The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation are working together this year promoting special packages of tree and shrub seedlings selected for wildlife habitat improvement.

Different packages are available to enhance the habitat of deer, songbirds, turkey, quail and a variety of other animals. State wildlife and agriculture officials say each wildlife packet is made up of 25 each of four different species of trees and shrubs chosen specifically to improve the wildlife habitat of your property.

“Planting the appropriate trees can be a great way to enhance wildlife habitat on your property,” said Mike Sams, private lands biologist for the ODWC. “Planting a tree today can be a long-term investment for future generations.”

Oklahoma grown seedlings are available to landowners for a broad range of conservation projects. Landowners use the trees for windbreaks to protect crops and livestock, timber production, water quality protection, erosion control or other natural resource projects such as firewood plantings and Christmas tree production.

“Now is the time to begin thinking about planting seedlings and foresters from ODAFF are available to assist you,” according to State Forester John Burwell. “Oklahoma’s seedling planting season runs from December through early April and fall is the best time to prepare the planting site to make the planting job easier.”

New for 2009 is an on-line store where landowners can go to purchase their wildlife habitat improvement packages, as well as choosing from over 35 species of trees and shrubs. Seedlings are one year old, bare-root, and each species packaged in multiples of 50 with a minimum order of 100 trees. They are to be used in rural conservation plantings and cannot be used for ornamental plantings or resold as living trees.

Persons interested in the seedlings are encouraged to visit www.forestry.ok.gov as soon as possible as orders will be filled on a first come, first served basis.

The seedlings will be available for pickup or shipment starting in early January but orders are being taken now via the on-line store or you can request a paper order form by contacting the Forest Regeneration Center at 800-517-3673.

Buy local has a whole new meaning when it comes to protecting Oklahoma from invasive species this fall and winter. Consumers are urged not to purchase firewood from out-of-state due to all the insects and diseases it might carry. Instead, buying local firewood can help keep invasive species from gaining a foothold in Oklahoma’s forests and woodlands.

“Firewood is becoming a major pathway for moving invasive species, and that’s not a good thing,” says John Burwell, Oklahoma State Forester. “The take home message to Oklahomans is to buy their firewood locally and burn it locally.”

Whether it is used at a campground or at home, people are transporting firewood great distances these days, taking with them any bugs or diseases that might not be native to that area.

“Places that have invasive species problems like sudden oak death, emerald ash borer, or Asian long horned beetle, have lots of dying trees,” says Burwell. “People are cutting those trees for firewood and moving it. The beetles and diseases are showing up hundreds of miles from any local infestation as people take the wood with them or sell it far from the source.”

The concern over firewood is stronger this year, largely because of emerald ash borer spread. The exotic wood-boring pest originally came from Asia and is believed to have entered the U.S. for the first time in the 1990s. It has caused extensive damage and has killed millions of ash trees in Michigan and parts of Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Ontario, Canada. The insect has also been transported to at least 8 other states and has appeared as close to Oklahoma as southwestern Missouri.

“Firewood has come from as far away at both the East and West Coasts when people move to Oklahoma and have the movers transport everything in their possession- including the firewood,” says Burwell.
Firewood regulations are being discussed on a national level and if regulators can find an effective way to enforce them, those regulations could be adopted. But perhaps the best method of dealing with the issue continues to be public outreach and education.

As a consumer, the best advice is to ask the seller where the firewood came from. If the seller can’t assure you the wood is local, buy it from someone who can. Packaged firewood sold at retail stores often have a label indicating the origin of the product and whether it is kiln-dried. Consumers should check those labels carefully.

“We’d like for everyone to become aware that firewood is a pathway for moving invasive species, and it’s easy to fix that pathway,” says Burwell. “Just buy local. There is plenty of it around. Buy firewood that is produced locally and burn it locally.”

Protect the state’s environment. Buy Oklahoma firewood

Oklahoma Forestry announces that competition is underway for the state level of the 2010 Arbor Day National Poster Contest. All fifth grade level students are eligible to enter. They are not required to enter as part of a school classroom—scout groups, home school associations, etc are all invited to participate. The theme for 2010 is “Trees are Terrific…and Energy Wise!”

“Oklahoma has become the state to beat in the national poster competition as Oklahomans took first place nationally in 2009 and 2008. We also won second place in 2007!” said Christina Stallings Roberson, Oklahoma Forestry Services Education Coordinator. “I look forward to another great year of poster contest entries!”

Geneva Mendoza, fifth grader from Maryetta School in Stilwell, Oklahoma competed against state winners from every state in the country to take first place honors in the prestigious Arbor Day National Poster Contest for 2009. As the national winner, Geneva received a $1000 savings bond and a trip to Nebraska with her parents and her art teacher, Samilou Smith. While there, Geneva rode on a float in the National Arbor Day parade and a special tree planting will occur in her honor at her school this fall.

The November 20, 2009 deadline for entering Oklahoma’s competition is right around the corner. Teachers and parents are encouraged to visit www.forestry.ok.gov for full contest details and curriculum materials that can be incorporated into the classroom as students prepare to create their winning entry. The state level winner will go on to compete at the national level. Great prizes are awarded for the top 3 state finalists including a tree planting at each student’s school.

For additional information or to have a packet mailed to you contact Christina Stallings Roberson, Oklahoma Forestry Services contest coordinator at 405-522-6158 or christina.stallings@oda.state.ok.us.

Oklahoma’s landscape is often thought of as flat to rolling grasslands with very few trees or forests, but actually about twenty percent of our state is wooded. Oklahoma Forestry Services has undertaken a two-year project to analyze those forestlands and to identify any threats, trends or issues that could affect our forests in the future.

“We have a diverse assortment of forest ecosystems that are often under-valued,” said John Burwell, Oklahoma Forestry Services Director, “but all provide our state with many benefits such as clean water and air, wildlife habitats, erosion control, recreational opportunities, and jobs. It is important that all Oklahomans work to maintain those benefits into the future”

A comprehensive analysis of the forest-related trends, conditions, and opportunities within the state will identify priority woodlands and the issues which affect them. The information collected will be used to create a long term plan for investing state, federal, and other partner resources to address the priorities and issues identified.

Many foresters, natural resource professionals, and landowners who have an interest in this vital project are working with Forestry Services personnel to identify issues and threats to our state’s woodlands. After months of surveys and public input the following issues have been identified as important to the future of Oklahoma’s forest future:

- Forest Economics and Markets
- Forest Sustainability and Health
- Forests with Unique Features and Special Values are at Risk
- Water Quality and Availability
- Impacts of Climate Change
- Community Forests Health and Care
- Wildfire Risks.

Work continues to further define the issues and identify the locations for high priority woodlands in the state. The final document is scheduled to be submitted to the USDA – Forest Service for approval no later than June 2010.

Oklahoma Forestry Services encourages anyone interested in learning more about the State Forest Resource Assessment and Strategy Plan, or would like to provide comment, please visit http://www.forestry.ok.gov/state-forest-assessment or contact Erin Johnson, Oklahoma Forest Resource Planner at 405-521-2060.

Professional foresters are busy determining the type of forests in different counties and regions of Oklahoma as well as identifying tree species and forest health conditions in six central and north central counties. Counties include Comanche, Greer, Harmon, Jackson, Kiowa and Tillman.

Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) staff from Oklahoma Forestry Services began collecting data on plots across the county this week. Information will be gathered about the amount of land under forest cover, the type of forests and tree species that are present, tree size, invasive species and forest health issues present.
“Forests are valuable for both wood products and the environmental services they provide, including clean air, clean water, wildlife and recreation,” said State Forester, John Burwell, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry. “In order to place a value on these resources we need to assess them in terms of composition and health.

“We’re excited that for the first time every county in Oklahoma will be included in the forest inventory program,” he said.
The analysis will be conducted on randomly selected plots across private, industrial, and public lands and will include both forested and non-forested areas. Private landowners will be contacted directly if a plot falls on their land. The information gathered from this analysis will be used to determine status and trends of forests in Oklahoma, as well as the United States.

“The information we collect will be added to the national database to give decision makers the data they need to made informed decisions and plans for the future of our forestlands,” said FIA coordinator, Kerry Dooley. “We appreciate landowners allowing us access to their land so that we will have an accurate assessment of where Oklahoma’s forested lands exist and what condition they are in.”

Crews will be traveling in marked Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry vehicles and will be carrying proper identification with them. Landowners and leasers can assist in this endeavor by granting crews access to property if an FIA plot falls on their land, as well as telling others about the program. They are also welcome to be present when the crew is conducting the measurements on their property.

If you would like more information, contact Kerry Dooley at 580-236-1270 or kerry.dooley@oda.state.ok.us.

Oklahoma Forestry officials announce that funding is available for forest landowners to prevent the ravages of a pine beetle infestation that has devastated vast areas in many southern states.

“More than 600,000 acres of Oklahoma’s pine forests are at high risk of attack by the South’s most destructive forest insect, the Southern Pine Beetle,” said John Burwell, State Forester. “Congress and the U.S. Forest Service are supporting State efforts to help landowners thin these overcrowded pine stands and improve forest health.”

The program targets forestlands at risk in LeFlore, McCurtain and Pushmataha counties. Dense pine stands in adjoining counties may be considered if the risk of attack is high or very high. He said thinning dense pine stands on the most susceptible sites greatly reduces the likelihood of beetle attack.

To accomplish this, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry is offering cost-share assistance to landowners whose forests are at greatest risk. Approved forestry practices include thinning of dense pine stands and development of forest management plans by private consultants for Southern Pine Beetle Prevention.

Oklahoma Forestry Services will assess applicant properties to make sure the requested practices fit within the program’s guidelines.
For information and an application, landowners should contact their local state forestry office or the State Forester’s Office in Oklahoma City at 405-522-6158, or visit the agency’s website.

Oklahoma Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Services has released several new publications targeting landowners and contractors with information on the topics of protection of water quality and the control of gully erosion.

Publications include information on road construction, road maintenance, and low-cost methods to control gully erosion using tree plantings and other methods.

“Protecting water quality during forestry activities by using best management practices (BMPs) is an essential part of any land management work that we do,” said John Burwell, ODAFF State Forester. “Our water is an invaluable resource and an essential commodity for downstream users.”

Forest watershed protection and timber production are compatible activities, provided the owners and the industry follow appropriate protection practices on the land, he said. In western Oklahoma, maintaining soil productivity and reducing erosion are constant worries of agricultural producers, and these relatively simple yet effective practices may help them do so at less cost.

The publications are available for download on the Oklahoma Forestry Services website. Hard copies will be available. For more information, contact OFS at (405)522-6158.

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