D.E.G.S.

Division of Environmental Goodness Solutions

Alexander DeSimone Morgyn Ellis Casey Ghilardi Rebecca Swezeny

December 1, 2012

Mr. Chad Gifford Sawtooth

Mr. Sawtooth is a recently retired Weyerhaeuser Lumber Company executive. Currently resides in New Brunswick, N.J. after 40 years living in Washington State. He is a family man married to his wife April and has passed on his affinity for the forest to his son Stihl, a forest geneticist in Alabama. Mr. Sawtooth wants his forest to be a shining example of a forest that maximizes forest products, as well as profit, while maintaining ecological precepts and operating sustainably within all federal and state regulations.

Management Objectives Overview

1. Maximum production of forest products and profit. 2. Qualify for Farmland Tax Assessment. 3. Protect against devastating wildfires. 4. Produce maximum yield of wood fiber sustainably while meeting threatened and endangered species as well as Pinelands and NJ state regulations. 5. Protect against all forest pests and pathogens.

Sawtooth Forest
Currently, Sawtooth Forest can be divided into four distinct stands.
Stand 1: Atlantic White Cedar Stand. Stand 2: Upland Pine/Oak Forest. Vastly Understocked. Stand 3: Upland Pine/Oak Forest. Vastly Understocked. Stand 4: Pine Forest. Includes some Short Leaf Pine.

Sawtooth Forest: Unproductive and Understocked

Silviculture Prescriptions Overview

Old stand lines will no longer be applicable. Forest will be divided as follows:
Stand 1: Remains Atlantic White Cedar but will have a buffer. Stands 2 and 3: Will be clear-cut Stand 4: Seed tree selection method applied to encourage the growth and regeneration of short leaf pine. Clear cut will take place where Black Walnut and Scotch Pine will be planted.

What to do with all this land?

The following operations will be created on Sawtooth forest land after the initial clear-cutting and site preparation:
An Atlantic White Cedar buffer A Black Walnut plantation A Short Leaf Pine plantation Stoddard-Neel Approach applied to Stand 4 A Choose and Cut Christmas tree farm

Sawtooth Forest: New and Improved

AWC Stand and Buffer

Stand Management

Management

Clearcut stand in 6 portions

o
o

first 2 years cut 2 acres each next 4 years cut 1 acre per year

About $3000/acre Natural seed regeneration Allow growth for about 50 years per section before cutting again Equipment

Specialized wetland equipment

o o

large tires low impact

Timeline years 0-5

Clearcut first five sections Monitor stands for growth

o o

Apply herbicide if needed Install deer fence if needed

Reduce buffer basal area by at least 50%

o

reduce risk of crown fire to the atlantic white cedar stand

piles for snake habitat

Leave debris
o

Timeline years 6-10

Clearcut last section Apply same methods from previous sections Maintain previous clear cut sections

Timeline years 11-30

Monitor Growth
o
o

Apply Prescriptions as needed Replace deer fence as may be needed

Timeline Past 30 year management plan

50 years clearcut sections again Repeat same steps and management

Christmas Tree Farm

Scotch Pine (Pinus Sylvetris) Choose and Cut

http://www.delawarechristmastreegrowersassn.com/tree_varieties.php

http://vallecrucisbandb.com/2011/11/17/choose-cut-christmas-trees/

Why Scotch Pine?

Extremely hardy Tolerates a wide variety of soils and sites Popularity Preferable for choose and cut Easily Planted Only about 8 years until merchantable height

Management Timeline Years 0-5

Clear-cut entire 11 acres reserved for tree farm Initial Planting of Scotch Pine (1000/acre) Initial Fertilization with a 10-10-10 mixture and lime Year 1: Replanting (assuming 25% mortality) Year 2: Begin annual shearing Year 4: Insect Control (Pine Shoot Beetle) Year 5: Disease Control(Lophodermium needlecast)
Final fertilizer application

Years 6-9
Year 6: Begin marketing the farm through a website, signs, flyers, etc.
Harvest begins

Year 7: Majority harvest of trees Year 8: Continue harvest Year 9: Begin rotation again

Years 10-30
Continue on 9 year rotation. Annual responsibilites:
Shearing once a year beginning 2 years after planting. Mowing Herbicide application Overhead and Labor

23.5 acres

Objective: To grow quality and sustainable timber products with a good economic income.
Why Shortleaf? -Relatively hardy conifer.

Tolerant to a wide variety of temperature, moisture, and soil conditions. -Growth rates increase after the first few years of growth .

- Excellent clear wood timber and pulpwood are able to be produced.

Existing Stand

Future Stand

Plan for the SL Plantation:

Year 0: -Site Prep Consists of clear cutting all 23.5 acres. - Logs will be skidded to provide soil scarification. - 650 seedlings per acre will be planted. - All initial costs are covered under the liquidation of the first harvest.

Year 10: - Introduce fire: This will take care of all unwanted understory growth. -Reduces competition from understory vegetation.
Year 11-19: - Monitor growth of stand. - Make sure the stand is free of any pests or pathogens. Year 20: - Prescribed burn

Year 25: Thinning Stand - The stand will be commercially thinned at age 25. Timber will be used for pulp wood. - This will allow residual trees to be able to grow into saw timber.
After Thinning: -The stand will be monitored for pest and pathogens until the timber is ready to be harvested at age 50-60. - Prescribed burning in ten year intervals will allow for understory growth to be controlled until final harvest.

Year 50-60:
-Ready for a complete harvest.

- All 23.5 acres will be commercially harvested. Following the harvest, new seedlings will be planted and the rotation will start again.
- Income will depend on the current market value of the time harvested.

Consisting of 16.5 acres

Conditions for optimal growth:

- Good light source - Unsuppressed - Frequent Fire

- Allow Shortleaf to grow without being hindered by other species. - Take all aspects of the forest into account with management plan.

Stoddard-Neel Approach:
Balancing all aspects of the forest ecosystem while still obtaining economic benefits.

Management Plan: 0-30 Years

Year 0:
Clear out most understory.
Leave all healthy Shortleaf. Leave character trees such as giant pitch pine and straight-boled PP. Leaving standing snags. Skid in removal process.

26 DBW PP

Year 1-5:
Monitor Growth Introduce Fire into the stand
Allows for understory growth control

If re growth does not show- plant shortleaf

Years 5-10:
- Planting seedling will be needed if re-growth does not occur.
- Additionally invests will proceed

- Monitor for pest and pathogens

Year 10-15:
-Monitor for pest and pathogens

- Burn when conditions are right - Make small harvest in stand Year 15-30: - Selective take trees that are not helping the overall health of the forest. -Every five years stand monitoring and control burning will allow for biodiversity and timber production in the future.

Bottom Line Economic Returns

Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 $795.20 $2,391.60 $964.60 $564.10 $227.60 $-1,984.40 $37,383.10 $110,218.60 $18,148.60 $-6,077.90 $-5,007.40

Grand Total after 10 years: $157,623.60

http://peacelovewings.com/articles/creating-a-vision-board-andor-treasure-map/attachment/moneytree/

Current and Future Values

current value (Vo) Year 0:$ 795.10 Year 1:$2,344.70 Year 2:$927.40 Year 3:$531.60 Year 4:$210.30 Year 5:$-1797.33 Year 6:$33,195.12 Year 7:$9,5951.92 Year 8:$15,489.66 Year 9 :$-5,085.71 Year 10:$-4,107.81 Total:$138,454.6829 10 years value (Vn) Year 0: $969.29 Year 1: $ 2,858.18 Year 2: $ 1,130.18 Year 3: $ 647.97 Year 4: $ 256.31 Year 5: $ -2,190.94 Year 6: $40,464.67 Year 7:$ 116,964.86 Year 8: $ 18,881.80 Year 9: $ -6,199.46 Year 10: $ -5,007.40 Total: $ 168,775.49

Farmland Tax Assessment

Initial 2 year trial period to prove the management plan works. Over the course of first 8 years of Farmland Tax Assessement:
Each year there is a savings of $14,451.42 Grand total savings within the first 8 years: $115,611.36

Cooperation with all Regulations

Thorough inventory of forest performed to ensure any T&E species are accounted for. Management plan will be submitted to State and Pinelands Committees for approval. Management practices will fall under the Woodland Management/Stewardship Plan which adheres to all state best management practices.

Wildfire Protection
Within each prescription there are various methods of protection against devastating wildfires. Including:
Low severity prescribed burns within the shortleaf plantation Thinning of the black walnut plantation Frequent harvest of the Christmas tree farm as well as annual mowing and shearing. Atlantic White Cedar stand will have a buffer to prevent crown fires and protect the stand.

Protection from Pests and Pathogens

Christmas tree farm will receive annual herbicide treatments as well as insect and disease control applications mid-rotation. Prescribed burn in the Short Leaf plantation will discourage invasive species as well as protect from pests such as SPB. Black Walnut plantation will initially receive heavy application of herbicide. A fence can be put into place should deer browse become a problem for AWC regeneration.

Prescriptions for pests and pathogens

In case of a Southern Pine Beetle outbreak, most likely to happen in the short leaf pine stands, we will cut and remove all infected trees in addition to removal surrounding live trees. In case of wildfire or AWC blow over, all salvageable lumber will be removed and replanting will take place. In case of excessive deer browse that is preventing successful regeneration of AWC, a deer fence will be installed around the stand. Prescriptions to future unseen pests/pathogens will be applied as needed.