Invasive Workshop

Vermont forest in fall

Vermont Woodlands Association

Events and Opportunities for Woodland Owners

Events

VWA Board Meeting Invites You
To their Board of Directors Meeting, VAST Office, Berlin, VT
May 16, 2008, 10:45 a.m. – Noon.
The Vermont Council of Rural Development (VCRD) will be at the regular monthly Board Meeting on May 16. We invite VWA members to attend the meeting and participate in the Council on the Future of Vermont project as a key stakeholder group for a 1.25-hour discussion on Vermont values, challenges, opportunities, and priorities.

VCRD believes that in this time of rapid change, confronted by global warming, energy insecurity, threats to farm viability, and challenges of affordability, we need to step back together, today, to consider the big picture trends, evaluate the opportunities and challenges ahead, and consider common Vermont priorities.

Economic, social, and environmental challenges face Vermont, ranging from global trade patterns and climate change to an erosion of cultural traditions that have the potential to undermine traditional land use patterns, the economy, and the strength and unity of communities. These challenges are compounded by Vermont’s demographic pressures, an aging population, social, economic, and cultural divisions, and the need for affordable housing, government services, public safety, and transportation. Positive trends in health, education, mobility, and the technology-driven access to broader communities and trade also offer future opportunities.

What do these challenges and opportunities mean to Vermonters, and what do they believe we will need to do to meet the future with confidence? Please RSVP to Kathleen Wanner by Monday, May 12 at 802-747-7900 if you plan to attend.

Workshops

Vermont Woodlands Association Level II Forestry School

September 13-14, 2008. We are pleased to announce that we will be holding a Level II Forestry School Weekend Workshop at the Hulbert Outdoor Center.

SAVE-THE-DATE FOR LANDOWER WORKSHOPS IN 2008

Audubon Vermont & Vermont Coverts will be offering a series of workshops for

landowners to explore management practices to benefit wildlife. The workshops may be attended as a series or as stand-alone properties. We’ll be sending detailed descriptions and registration details after the new year. All the workshops will be free of charge!

Invasives on Your Property

Mad River Valley - July 19th Site TBA

Upper Valley - August 2nd Site TBA, Thetford

Bristol to Richmond Area - July 19th Green Mountain Audubon Center, Huntington

Tree Planting
Wednesday, May 14, 2008, 4-6 PM, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Carriage Barn Visitor Center, Woodstock, VT
The Mount Tom Forest is the oldest professionally managed forest in the United States. The National Park Service continues the tradition of forest management in these diverse historic plantations and hardwood stands.

You can help maintain historic Norway spruce plantations in the Park. Horticulturist Kim Murray and Redstart Forestry’s Daniel Ruddell will demonstrate tree planting. Then practice what you have learned on the hillside above the Carriage Barn Visitor Center, where the old plantation has left us with a sunny opening in which to plant new trees. Please wear work shoes. This workshop is free and open to the public. For more information, please call (802) 457-3368 ext. 22.

Coverts Cooperator Training Class
May 16-18, 2008, Hulbert Outdoor Center, Fairlee, VT
An intensive three-day seminar on forest and wildlife management. For more information please contact Lisa Sausville at Vermont Coverts at 802-388-3880 or lisa@vtcoverts.org.

Decision-Making Software Tools for Sawmills
A Workshop for Sawmill Owners and Managers
May 20, 2008, Stonewall Farms, Chesterfield, NH
May 22, 2008, Alfred State College, Alfred, NY
These workshops will provide an introduction to COST (Cost Of Sawing Timber) program and SOLVE (a sawmill efficiency study and analysis program) and are designed so that they can be used by sawmills to analyze their own operations. The workshops will provide an introduction to the programs, data entry, data processing and analysis of the results. Participants will be able to use the software themselves and ample time will be allowed to create a "hands-on" learning experience. Attendees are also encouraged to bring their own laptop computers to load the software and enter their own cost data.COST is designed to calculate the per-minute cost of a specific sawmill operation. When using COST, the user gathers and enters sawmill operational and cost information. With this data collected and analyzed, managers can refine daily operational activities in ways that reduce costs and improve efficiency and, as a result, increase profitability.

The SOLVE program is easy to use and provides a wide-ranging analysis of sawmill data. The knowledge derived from simple sawmill studies can help mills identify priority areas to focus on for improvements. SOLVE provides information on key operational factors including log size distribution, lumber grade yields, lumber recovery factor and overrun and break-even log costs. With this information, the sawmill manager can determine what types of logs (species, grades and sizes) are affordable and can predict the product yield from those logs.

The workshop fee is $30.00 per person (includes coffee breaks and lunch) and registration is required. For more information about the program, contact Paul Frederick, VT Dept of Forests, Parks & Rec. at 802-241-3698 or email him at paul.frederick@state.vt.us. For more information about registration, contact Wendy Richardson, VT Dept. of Forests, Parks & Rec. at 802-241-3678 or email her at wendy.richardson@state.vt.us.

Tours

2008 Outstanding Tree Farm Tour

Saturday, October 4, 2008, 9:00 AM, Clarendon, VT

Dave, Sue, & Nate Potter will host the 2008 Outstanding Tree Farm Tour on their 591-acre Tree Farm property on Saturday, October 4, 2008. There is no cost for the tour but pre-registration is requested. Please check back soon for directions and registration form.

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