
Hayden, Tues., August 11, 2015
www.idahoforestowners.org
Idaho FPA Stream Protection
Twilight Tour
Bonners Ferry, Thur., July 9, 2015
Restoring Idaho Streams
Sandpoint, Fri., August 14, 2015
www.uidaho.edu/extension/forestry
www.uidaho.edu/extension/forestry
Spring 2015
IFOA Newsletter
Page 5
IFOA Annual Financial Report 3/31/15
IFOA currently engages in three major “projects”. (1) The Family Forest Landowners & Managers Conference & Exposition (FFLC), (2) the IFOA Forest Seedling Program (FSP), and (3) IFOA
regular business. Each of these areas is self-funded and has a balanced budget. The FFLC project has
an annual operating expense (AOE) of $16,000 and is self-funded by donations, sponsors, advertising,
and conference registration fees. The FSP has an AOE of $38,000, and is self-funded by seedling sales.
IFOA regular business has an AOE of $23,000 and is self-funded by annual membership dues, donations, and the auction and raffle at FFLC in March each year. We are currently saving for the future
to: buy more seed for our seed bank; continue to increase the impact and quality of FFLC; continue to
expand our donations and impact to forest education efforts, and; reimburse our committee members to
attend important legislative events. You should be proud of your organization! It is well-run and is using your dues and donations wisely to meet its goals.
“We are all here (at this meeting today) because we live with the forest. We want to learn to sustain it, for we all know it sustains us. For some of us it sustains us financially, but for all of us it sustains
us emotionally and it sustains our lifestyle. As I walk through the forest each day, I am both humbled
and inspired. We as humans are dwarfed by the forest’s beauty, grace, patience and determination.
But if we stand together, like the trees do to make a forest, every one of us matters and our efforts will
add up. Thank you for practicing sound forestry and thank you for being members of IFOA.”
by Sandra Murdock, IFOA Treasurer
FFLC - Recipe for Enrichment!! (cont.)
(Continued from page 1)
a variety of seedlings, to name only a few - and, as usual, the fun reached a fevered pitch in the final
minutes before the bidding closed. “The Raffle”, also an annual favorite, awarded a fine guided fishing
trip and luxurious resort/spa getaway to two lucky winners after an entertaining process of elimination.
Many thanks go out to the several sponsors, speakers, and volunteers who made this year’s
FFLC a great success. Whether the forest land you care for covers a small woodlot or many acres, this
annual event combines valuable information and instruction with good food and fun.
See you next year!!
By Marianna J. Groth, IFOA Director
At their 2015 Annual Awards Meeting in Moscow, the Idaho Tree Farm Program (ITFP) named IFOA
member Oscar Baumhoff from Centerville as Idaho’s 2015 Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year. A
field day to tour the Baumhoff’s extensive tree farm accomplishments is scheduled for Saturday, September 12th. ITFP also awarded Tree Farm Logger of the Year to Tim Fuller from Orofino and Tree
Farm Inspector of the Year to Diane Partridge from Coeur d’Alene. CONGRATULATIONS ALL!
IFOA WELCOMES THESE NEW MEMBERS
Jeff Connaway, Coeur d’Alene ♦ Andrew R. Eckberg, Bonners Ferry
Debra Mitchell, Coeur d’Alene ♦ David & Karen C. Purtee, Moscow
Jacob A. & Karen R. Rajala, Troy, MT♦ Kay Schneider, Hayden
John & Cristie Shindelar, Oldtown ♦ William A. Warren, Kendrick
Elizabeth E. Williams, Butte, MT ♦ Michael P. & Monica L. Zorzi, Athol
Paul R. & J. Lynne Turcott, Bartlesville, OK
Page 6
IFOA Newsletter
Spring 2015
The Forest Seedlings Arrive
On April 6th the semi-truck load of IFOA’s forest seedlings arrived at the Edgecreek Farm on
Wolf Lodge Creek. In a driving rainstorm, IFOA Director Steve Funk unloaded the 128,000 seedlings
and placed the pallets under the protective roof of his sawmill. IFOA Forest Seedling Program Assistant
Nina Eckberg checked over the seedlings as they were unloaded to assure that we received what we ordered. The following day, several IFOA volunteers showed up on site to help Nina sort the seedlings into
separate groupings for our customers, the four northern Idaho Soil & Water Conservation Districts.
Later that day and the next, we distributed the seedlings to the Districts, which in turn distributed them
to their customers.
These forest seedlings, made up of
ponderosa pine, western white pine, lodgepole pine, Douglas fir and western larch,
were produced by the Silvaseed Company in
Roy, Washington from our Forest Seedling
Program Committee’s orders in November
of 2013. They were grown for us in 2014,
using our IFOA seedbank seed that has been Loading pallets for delivery to Districts
selected for northern Idaho conditions, and delivered to us in 2015. In 2016,
most species will be available in two sizes of plug containers, 8 and 15 cubic
inch.
Since the Conservation Districts
are our wholesale customers, the order
that we place with the nursery is based
Nina checks the inventory
on the orders that the Districts receive
from their customers. For IFOA members who are interested in ordering some of these seedlings for their use, we urge you to contact
the Soil and Water Conservation District closest to you. Most of the
seedlings that are now being grown for delivery next spring have
been ordered for specific customers. However, there are often a few
Janelle and Marianna sort special orders
additional seedlings in the shipment available to customers on a firstcome basis. Therefore, if you know you need seedlings for planting out next spring, 2016, we urge you to
contact the Districts soon to make your wishes known. If you need a large order of seedlings, it is best to
order now for delivery in 2017. That way you can make sure you will get what you need since they will
be included in the order that we place with Silvaseed this coming November.
by Tom Leege, IFOA FSP Committee Chair
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICTS TO ORDER SEEDLINGS:
Benewah SWCD, Jim Pierce
700 “E” St., PO Box 488
Plummer, ID 83851
208-686-1699 ext. 109
[email protected]
Boundary SCD, Rene Riddle
6813 El Paso St., PO Box 23
Bonners Ferry, ID 83895
208-267-3340 ext. 107
[email protected]
Bonner SWCD, Linda O’Hare
1224 Washington Ave., Ste. 101
Sandpoint, ID 83864
208-263-5310 ext. 100
[email protected]
Kootenai-Shoshone SWCD, Bob Flagor
7830 Meadowlark Way, Ste. C-1
Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815
208-762-4939 ext. 101
[email protected]
Spring 2015
IFOA Newsletter
Page 7
My Neck of the Woods
The term "neck" had been used in English since the 1500’s to describe a narrow strip of land,
because it resembles the neck of an animal. It’s thought that Americans were the first to broadly apply
the phrase "my neck of the woods" to mean a settlement located in a particular part of the woods. In
country that was largely covered by forests, your "neck of the woods" was your home - or, the first
American neighborhood.
The bedrock of the American spirit is independence. It’s in our DNA. The independence gene
runs particularly strong amongst country folk. “You manage your farm the way you want, and I’ll
manage my farm the way I want”, right? I’ll argue there’s also a streak of inter-dependence in our rural communities as well. We have a long history of coming together to build barns, sandbag broken
dikes, dig neighbors out of snowstorms, and help each other get the crops in.
If you look at our demographics, the American rural neighborhood is disappearing. Three quarters of our population live on just three percent of the land area. Fewer and fewer of us grew up “on the
farm”. But, with communication technologies exploding and a sharp increase in “remote working” possibilities, we’re experiencing an influx of former urbanites into our rural communities. By the numbers,
it seems the fabric of the American rural neighborhood has gotten thread-bare.
After several different “over-the-fence” conversations with
neighbors in my neck of the woods (south of Coeur d’Alene, in Cougar
Gulch), I became aware there was a common desire to “take care” of
our respective family forests. But, there were two main obstacles hindering action on this desire: lack of experience, and economy of scale.
Aside from my small hobby tree farm, there had been little forest
management on the surrounding properties (which range from 10 to
30 acres in size).
To varying degrees, my adjacent neighbors expressed concern
for three things: forest health, wildfire danger, and aesthetics. The
short answer for most of these concerns was to conduct some level of
commercial harvest activity. Yet, it was difficult to justify a netpositive revenue harvest for any of the individual properties. One
neighbor only wanted to harvest 15-20 MBF from their property hardly enough to justify the lowboy bill for transporting the logger’s
equipment. It became clear that the only way to achieve the different
objectives of each of the landowners was to combine all of the individual properties’ prescriptions into a single harvest package - five different properties, but one logging job - approximately 300 MBF in total. This was enough to entice a logger to bid a competitive price for
the mechanical logging operation.
It was no small task coordinating the various aspects of planning a logging operation for five different properties. First, the individual objectives, and therefore the specific cutting prescriptions, for each of the properties needed to be
outlined and confirmed. Secondly, individual contracts were set up. The logger chose to offer a single
stumpage value for each of the properties, which resulted in a higher net return than if each of the landowners had chosen to “go it alone”. This made sense to everyone involved.
There was definitely some hand-wringing amongst a couple of the landowners. There were worries of damage to the aesthetics and the residual stand, including the size of the slash piles. There was a
considerable amount of time involved with discussing the plan to assuage their fears. I was also impressed with the amount of patience the logger showed when dealing with the individual landowners
(Continued on page 12)
Page 8
IFOA Newsletter
Spring 2015
◊ THANK YOU! ◊ THANK YOU! ◊ THANK YOU! ◊
TO THESE IFOA MEMBERS WHO
DONATED TO THE SILENT AUCTION:
Gale & Pat Akers
Oscar Baumhoff
Ed & Anna Brannan
Paul & Jill Buckland
Ron & Linda Cater
Jim & Nancy Clampet
Kirk & Madeline David
Dale Dimico
Steve & Janet Funk
Jon & Marianna Groth
Larry & Fran Henriksen
Howie & Maureen Hodgson
Ben & Patricia Jenness
Al & Daryl Kyle
Tom & Carolyn Leege
Rob & Mavis Lowery
Cindy Mead
Bob & Deb Martinson
Kennon & Jody McClintock
Lester & Nancy Morfin
Doug & Sandra Murdock
Glen Nickerson
Merrill & Muriel Oaks
Ozzie & Kris Osborn
Larry & Angela Packard
Dennis Parent
Gordon & Tina Sanders
Jeff & Janelle Sells
Pam & Neil Smallwood
TO THESE IFOA MEMBERS WHO
CONTRIBUTED AN EXTRA DONATION
ABOVE THEIR ANNUAL DUES:
Michael & Resa Briscoe
Conrad, Trudy & Dan Chisolm
Steve & Peggy Cuvala
Gene & Betty Glazier
Glenn & Ruth Griggs
Norm & Evon Hall
Irv & Carol Jenkins
Thomas & Barbara Job
Al & Daryl Kyle
Jerry & Pat Lewis
Bill & Marianne Love
Merrill & Muriel Oaks
Ozzie & Kris Osborn
Gordon & Tina Sanders
TO OUR 2015
IFOA PATRONS:
GOLD
Al & Caroline Farnsworth,
Bonners Ferry
BRONZE
Ron & Linda Cater,
Spokane
Jim & Zoe Cooley,
Troy
Joan Gabrielsen,
Hayden
Hunt & Leticia Hatch
Kamiah
Carol Puetz,
Spokane Valley
Ted & Kim Thompson,
Moscow
Stephanie Webb &
Kevin Wildermuth,
Seattle
TO THESE LUCKY PURCHASERS OF
IFOA SILENT AUCTION ITEMS:
Gale Akers
Bruce Baumhoff
Steve Bloedel
Barbara Brothers
Zoe Cooley
Jim & Nancy Clampet
Ivy Dickinson
Matt Engberg
Andy Eckberg
Kay FitzSimmons
Craig Foss
Steve & Janet Funk
Archie George
Monte Gilles
Marianna Groth
Jerry Hanson
Gordon Harnasch
Larry & Fran Henriksen
Steven Honkus
Bernie Janoski
Ben Jenness
Jacob Keck
Mike Kerttu
Kurt Koetter
John Lillehaug
Ron Mahoney
Anne Maloney
Bob Martinson
Elaine McNitt
Victor McQuade
Cindy Mead
Nancy Morfin
Sandra Murdock
Josette Nebecker
Muriel Oaks
Fred Omodt
Larry Packaed
Diane Partridge
Linda Portner
Anne Powell
Karen Purtee
Jake Rajala
Marilyn Robertson
Doni Root
Tina Sanders
Chris Schnepf
Janet Valle
Louise VanderWilde
Mark Wemple
Gordon White
Susie Williams
Kent Wittrock
Mike Wolcott
Spring 2015
IFOA Newsletter
Page 9
Three Opportunities for the
Administration and Working Forests
.Springtime
is a good time to reflect on what we are doing well and what we can do better for our
world. Forest owners have a lot to feel good about. We are world leaders in sustainable forestry providing an increasing array of public benefits. Our forests have 50% more tree growth today than 60
years ago. Through careful stewardship our forests are offsetting 15% of our nation's industrial carbon
emissions and providing nearly 50% of our nation's drinking water. They support a variety of wildlife
habitat and provide recreational opportunities for hikers, hunters, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts. They enable families all over the country to enjoy the great outdoors while providing wood and
fiber that are used to build and manufacture homes and thousands of products that help make life all
the more enjoyable.
Public policy plays an important role in the many benefits private forests provide. When our
policies reward good stewardship and promote forestry for the long-term, private forests thrive, and we
all thrive along with them. When policies ignore, discourage or are ambivalent toward long-term forest
ownership and good stewardship, our forests suffer, and so do we.
The current Administration has taken a number of steps to recognize and support the benefits of
private forests. The President's Climate Action Plan, for example, recognizes the important role private
forests can play in reducing carbon in the air through proactive forest management, building with carbon-storing wood and providing a reliable source of carbon-recycling renewable energy. This approach
helps secure long-term benefits from our forests that we can all enjoy. It also provides an opportunity
for the Administration to pursue additional measures that would further help forest owners provide
clean air, clean water and other benefits that improve our overall quality of life. Here are three:
1) Complete the alignment of pro-forest carbon policies. The Administration has made great
progress to align federal policy to promote the carbon benefits of private forests, yet the uncertainty of
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) policies on biomass energy continue to strike a dissonant
chord. Through a clear and simple approach recognizing the full carbon benefits of biomass, the EPA
can bring its biomass policy into full alignment with the President's Climate Action Plan. This would
replace ambivalence among biomass energy producers with enthusiasm and support investments that
will help maintain forests and further reduce carbon in the air.
2) Reward the clean water stewardship of private forest owners. A new study by the National
Association of State Foresters shows that forest owners nationwide have a higher than 90% compliance
rate with Best Management Practices established by the states to protect water quality. This is an unparalleled Clean Water Act success story. Forthcoming EPA policies defining Waters of the United
States should reward this success by ensuring that the definition does not impose new and unnecessary
burdens on states or private forest owners that could impair water quality progress. A good way to do
this is to provide an additional comment period on changes to the proposed rule to make sure the policy
helps rather than hinders clean water gains from private forests.
3) Protect imperiled wildlife by promoting good forest management. Helping wildlife in serious
decline is a priority we all share. Supporting good forest management is a proven and effective way to
do this. Such is the case with the Northern Long-Eared Bat. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS)
has identified proactive forest management as vital to the conservation and recovery of the bat as it
struggles to overcome the effects of devastating disease. Preserving the full suite of proactive management activities available to forest owners in the FWS's recovery plan will not only help the bat but also
support the many other wildlife benefits private forests provide.
Forest owners can applaud what the Administration has done to promote the benefits of our private forests, but there is more to do. By following these three suggestions, the Administration can take
advantage of an opportunity to enhance the benefits our forests provide and give forest owners even
more reason to applaud when next Spring rolls around. by Dave Tenny, President & CEO, National Alliance of Forest Owners
P a g e 10
IFOA Newsletter
Spring 2015
Managing National Forest System Lands
The National Forests in Idaho were among the first forest reserves when the Forest Service was
created. The Fires of 1910 that roared through Idaho shaped the agency and its policies for a large part
of the century.
Today the Forest Service manages 193 million acres of forests and grasslands throughout the
National Forest System and 21.7 million acres in Idaho. The Forest Service bisects Idaho administratively. The Northern Region (Region 1) oversees the Idaho Panhandle and Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests. The Intermountain Region (Region 4) manages the Boise, Caribou-Targhee, Payette,
Salmon-Challis and Sawtooth National Forests. Nora Rasure is the Regional Forester for the Intermountain Region and Dave Schmid is the Acting Regional Forester in the Northern Region.
Our focus is restoring the health of our National Forests and working toward resilient landscapes for all the values and benefits that people derive from them. Five years ago Congress authorized
the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Act to accelerate the pace of restoration in priority
landscapes, support much-needed economic stability in rural communities and reduce the risk and associated costs of catastrophic wildfire. Three Idaho projects were chosen: Kootenai Valley Resource
Initiative along the Canadian border; the Selway-Middle Fork Clearwater; and the Weiser-Little
Salmon Headwaters located in the State’s mid-section. Through investments in forest and watershed
restoration, these projects have a positive impact on their rural communities. A hallmark is their emphasis on collaboration, bringing many and new voices into project planning.
Our new planning rule is another indicator how significant collaboration is. The National Forest
Management Act calls for every national forest to develop and maintain a Land Management Plan,
a.k.a. the Forest Plan. The planning rule provides an overarching framework for individual forests to
use when developing, amending, and revising their forest plans. Many fire, water and wildlife issues
benefit from an understanding of what is happening both on and off Forest Service lands. The planning rule emphasizes working across boundaries and actively engaging the public so that plans reflect
management needs in the context of the larger landscape. Several of Idaho’s national forests have either begun revisions to their Forest Plans or will be undertaking a revision within the next few years.
The new Farm Bill allows the Forest Service to more quickly plan projects for insect and disease
treatments. The Governor identified areas in the state that are experiencing, or are at risk of, an insect
or disease epidemic. The Forest Service will work collaboratively with the State, Tribes, partners,
stakeholders and the public to develop and implement restoration projects within these designated areas that reduce the risk of insect and disease infestations.
The collaborative approach to forest management is helping the Forest Service leverage resources and
achieve more work on the landscape scale. To find out how you can help, or to get more information
about the work being accomplished, please contact your local National Forest or visit these websites:
Boise NF, Public Affairs, David Olsen, 208-373-4105 www.fs.usda.gov/boise
Caribou - Targhee NF, Public Affairs, (Mr.) Lynn Ballard, 208-555-5765 www.fs.usda.gov/ctnf
Idaho Panhandle NFs, Public Affairs, Jason Kirchner, 208-765-7211 www.fs.usda.gov/ipnf
Nez Perce - Clearwater NFs, Pub. Aff., Laura Smith, 208-983-5143 www.fs.usda.gov/nezperceclearwater
Payette NF, Public Affairs, Brian Harris, 208-634-0784 www.fs.usda.gov/payette
Salmon-Challis NF, Public Affairs, Amy Baumer, 208-756-5145 www.fs.usda.gov/scnf
Sawtooth NF, Public Affairs, Julie Thomas, 208-737-3262 www.fs.usda.gov/sawtooth
http://www.fs.usda.gov/r1
http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/r4/home
http://www.fs.fed.us/
http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/planningrule/home
http://www.fs.fed.us/restoration/CFLRP/index.shtml & http://www.fs.fed.us/restoration/CFLRP/results.shtml
by Elizabeth Slown, Public Affairs Specialist , USDA-FS Region 1
Spring 2015
IFOA Newsletter
P a g e 11
Ways Thieves Steal Trees
A WAY THIEVES STEAL TREES - NUMBER ONE:
Thieves will set up a harvest directly on your property or will move over on you from an adjacent
ownership. They have observed that property's management and know that timber theft is an acceptable risk. Although mistakes can happen to honest loggers, I am talking here about timber being taken
with "evil intent".
Ways to Prevent the Theft:
‫ ٭‬Inspect your property regularly. Your own neglect can encourage thieves. Inspections will also
catch insect and disease problems early and head off line encroachment.
‫ ٭‬Maintain and "refresh" proper boundary markings. It is much easier to do this when property lines
are still visible. Always freshen up you lines when harvesting is occurring on adjacent property.
‫ ٭‬Cultivate good neighbors and encourage good lease-holders to keep an eye open.
A WAY THIEVES STEAL TREES - NUMBER TWO:
Thieves "dressed" as buyers will offer absurdly low prices for timber knowing that the landowner has no idea of the value. Although it is not a crime to give away your trees, it is a crime to misrepresent their value.
Ways to Prevent the Theft:
‫ ٭‬Timber market values and tree volumes can be hard to
determine without a professional. Always get a second
opinion of values and volumes, especially where large
acreage is involved. You might want to hire a forestry
consultant or buy a timber inventory from a third
party.
‫ ٭‬Check out all timber buyers by asking for referrals
and by inquiring about the buyer at your local or state
forester’s office.
‫ ٭‬Avoid the temptation to make a "quick sell" to a
friendly buyer. Take a deep breath and ask the buyer
for some time for you to think about what you are going to do. You should not feel pressured by the buyer.
A WAY THIEVES STEAL TREES - NUMBER THREE:
Thieves can actually steal trees after you have approved and allowed the harvest. Poor accounting in both "lump sum" sales and "unit" sales can tempt a logger or a trucker to misreport trees cut
and/or volumes represented.
Ways to Prevent the Theft:
‫ ٭‬No timber should leave the loading site on "pay-as-cut" sales unless the load has been recorded by
date, species, time and destination. Reputable loggers have these records.
‫ ٭‬All records must be available for inspection and collected at the end of each week. These records
should then be compared to scale tickets for reconciliation.
‫ ٭‬You or your agent needs to be on-site and visible at random times during the week.
by Steve Nix, About.com Forestry Expert
At the Tree Farm National Leadership Conference on February 4th in Saint Louis, Missouri,
the American Tree Farm System® awarded their 2015 National Leadership Award “in recognition of
your support for the Idaho Tree Farm program and your continuing commitment to the sustainable future of Americas’s family forests” to Idaho’s own G. Kirk David. Congratulations, Kirk, and thank
you from Idaho’s Tree Farm family!
by J. Stephen Funk, 2015-16 Chair, Idaho Tree Farm Committee
P a g e 12
IFOA Newsletter
Spring 2015
COPSE CORNER
THOSE UGLY P PINES
You know what I'm talkin' about - the
ones that look like a deformed pretzel! How do
they get so ugly (my wife calls them
"unique.")? Well, it could be due to bad genetics, unusually heavy snow loads, injury from
neighboring trees or damage from logging
equipment or animals.
So - what to do with those ugly things?
Before laying ’em down to rot or burning ’em
as slash, consider calling a log furniture artist
(carpenter). They make great bed headboards,
lamps, end tables, etc. And you can get money
for them! Also, they’re perfectly fine for campfire wood - gives the marshmallows a special
flavor.
by Bob Martinson, IFOA Director
Nature provides us with five senses: sight, taste, smell,
touch, and hearing. Horse and common you must acquire.
My Neck of the Woods (cont.)
(Continued from page 7)
and their concerns. He went above and beyond to please, even coming out on a rainy November morning to burn slash piles.
I’m happy to report that all the neighbors involved had a very positive experience and received a
tidy sum for their respective bank accounts. I kept telling them, “Hey, forest management pays - and
it’s fun!” We even coordinated a tree planting project with a local Boy Scout troop on one of the properties. The boys had a good day in the woods planting trees and got paid for their sweat. Perhaps there
is a future tree farmer in one of those Scouts.
This project has caused me to reflect on the future of small private forest stewardship. With
owners getting older and ownerships getting smaller, what is to become of the small acreage tree
farmer? It seems to me that there is a resurgence of what I’d call “hobby farms”. These are people who
have a day-job, but have an interest in stewardship that supplements their income. They could be transplanted former urbanites or just inexperienced locals, but they’re seeking the same qualities of life that
come from land stewardship. The key to maintaining a healthy forest is maintaining a healthy industry
with an engaged ownership.
It may be hard to justify active management (economically) on a single parcel of forest, but there
are definitely opportunities to coordinate with your neighbors to gain some economy of scale. So, the
next time you see your neighbor working on their fence, pulling weeds, or whatever, stop by to lend
them a hand. Engage them in a conversation about forest management. You may find a cooperative
spirit and common interests in land stewardship. In doing so, you’re strengthening the American
neighborhood. “Hey neighbor, what’s going on in your neck of the woods?”
by Paul Buckland, CF
Spring 2015
IFOA Newsletter
Page 13
Quarterly Log Market Report
Species
Douglas-fir/western larch
Grand fir/western hemlock
Lodgepole pine
Ponderosa pine
Western white pine
Western redcedar
Cedar poles
Pulp
Tonwood
April 2015
$390 - $500/MBF
$390 - $460
$390 - $460
$370 (6-7”) - $410 (12”+)
$390 - $420
$800 - $1040
*$1,200*
$26 - $40/ton
February 2015
$400 - $460/MBF
$350 - $450
$350 - $440
$350 (6-7”) - $415 (12”+)
$250 - $420
$600 - $900
*$1,200*
$28 - $40/ton
$48/ton +/-
$50/ton +/-
Note that these figures represent prices paid by competitive domestic facilities in the Inland Northwest, and are based on averagesized logs and standard log lengths—usually 16’6” and 33’. MBF = Thousand Boardfeet. *Pole value varies widely depending
upon length. - Market information as of April 28, 2015.
Falling lumber markets for most species continue to challenge local sawmills; however, log prices
have increased at a few facilities to maintain adequate inventories. Until lumber markets turn upward,
log buyers will be hard-pressed to increase prices. Many factors are influencing the weak lumber market
including a slow start to the building season, due to extreme winter weather back east, and a strong US
dollar which has resulted in higher lumber imports from Canada.
Mike Wolcott, ACF, Certified Forester
This information is provided by Inland Forest Management, Inc., a forestry consulting company.
For additional information, they can be contacted at 208-263-9420, [email protected] or www.inlandforest.com.
Timber Cruising & Appraisals
Timber Sales
Insect and Disease Management
“Fire Safe” Management
INLAND FOREST MANAGEMENT, INC.
(208) 263-9420
Foresters: Mike Wolcott, Dick Bradetich, Steve Bloedel,
Lee Andrews, John Ailport, Don Gunter, Bill Love,
Ryan Pennick, Shane Hoover
www.inlandforest.com [email protected]
Page 14
IFOA Newsletter
Spring 2015
The Board Walk: Feb, Mar, & Apr
FEBRUARY 10, 2015
 The 2015 FFLC Committee continued finalizing the schedule of
presentations, volunteers, donations, sponsors, and door prizes
 FSP (Forest Seedling Program)
Contractor Nina Eckberg advised
IFOA that she intends to relinquish her position as Assistant for
the FSP as of December 31, 2015.
 Idaho State Legislative Committee considered a proposed rule
change, set to take effect in 2015
that would potentially delete a
sales tax exemption for tree farmers.
 Directors approved balanced
2015 budgets for IFOA and FSP.
MARCH 10, 2015
 The 2015 FFLC Steering Committee confirmed attendance, opportunities and assignments for
volunteers, donations, sponsors,
and door prizes.
 Chair Buckland reviewed
IFOA’s discussions with Legislative representatives that resulted
in the legislature tabling the Idaho
State Tax Commission’s proposed
removal of sales tax exemptions
for “tree farming” equipment.
 President Buckland reviewed
IFOA’s 2015 committee positions
and appointed members.
 Directors reviewed the ILRCC
& IFRP meeting, accomplishments and appropriate management of IFOA resources involved
with this relationship.
APRIL 14, 2015
 IFOA FSP had a successful year
with 2015 sales of approximately
128,000 seedlings (increase of
4,000 over 2014) and potential
sales increase for 2016. FSP Committee Chair Leege reviewed the
April sorting and distribution by
IFOA volunteers, opportunities
for expanding services to additional land owners via Soil & Water Conservation Districts
(SWCD), and developing a transition plan for the selection and replacement of a contractor for FSP
Assistant Eckberg by January
2016.
 An FPAAC representative reviewed current Class I Shade
Rules, implementation, expectations, reality, the current UI
Monitoring Study and suggestions
regarding streams of < 10 ft.
width.
 Directors reviewed the FFLC’s
great success, record attendance,
exhibitors, auction, raffle results,
future speakers and expansion
potential.
 Directors discussed actively reviewing the effectiveness of the
current forestland property tax
categories and possible recommendations for changes.
by IFOA Secretary Al Naugle
Contact information for family forest owner interests:
Organization
Telephone
E-mail
Website
Idaho Forest Owners Association
683-3168
[email protected] www.idahoforestowners.org
Idaho Forest Stewardship Program
666-8668
[email protected]
www.idl.idaho.gov
Environmental Quality Incentives Prog. 746-9886x113 [email protected]
www.id.nrcs.usda.gov
Idaho Tree Farm Program
667-4641
[email protected]
www.idahotreefarm.org
National Woodland Owners Association (800)476-8733 [email protected]
www.woodlandowners.net
IFOA Standing Committees
IFOA has Operating Procedures for each of the Association’s Standing Committees:
BYLAWS COMMITTEE
FINANCIAL REVIEW & TELLERS COMMITTEE
FOREST SEEDLING PROGRAM COMMITTEE
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
Membership on these committees is open at any time to IFOA members in good standing (dues paid). New
committee members and new ideas are needed constantly, so don’t be shy, get active in your IFOA today! IFOA
encourages members interested in contributing ideas and/or assistance to the performance of these vital functions to contact IFOA at: [email protected] -or- PO Box 1257, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83816-1257
Spring 2015
IFOA Newsletter
Page 15
“Team” Items from IFOA
...IFOA COFFEE MUG…
◄◄ HANDY! perfect before going to the woods!
...IFOA HAT…
◄◄ LOW CROWN STYLE! perfect for walks in the woods!
...IFOA DENIM SHIRT…
◄◄ VERY COMFORTABLE! perfect for working in the woods!
...IFOA FLANNEL SHIRT… ◄◄ SOFT & WARM perfect for cool work in the woods!
..IFOA SWEATSHIRT..◄◄ LONG SLEEVED, DARK GREEN perfect for keeping warm in the woods!
...IFOA T-SHIRT…
◄◄ SHORT SLEEVED, GREEN OR GRAY perfect for any occasion!
...IFOA APRON…
◄◄ GREEN WITH 3 POCKETS perfect for BBQs or DIY jobs!
...IFOA SUSPENDERS…
◄◄ THE BEST!!! perfect for comfort anytime!
green w/white letters, heavy-duty construction, clip or button style, adjustable to fit length
BEAUTIFUL! ►►...IFOA MEMBERSHIP SIGN…►►►
18” x 24” white with green graphics & black lettering
1/8” thick plastic, 6 pre-drilled mounting holes
space for family name
proudly display this “must have” item!
◄◄◄...PROPERTY BOUNDARY TAGS...
HIGH VISIBILITY!...3.75” x 3.75”
bright orange with black lettering & logo
.024 gauge plastic
number
number
number
number
number
x
x
x
x
x
S, M, L, XL
number
x $29.00 ea. =
M, XL, XXL
number
x $28.00 ea. =
M, L, XL
number
x $24.00 ea. =
number
number
x $12.00 ea. =
x $5.00 ea. =
IFOA embroidered “Ball cap” HATS
IFOA SUSPENDERS-clip on-circle your sizes: 50”, 54”
-button on-circle your sizes: 50”, 54”
IFOA APRONS
IFOA T-SHIRTS
circle your sizes: S, M, L, XL
$15.50 ea. =
$15.00 ea. =
$15.00 ea. =
$15.00 ea. =
$15.00 ea. =
w/printed logo
IFOA DENIM SHIRTS
circle your sizes:
w/embroidered logo
IFOA FLANNEL SHIRTS circle your sizes:
loden w/embroidered logo
IFOA SWEATSHIRTS
circle your sizes:
forest green w/printed logo
IFOA MEMBER SIGNS
IFOA COFFEE MUGS
ceramic white w/green logo
IFOA BOUNDARY TAGS
All prices include Idaho Sales/Use tax
number
3/Pack
x $1.00 ea. =
number
25/Pack
x $8.00 ea. =
number
50/Pack
x $15.00 ea. =
number
100/Pack
x $30.00 ea. =
for shipping postage, add $5.00/order =
TOTAL $ =
Spring 2015
$5.00
Make checks payable to Idaho Forest Owners Association and send to: IFOA, PO Box 1257, Coeur d’Alene ID 83816-1257
IDAHO FOREST OWNERS ASSOCIATION
P. O. BOX 1257
COEUR D’ALENE, ID 83816 -1257
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE PAID
CDA, ID
PERMIT NO. 31
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Please clip and return to:
IDAHO FOREST OWNERS ASSOCIATION, P.O. Box 1257, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 83816-1257
YES, I would like to become an Active Member of the Idaho Forest Owners Association.
I own _______ acres of forest land in ________________________________ County, Idaho.
(If multi-county ownerships, please list all)
I do not own forest land in Idaho, but would like to become a Participating
Member in the Association.
NAME(S): ______________________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS: ______________________________________________________________________________
CITY: _______________________________________________STATE: _______ ZIP: __________________
PHONE: ___________________________ E-MAIL: _____________________________________________
Annual dues are $36 for an individual, family, partnership, or corporation; $99 three years;
$165 five years. Please make checks payable to the IDAHO FOREST OWNERS ASSOCIATION
Spring 2015