Green Horizons
News for people who take their trees seriously
Vol. 7, No. 4
Summer 2003

Couple Recognized for Commitment to Service 
Julie Rhoads
UMCA Landowner Educational Event Coordinator 

A group of 40 tree farmers and forestry professionals gathered on
George Stanton’s property on Feb. 21 in Lake Ozark, for the
pre-conference timber stand improvement demonstration led by MU
Extension Forester Hank Stelzer and Consulting Forester Fred Crouse.
Participants viewed examples of tree inventory plots and learned
techniques to improve their own wooded land holdings for a future
timber sale.

Following the demonstration the group was given a guided plant tour of
the nearby moulding and millwork division of Stanton Manufacturing
Company, Inc. This Lake Ozark business processes cedar and walnut logs
and has been continuously owned and operated since 1947 by Stanton
family members.
The conference, which was held on Feb. 22 in Lake Ozark, was attended
by 90 people. The featured speaker was Bruce Moltzan, Forest
Pathologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, who gave an
overview on Forest Health.

Winners of the Tree Farm’s awards program were also announced,
including certificate winners, regional tree farm winners and the
State Tree Farmer of the Year. This year’s State Tree Farmer award
went to George and Elizabeth Barnitz of Lake Spring, MO.

The Barnitz’s were nominated by Mike Fiaoni for their outstanding
efforts managing a farm that has been in their family for over a
century. The Barnitz’s make particular efforts to care for the natural
resources on their land, which awarded them the Centennial Stewardship
Farm Award in 2000 and has made them an inspiration to others.

There was a new award added to the program this year. The John P.
Slusher award is given for distinguished service to the Tree Farm
Program on a sustained basis. The recipient was Bill Kickbusch from
Rolla, MO.

Next year’s conference will be held on February 27-28. For
information, contact Julie Rhoads at (573) 882-3234 or
RhoadsJ@missouri.edu


How to Correct Problem Tops on Your Christmas Trees 
Clell Solomon
Missouri Christmas Tree Association 

Few trees planted for Christmas trees will attain the quality
necessary to be sold in the consumer market without help from the
grower. Most consumers want a tree that is uniformly dense, has a
straight trunk and has a stem that is both straight and the correct
diameter range to fit into a holding stand. Individual trees often
develop problem tops, and if this is not corrected during the year the
problem occurs, the tree will not have the desired straight trunk at
harvest time. Problems with tops can be caused by insect damage to the
intended terminal leader, breakage by birds perching on new growth
that is not sufficiently strong, mistakes made in previous years’
shearing, among other reasons.

Some trees, through poor genes, just never get the message that they
should grow. In the latter case, these trees should be removed before
time is wasted on them year after year.

In order to properly correct problem tops, it is important to have an
understanding of how a tree grows to determine its response to
corrective treatment. Essentially, what we’re after is one leader in
each whorl of branches that continues in a straight line with the
lower part of the trunk, with no offsets (often called “doglegs”).
Such a trait is called apical dominance, or the ability of the topmost
terminal shoot to dominate all other branches on the tree. This
dominance is determined by hormones produced by all actively growing
buds, but in progressively samller amounts on lower branches, making a
tree is taller than it is wide.

When trees are sheared to attain the proper shape and density, the top
leader is cut at the desired length of approximately 12” at a 45
degree angle. This encourages a new bud to develop in a higher
position, thus producing more of the growth inhibiting hormones and a
greater chance of one strong leader the next year. Often two or more
buds develop near the same position on the cut stem, resulting in two
or more leaders the following year. Treatment for this is to select
the straightest and cut the others out entirely. If the leaders are
divergent, the strongest may be straightened by tying it to the other.
The supporting leader should be cut off just above the tie. Plastic
flagging is the preferred tie material because it will not girdle the
stems, and will eventually fall off when no longer needed.

After the top is corrected, the entire tree is sheared diagonally in a
straight line from the top to the outermost tips of the bottom
branches. This will shorten the lateral shoots of the top whorl to the
proper length., which should be approximately ½ the length of the
leader. Remember that when the top leader has been cut to the
appropriate length, the buds on all laterals of the top whorl must
also be removed to avoid one assuming an off center leadership role
the ensuing year.

Frequently, because of insect or disease incidence, or mechanical
injury, the tree will have no terminal leader. In this case, one of
the stronger lateral shoots of the top whorl must be brought up and
tied. This can be done successfully so long as the selected branch is
left longer than all the others in the top.

Corrective top work can take a little time, but will often result in
greatly upgrading a tree from a cull to one that is profitable.



"Axe" the Expert

Some of my trees are losing their leaves.Could this be related to Anthracnose?

Many questions of tree health are related to foliage problems. Often
people first become concerned about the health of their forest or
shade tree in response to symptoms that appear in the leaves.
Sometimes leaves will become skeletonized (appear eaten by insect,
back to the veins)or develop holes, other times the leaves show signs
of wilting and may fall from the tree. While these symptoms are
certainly cause for concern and may need to be diagnosed by an
expert,trees are also naturally equipped with defense mechanisms.In
many cases, foliar problems will be corrected by the tree during the
same growing season.

One disease that is causing concern this year among many landowners is
fungi disease called anthracnose. Anthracnose is a leaf disease
favored by wet, cool weather (especially in the spring) and tends to
be most severe on the lower branches where the humidity is highest. It
is a fungus-caused disease that typically makes a tree’s leaves rather
unsightly and can also cause shoot blight. Trees showing the most
severe symptoms include dogwood, maple, oak (primarily white oak) and
sycamore, but it can also occur in others, such as ash or walnut.

Not to minimize concerns, but anthracnose typically will not cause
permanent damage to well established, vigorously growing trees. Most
healthy trees will push out a new crop of leaves by mid-June. There
are several practices that can minimize damage from year-to-year.
Following leaf emergence in the spring, fertilize trees showing
evidence of defoliation. Since anthracnose is a leaf disease and will
overwinter in fallen leaves and twigs, raking fallen leaves and
branches, and burning or removing them from the site, can help reduce
chance of infection. In most all trees except dogwood, spraying with a
fungicide is unnecessary. In dogwood, anthracnose is aggressive and
can cause permanent damage or death.

The internet is a great source for information on tree diseases and
treatments. An excellent site to begin your web surf is the US Forest
Service North Central States Forest Health Protection homepage
(http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/info_dir.htm).

If you feel you have a disease problem that needs immediate attention,
call your local Missouri Department of Conservation or MU Extension
office to have someone diagnose your tree’s specific health issue.



Newsletter deadlines

Because your newsletter must be in the mail at least 30 days before
the next organization meeting and another three weeks is needed to get
it ready and through the printing process, the deadline for the next
issue is:


September 15, 2003

Send your newsletter material to: Hank Stelzer, 203 Anheuser- Busch
Natural Resources Bldg., Forestry Center, University of Missouri,
Columbia, Mo. 65211. Phone (573) 882-4444. Your management tips,
ideas, questions and experiences are most welcome!



Foresters get statewide forest survey underway 
Bruce Palmer
Missouri Department of Conservation 

It’s difficult to manage a resource when you don’t know how much you
have. That’s especially true of forest land, so the U.S. Forest
Service and the Missouri Department of Conservation are teaming up to
inventory Missouri’s forests.

Crews of foresters are now measuring plots on private, state and
federal land to determine the changes in the forest since the last
survey in 1989. To get an accurate picture of what is happening in the
state, the crews sample all ownership and forest types. Permission is
always obtained before entering private land. The crews inventory tree
species, volume, growth, mortality and health on each of the plots.
From this information, statewide estimates of forest area, timber
volume and growth can be developed. Forest inventory information is
important to the foresters who manage Missouri’s constantly changing
forest land. It provides the data they need for planning, protection
and program development. It is also used to advise private landowners
and forest industries.

The first state wide forest inventory was completed in 1947. Later
surveys were completed in 1959, 1972 and 1989. Inventory data quickly
became outdated in the 12 to 17 years between periodic surveys. The
1998 Farm Bill changed the periodic surveys to annual inventories.

This year the inventory crews working in Missouri will measure 20% of
the 3,500 plots in the state. Each year they will measure a new 20% of
the plots until all are completed. The cycle will then be repeated. A
summary of the inventory data will be compiled each year and a final
report for Missouri will be produced every five years.

Missouri’s forests provide many benefits such as recreation, wildlife
habitat, clean air and water and forest products. The forest inventory
gives land managers another tool to help insure we will always have
healthy, productive forests.



Walnut tree shows importance of Timber Stand Improvement 
Scott Brundage
Consulting Forester 

In February, I sold 86 black walnut trees which had an estimated Doyle
Log Scale volume of 23,000 board feet. The tree or log grade quality
was measured and estimated as follows:

A Grade Veneer - 5, 194 bd ft
B Grade Veneer - 3,606 bd ft
C Grade Veneer - 485 bd ft
Lumber Grade - 14,015 bd ft


The best tree in the sale was 32 inches d.b.h., and 27 to 28 feet in
clean veneer logs, plus a 12-foot lumber log in the top. Based on fair
prices for top quality logs, this tree brought approximately $6,780.
Sealed bids for the marked trees were: $26,414, $28,435, $28,500,
$30,112, $30,880, $37,500 and $41,551. Forest management pays. This is
why we want you to do Timber Stand Improvement (TSI), pruning, vine
control, etc. Please call a professional forester before your next
timber sale.



Quiz: Assess your knowledge of timber sales 

You haven’t been home from work long when the phone rings. A man
identifies himself as a timber buyer/logger who is working nearby and
has noticed that you have some nice timber. Since you were not at
home, he has taken the liberty of walking your woods. He asks, "Would
you accept $10,000 for your timber?"

"Ten thousand dollars! Heck, I didn’t think it was worth anything,"
you say to yourself. Ten thousand dollars right out of the blue, free;
what a lucky day!

Before you get too excited, slow down and ask yourself a few
questions. Be completely honest, and if you answer any of these
questions with, "I don’t know," the deal is likely to bring less money
than is potentially possible, plus it could ruin your valuable timber
for future sales.


Q. 1. How many trees will be cut?
      Don’t know__ 20__ 200__ 2000__

Q. 2. How many board feet will be cut?
      Don’t know__ What is a board foot?__ 10,000__ 100,000__

Q. 3. How much is my timber really worth?
      Don’t know__ $10,000__ More than $10,000__

Q. 4. How and when will I get paid for the timber?
      Don’t know __ Before timber is cut __ As timber is cut __ After timber is cut __ Maybe never

Q. 5. Will they remove the lower-valued hickory, elm, honey locust, etc., or will they only take the higher valued
      oaks, walnut and silver maple?
      Don’t know __ Everything marketable __ High quality only ___

Q. 6. He said they would not ruin the woods by only cutting trees 15 inches and larger. Fifteen inches measured
      where?
      Don’t know__ Ground level__ Breast high__ Top of butt log__

Q. 7. If the logger or one of his crew members is injured or killed, who is responsible?
      Don’t know __ My liability insurance __ His insurance company __

Q. 8. Does the logger and crew have insurance? Are they covered by Workman’s Compensation?
      Don’t know __ They supplied written proof of insurance ___ No insurance

Q. 9. Who fixes the rutted roads, farm lanes, ruined fences or pulls tree tops back out of the crop fields, pastures
      and/or creeks?
      Don’t know __ Logger does after sale __ Security deposit to cover such damages __

Q. 10. If the logger says he will do all of the above, will he let me hold a security or damage deposit to insure my
      property will not sustain excessive damage?
      Don’t know __ No written arrangements __

Q. 11. How long will they be on my land? (And have a right to cut timber.)
      Don’t know __ 1 month __ 1 year __ Assumed it would be immediately __

Q. 12. Is the money I receive from my timber sale taxable?
      Don’t know __ Yes __ No __ Maybe __

You won’t have an unbiased answer to Questions 1-5 unless the timber
is "marked" by a forester. This means each saleable tree (mature,
overmature, damaged/defective) is measured and tallied for diameter
and merchantable log lengths by species and grade and paint-marked on
two sides of the trunk and the stump. After marking the trees to be
sold, the forester tallies the board-foot volume in the marked trees
by species and grade. With this information the forester can make a
very accurate evaluation of sale value. The marked timber is usually
then sold by sealed bids to the highest bidder. There are many good
timber buyers/loggers who are interested in buying timber at a fair
market value and performing a good job of logging. By knowing the
value of your saleable timber and having a good Timber Sale Contract
chances are good that your timber sale will be a positive experience.

Especially important is Question 4. Always get your full payment prior
to allowing any harvesting. It is almost never a good idea to sell on
shares or percentage, which is always a cut now, pay later situation.
Always know the true and fair value of your timber prior to selling.
If you don’t like trouble or problems, this may be the best free
advice you will ever get.

Question 6 is very tricky. Most landowners think this means 15 inches
diameter measured at breast height (4 1/2 feet above ground) or d.b.h.
The logger may mean 15 inches measured at ground level. Since all
trees flare out at ground level, the lower the cut, the smaller
diameter tree he can/will legally harvest. I have seen woodlots
practically clear cut when loggers have cut the smaller trees at
ground level where the stump is largest. Remember, a minimum diameter
limit cut is very rarely used by professional foresters because it
usually results in "high grading" or cutting only the best timber you
have. A low (example 15”) diameter limit may also rob you of future
high quality (and high value) veneer trees.

Questions 7 and 8 can be covered by a Certificate of Insurance from
the logger or by a good Timber Sale Contract. A forester will have a
good contract protecting both the seller and buyer. Selling timber on
shares using only the logger’s contract or a verbal agreement can put
you, the landowner, at great financial and liability risk.

Questions 9 through 11 will be covered in a good Timber Sale Contract.
A security or damage deposit is often used to insure access roads,
fences, crop fields and pastures are left in original condition after
the logging is complete. If the logger completes the work properly as
most will when a good Timber Sale Conract used, the security/damage
deposit is refunded to the logger after the logging job is complete.

Question 12 refers to an often overlooked situation. Since producing
timber is a long-term proposition, IRS allows timber volumes to be
"depleted" as timber is harvested from the property. The amount
calculated to be the value of the timber when you purchased the
property is known as-the "Timber Cost Basis." A professional
consulting forester can establish through an inventory procedure, your
personal "timber cost basis." You are then entitled to subtract the
value of any timber sales sold from the timber cost basis until it is
entirely depleted. You may have heard the term "depletion allowance"
used to describe this calculation. The net result is that you will
probably owe no federal income taxes on the timber sale proceeds as
long as there is a positive balance in the depletion account. Only a
professional, consulting forester should assist you in establishing
your cost basis because, if you are audited, it is very important to
have had the Timber Cost Basis established by a qualified
professional. Taking the above steps can prevent significant tax
liabilities.

Remember, a forester is working for you to obtain the best dollar
value for your saleable timber and, put your timberland in a
healthier, more valuable condition. A consulting forester (charges for
his/her services) can answer all of the above questions for you while
a public agency forester (free service) can answer certain questions,
and under certain circumstances, the landowner may have a six to
eighteen month wait for the actual marking to take place. Consulting
foresters can work with you throughout the process of selling timber
and realization of the many favorable income tax treatments. The
dollar value of their services is likely to exceed many times the
amount of their fees. Free forestry assistance through a public agency
does not include tax assistance or many of the specific services
offered by a consulting forester.

Look at your answers again. Do you still feel comfortable taking the
first offer for your timber? If you really want to pursue the sale of
timber, you now know where to go for assistance, and you are informed
so that you can ask the right questions. For your own satisfaction, it
is just good business to be informed.



Q&A with our new State Forestry Extension Specialist 

Our new State Forestry Extension Specialist is Dr. Hank Stelzer. Hank
is a St. Louis native who received both his B.S. and M.S. degrees in
forestry from Mizzou. Before earning his doctorate at Purdue
University, he served as a forest geneticist for the Missouri
Department of Conservation at the White Nursery in Licking, MO. Hank
has spent the past 15 years serving in both the private and public
forestry sectors. He returned to Mizzou last summer when he was tapped
to replace Jack Slusher as the Forestry Department's extension
forester. Hank has been busy re-tooling the forestry extension
program, but we caught up with him recently to hear about his
philosophy and where he wants to take forestry extension.

Q: Are you getting settled-in?
A: Pretty much. I've been using this first year reestablishing old
contacts and making new ones. My travels have helped me see what has
and has not changed within the state's forestry community during my
time away.

Q: What's changed?
A: First and foremost is the decline of our black and scarlet oaks in
the Ozarks. This problem did not develop overnight. It is the coming
together of several circumstances over a long period of time. Some
caused by man, like the over-cutting of the forest at the turn of the
20th century and the lack of forest management since then. Some caused
by nature, like the fact that these oaks normally only live to be
70-90 years old and the 1998-2000 drought. No matter. The fact is that
the people and the communities who depend upon the forest for their
way of life as well as visitors are being impacted. Some portions of
the Ozark forest are beyond our help and nature will have to take her
course. But, other portions can be saved if we actively manage the
forest to restore its health and vigor.

Q: So, what hasn't changed?
A: Unfortunately, I would have to say it is the level of forest
stewardship on privately owned lands. Over 400,000 private landowners
own 9.7 million acres (85%) of the state's 14 million acres of
forestland. Of that acreage, only 395,000 acres (3.5%) are being
managed with the help of a natural resource professional. That is
about the same level it was some 30 years ago.

Q: What do you want to do to change that?
A: Most landowners do not realize that timber is a valuable crop.
Unlike other commodities that are sold on a regular basis, timber is
sold infrequently. Extension's goal is to raise that level of
awareness and provide the landowner with the needed information and
resources for making land use decisions that are both economically and
environmentally sound. We will be doing this in a variety of ways in
the coming year: from developing websites for on-line learning to
re-vamping the popular Master Tree Farmer shortcourse that will focus
on Missouri's forestland.

Q: I see that your appointment is statewide. What about the forestry
needs of those in the metropolitan areas?
A: In the state's metropolitan areas, urban/wildland interface issues
are increasing as both permanent residences and vacation retreats are
built further away from urban centers. Once again Extension's goal is
to raise the newcomer's level of awareness on such issues as wildfire,
invasive plants, displaced wildlife, and the role of our forests in
maintaining water quality. In established urban areas, Extension
efforts focus on identifying and managing hazard trees as well as
re-foresting areas where the trees were lost to insects or disease. In
these urban settings, Extension will work closely with the Missouri
Community Forestry Council.

Q: So, is your appointment 100% Extension?
A: No, my time is split between extension (80%) and research (20%).
That's a good mix because the research component will help me keep
current with new developments in forest science as well as take
emerging needs from the field back to the scientific community.

Q: What will be your primary research focus areas?
A: My main research will center on the proper harvesting of small
diameter trees. There is a potential market for these small trees that
historically have been left in the woods and some sawmills in the
Ozarks are interested in this resource. By developing this market we
will be able to provide landowners a new incentive to manage their
woodlands and restore the health of these forests.

When harvesting trees, big or small, we need to make sure it is done
in an environmentally friendly way. Best management practices (BMP's)
as they relate to timber harvesting work to ensure the proper
placement of logging roads and log landings in the forest. For BMP's
to be successfully implemented, we need to locally demonstrate their
effectiveness. In cooperation with the Missouri Department of
Conservation, research efforts are underway to quantify the amount of
sediment transported off-site with and without BMP's in order to
provide landowners the visual information they need to assure the
public that these harvesting practices are safe and effective in
protecting the local ecosystem.

A second focus area will be tree planting. The success of tree
plantings in Missouri depends primarily on seedling persistence
through an establishment period that typically ranges from one to five
years. The ability to persist through this period is largely a
function of nursery stock quality and silvicultural practices.
Competing vegetation and damage due to animal browse have been cited
as two principal causes of low plantation establishment success. A
variety of measures have been taken to mitigate the effects of these
pressures, including the use of herbicides, cover crop establishment,
various site preparation techniques, and animal browse controls.
However, we still do not know how effective these measures are when
applied on an operational scale. Efforts are underway to collect such
data across the state.

Q: Your plate is pretty full! Any last comments before we let you
return to your work?
A: Only that I'm glad to be back home. I encourage our Green Horizon
readers to stay tuned.



Calendar of upcoming events

September 11, 2003
Veneer Grading and Marketing Workshop from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at
the Ted Shanks Conservation Area in Ashburn, MO (S. of Hannibal on
Miss. River). The cost, including lunch and breaks, will be $30 for
MCFA members and $50 for non-members. Registration is limited to 75
people. The workshop is sponsored by the Missouri Consulting Foresters
Association. SAF-CFE credit 6.0 hours. For information, contact Shelby
Jones at 573-635- 4598. MCFA is not accepting registrations until late
summer.

September 27, 2003
Alternative Forest Products Workshop from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at
Sherwood Forest in Lesterville, Mo. Topics presented will include:
seed collection, fee hunting & fishing, floriculture products,
medicinal products.Workshop sponsored by the Eastern Ozarks Forestry
Council. For information, contact Jason Jensen at (573) 223-4525 or
jensej@mdc.state.mo.us.

Friday, October 3, 2003
MU Wurdack Farm Fall Field Day from 12:00 - 5:00 p.m. at the MU
Wurdack Farm in Cook Station, Mo. Cook Station is located between
Salem and Steelville. There will be forestry, forage and livestock
tours and a free lunch will be provided. Sponsored by MU outreach and
Extension. Contact Hank Stelzer at (573) 882-4444 or
stelserh@missouri.edu for information.

October 4, 2003
The Missouri Chestnut Roast will be held from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
at the University of Missouri Horticulture and Agroforestry Center in
New Franklin, Mo. The event will showcase Missouri-made chestnut,
black walnut, and pecan products and Missouri wineries. Admission is
free and events will include a chestnut roaster, food and wine
tasting, tours and musical entertainment. For information contact
Julie Rhoads at RhoadsJ@missouri.edu

October 4, 11 and November 1, 2003
Chain Saw Safety Workshops will be held from 9:00 AM -- 4:00 PM at a
location to be announced. The cost will be $25 with a lunch provided.
Registration is on a first-come first-served basis and each class will
be limited to 10 people. Participants will get hands-on experience
felling trees. Sponsored by the Eastern Ozarks Forestry Council. For
information, contact Jason Jensen at (573) 223-4525 or
jensej@mdc.state.mo.us


Send event dates to:
Christa Jennette
203 Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Bldg.
MU Center for Agroforestry
Columbia, MO 65211