Northeast
Research & Extension Center
601 E. Benjamin Avenue, Suite 104
Norfolk, NE 68701-0812
Phone: (402) 370-4024
FAX: (402) 370-4010
E-mail: srasmussen2@unl.edu
website: http://nerec.unl.edu/ForestryNews.htm
April-May-June 1999
| In this edition: | Study Confirms | Continuous CRP |
| Initial Spring Growth | Herbicide Application | Upcoming Events |
| Protect Homes from Wildlife | Smokey Bear Creator Dies | Fire Prevention for Churches |
Windbreaks, Woodlands, and Trees
Study Confirms What Foresters Have Long Believed
The 1993 floods that ravaged the Kansas, Missouri, and Mississippi River basins were phenomena likely to occur only every 100 to 500 years. Even so, the lessons that Kansas State Forestry Scientist Wayne Geyer and his team of landscape architects Tom Neppl and Kenneth Brooks learned from studying the flood are more immediate–because the Midwest gets water-related damage every 10 to 15 years.
According to Geyer, the only surprise in the team’s study was how strongly the new findings confirmed what foresters have long believed. The results put a new twist–and bottom-line reason–for the riverside tree plants that environmentalists have been promoting for years.
In average floods, water tends to eat away the soil on the outside of curves, sometimes to the extent of carving out a new channel. At the same time, it deposits silt on inside curves, widening the bank and/or creating sandbars. The water’s effect on straight-aways depends on what is bank-side.
In the 1993 flood, however, Geyer found that there had been no tie whatsoever as to whether the water course had been straight or curved. Instead, he learned that on the average, the following things occurred:
- If the flooded waterway adjoined cropland, its bank moved 150 feet into farmers’ fields as tons of soil washed down the river.
- If the river was next to grassland, a swath of pasture 78 feet wide washed away.
- If the river's border was narrow with a 15- to 20-foot mix of trees, brush, and weeds, the band of vegetation caught enough flood-carried silt to add 4 feet of width to the bank.
- If the waterway flowed through land that was at least 51 percent covered by trees for a distance of at least 100 feet from shore, the flood deposited enough soil to make the bank 10 feet wider.
One field study confirmed that even in 500-year floods, trees not only hold riverbanks but also protect the land beyond–much like a giant coffee filter. Trees slow down water as it surges both to and from land and dwellings. They also seine debris, ranging from flood-floated buildings to weed seeds.
A woody buffer strip 66 feet wide can protect waterways from 90 percent of the yard and farm pesticides and fertilizers that rain tends to carry into streams and rivers. It can also help protect lands from the next flood.
The Continuous CRP (see accompanying article in this newsletter) provides excellent incentives for establishing these riparian buffers. Contact Steve Rasmussen, District Extension Forester at 370-4024 for more information on the benefits of riparian forests.
(Adapted from: Tennessee Valley Authority, Southeastern Regional Biomass Energy
Project, Report 12/98)
Continuous
CRP Offers Excellent Tree Planting Opportunities
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is the Federal Government’s single largest environmental improvement program. Changes from the original CRP have been made that make this one of the best opportunities ever given farmers for incentives to plant trees and shrubs.
Since September 1996, owners have been able to sign up under the Continuous CRP program any time during the year for certain high-priority conservation practices. Provided certain eligibility requirements are met, acreage is automatically accepted into the program at a per-acre rental rate not to exceed certain payment amounts. In addition, many tree plantings qualify for a 10 or 20% increase in payment bonus!
Land owners and operators may be eligible to participate in the CRP. Landowners must have owned the acreage for at least one year and operators must have leased the acreage for at least one year to be eligible.
Land eligible for enrollment includes cropland that is physically and legally capable of being cropped in a normal manner, and that has been planted or considered planted to an agricultural commodity in any two years from 1992 to 1996. After the acreage is determined eligible, the following practices can be used to establish trees/shrubs:
Riparian Buffers
Areas of trees and/or shrubs, next to ponds, lakes, and streams that filter out pollutants from runoff, as well as providing shade for fish and other wildlife. The vegetation’s natural litter also provides food and shelter for valuable wildlife.
Riparian buffers are planted so that runoff must filter through them before it reaches a pond, lake, or stream. Buffers can also be placed next to wetlands, such as marshy or swampy areas.
Shelter Belts, Field Windbreaks, and Living Snow Fences
Belts of trees or shrubs
planted in single or multiple rows. Such tree rows and hedges reduce wind erosion, protect
growing plants, and provide habitat for wildlife. They can also shelter structures and
livestock. Field windbreaks protect fields from erosion, and snow fences help manage snow.
Contact your local county FSA or NRCS office or my office (370-4024) if you are interested in participating in any of these practices.
Initial Spring Growth May Be Affected by Past Weather
Now that spring "has sprung", most trees have begun to initially send out signs of green. We experienced unseasonably warm weather in December followed by bitter cold conditions. Now this spring just recently we had warm rains followed by cold night time temperatures that put frost back on the windshields. Both of these quick changes may cause problems with some buds that were fooled into breaking dormancy due to the warm weather only to have the below freezing temperatures closely follow. The following symptoms may be expressed this spring:
- Delayed or sparse leaf out
- Sparse flowers and/or fruit
- Burned or brown leaf margins
- Die back of smaller branches
Healthy trees and shrubs will recover from this kind of damage. Plants that are already in a stressed condition may have problems that will be compounded.
Do not fertilize to try to "push" additional green growth. Pruning out the material that does not show signs of green by June would be an option to help with the "looks" of the tree. If the flower buds were killed, this should just leave more energy for vegetative growth for the tree this year without energy being spent on fruit/seed production.
Herbicide Application with Hand-Held Sprayers
Hand held sprayers are often used for spot treating patches of weeds or for treating small areas or tree plantings. Spray coverage should be uniform and thorough. Spray the target plants to the point of being wet, but not to the point of runoff. Calibrating a hand-held sprayer can be difficult because of the size and dimension of the area to be sprayed and difficulty in applying a uniform spray coverage with a single nozzle. The following calibration information may be useful in determining the proper amount of spray volume to mix for the area of a known dimension. Calibrate hand-held sprayers by 1) spraying a known area using water, 2) measuring the amount of water applied, and 3) calculating the number of gallons applied per acre (gpa).
For example, 1.5 gallons on 1000 square feet is the same as 65 gallons per acre:
43,560 sq. ft. per acre / 1000
sq. ft. x 1.5 gallon = 65 gpa
The desired rate in lb/ac or pint/ac can be used to calculate the amount of herbicide to add to the spray solution. If 3 pt/ac is desired:
3 pt/ac / 65 gpa = 0.046 pt or
0.73 fl oz or 1.5 tablespoons per gallon of spray solution.
(16 fl oz = 1 pt; 2 tablespoons = 1 fl oz)
Some herbicide labels specify a percent solution for use in hand held sprayers. The following table provides mixing instructions to obtain solutions of varying percent concentrations.
Calibration Table
| Desired Solution Volume |
Concentration of Herbicide % |
|||||
| (gal) | amt. herbicide to add, in fl. oz. |
|||||
| 1 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 6.4 | |
| 2 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 5.1 | 12.8 | |
| 5 | 3.2 | 6.4 | 9.6 | 12.8 | 32 | |
| 10 | 6.4 | 12.8 | 19.2 | 25.6 | 64 | |
| 100 | 64 | 128 | 192 | 256 | 640 | |
2 tablespoons = 1 fl. oz.
(Source: Univ. of Idaho Coop. Extension Forestry)
For more information on weed control in conservation tree plantings request NF 98-362, Chemical Weed Control in Tree Planting Projects Part I - Pre-emergence Herbicides and NF 98-363 Chemical Weed Control in Tree Planting Projects Part II - Post-emergence Herbicides both by John DuPlissis from your UNL-Cooperative Extension office.
Arbor Day - Friday, April 30
Plant a tree or contact this office for ideas for projects/programs to celebrate the day that began in Nebraska.
Windbreak Twilight Tour - Tuesday, July 6 at 7:00 p.m. Three windbreak systems will be visited west of Pierce and management options discussed. Contact the Pierce Co. Extension office at (402) 329-4821 or Steve Rasmussen at (402) 370-4024 for details.
Nebraska Forestry Shortcourse, August 9-13, 1999, Chadron State College, Chadron, Nebraska
Registration: Watch for the upcoming Shortcourse brochures and registration information. Registration will be limited, so don’t miss the 1999 session!
Teachers interested in attending the Shortcourse can apply for a scholarship from their local NRD (Natural Resources District) office.
For further information and to be sure you are on our mailing list, contact:
Dr. Scott J. Josiah, Ext. Forester
107 Plant Industry
UNL-East Campus
Lincoln, NE 68583-0814
402-472-6511
email: sjosiah2@unl.edu
From the Forester's Desk
Nature’s Treasure Chest - The Tree
More than 5,000 wood and paper products make our lives better each day. Chances are you ate some wood today, wore it, and brushed your teeth with it. Everything from baby food to rayon to toothpaste to football helmets and diapers are made from trees.
Trees are indeed one of the most used natural resource that also provide for a healthier environment. We need more trees in more places.
Steven D. Rasmussen
District/Extension Forester
Northeast Res. & Ext. Center
601 E. Benjamin Avenue, Suite 104
Norfolk, NE 68701-0812
Phone: (402) 370-4024
FAX: (402) 370-4010
E-mail: srasmussen2@unl.edu
Fire Prevention News
Protect Your Home from Wildfire
The risk of losing a home to wildfire can be greatly reduced by maintaining the landscape around it and by properly protecting the home itself. These two measures often make the difference between saving property and losing it to wildfire.
Maintain Your Landscape
Create a safety zone around your house. Clear flammable vegetation within at least a 30-foot radius of your home and 100 feet or more in sloped areas. This helps create a fire-wise landscape and provides a safe area for firefighters and their equipment.
Mow and water your lawn regularly, and trim high grasses next to your home.
Make sure dead and low-hanging branches on trees and shrubs are removed, and that the height of grass is controlled.
Remove all tree limbs around your chimney, as well as any dead branches that may hang over the roof. Accumulated leaves, needles and other dead vegetation on the roof and around the home should be removed as well.
Beyond 100 feet from your home, remove or thin dead and older trees. Keep an eye on any limbs that may come in contact with power lines.
Stack all firewood well away from your home and any combustible materials, including fences and outbuildings that are connected to your home.
Stop wildlife
from running WILD!!Create a safety zone of at least 30 feet all around your home. Maintaining your yard and lawn can greatly improve the chance of your home surviving a wildfire.
Protect Your Home
Make sure your address is clearly visible from the road, and that there’s adequate and easy access for large emergency vehicles, as well as a viable escape route to the main road. Check with your local fire department to make sure all bridges between their station and your home will support the weight of a heavy fire engine.
Clean leaves and other debris from your gutters and roof regularly.
Place noncombustible wire mesh screening, or a "spark arrester," on the top of your chimney so that sparks from the fireplace can’t escape. Place this same screening over all vent openings on and around your home, including all eaves, cellars, and crawl spaces (i.e., around decks) to prevent hot embers from collecting in these hidden spaces.
Speak with local fire officials to learn about water supplies and the fire protection available in your community. Alert them to any special needs in your home, such as a physically disabled occupant, etc.
Harry Rossoll, the U.S. Forest Service illustrator who concocted and drew Smokey Bear, died on February 25 at age 89, according to an article appearing in the March 7 Omaha World Herald and attributed to the Los Angeles Times.
Rossoll, drew Smokey's public service cartoons for 35 years. More than a thousand "Smokey Says" cartoons appeared in over 3,000 newspapers. They were the basis for one of the most successful public relations campaigns in history.
The Smokey Bear symbol is largely credited for a more than 50% reduction in forest fires between 1941 and 1990 while during the same period 10 times more people visited the national forests.
Rossoll worked for the Forest Service from 1937 until his retirement in 1971. Smokey was officially born in 1944. In 1950 an injured bear cub was found after a forest fire in New Mexico and that bear named after Rossoll's cartoon character.
You can view the entire article at the Omaha World Herald Archive section on their web site (http://www.omaha.com/OWH/Archive). Go to Nation/World and then to March 7. (David Mooter, Community Forester - NFS)
As fire prevention officials within our departments, we are constantly looking for target audiences to present our fire prevention message to. Often forgotten are our communities churches. We must recognize the need to develop and deliver fire prevention programs to church leaders and congregations, to make them aware of the threat posed by fire.
The threat of fire is the single greatest danger a church faces today. From 1993-1997, there were 60 reported church fires in Nebraska with a direct property loss in excess of $1.9 million dollars. Churches are vulnerable to fire for a variety of reasons including, being left unattended for long periods of time, located in isolated or remote rural areas, older wood frame construction, faulty electrical systems, and inadequate lighting and security features.
Arson is the leading cause of church fires. Arson fires are motivated by a wide array of reasons including, racial or religious hatred, financial profit, cover-up for burglary and theft, vandalism, personal revenge and juvenile fire setters.
Faulty wiring is the second most common cause of church fires. Many churches are old, and in some cases actually predate the use of electricity. Because of this, older churches may not have proper electrical systems to handle the demands of air conditioning, P.A. systems, organs, and other appliances and equipment used in churches today.
Other common causes of church fires include faulty furnaces and stoves, carelessness with smoking materials, and careless use of candles and Christmas decorations.
Preventing a fire from starting is the best protection that can be provided for your church. An on-going Church Fire Prevention Program can be effective in eliminating church fires. Involve church leaders in your fire prevention efforts, this will strengthen community awareness and cooperation in your efforts. Church fires can inflict devastation, not only to church buildings, furnishings, equipment, and valuable church artifacts, but the emotional toll is often greater than the financial loss. Implementing a Church Fire Prevention Program can help protect your communities churches and their congregations from possible loss and tragedy!
For more information on developing a Church Fire Prevention Program contact:
Richard G. King, Fire Chief
North Bend Fire Department
402/652-8161
e-mail to: nbfd201@gpcom.net
Bob E. Vogltance
Fire Resource Manager
Nebraska Forest Service/Fire Control
491 South Colfax Street
West Point, NE 68788
(402) 372-5665
