DOVER, Del. – Delaware timber harvests achieved a 93 percent rate of compliance with best management practices (BMPs) designed to protect water quality and limit soil erosion, according to a new report. Recommended practices included: pre-harvest planning to properly locate access roads, avoiding stream crossings and wetlands, curtailing harvests during wet periods, and maintaining sufficient forest buffers near water.

Dr. Anne Hairston-Strang, a forest hydrologist with the Maryland DNR Forest Service, sought to assess the use and effectiveness of BMPs by surveying a total of 72 sites in Maryland and Delaware from 2014 to 2016 (Figure 1). Selected sites were locations with waterway crossings and buffers with the greatest potential for water quality impacts. Effects were expected to be larger than normal because high rainfall during the 2014-2016 period represented an increase of 20 percent above the 30-year average.

However, final data showed that the average sediment delivery across all locations was less than one cubic foot per site—indicating that proper use of BMPs was successful at protecting water quality during harvest operations. The results are also important because a substantial part of western Delaware is located in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, the largest estuary in the United States and a critical natural resource area targeted for public and private restoration efforts. The report also offers evidence that Delaware’s relatively flat coastal plain topography can help to make the application of BMPs even more effective at preventing sediment deposits in waterways. Other key study findings are summarized below.

“Protecting water quality and the physical environment are of utmost importance during any forestry operation” said Michael A. Valenti, Delaware State Forester. “Timber harvesters work closely with professional foresters to ensure adherence to Delaware’s Erosion and Sedimentation Law. Utilizing a comprehensive set of best management practices since 1994, the forest industry has attained a very high level of compliance with this protective law. We are very pleased with these results and our goal, of course, is 100 percent compliance. The Delaware Forest Service will continue to work with operators to correct the few minor violations uncovered during this study in a cooperative effort to protect Delaware’s water quality.”

Background

Forests are one of the best land uses for achieving high water quality. Trees act as natural filters to mitigate erosion, remove pollutants, reduce storm water flow, and lower water treatment costs. Forests are also sustainable sources of valuable wood products and good jobs. As part of a comprehensive forest stewardship plan, activities such as pre-commercial thinning can keep forests healthy from overstocking and forest pest issues. Similarly, properly planned and well-managed harvests of “working forests” can help landowners capture economic benefits while also meeting important resource objectives such as water quality, wildlife, and recreation. Timber income can help owners keep their land as forestland, preventing its conversion to more developed land uses that contain greater impervious surface area with the potential risk of a corresponding decline in water quality. As part of its core programs, the Delaware Forest Service offers free management planning to forest landowners, including cost-share-assistance for activities such as reforestation as well as property tax exemptions.

Forest operations in the First State are subject to the Forest Practices Erosion and Sedimentation Law (Title 3, Chapter 10, Subchapter VI) that was signed by Governor Thomas Carper in July, 1994. In Delaware, an E&S permit – accompanied by a site map – is required for all harvests greater than one acre in size not subject to a land use conversion. In addition, Delaware’s “Seed Tree Law” requires owners of harvest sites that contains at least 25 percent of yellow-poplar or loblolly pine – two of Delaware’s most important commercial species – to provide for adequate reforestation of the area.

Best management practices for forestry operations include:

• Planning harvests to avoid stream crossings, steep slopes and wetlands
• Locating roads and skid trails on low slopes (usually less than 15 percent)
• Timing harvest operations to avoid wet periods
• Diverting water off roads and skid trails to infiltrate into the forest floor using earthen berm water bars, broad-based dips or other diverters
• Stabilizing roads, landings and steep skid trails
• Using bridges, culverts or temporary corduroy logs for water crossings
• Crossing streams at right angles to minimize disturbance
• Leaving buffers to shade waterways

Buffers along riparian areas are particularly important, however the buffer requirement need not be overly restrictive to commercial operators: harvesting can occur within the buffer zone but a minimum of 60 square feet of basal area must be left—usually over half of the trees in an area.

Key findings from the study:

Sediment Movement

• On sites with water crossings, 90 percent avoided delivering sediment to waterways, while 6
  percent delivered measurable amounts of sediment at crossings or approaches (Figure 2).
• The average volume of delivered sediment was estimated at 14 cubic feet.
• Factoring in all sites, including those without water crossings, average sediment
  delivery per harvest site was less than 1 cubic foot
• Sites with crossings averaged 4 cubic feet per site.
  Buffers
  Buffers around waterways were an important best management practice. Sediment had moved into buffers in 12 percent of observations. On average, sediment moved 45 percent of the way through the buffer, then deposited before reaching water. In Delaware, the greatest distance moved was 60 percent of buffer width, while Maryland had a location where sediment reached the water through the buffer around crossings. On two of the 72 sites, log landings were in the buffer area (3 percent). These were in Delaware, where many sites are on old fields next to ditches and may have been using an existing cleared area.
  
• More than 10.5 miles of buffers were assessed in Maryland (7.9 miles) and Delaware (2.6 miles.)
• No sediment breached buffers in Delaware, aided by the gentle slopes in the coastal plain.
• Most buffers provided good shade, averaging 86 percent canopy in Delaware
• Most buffers, 87 percent, met state requirements, or buffers were not required on the types of waterways assessed (Maryland met on 84 percent, Delaware 100 percent).
• The largest trees on the assessed buffer plots after the harvest averaged 20 inches in diameter.
• Basal area was generally high, 98 square feet per acre, typical of a fully stocked forest stand.

Delaware’s Forestry BMP Manual was developed by the Delaware Forest Service in cooperation with numerous public, private, and nonprofit stakeholders: the Delaware Forestry Association, Delaware Tree Farm Committee, Society of American Foresters, Delaware Farm Bureau, Delaware Nature Society, and Delaware chapters of the Audubon Society and Sierra Club. Also contributing to the guidelines were the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts and Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control: Division of Water Resources Wetlands and Subaqueous Lands Section; Division of Soil and Water Conservation; Non-Point Source Pollution Program; Coastal Zone Management Program; Drainage Program; Sediment and Stormwater Management Program; and the Division of Fish and Wildlife. Federal partners included the U.S. Forest Service’s Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry Program and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Non-Point Source Pollution Program.

Over the past 10 years, the Delaware Forest Service has handled the following number of permits, acres, and inspections:

Fiscal Year	Permits	Acres	Inspections
FY 2017	103	4,755	131
FY 2016	113	3,871	214
FY 2015	97	5,178	133
FY 2014	117	4,596	231
FY 2013	116	4,887	247
FY 2012	92	3,590	159
FY 2011	102	3,203	159
FY 2010	102	5,420	124
FY 2009	117	3,303	190
FY 2008	111	2,944	282
Delaware Forest Service E&S Permits: 5-Year and 10-Year Avg. for Permits, Acres, and Inspections
	Permits	Acres	Inspections
5 Yr. Avg.	109	4,657	191
10 Yr. Avg	107	4,175	187

Dover, Del. – The Delaware Department of Agriculture announced today that seven projects received grant funding through USDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant program. Delaware received nearly $300,000 to enhance the competitiveness of Delaware grown specialty crops, defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture).

“The Specialty Crop Block Grant provides funding for research that makes a difference in the bottom line for our farmers,” said Delaware’s Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse. “Our partners do a great job in testing varieties that improve yield, identify new varieties that are suitable for production in Delaware, and develop sound marketing practices to connect the consumer with their food source.”

Selected through a competitive process, these projects focus on Delaware grown specialty crops:

> The University of Delaware Cooperative Extension vegetable program is partnering with the FMC Company to evaluate the potential for sourcing food colorants and additives from vegetable waste from Delaware farms.

>Research will be conducted by the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension Fruit and Vegetable Program to test strategies to reduce the effects of heat stress on a variety of vegetable crops and demonstrate successful techniques to growers.

>Utilizing the lima bean genome, the University of Delaware’s Department of Plant and Soil Science will identify disease resistance genes from their diversity panel and improve the marker system developed to deploy durable disease resistance genes in lima bean cultivars.

> Charlotte’s Secret Garden will plant a high density, diverse orchard with approximately 350 trees on 1 acre of land to demonstrate how small farms can provide community supported agriculture, farm markets, and farm stands with fresh, locally grown fruit from spring through the fall.

> The Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association of Delaware will seek to improve awareness with consumers of its members and the specialty crops that they grow in Delaware, including a coordinated marketing and promotion effort.

> University of Delaware Weed Science will conduct research on weed control related to lima beans and pumpkins.

>Colonial School District will develop farm-based education programming on Penn Farm with a goal to increase child and adult knowledge and awareness about gardening, agriculture, healthy eating, local foods and seasonality.

For more information on the Delaware Department of Agriculture and financial assistance available for Delaware agriculture, visit online at dda.delaware.gov.

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Media Contact: Stacey Hofmann, Community Relations Officer, (302) 698-4542, Stacey.Hofmann@delaware.gov

Dover, Del. – Delaware farmers, between 18 and 40 years old have the opportunity to apply for the Young Farmers Loan Program through November 30, 2017. The program provides long-term, no-interest loans to help eligible farmers purchase land, reducing the financial impact on farmers just starting out or looking to expand.

“The Young Farmers Loan Program is a powerful commitment to young people entering agriculture that Delaware stands behind them, and supports their goals and dreams. This investment will strengthen Delaware’s economic future and pay off for decades to come,” said Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse.

Applicants must have at least three years of farming experience, and their net worth must not exceed $300,000. Eligible farms must contain at least 15 acres of cropland and must not be enrolled in a conservation easement at the time of purchase. The 30-year, no interest loans may fund up to 70 percent of the value of a property’s development rights, defined as the difference between full market value and agricultural value, up to a maximum of $500,000.

Delaware’s Young Farmers Loan Program began in 2011 to help lower barriers to young people wanting to get started in farming. Thirty-three farmers have purchased land so far in all three counties, totaling 2,500 acres of farmland using $7.4 million in loans. That includes both individual farmers and couples, all seeking to purchase new land or expand their existing farms. Land purchased through the program is permanently preserved through the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation.

Interested applicants can visit the Department of Agriculture website, dda.delaware.gov, for an information and application packet, or contact Deputy Secretary Austin Short at 302-698-4500 or austin.short@delaware.gov.

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Media Contact: Stacey Hofmann, Community Relations Officer, 302-698-4542, Stacey.Hofmann@delaware.gov

(DOVER, Del.) – The Delaware Forest Service’s urban and community forestry program will hold its 7th Annual Delaware Arborist and Tree Care Seminar—a one and a half-day seminar on October 30 and 31, 2017 at the Delaware State Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall. Speakers include tree care experts, policymakers, and academic researchers who will incorporate classroom lectures, outdoor demonstrations, and vendor exhibits to cover tree pest and disease issues, tree care management, and best practices in worker safety and pesticide use.

Attendees can earn continuing education credits from the International Society of Arboriculture, Maryland Licensed Tree Expert, and Delaware pesticide certification. Cost is $95 for both days (meals and snacks included). Register at this link or click the image at right.

For more information, contact Kesha Braunskill at kesha.braunskill@delaware.gov.

Download a one-page copy of the 2017 Arborist Agenda with speaker presentations and bios listed below:

 

 

Day One – Monday, October 30

8:30 AM – Mature Tree Management at Winterthur Garden & Estate – Kevin Braun, Arborist

Winterthur in northern Delaware is home to some of Delaware’s largest and oldest trees, such as the state champion dawn-redwood and yellow-poplar trees. Braun will be sharing first-hand experiences on how a public garden manages its mature tree canopy for forest and tree health, visitor safety, and historic correctness.

Kevin Braun has been the Garden and Estate Arborist at Winterthur for seven years. As a second-generation certified arborist, he holds a B.S. in forest management and urban forestry from Penn State. He also worked at Bartlett Tree Experts in Nantucket, Massachusetts and on the Penn State tree crew at its main campus in University Park.

9:30 AM – Interpreting Pesticide Labels – Tracey Harpster, Penn State Extension

Pesticide labels have changed over the years. This presentation will cover the different sections of the label and how to find the information needed to make safe, effective and legal applications.

Tracey Harpster joined the Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture Pesticide Education Program as a pesticide safety educator in 2016. She previously worked in the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences at the Joseph E. Valentine Turfgrass Research Center. Harpster has an extensive background in horticulture, specifically weed identification and control strategies in various planting and cropping situations.

9:30 AM – Jobsite Setup, Safety and Tree Removal Demonstration – Jay Ashby and Joe Shoup,
Cypress Tree Care (outdoor demonstration)

During the course of an actual tree removal on the State Fairgrounds, Ashby and Shoup will conduct a hands-on, outdoor demonstration on how to set up a work site properly and implement best practices in worker safety.

Currently the vice-chair of the Delaware Urban and Community Forestry Council, Jay Ashby is Director of Operations for Cypress Tree Care, with over 30 years of experience in tree care, landscaping, and wood waste recycling industries. An ISA-certified arborist with a Municipal Specialist designation, Ashby also holds the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification, and is also a TCIA-certified Tree Care Safety Professional and a Delaware Certified Nursery Professional. Ashby is committed to encouraging the protection, growth, and long-term maintenance of Delaware’s urban forestry resources.

10:45 AM – Tree Care Industry Safety: How OSHA’s Consultation Program Can Help – Fred Eysaldt, Delaware Dept. of Labor

This session will cover the fundamentals of tree industry safety, as well as OSHA standards that apply to the tree care industry. The talk will also cover frequently-cited OSHA standards and information about the OSHA consultation program..

For the past 10 years, Fred Eysaldt has been the labor market information supervisor for the Delaware Department of Labor’s Office of Safety and Health Consultation. Prior to that, he worked for nine years as assistant vice-president for health and safety services at MBNA America. He is also Chief Emeritus at Delaware’s Mill Creek Fire Company, where he has served for 43 years.

10:45 AM – Tree Cabling and Support – Jim Savage, Penn State Extension

This talk will focus on the how’s and why’s of tree cabling and support, and when they should be best applied.

Jim Savage is an affiliate instructor in Horticulture at Penn State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

11:30 AM – Vendor Exhibits and Lunch

1 PM – Storms over the Urban Forest – Phillip Rodbell, U.S. Forest Service

“You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone” – this refrain from singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell becomes all too real when a storm strikes a community. Whether by wind, flood, ice, or fire – or a gradual loss from pests such as Dutch elm disease or emerald ash borer – the effect on communities from the loss of trees in the landscape is devastating and long lasting, taking years to recover. This presentation will provide tools to identify and communicate the public values at stake, and to better predict and prepare for the potential damage and outright losses that may occur as a result of common storms and the new normal in a changing climate. Before the next storm strikes, the question is: “Are you prepared?”

Phil Rodbell is the regional urban forester for the U.S. Forest Service Northeastern Area. He provides leadership in federally funded action to plant and improve community trees and forests in the Midwest, New England, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. He has 35 years of experience in federal program management, nonprofit action, state program administration, and local government consulting, including three years of international experience with the Peace Corps in Honduras, Central America. Phillip is a Certified Arborist and has a Master of Science degree in Forestry from North Carolina State University and a B.S. in Forest Resources from the University of Washington in Seattle.

2:15 PM – “The Basics of IPM” – Mike Leventry, Verdant Plant Health Care

This talk will teach attendees how to take an “Integrated Pest Management” (IPM) or “toolbox” approach to solving landscape pest issues. Leventry will cover the foundations of an IPM program as well as the control strategies to employ to reduce pests to a tolerable level.

Mike Leventry owns Verdant Plant Health Care in Wilmington, Delaware, where he provides environmentally responsible solutions to clients’ landscape health issues. During his career, Mike has consulted on the health of some of our region’s most impressive specimen trees and managed pests ranging from insects to algae to skunks. He has worked at Longwood Gardens, the University of Delaware, and the Kennett Collection, which is North America’s largest privately held bonsai collection. As an ISA-certified arborist, Leventry has a degree from the University of Delaware, where he studied plant protection and concentrated on horticulture and education. He has taught seminars on integrated pest management on the local, regional, and national levels.

Day Two – Tuesday, October 31

8:15 AM – An Update on Emerald Ash Borer in the Region – Colleen Kenny, Maryland Forest Service

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has moved across the United States, killing approximately 99 percent of ash trees in as little as one to three years. This presentation will cover EAB symptoms, status, and response options, and regional efforts to manage EAB impacts. A single EAB adult was captured in northern Delaware in August, 2016. Currently, as of August 2017, EAB has been found in 31 states, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec

Colleen Kenny holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Colby College and an M.S. in Forestry from the University of New Hampshire, where she conducted research on invasive plant ecology. She has been with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service since 2015, where she coordinates statewide Emerald Ash Borer response and invasive plant management projects.

9:15 AM – “Urban tree mortality: New approaches to an old problem” – Lara Roman, U.S. Forest Service Philadelphia Field Station

Roman will outline how field studies to monitor street and yard trees can yield insights into urban tree establishment losses and population changes.

Lara Roman is a research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service’s Philadelphia Field Station. She studies the temporal dynamics of urban forests, including tree mortality and growth, canopy cover change, historical development of urban forests, species composition change, and citizen science monitoring. Her studies take a participatory research approach, collaborating with practitioners for study design and implementation. She has been funded by the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center, the TREE Fund, the Garden Club of America, and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District. She received a PhD at the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.S. in Biology and a M.S. of Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

10:15 AM – Bucket Truck Inspection – Tracy Gauger and Terry Anderson, Tunnell Companies Fleet Services

This outdoor demonstration features a hands-on, practical look at the bucket truck inspection process: what to know and what to do from experts with more than 40 years of combined experience in the industry.

Tracy Gauger and Terry Anderson are both fleet services managers with Tunnell Companies in Sussex County, Delaware. Gauger has 17 years of lift experience and is certified on Terex, Duco, Altec, and Versalift. Anderson has 25 years of experience and is a certified ASE Master Tech.

(DOVER, Del.) – The Delaware Forest Service is seeking new recruits for its wildfire training classes at the Delaware State Fire School (1461 Chestnut Grove Road, Dover, DE 19904).  No experience is needed. Candidates should be over 18, physically fit, and motivated to learn. Trainees should also be willing to travel for at least two weeks (usually during the summer) for out-of-state fire assignments.  Classes can help earn “red-card” certification from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group to serve on Delaware’s wildfire crew. This year, Delaware dispatched a crew that battled blazes in the Rocky Mountain region of western Colorado.

This year’s training will take place over two separate weekends: The first session will beon October 21 and 22 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day (lunch included). The second session will be on November 4 and 5 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day (lunch included). Each session costs $50. Applicants should register by October 16 by contacting the Delaware State Fire School at (302) 739-4773 or email: fire.school@delaware.gov.  Website: statefireschool.delaware.gov  Those with no prior experience can contact Kyle Hoyd, Delaware’s assistant state forester, at (302) 698-4548 or kyle.hoyd@delaware.gov to get more information.

Trainees will complete the following courses on two separate weekend sessions. In addition, students must complete ICS-100 (available online) before classes begin.

• Session 1:  S-190 (Intro to Wildland Fire Behavior) and S-130 (Firefighter Training) – October 21 and 22 (Saturday and Sunday) – 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day (lunch included)
• Session 2:  S-130 (Firefighter Training) – November 4 and 5 (Saturday and Sunday) – 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day (lunch included)

Both S-190 and S-130 are required for prospective firefighters to attain “red-card” certification from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG), the lead agency for wildfire training in the United States. In addition to the basic coursework, candidates must also complete an arduous “work capacity” or “pack test,” which involves carrying a 45-pound pack over a three-mile course in less than 45 minutes.

The capstone of the Delaware Forest Service’s annual wildfire training is its annual “Fire Camp” at Redden State Forest in Georgetown, Sussex County. Held in April, the intensive one-day seminar includes hands-on training across a range of wildland firefighting tools and strategies, culminating in a “live-burn” exercise designed to simulate conditions on an actual fire assignment.

The need for qualified personnel is as important as ever: this summer, wildfires pushed the National Preparedness Level to its maximum of 5 on a 5-point scale.  Delaware has been mobilizing crews and individual resources to serve on out-of-state assignment since the late-1990s. Delaware firefighters have traveled to fires in many states: Alaska, California, Georgia, Idaho, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.  The First State has also sent personnel to aid in national or regional emergencies, such as hurricane relief efforts in Florida in 2004 and New York in 2011.  Trained and dispatched by the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, wildfire crews are comprised of men and women of varying ages and backgrounds who represent a mix of public agencies, nonprofit groups, volunteer fire companies, and private citizens—all with an interest in firefighting and a desire to help their communities.

Despite its small size, Delaware has earned an outstanding reputation on the national firefighting scene and was honored by Governor Carney at the Delaware State Fair in July.

Delaware Wildfire Crew – In the News: (2017)

July 12 – The News Journal – Delaware volunteers help contain Western wildfires

July 12 – Cape Gazette – Delaware crew battles 300-acre blaze in Colorado

July 27  – Delaware Public Media  – 90 years of Delaware Forest Service celebrated with return of wildfire crew