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/forestry/ForestryNews.htm
Jan-Feb-Mar 2001
In this Issue:
Windbreaks, Woodlands, and Trees
Nebraska Champion Tree Program Table Top Display
An eye catching Nebraska Champion Tree Program Display is now available for your use to promote greater interest in our state’s tree resources. Using a number of photos of current Champion Trees across the state, the display briefly describes the program and explains how to nominate a potential champion.
The Champion Tree Program is a fun and effective way to focus people’s attention on trees in their communities, and to create opportunities for further education. Use this display to grab peoples’ attention, to encourage them to stop and take publications, or to engage with the person stationed at the display.
The curved table top display is 6' wide by 5' tall, made of lightweight aluminum and covered with carpet panels to which the plastic-coated subject panels are attached (with Velcro). The entire unit (display plus subject panels) comes in a convenient carrying case that can be checked as luggage, fits in a car trunk, or can be shipped via UPS. It is completely self-contained and sets up in less than 10 minutes.
Plan to use the display at county fairs, producer and acreage owner meetings, workshops, trainings, conferences, etc. and at any events where landowners, producers, and/or natural resource agency personnel are present.
If you would like to reserve the display (no charge except for shipping if needed), contact Jeanine Lackey, Extension Forestry and Wildlife, at the number below.
Jeanine Lackey
107 Plant Industry, East Campus
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NE 68583-0814
(402) 472-9869
The current, completely revised Register of Nebraska Champion Trees is also available for $0.25/copy at your local Extension office. The current register, and nomination instructions and forms are also found at
The 3rd Conference on Conifer Care is set for Monday, February 26 at the Lied Conference Center in Nebraska City from 9:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Registration is from 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. Registration is $30. A flier is available by post or e-mail. The information hotline is 800-560-2912.
Both the Nebraska Arborists Association and the International Society of Arboriculture will grant 5.0 CEUs for attending this conference.
The agenda includes a pine wilt overview, insect strategies for 2001, landscape plant choices, introduction to plant pathology biology, conifer germ plasm, and diagnostics.
Program participants include Loren Giesler, Extension Plant Pathologist; Mark Harrell, Forest Pest Specialist; Gerald Hopp, Extension Educator; Justin Evertson, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum; and Jennifer Chaky, Extension Educator.
The UNL-Nebraska Forest Service, Cooperative Extension and Nebraska Statewide Arboretum will sponsor Tree Care Workshops at six locations across the state in March, 2001. These workshops provide basic and advanced, up-to-date information about tree care to arborists, nursery professionals, grounds keepers, and others who work with trees. Landscape tree care is the main focus of the workshops, though many of the topics covered apply to trees in any situation. The theme for this year will be "Going Underground - - Soil, Water and Tree Roots."
Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. (6:30 p.m. at Sidney). Program will begin at 9 a.m. (7 p.m. at Sidney) and end no later than 4 p.m. (9 p.m. at Sidney).
Registration fee is $20 which includes workshop materials, lunch and breaks. (The Sidney program is an evening program with a refreshment break only. The cost is $15 per person.) Pre-registration is required in order to get a count for meals. Deadline is March 6, 2001.
Workshop Dates and Locations
March 12 - Lodgepole Valley Youth Camp, Ft. Sidney Road and Toledo Street, Sidney. Contact Doak Nickerson, District Forester (308) 632-1238. Please note that this will be a shortened evening program beginning at 7 p.m. and ending at 9 p.m. (MT).
March 14 - Mid-Plains Community College Auditorium, 601 West State Farm Road, North Platte. Contact Rachel Allison, District Forester Assistant (308) 532-3611 ext 161.
March 15 - Hastings Community College, Cedar Room of the Dawson Building, Hastings. Contact Scott DeWald, District Forester (402) 762-3534.
March 19 - University of Nebraska East Campus, East Campus Union (room to be posted), Lincoln. Contact Rich Lodes, District Forester Assistant (4402) 472-3646.
March 21 - Douglas County Extension Office, 8015 West Center Road, Omaha. Contact David Mooter, Community Forester (402) 444-7804.
March 23 - Northeast Community College, Lifelong Learning Center (room to be posted), 601 East Benjamin, Norfolk. Contact Steve Rasmussen, District Forester (402) 370-4000.
Vote for America’s National Tree
The National Arbor Day Foundation is hosting a historic opportunity for Americans to vote for America’s National Tree. America has the grandest trees on earth – the largest, the oldest, and we think, the most beautiful. It’s time for the American people to select a national tree as an enduring symbol of all of our magnificent trees, and of our natural heritage.
Vote at www.arborday.org between January 1 and midnight April 26, 2001, and find out which tree is the winner on national Arbor Day!
For a great reference on conservation trees used in the northern plains, check out the resource book titled The North Dakota Tree Handbook. This reference is online and very easy to use. You can click on common names in the index and go directly to that species with technical species/varietal information and four high quality color photo’s for each species including seed/ fruit, leaf, bark, and overall. You can find it at http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/aginfo/trees/handbook.htm
Brown Evergreens......Are They Dead?
With record breaking back to back bitter cold weather in November and December there has been an exceptionally high number of browning evergreens this winter. The pines and arborvitae seem to be the most affected. The spruces and firs seem to be looking better and while there is no way to know yet about the deciduous trees, I am thinking we will see irregular leaf development and some dead branches on some broadleaf trees this spring. On the affected evergreens, the browning needles started showing up right after the start of the new year when we had the warmer weather that followed the bitter cold temperatures of December.Some of this was probably brought on from the dry conditions leading up to October and some additional stress that most trees were experiencing. However, I do not think the only culprit was the lack of moisture since we did get some good rains in October and early November before the ground froze. I do think the moisture stress plays into the problem since it would have taken the trees some time to use that moisture to "recover" from the stress of the summer and early fall and there may not have been adequate time from the rains in late October to the ground freezing in middle of November.
Why do some trees in a landscape show this and not others? Some of the trees that turned brown may have a genetic makeup different enough that they are not as hardy to the cold temperatures. Others may have a problem with a root system that is not as healthy as it should be. Some trees may have been weakened by other factors like a basal injury or mite infestations earlier in the year.
In December, we had several periods of very bitter cold and windy conditions that caused the killing of the tissue in the needles. Then we experienced some warm weather that dried out the dead tissue of the affected needles and changed it from the frozen green to the dry brown. How serious of a problem is this? It depends on the tree and the amount of brown. Most trees that I have checked still have green, moist buds and stem tissue. This is good because that is where the new growth will occur next spring. The brown needles will eventually fall off causing the tree to look partially "naked" and bare. The green buds will grow out next spring and if there is sufficient amount of new growth, should still be sufficient for most trees to recover. If the tree has over 60% of the needles brown, then I am less optimistic and the tree will probably be weakened to the point of it running a high risk of dying. Newly planted trees (less than three years established) are at the greatest risk due to limited root systems.
What can you do? Right now, there is nothing that can be done since we are in the middle of winter. If we do happen to get some collected warm days where the ground begins to thaw, the snow that we have gotten so far this year will give some added moisture to the shallow roots that may make limited use of the snow as it melts. Fertilizing is not a recom- mended practice to help these trees recover. Watch the condition of the tree and be ready to help it along this early spring if it looks like it is struggling.
Living Snowfences: Using Trees and Shrubs to Protect Roads
Blowing and drifting snow has been an exceptionally troublesome problem and hazard this winter. This can cause serious problems if those routes are the only means of travel into and from a location. In addition, the cost of removing the snow and keeping the roads open adds an economic burden to the local entity responsible for the road. Farm lanes, school bus routes, mail routes and other commonly traveled areas are prime locations for the help of a living snowfence.
Living snowfences are properly located plantings with the rows of the trees and shrubs paralleling the road. This planting intercepts and stops the snow from accumulating or blowing across the road creating a visibility hazard. They are an economical and environmentally positive way of working with a challenge we have with the weather we live with in the Great Plains.
Living snowfences work for road systems the same way a windbreak or shelterbelt works for a farm or ranch headquarters. The evergreen trees and shrubs slow the wind and drift the snow in a safe area leeward of the planting. The remaining protected area is kept free from the snow accumulation and wind. As with most tree and shrub plantings in agricultural areas (especially in the Midwest), there are numerous benefits that are realized with a properly established and maintained tree/shrub planting. Some of the more noticeable contributions of a living snowfence include:
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Energy savings and increased travel safety. Living snowfences will protect roads from drifting and blowing snow which will reduce snow-removal costs and save energy. Protected roads will have less visibility problems and snow accumulation that make traveling on them dangerous and even deadly.<
Snow storage at a low cost. A living snowfence can capture up to 12 times more snow per foot of height than a slatted or picket fence, but are up to 90% cheaper to install and maintain over their expected life span.<
Protection for many years. Living snowfences can have a service life of up to 75 years. After satisfactory root growth is established, they need little maintenance compared to traditional slatted fences that need installing and dissembling each year and replacement after seven to ten years.<
Wildlife habitat is provided. Tree and shrub plantings for snow control also provide homes and winter protection for many wildlife species. A combination of trees and shrubs and native grasses provides excellent wildlife habitat.There are excellent cost share programs that will help pay for the establishment of the tree planting. If the living snowfence is located on crop ground, it will be eligible for the Continuous CRP that gives an incentive bonus and 15 year rental payments for the tree acreage. There has never been a better program to help with the establishment of these tree plantings than there is now. Most living snowfences will have at least two rows of evergreens and one or two rows of shrubs. A snow catch area is allowed between the tree / shrub rows and the fence to store the snow during the winter and in the summer, this makes for an excellent nesting area for upland game birds. A typical living snowfence that is 500 feet long will only use approximately 1.5 acres.
This is a good winter to identify the "problem" sites along your travel routes. If you have an area along a road or lane that has drifted shut already this year, I encourage you to contact your local county Natural Resource Conservation Service, Natural Resources District or Cooperative Extension offices or Steve Rasmussen, Nebraska Forest Service (402) 370-4024 for technical assistance and information on programs that can cost share living snowfence plantings.
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
Each year nearly 2000
FIRE-FIGHTERS, rural board members, city administrators, attorneys, fire officials, and
community leaders from Nebraska and many other states in the nation attend this function
to learn and share ideas about fire prevention and fire suppression. This is the largest
fire school of its type in the nation. This is your school and your state. The
responsibility is yours. Make plans now to attend the Nebraska Fire School. The dates are:
May 18-19-20, 2001, in Grand Island, Nebraska. Call Bob Vogltance at 402-372-5665.
Winter Heating Can Be Hazardous to Your Health
Winter days and nights can be cold. The sky is dark and dreary, and the wind howls. It’s hard to keep your home warm and cozy. So many Americans have turned to portable heaters of various kinds to supplement their home heating systems. Sometimes they have portable heaters because their home heating system is not very efficient. Sometimes it’s to save money on regular heating fuel. Sometimes, at ski cabins or other get-away spots, there is no permanent heating system. In any case, many homes use portable space heaters in winter.
The Nebraska Forest Service wants you to know that portable heaters have caused many tragic fires—even deaths—in recent years as more and more Americans have begun to use them. So if you ‘re going to use supplement heating, use it wisely.
Kerosene Nightmares
The largest number of heating-related fires have been caused by kerosene heaters. In most cases the fault was with misuse or abuse of the heater rather than with the device itself. So take this advice.
Purchase only a heater carrying the UL label. This label means it has been tested for safety. Be sure it has an automatic safety switch to shut it off if it’s tipped over. In addition, see that it’s not top-heavy to tip too easily. An automatic starter eliminates the need for matches and makes for safer starts. A fuel gauge will help ensure you do not overfill the heater dangerously. A safety grill on the front can prevent accidental contact burns.
Follow the manufacturers instruction for assembly. Use only crystal-clear 1K kerosene, never a yellow or contaminated kerosene or any other fuel. Fill it only outside. Store kerosene in a metal container with a tight-fitting lid that is clearly marked for kerosene only. Keep no more than five gallons available at one time. And keep it outside your home in a garage or storage shed.
When using a kerosene heater, be sure the room is ventilated. Opening a door to an adjoining room or area may be enough. Better yet, open a window in the room slightly.
Improper use of kerosene heaters has caused so many tragedies in recent years that some states are banning their use outright. Don’t be one of the careless ones.
CHECK YOUR HOME FOR
FIRE HAZARDS
MAKE THEM SAFE FOR YOUR FAMILY.
DO IT NOW!
Some New Year’s Resolutions Can Save Your Life
About this time every year people feel obliged to make resolutions – ways they pledge to reform in the new year. More than 6,000 Americans will die in home fires during the new year – one death every 90 minutes. They don’t take the time to prevent fire and they didn’t learn how to save themselves and their families in case of fire.
Make and practice a fire escape plan for your home. Set a meeting place so you’ll know everyone is out safely. Don’t plan to call the fire department before you escape – go next door after you’re all safely outside. Never go back inside once you’re safely out – not for any reason.
Install, maintain and test smoke detectors in your home. Even if you’re renting your home or apartment, buy some if they’re not already in place. If you now have only one detector, get more for other parts of your house. Place them so they protect you from fires that start in the basement, garage or other storage area. If your detectors are wired into the electric system, get battery-operated detectors for back-up in case the power goes out.
Check your home for common fire hazards. Make it a family project to get your home ship-shape today.
Own and know how to operate portable fire extinguisher. One in the kitchen is most important because so many fires start there. Garages and basements are good places for extra extinguisher. Don’t wait for a fire to learn how to use it – that’s too late.
Fix up your fire-risk habits. Do you smoke in bed, or even in a comfortable sofa or chair that might lull you to sleep? Are your ashtrays tip-resistant? Do you sometimes forget to close the fireplace screen? Think about what you do. Are you always careful about fire?
The Nebraska Forest Service/Fire Control Section will be glad to help with your fire safety resolutions for the new year. We want you around next year to make a new set of resolutions.
Be Careful With That Cozy Fireplace
A fireplace with a dancing fire lends a cozy feeling to any home, especially on a cold, day. Fireplaces and other wood-burning equipment can provide efficient heat, too. But they can spell tragedy if you’re not careful.
Keep tight-fitting screens or glass doors in front of fireplace openings to prevent sparks from flying out. Keep papers, furniture and other things that might burn away from the front of the fireplace. Don’t leave children alone in a room where a fire is burning. Never burn while away from home or asleep.
A wood-burning heating system or device should be safe, economical, efficient, easy to use and attractive to look at. Have your system installed by a reputable professional and have it inspected by the fire department before you use it. Keep small children from being burned by a wood-burning stove by purchasing and installing retaining screens made especially for that purpose.
Although proper installation can help prevent a fire, know what to do if one does happen. Know the signs of a chimney fire: a loud roar, sucking sounds and shaking pipes. If you suspect a chimney fire, cut off the fire’s air supply by shutting any air intake vents in the firebox. Close the damper. Everyone should leave the house immediately and call the fire department from a neighbor’s home or other nearby telephone.
Dispose of ashes in metal containers, never in paper or plastic bags or cardboard boxes. Ashes can hold enough heat to start a fire for several days. Wet the ashes and make sure they are cold.
Keep the home fires burning safely this winter.
Bob E Vogltance, Fire Resource Manager
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
441 S. Colfax
West Point, NE 68788
(402) 372-5665
E-mail: bv55315@navix.net
