BUREAU OF FORESTRY
Delaware State Forest
2015 MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
The mission of DCNR Bureau of Forestry is to conserve the long-term health, viability and productivity of
the Commonwealth’s forest and to conserve native wild plants. One of the ways the bureau carries out
this mission is through the State Forest Resource Management Plan (SFRMP), a document that guides
the management of the 2.2 million-acre state forest system. The SFRMP is updated approximately
every 5 years and includes an extensive public engagement process.
The SFRMP is implemented at the local level by district-specific resource management plans that aim to
balance many uses and values of the forest, while maintaining ecosystem health and the wild character
of the forest.
The purpose of this Management Activities document is to communicate to the public about upcoming
management activities, projects and events that will be conducted to implement the SFRMP on
Delaware State Forest. For questions, comments or more information about this plan, please contact:
Timothy R. Dugan, Delaware District Forester
Delaware State Forest
2174A Route 611, Swiftwater, PA 18370
570-895-4000
[email protected]
RECREATION
•
•
•
•
Lily Pond—Additional hiking trails and trail connections are planned for development and
establishment. These trails will increase hiking opportunities north of Milford and establish
links between the Lily Pond, Buckhorn, and Milford Experimental Forest areas.
Dixon Miller Recreation Area—The ATV trail network will be open to the public for use
following the completion of a major trail rehabilitation project.
Campsites—The District plans to construct up to 12 additional campsites throughout the
Delaware Forest. These sites will include a stone/gravel base, picnic table, fire ring, and
location identification post.
Parking areas and access points—Improvements to multiple parking areas will consist of
minor grading work and addition of stone over existing base.
1
BUREAU OF FORESTRY
TIMBER MANAGEMENT
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Tanglewood West deer exclosure fence is proposed for removal in 2015. The reason for
removal is adequate regeneration from a combination of natural regeneration and planting
of the site. Majority of desirable seedlings are above the deer browse height, allowing for
the removal.
Painters Swamp and Tom’s Record fence are also slated to be taken down in 2015. A high
density of desirable seedlings, mainly oak, have been established and have grown above
deer browsing height, allowing these fences to be removed.
A 50-acre deer exclosure fence is planned to be erected along West Wind trail and Loggers
trail along Lower Lake Road. The fence will be installed to begin the regeneration process of
new seedlings in this Northern Hardwood Forest.
The Tanglewood Ash Pre- Salvage area will be herbicided to control striped maple and beech
brush that will allow establishment of desirable regeneration, particularly red oak, sugar
maple, cherry, and red maple. Timber management activities in this area are being
conducted in advance of the anticipated emerald ash borer infestation. Emerald ash borer
has not been located in this area yet.
Vegetation Impact Protocol Plots (VIP plots) will be completed on State Forest Land to
assess deer browsing impact on regeneration and native plants.
We will participate in the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) in an effort to
achieve or maintain a deer population that is balanced with its habitat.
Overstory removal timber sales will occur in the Millbrook fences, totaling 60 acres, to
regenerate these stands.
Tanglewood fences and adjacent stands in that area will be treated in 2015. This timber sale
will be 173 acres of overstory removal with multiple goals. The primary goals are to
regenerate these stands and pre-salvage the Ash prior to it succumbing to the Emerald Ash
Borer. Extensive access road work will also need to be done for this sale due to steepness
and current condition.
In 2007, 2008, and 2009 extensive gypsy moth defoliation occurred in the Pine Flats area
leading to hundreds of acres of Oak mortality. Several timber sales were laid out along Hay
Road. Contractors have begun harvesting the dead oak to salvage the material and
regenerate the stand.
Bear’s Den, a 66-acre timber sale located along the Bushkill Road, will be harvested in 2015.
Operators will reenter a previous shelterwood harvest to remove the overstory. Oak
regeneration has grown to high densities leading to a successful establishment of a new
stand.
The Edge Timber sale, located near Edgemere Station, will have the overstory removed from
2
BUREAU OF FORESTRY
•
the fenced area. A Norway spruce plantation will be left inside the fence to provide winter
thermal cover for wildlife.
Timber harvesting operations, which began in 2014, will continue along 16 Mile Run Road
and Snowhill Road. These harvests are overstory removals where adequate desirable
regeneration of oak, hickory, and maple is established.
RESTORATION AND HABITAT PROJECTS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Tree planting will take place on Tanglewood Mountain, Kleinehans Timber Sale, Tree Tower
Timber Sale and Badger Timber Sale to supplement natural regeneration of past timber
sales. A total of 20,000 white pine and 4,000 red oak will be planted. The white pine will
provide winter thermal cover for wildlife, while the red oak will provide future mast crops
and timber.
Hay Road, Flat Ridge Road and Maple Run Road will also be planted. These plantings will
consist of 7,500 pitch pine, Norway spruce and red spruce into a 24-acre block of a salvage
harvest.
25 Acres along Bald Barren Trail will be planted with 7000 red and Norway spruce to fill gaps
in regeneration of a salvage overstory removal due to gypsy moth mortality.
40 Acres of the Maple Run North fence will be planted with 11,000 white pine due to an
extreme wind event that occurred. The wind event lead to a salvage overstory removal.
White pine should thrive on this site, adding thermal cover and diversity to a stand that
currently lacks coniferous cover.
Another tree planting occur on 16 Mile Run Road to establish a conifer component and
provide cover for wildlife. 12,000 white pine seedlings will be planted.
Delaware State Forest will continue to partner with Indiana University of Pennsylvania in an
ongoing effort to create golden winged warbler habitat at sites located along Pine Flats Rd.
and Highline Rd.. These habitat projects are beneficial to warblers and a host of other game
and non-game species.
Special wildlife management areas are being created on some of Delaware State Forest’s
non-commercial forest land. Approximately 66 acres will be cut every year for a period of
about 20 years, leaving all of these stands in various successional stages. The stands will be
laid out in a checkerboard type pattern, which has proven most useful to the Golden
Winged Warbler for habitat. These stands should end up being cut again about every 20
years, so they remain in a stage of succession that favors the golden winged warbler.
3
ROAD AND BRIDGE PROJECTS
•
•
•
•
•
BUREAU OF FORESTRY
Culvert Replacement on Cross over Trail between Standing Stone Trail and Saw Creek Trail.
District has purchased stone and 36” diameter plastic culvert pipe. Staff will complete the
work in 2015.
Culvert Replacement with bridge structure on Bald Hill Road. Construction will occur
summer 2015. Forest leased campsite owners beyond this construction site will be notified
in advance, since temporary road closures will occur.
Craft Farm and Range Road at Lily Pond will receive improvements on the current road
surface. The addition of approximately 3000 tons of Driving Surface Aggregate (DSA) stone is
planned for 2015.
Flat Ridge Road will receive approximately 9,500 ton of DSA stone as a road improvement
project in 2015.
Hay Road will receive approximately 4,000 tons of stone as a road improvement project in
2015.
PRESCRIBED FIRE
•
The Delaware State Forest is currently planning for two prescribed fires in the spring of
2015. The locations are in established deer exclosures off of Whittaker and Millertown
roads. The goals of both fires are to control competing vegetation allowing oak seedlings to
grow. Both of these locations are post timber harvesting.
o Plots have been established at Whittaker road. The treatment area is approximately
50 acres. The goal of this fire is to control competing vegetation, primarily black
birch. This should allow oak regeneration to be released. A prescribed burn plan is
currently being written. A target of spring of 2015 has been set if weather
conditions permit.
o Plots are currently being established at Millertown road. The treatment area is
approximately 50 acres. The goal of this fire is to control competing vegetation,
primarily black birch which should allow oak regeneration to be released. After
plots have been completed a prescribed burn plan will be written. A target of spring
of 2015 has been set if weather conditions permit.
o Additional goals of training employees and cooperators in both fire management
and suppression skills and fuel reduction can be accomplished during these
treatments.
4
INSECT, DISEASE, AND INVASIVE PLANT TREATMENT
•
•
•
•
BUREAU OF FORESTRY
100 ash trees will be chemically treated with a trunk injection chemical. Majority of these
trees are on Tanglewood Mountain. This is an attempt to save some genetically superior
ash trees that would otherwise succumb to the emerald ash borer – a non-native forest
pest.
Gypsy moth defoliation levels are on the rise again on the Delaware State Forest. A total of
10 blocks consisting of 3,398 acres will be sprayed with Bt this spring.
Hemlock woolly adelgid treatments will continue to occur on the Delaware State Forest
through 2015. The exact number of trees and treatment areas will depend on the amount
of funding received for this project.
Invasive plants will continue to be monitored across our state forest land areas and treated
appropriately.
NATURAL GAS AND OIL DEVELOPMENT
•
•
•
Tennessee Gas Pipeline project— Installed a 30 “ diameter pipeline across ROW on
Delaware Forest north of Lily Pond in 2013. In 2014 Tenn. Gas Pipeline completed
restoration activities.
Columbia Gas company treated with herbicide approximately 6 acres of phragmites, an
invasive plant, in Panther Swamp, Bruce Lake Natural Area. This treatment was part of
wetland mitigation from the Columbia Gas pipeline reconstruction project.
Columbia gas replaced a 24” pipeline with a 30” pipeline across Delaware Forest ROW.
SPECIAL PROJECTS
•
•
•
•
•
Pecks Pond Dam reconstruction—Project is anticipated to occur in 2016 or 2017. The
planning process is ongoing, including public input.
Construct new Resource Management Center with Storage Building—Proposed site is near
the intersection of Route 402 and Bushkill Falls Road. Construction is expected to begin in
2016.
Demolish District Office Sewage Treatment Plant and hook up to Pocono Township Sewer
Authority in 2015.
Camp William Penn Demolition Project should be complete December 2014. This project is
aimed at removing hazardous structures and allowing the site to return to a natural state.
Camp Rock Hill Demolition Project—Funding has not been secured, but is anticipated in
2015 or 2016. This project will be aimed at removing hazardous structures and returning the
site to a natural state.
5
•
•
•
BUREAU OF FORESTRY
PPL Electric Utilities Corp. is currently reconstructing the Susquehanna- Roseland Project
(500 KV)across approximately 14 miles of ROW on Delaware Forest. PPL plans to be in
restoration phase of project in 2015.
PPL Electric Utilities Corp constructed a new substation on private land adjacent to
Delaware State Forest. Project included access road and electric facilities on State Forest.
Project was completed in 2013. PPL completed restoration activities in 2014.
PPL Electric Utilities Corp reconstructed the Blooming Grove-Hemlock Tap, across Delaware
State Forest in 2013 and 2014. Currently they are completing restoration activities.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
•
•
Pecks Pond projects—Opportunities for public involvement and comment will continue.
Volunteering opportunities for trail maintenance are anticipated in 2015.
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS FROM PREVIOUS YEAR
•
•
•
•
•
Delaware State Forest (DSF) introduced 500 Mile a Minute (MAM) weevils at two locations
near Promised Land State Park where MAM has been discovered during the last decade.
The weevils were introduced to control the growth and spread of MAM in these areas.
Delaware State Forest certified two shipments of ginseng for ginseng dealers to be shipped
across state lines.
Hand cut 17 acres of interfering vegetation consisting of black birch, hop hornbeam, striped
maple and beech brush in the Bartleson fence to release the sugar maple, red maple and
sherry seedlings.
20 areas were opened for the public fuel wood purchasing program on Delaware State
Forest in 2014, consisting of over 750 acres.
Assisted State and Federal authorities with requests of information regarding the manhunt
for Eric Frein.
RESEARCH
•
•
Research teams from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania continue to monitor golden
winged warbler habitat and nesting success throughout the Delaware State Forest.
Periodic research requests are received from educational institutions.
6
BUREAU OF FORESTRY
7