Green Horizons Volume 11, Number 4 Fall 2007 Outstanding Loggers Recognized John Tuttle, MO Department of Conservation There are many loggers scattered throughout Missouri who do an outstanding job harvesting timber. In an effort to recognize their efforts, the Missouri Department of Conservation has established the Regional and State Logger of the Year Award. The awards are given to those loggers who exemplify low-impact logging. Some of the evaluation criteria include: proper planning of skid trails and log decks, minimal damage to remaining trees, prevention of soil erosion, aesthetics of the site after the harvest is complete, safe work performance and use of equipment, and the desire to address wildlife management concerns. In addition, the logger must have completed the Professional Timber Harvester Training Program sponsored by the Missouri Forest Products Association and the Missouri Department of Conservation. The 2007 Regional Loggers of the Year were Tom Heidlage – Southwest; Dustin Lindgren – Southeast; Roger Whetstine – Northwest; Jack & Brad Buster – Northeast; Ron Tuttle – Ozarks; and Kenneth Williams – Ozarks runner- up. The State Logger of the Year was selected from the regional winners and the 2007 award went to Ron Tuttle. Ron has always done an exceptional job on his state land sales, totaling several million board feet. He also has an excellent reputation for logging on private land, including Pioneer Forest, who co-nominated Ron along with the Sunklands Conservation Area work team. Tuttle’s harvesting operations leave little residual damage because they use Best Management Practices, directional felling, insistence on Outstanding Loggers Recognized John Tuttle, MO Department of Conservation using cable skidders, and a conscientious mindset while operating in the woods. Crader Distributing Company, the exclusive distributor of Stihl Outdoor Power Equipment in MO, KS, NE, and southern IL, is sponsoring the program by presenting each regional winner with a protective kit valued over $475 as well as a new chainsaw to the state winner. Do you know of a logger in your neck of the woods deserving of such an award? If so, contact your local Department of Conservation forester and nominate them for the 2008 Logger of the Year! ********************************************************************* Preserving the Family Forest: Meet the Team Kirk Fine & David Watson, Financial Planners & Missouri Tree Farmers As you read in our last article “How Clear Is Your Vision,” David emphasized developing a higher level vision statement for your property/business. Many of you probably related to his example of “Maximize the longterm revenue potential of the timber resources for current and future generations of our family.” Now that you have determined your “destination,” it’s time to get down to choosing the appropriate route to arrive at that destination. This is where most people start feeling totally overwhelmed with all the options available to them or at a total loss of where to begin. The easiest thing to do is to procrastinate until it’s too late. But that’s really not an option. Why do we procrastinate? Do any of these sound familiar? * We’re too busy running the farm and don’t have time to sort through all of the rules and laws associated with estate planning. * We don’t know where to begin. * We don’t want to think about our own mortality. * We are hesitant due to the perceived complexity of the process itself. Well, we won’t lie to you. The process can be time consuming and sometimes even emotional. That’s why it is so important to enlist the help of qualified professionals, a team of experts ready and willing to help you plan for the accomplishment of your goals. This team consists of a financial planner, an estate planning attorney, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and possibly an insurance representative. Experience and a knowledge of timber farming is obviously a plus when choosing the team members. Financial Planner Typically, the financial planner will be the quarterback of the team; the expert with knowledge of the overall planning process and a general knowledge of tax laws and legal strategies, though not qualified to provide legal or specific tax advice. You should seek out a well-qualified planner with a designation such as Certified Financial Planner Practitioner (CFP®), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) or Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU). They have extensive training in all areas of financial planning and can help draft effective strategies to accomplish your goals. In most cases, the planner can act as the insurance expert as well. Estate Planning Attorney This is the member that will draft any legal documents and make the required filings you may need to ensure your wishes will be carried out. In addition, a competent estate planning attorney can provide legal advice on a wide variety of issues (real estate contracts, corporations, partnerships, etc.). A word of caution here. The adage, “You get what you pay for,” is especially appropriate in the choice of an attorney. I advise against getting your brother-in-law that handles divorces or traffic tickets to do this work to save money. They usually are not as up to date on the estate laws as an attorney specializing in that field would be. Keep in mind: the legal documentation of an estate plan is like the wooden framework of a house – if it isn’t sound, the home will not stand... no matter what you do afterwards. CPA This is your tax expert and, as we all know, taxes are a huge part of the equation. The CPA is the person you can rely on to guide you through the very complex mix of tax laws and choices. Not only can he help ensure you are not paying any more taxes than you are legally responsible for in your business, he also will ensure you are properly reporting/computing your cost basis to minimize taxes on future sales of timber, or on the transfer of the ownership of the tree farm. Estate planning will often involve income taxes, capital gains taxes, gift taxes, estate taxes (state and federal), and possibly generation-skipping taxes. You need competent help in this area. Just as in the discussion on selecting an estate planning attorney, you need an accounting professional who is experienced in these matters, not just someone who can file a basic income tax return. Ask about their experience in estate planning matters, as well as farming matters. The more the team members understand your specific situation, the better. Over the course of running your tree farm, you may already have established a relationship with one (or more) of these advisers. If these professionals are competent in estate planning, and you trust them, you are off to a good start. As you formulate your vision and begin to search out and select the other team members, it is important to remember that this needs to be a team effort. There are just too many different areas of expertise required for one adviser to do it all. Therefore, it is important to assemble team members who are willing and able to work together... to work for you. The future of your woodland depends on it. ********************************************************************* Questions Persist about Ice Damage Frances Main, MO Department of Conservation In case you missed it, a severe ice storm hit Southwest Missouri last winter. The hardest hit counties were Lawrence, Greene, Cedar, Dade, Webster, Polk, Laclede and Dallas. People throughout the region were affected in a very personal way. Personal because the ice did considerable damage to trees – and everybody has at least some trees, and tend to be very attached to them. From the time the ice was still accumulating until today, area foresters have been called upon for advice. The trend of the questions has shifted over that time. The first group to express concern for their trees seemed to be the urban homeowners. If you only have two or three trees, every tree is important to you and the questions reflected that concern. In the first several weeks following the storm, almost every single question was about an individual tree and its likelihood to survive the damage. As the months wore on, the trend shifted to more rural tree owners and the questions were more about the overall health of the forest and whether or not a timber sale was needed to salvage the value of the wood. Black walnut tended to be of most concern probably for two reasons. First, walnut trees did not maintain their integrity well from the storm (perhaps because they are so often without the protection of a forested environment). Second, everyone has heard that a walnut tree is worth a couple of thousand dollars. However, whether oak, walnut or a mix of species, the evaluation process is the same when deciding if a “salvage sale” is necessary. First, how badly damaged are the individual trees? If approximately 50 percent of the crown is still intact, it’s probably going to be fine, thus no need to consider it as “needing” to be sold. If more than 50 percent of the crown is gone or the damage has left wounds likely to promote decay in the trunk, then this tree is a good candidate for inclusion in a timber sale. Looking at the forest as a whole rather than at individual trees determines if there are enough trees in the “candidate” category to provide enough volume to support a timber sale. Each part of the state is different, but in Southwest Missouri where the ice damage occurred, that is about 30 acres or 12,000 board feet. Looking at a timber sale from a logger’s point of view will help determine if a timber sale is possible. Consider the fact that a typical southwest Missouri tree is worth about $40 or $50 at the mill, and the logger has to give about half of that back to the landowner. Is the cost of getting his equipment and personnel to the site, the time necessary to cut, de-limb, and load the tree, and the gas money back to the mill going to be covered and allow him a profit? He will need enough large trees (big enough that you can’t really touch your hands on the other side if you hug the tree) of high enough quality to make it worth his time to come to the site. Although pruning questions were very common with the homeowner, larger acreages make pruning each wounded tree impossible. However, proper pruning of the damaged parts of the tree can make a big difference in the long term effect the ice storm has on a tree. Pruning seminars offered by tree professionals in the affected area were heavily attended, and the hot-off-the-press MU Extension guide, “First Aid for Storm Damaged Trees” was a hit with the crowds. Common questions as clean up of the damage began included things like; “What species makes good firewood?” “Which trees held up better under the ice load?” “When and how to prune?” and everything related to planting a replacement tree. The storm itself may have ended Jan. 7, 2007, but the effects will be with us for years to come. ********************************************************************* Results of the MWOA Survey In our last issue of GH, we asked you to take part in a survey to gauge interest in a Missouri Woodland Owners Association (MWOA). Here is what we have learned so far: * Response has been rather light; only 110 surveys returned * 85% of those responding favor a quarterly newsletter * 93% like the idea of regional field days and/or workshops * 68% are not interested in an annual conference * 85% support both basic and advanced training opportunities * 50/50 split between those interested in cooperative workdays on a neighbor’s property * 60% want an advocate in Jefferson City * 78% are interested in member perks such as discounts on purchased products * 93% favor affiliation with the National Woodland Owners Association * 46% think an annual fee of $10 is fair while 39% are okay with $20 * 40% are interested in a family rate. If you have not sent in your response and still wish to do so, by all means send it in! We will be taking any and all input throughout the formative stages of the association. These data will help guide discussion at the 2008 Missouri Woodland Owners’ Conference. So, if you are interested in being a part of MWOA please be sure to attend! ********************************************************************* Missouri Woodland Steward News “Live” Short Course to be offered in Barry County. Skip Mourglia (SW MO RC&D) and John Hobbs (MU Extension) are once again teaming up to offer Missouri Woodland Steward to forestland owners in Southwest Missouri. The indoor sessions will be from 7-9 p.m., Nov. 13 and 20 and Dec 4 and 11 at the Family Life Center in Cassville. BONUS!!! Not one, but two field trips are scheduled. A Saturday morning field trip Nov. 17 will cover tree identification and forest ecology. A second Saturday morning, Dec. 15, will feature forest management practices and issues, forest products and wildlife benefits. Thanks in large part to an underwriting gift from the Southwest Missouri RC&D, the cost for the short course is only $15 per person! For more information or to register, contact MU Extension Specialist, John Hobbs at (417) 223-4775 or hobbsjc@missouri.edu. PRICE REDUCTION!!!... The DVD set is now available for only $40 plus tax and S&H, and can be ordered by calling MU Extension at 800-292-0969, or online at www.muextension.missouri.edu To register for the online version, visit www.cdis.missouri.edu and type “Woodland Steward” into the search window. The registration fee is $80 and includes the DVD set. ********************************************************************* MWOC Early Alert Feb. 22-23, Marriott Courtyard Hotel, Columbia, Mo. Would you like to tour a fine hardwood sawmill? How about being part of a Forestry CSI Team? What about carbon trading and its implications to you as a landowner? Are you interested in learning about current efforts to update the State Forestry Law? If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, then make plans to attend the 2008 Missouri Woodland Owners’ Conference, Feb. 22-23. Once again the conference will kick off with a Friday Field Day at the MU Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center (HARC) in New Franklin. Registration opens at 10 a.m. with a pre-field day demonstration of Dutch oven cooking. Following lunch we will tour the Missouri Pacific Lumber Company sawmill in nearby Fayette (transportation provided) and back at HARC we will look at a real-life timber theft that occurred right on the farm! We will also talk about what a person can do following a high-grade such as this. The conference then kicks into high gear Friday evening at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel in Columbia (a new location due to a scheduling conflict at Stoney Creek). We will share information about efforts to form a Missouri Woodland Owners Association. We have shortened the Saturday presentations a bit to make room for more topics. State Forester Lisa Allen will update attendees on current efforts to update the State Forestry Law, which has been virtually unchanged since 1946! Amy Yambor from the American Tree Farm System will give the national office’s take on emerging issues facing forestland owners. Steve Mahfood will talk about the latest developments in the U.S. carbon market. Dr. Rose-Marie Muzika will then update participants on which insects and diseases are on the state watch list. In addition to recognizing the state Tree Farmer of the Year at the luncheon, we also will recognize a new state champion: the state Logger of the Year! Following lunch, the afternoon sessions will be geared toward marketing and harvesting timber. Bob Massengale will shed some light on Missouri’s major wood products and their relation to tree and log grades. After that Fred Crouse and Jason Jensen will share tips on how to sell your timber. The afternoon wraps up with John Tuttle and some of the regional loggers of the year talking about how to work with your logger in planning and implementing a harvest plan. For more information you can go online to www.snr.missouri.edu/forestry/extension or www.moforest.org To speak to real person, you can always give Glenda a call at (573) 634-3252. ********************************************************************* Walnut Council Foundation Can Help Fulfill Your Forest Legacy Scott Brundage, Walnut Council Foundation Over their lifetimes, many Walnut Council members have invested considerable time, money and tender loving care in managing their plantations and/or woodlands. To some, these trees are among their most valuable possessions. As many reach retirement age they begin to wonder what will happen to their cherished trees when they are gone. Some members have no children or close relatives to inherit these treasured areas. Others have children that live far away and/or have no interest in the wooded areas they love so much. What can an individual do to ensure that their treasured forest will not be sold off and perhaps destroyed by the next owner who does not appreciate this lifelong labor of love? If a similar thought has crossed your mind recently, consider a gift of such land to the Walnut Council Foundation. If the Foundation accepts your gift it will guarantee in writing that it will properly manage your plantation and/or woodland until the primary crop is mature and harvested. A qualified team of professional foresters will prepare and execute a management plan for each parcel of land accepted. The execution of the plan may be carried out by the Walnut Council state chapter at field days or special handson work days as a member education exercise. Work that is not completed each year by such means will be completed by the Walnut Council Foundation hiring professionals under the supervision of an authorized local representative designated by the management committee. After harvest, each property will be reviewed by the Walnut Council Foundation Board to decide what is best for the future use and management. The Walnut Council Foundation reserves the right to reject gifts of very young or poorly sited plantations with extensive management expenses until harvest. Each potential land gift is different and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. For more information or answers to specific questions, contact the Walnut Council Foundation, Wright Forestry Center, 1007 N. 725 West, West Lafayette, IN 47906, or (765) 583-3501. ********************************************************************* Black Walnut Financial Model Aids Decisions in the Woods Larry Godsey, University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry Potential growers needing assistance with decisions about tree spacing, nut harvest and whether to use improved (grafted) or unimproved trees should look to the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry’s Black Walnut Financial Model. The Center has released an updated version of the model, version 2.0. The financial model is an Excel spreadsheet, which asks a series of questions designed for inputting data about your orchard. The spreadsheet is available for download at the Web site listed below. Also on this site is a guide to aid in answering the questions. The model uses a simple algorithm to make estimates about future nut production and tree diameters and should be used to consider how certain management decisions, i.e. tree spacing, will affect the financial performance of the plantation in terms of potential increases and decreases in net present value, internal rate of return and annual equivalent value. Because of the simplicity of the model, there are several important limitations that must be taken into consideration. This model is limited to a 100-year time frame. The purpose of the model is to provide an indication of the direction of change for certain management decisions (for example, a closer initial spacing versus a wider initial spacing), and a basis for determining which strategy would work best for a certain site (such as, a site that only grows trees at 0.25 inches per year may be best suited for nut production versus a site that grows trees at 0.5 inches per year). In most cases the default cost structures used in the model are sufficient to achieve the analysis desired, since they are held constant throughout the analysis. For more information or technical help with the model, contact Larry Godsey, Center Economist, University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry, at godseyl@missouri.edu. See the financial model at: http://www.centerforagroforestry.org/profit/walnutfinancialmodel.asp ********************************************************************* Missouri Exchange for buyers, sellers of niche agricultural products Michelle Hall, University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry Missouri Exchange is a free Web site that broadens marketing opportunities for Missouri producers who specialize in niche market products and allows buyers to find agricultural products at the click of a mouse. Ultimately, the site aims to increase the market for Missouri alternative products and native plant materials. Producers who list merchandise on the Web site have 24-hour access to potential buyers throughout the state, the country and even around the world. The site showcases Missouri’s diverse agricultural products, links sellers to the market, helps source hard to find products and educates consumers and producers. Users can buy and sell timber, nuts, fruits, botanicals, native plants, mushrooms and other agricultural products. The site lets people and businesses “buy local,” which helps the environment and the economy. For sellers, the site is an additional and easy way to market products – for free. The site is also a source of critical market and product information for buyers and sellers alike. According to Web site administrator Ina Cernusca, a research associate and marketing specialist with the Center for Agroforestry, Missouri Exchange has been successful so far. The site has generated 268 members in about eight months; the number of members increases every day. Missouri Exchange has received up to 22,000 hits per month and attracts visitors from all over the world. Members have the opportunity to create a directory page or post specific offers to sell or requests to buy. Buyers and sellers have responded favorably to the site. “That it even exists is great! The whole concept,” said one seller. “I like the idea of a locally grown suppliers concept and a place to advertise buying,” said a buyer on the site. The user-friendly Web site was also the subject of a recent workshop at the University of Missouri, bringing together buyers and sellers. The MU Center for Agroforestry sponsored The Missouri Exchange workshop, held July 19 at Memorial Union on the MU campus. The event featured information on selling fresh and niche agricultural products, a Web site tutorial, local food and agricultural product samples, and networking among attendees and speakers. The Missouri Exchange workshop included knowledgeable speakers who discussed opportunities for marketing niche and fresh agricultural products to restaurants, marketing of alternative products, native plants and the GrowNative! program, and the rise of the growing local food movement in the United States. Participants and speakers also exhibited their services and products. A luncheon was made from ingredients brought in from area farms before preparation by University of Missouri chefs. The workshop will be repeated to provide more people the opportunity to get in-depth information about the Web site and its objectives, Cernusca said. Visit the Missouri Exchange Web site at http://www.missouriexchange.com/ For more information about the site, contact Ina Cernusca at (573) 882-4848 or cernuscam@missouri.edu. ********************************************************************* Wood-to-Energy Town Hall Meetings Coming in 2008 If you either live or have forestland within a 50-mile radius of Fredericktown, Cuba or Thayer, Mo., then you might be interested in the Wood-to-Energy Town Hall Meetings that will be happening in each community during the first quarter of 2008. A recent study by MU foresters of available biomass from forest thinning operations has indicated that sustainable wood-to-energy enterprises could be possible in each of these communities. These enterprises not only have the potential of helping meet the country’s energy self-sufficiency mandate issued by President Bush and supported by Congress, but also the potential to revitalize the rural economy of these communities. But to realize this potential and move forward in a positive manner, there must be consensus among all stakeholders. MU Forestry Extension partnered with the Missouri Department of Conservation and was successful in securing a US Forest Service Wood-to-Energy Jump Start Grant that will allow stakeholders to come together in an initial town hall meeting and learn about the latest woody biomass energy options that are available and have some preliminary interactive discussions. During a four-week interim period, local MU Extension specialists will facilitate additional chat sessions to foster further discussion and allow those who were unable to attend the town hall meeting to participate in the process. Then a second town hall meeting will be held to decide whether or not these technologies make sense for them and what next steps need to be taken. For more information you can contact either Hank Stelzer, MU State Forestry Extension Specialist at stelzerh@missouri.edu or (573) 882-4444; or John Tuttle, MDC Forest Products Specialist at john.tuttle@mdc.mo.gov or (573) 751-4115 ext 3304. ********************************************************************* The Bid Box (All volumes reported in Doyle Scale) Callaway County * 80 acres * 826 trees * Estimated volume: 101,830 bd.ft. (70 percent white oak) * Consulting forester valued the sale at $27,500 * 3 bids received * $20,366 * $31,988 * $34,114 * Return: $426 per acre Monroe County * 120 acres * 754 trees, 25 of which were walnut * Estimated volume: 142,100 bd.ft. (20 percent soft maple, remaining volume was a mix) * Consulting forester valued the sale at $19,750 * 6 bids * $15,250 * $17,555 * $20,100 * $22,290 * $24,300 * $27,500 * Return: $229 per acre ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Do You Have a Timber Sale for The Bid Box? If you have competitively sold your timber in the past few months and would like to share the information with other landowners, we would welcome your input. All sales will be reported at the county level as shown above and no personal information will be divulged. ********************************************************************* Redcedar Conference Draws Big Crowd! Hank Stelzer, Extension Forester More than 170 people from five states attended the Redcedar Workshop, Aug. 9-11, in Springfield, Mo. One of the first orders of business was to get the hotel (and several others) to realize that redcedar is one word! In spite of that minor faux pas, everyone agreed the gathering was a smashing success. Skip Mourglia, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Frances Main, Missouri Department of Conservation, did an outstanding job lining up the field tour. Stops included one of the last remaining large tracts of “old-growth” cedar. Remember that since many Ozark forest stands did not begin regenerating until the late 1940s, old-growth here means only 60 years! Processors in the Bradleyville area showed the group true Ozark hospitality and freely talked about their operations. The indoor sessions that followed over the next two days allowed participants to learn more about managing natural cedar stands, utilizing every part of the tree, and marketing those products on the world stage. But the most important thing that the workshop accomplished was bringing together everyone who saw the opportunities provided by redcedar rather than the challenges. Even before they left, workshop attendees were already wanting to know when Skip was going to host the next meeting. Skip?... Skip? Now where did she go?! ********************************************************************* The Carbon Corner Hank Stelzer, Extension Forester Editors’ Note: Since our first article on carbon credits, we have come to realize that this is a rapidly evolving and ever-changing opportunity for forestland owners. While we realize that some question the ecological value of carbon trading, our intent is one of providing the latest information so our readers can make informed decisions. Starting with this issue of GH, the “Carbon Corner” will become a regular feature. We welcome specific questions from landowners wishing to learn more about becoming players in this emerging market. The significant concern over global warming has sparked the development of many initiatives. Across the country, the federal government, state or local governments, NGOs, not-for-profit organizations and private enterprises have worked to develop various greenhouse gas registries, cap and trade programs and other market mechanisms. Without over-arching requirements such as the UN Kyoto protocol or federal regulation, most of these initiatives have been developed independently of one another, resulting in differing ideologies, policies and program requirements. Some of the more prevalent of these initiatives include the U.S. DOE 1605b program (registry), the California Climate Action Registry (CCAR), the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX). Registries provide entities with the means by which to calculate, track and report changes in greenhouse gas emissions or increases in carbon storage over time. These bodies establish the technical accounting rules that standardize greenhouse gas and carbon accounting and ensure consistency in all participant accounting systems. Carbon markets are a combination of the rules set from a registry and the platform on which carbon offset credits (usually metric tons of CO2 equivalent or “MtCO2e”) are traded, or marketed to consumers. The Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), www.chicagoclimatex.com, is the only open carbon credit market in North America and is currently trading emission offsets that can be gained through verified net increases in forest carbon stocks. At the present time, only forestlands that have been planted since 1990 or reforested areas through natural regeneration qualify. But, efforts are underway to include natural forests that are being managed in a sustainable manner. Individual forestland owners gain access to the CCX through what are called carbon aggregators. These carbon aggregators are brokers who take care of enrolling your forestland in the program, and ensure that your wooded acres conform to market standards and that you accumulate (aggregate) enough acres to trade your stored carbon in large trading blocks. The aggregator charges a service fee (usually 10 percent, but this varies among aggregators) from the annual sale proceeds to cover administrative expenses associated with managing the program. There are currently 55 registered aggregators on the CCX and more are added each day. The entire process of finding and signing up forest carbon stocks has taken on a “land rush” mentality. If you are looking for an aggregator, or an aggregator contacts you, first and foremost make sure they are registered with the CCX. If they are not, STOP! Do not pass “Go” because you could be entering into a legally-binding agreement with someone who has no access to the only operating carbon exchange in the U.S. This could change over time if the U.S. signs the Kyoto protocol and international carbon exchanges start operating in this country. Of the 55 U.S. carbon aggregators, we are aware of five that are working with forestland owners either here in Missouri or nearby Midwestern states. The Delta Institute, www.p2e2center.org, is working with public and private forestland owners in Illinois and Michigan. The Iowa Farm Bureau, www.iowafarmbureau.com/carbon, is naturally helping landowners in Iowa. The North Dakota Farmers Union, http://carboncredit.ndfu.org/, is acting as the fiscal agent for sister farmer unions across the country. Forecon, www.foreconinc.com/ecomarket, has offices in New York and Michigan. Lastly, there is Tatanka Resources LLC here in Missouri. Tatanka has just recently been registered as an aggregator and is just beginning operations in the state. Tatanka Resources has invested a significant amount of time and resources to develop an enhanced site-specific measurement system that allows forest landowners to enroll credits for the actual carbon stored for a given forest tract. This means that each landowner will earn different amounts of credits per year dependent upon the specific growth and development of that specific forest. This new measurement system is much more rigorous than the more generic tables developed by the CCX. What happened to Dogwood Carbon? The answer is nothing. They are still in operation (www.dogwoodcarbon.com). As we said in our opening Editors’ Note, the carbon market is an evolving beast. Since its inception, Dogwood Carbon has found it easier to partner with Tatanka Resources LLC as their aggregator on the CCX. With both Dogwood Carbon and Tatanka Resources being Missouri-based enterprises, we have asked them to help us keep our GH readers informed and “at-the-ready” to answer specific questions. So, stay tuned for updates as they evolve and answers to your questions right here in future issues of Green Horizons. The opportunity for harnessing market-based incentives for sustainable forestry is here. ********************************************************************* Stressed Shortleaf Pine and Beetles Rob Lawrence, MO Department of Conservation Trees across the state have been stressed this year by winter ice storm damage, severe April freeze, and a long summer drought. As a result pine bark beetles are attacking weakened trees less able to defend themselves. Isolated pockets of dying shortleaf pine, ranging from a few individuals to several dozen trees, have appeared in late summer southeastern Missouri. Foliage starts fading and entire tree crowns turn reddish brown in a few weeks. In many cases, the beetles attack the upper trunk and limbs, and no evidence of attack is seen on lower trunks. Pockets of shortleaf pine mortality are typically caused by Ips bark beetles attacking drought-stressed trees. Signs of attacks are reddish-brown boring dust (frass), pitch tubes (entrances) and a shot-hole pattern of exit holes on the bark surface, and galleries (tunnels) beneath the bark. These beetles also carry spores of a bluestain fungus that hastens tree death by blocking water flow in the outer sapwood. The duration of Ips outbreaks in forest stands is often short-lived, lasting only one season. If infested spots are isolated and widely scattered, the best course of action often is to let the infestation die out on its own. Cutting and removing trees to stop the outbreak may actually accelerate it because harvesting produces fresh host odors (attractants), logging slash (potential breeding sites) and additional stress or injury to the residual trees. ********************************************************************** Oak Wilt, Bacterial Leaf Scorch or Abiotic Scorch? Bruce Moltzan, MO Department of Conservation The close of the summer season in Missouri often confounds the diagnosis of oak wilt with other things that cause similar symptoms. Red oaks (most notably pin oaks) that are browning from leaf tips inward with the classic green margin might cause one to think oak wilt. But, given that extended summer heat seems to deactivate the fungus in the above ground portions of the tree and also that in late summer it is hard to grow the fungus in the lab (which is needed for positive identification) the question arises: Is it oak wilt or something else? In general, oak wilt will cause pin, shingle, and other red oaks to drop leaves in late spring and total tree mortality will soon follow in as little as six weeks and certainly by the end of the following spring. Trees affected by bacterial leaf scorch will retain browned leaves at season’s end and it may take up to five growing seasons to kill the tree. Abiotic scorch comes on later in the summer to early fall with uniform browning of the entire canopy. Scorch will be visible on a number of trees rather than one or two, and the severity will depend on seasonal drought conditions. This type of scorch is not lethal and the trees should flush as normal next spring. ********************************************************************** The Back Page Meet Our Newest Faculty Francisco X. Aguilar comes to the MU Department of Forestry from Louisiana State University (LSU) where he received his Ph.D. He will be teaching and addressing needs in forest economics and policy. At LSU, Francisco studied the emergence of forest certification programs as well as consumers’ preferences for environmentally certified wood products. More recently, he is exploring the potential for the wood products industry to become an important player in the biofuels market. Francisco, originally from Ecuador, has significant international experience after working in rural areas in the Americas, Asia and Europe. Jason A. Hubbart holds a Ph.D. in Natural Resources from the University of Idaho. He teaches courses in watershed management, water quality, physical hydrology, and environmental biophysics. Jason is interested in conservation and sustainable management of natural resources at multiple levels including but not limited to aspects of biodiversity, sustainability and best management practices. Outside the classroom, he plans to help narrow the gap between complex natural resource sustainability and management related issues. Forest Fact: The forest products and supporting industries in Missouri add $6.9 billion to the state’s economy and pay more than $881 million in total taxes. ********************************************************************** Calendar of Events Nov. 1-3, 2007: 15th National Small Farm Trade Show and Conference, Boone County Fairgrounds, Columbia, Mo. Go to http://www.smallfarmtoday.com/tradeshow/default.asp for more information. Nov. 2, 2007: Missouri Chapter of the Walnut Council, Winfield, Mo. Contact Dusty Walter at (573) 884-7991 or walterd@missouri.edu. Nov. 13, 2007: Missouri Woodland Steward Short Course, Cassville, Mo. Contact John Hobbs at (417) 223-4775 or hobbsjc@missouri.edu. Nov. 29, 2007, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.: Shortleaf Pine Demonstration Tour in Wayne County. Contact Doug Enyart at (573) 223-7010 or cfc@semo.net. Feb. 22–23, 2008: Missouri Woodland Owners’ Conference, Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, Columbia, Mo. Contact Glenda Fry at (573) 634-3252 or Glenda@moforest.org. For more information go online to http://www.moforest.org or http://www.snr.missouri.edu/forestry/extension **********************************************************************