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Poor management of our deer herd over the past eighty years and
poor timber harvesting practices have created an insidious and
serious problem in Pennsylvania. High grading practices that have
removed fruiting species like oak and cherry and the disease that
wiped out the American chestnut tree along with over browsing by
overabundant deer have created a tragic loss of quality forest
habitat. Forests have been changed from highly productive land to
"green deserts." Heavy fern growth and very poor quality tree
growth is now the norm on private land in our state.
Through the use of modern silvicultural techniques
including timber stand improvement harvesting, herbicide
applications, deer exclusion fencing, prescribed fire and
mechanical removal of undesirable species, I can restore
forestland to its original diverse and productive condition. A
multilayered and diverse forest will support a wider variety of
species and higher numbers of animals.
When all habitat requirements are met on your property
for any given species, the game will move in and stay there.
This photo shows a forest restoration project.
Previously a stagnant stand of oak, red maple and black gum, with
a "fern desert" understory, this area now has abundant blueberry,
partridge berry, grass and thousands of young seedlings and stump
sprouts. The seed trees that were "released" by timber stand
improvement harvesting now are producing tons of acorns and are
putting on good diameter growth every year. The income from the
wood sold from the property paid for the fern spraying and for the
deer exclusion fence. Once a new stand is well established, the
fence will be removed and deer will have use of the forest for
food and cover. Without fencing, deer would eat all of the plants
trying to grow and the result would be treeless understory.
The area is now growing a diverse stand of various oaks, maple,
cherry, black gum, mountain laurel, blueberry, pine, hemlock,
serviceberry, dogwood, grasses and forbs.
Once a dark, fern covered forest floor, This
photo represents the original condition of the forest prior to the
forest restoration project, this area has no understory vegetation
other than fern growth. The timber is overcrowded and
stagnet.
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