Fall Field Tour 2018 Recap

Kroetch Land and Timber

The founder of the Kroetch Empire was Joseph J Kroetch, Brian’s great grandfather.  He started the family operation in 1881, buying land to supply their sawmill.  They currently own 21,615 acres. Brian started in the woods in late 1970’s, and ran dozer for several years. By 1990 he needed to make a decision to continue logging or go another direction. Brian attended college at the University of Idaho and afterward started a forest consulting business. His first big client was Inland Empire Paper.  He began running property lines, doing plantation surveys, and marking timber for them.  After spending some time honing his forestry skills with IEP he eventually settled in to managing his family holdings full time.  He describes his goal as producing a steady future income from a sustainable supply of timber.  They currently have 54 tree farms.

For our tour Brian lead the group through portions of his 6,000 acre Mica Bay Tree Farm area south of CDA. During the day we viewed an active logging job with new road construction and looked at some of the regrowth in areas that had been logged several years ago.  Brian discussed his program of partnering with the Idaho Fish & Game Department.  Their program allows hunting access on the Kroetch lands with the IF&G controlling the roaded access.  The tour was capped off with a very interesting visit to a fish rearing operation and a catered lunch.

Russ Hegedus
Idaho Forest Group
(T) 208.255.3250

•  Vice President –
Sean Hammond
(T) 208.610.8754

Treasurer –
Steve Cuvala
Idaho Dept. of Lands
(T) 208.245.4551

•  Administrator –
Colleen Meek
ID Tree Farm Program

admin@idahotreefarm.org

(T) 208.667.4641 Ex 503

2017-2018
District Chairs

•   District 1 Chair –
Andy Eckberg
Idaho Forest Group
aeckberg@idfg.com

(T) 208.255.3276

•  District 2 Chair –
Tim Schaffer
Bennett Lumber Products
(T) 208.819.1214

•  District 3 Chair –
John Lillehaug
All About Forestry
(T) 208.630.4076

Our National office in Washington D.C. has indicated they will require a financial plan from each state detailing how they will maintain stability of their program.  Our Idaho Program currently is funded by a small amount of funds (a little over $4.00 per tree farm) from National, and part of the incentive bonus Idaho Forest Products pays for logs delivered to them from certified Tree Farms.  By instituting a small fee system we will have a third source of funding and be in much better shape to continue with tours, coffee socials, newsletters as well as cover the administrative costs to operate our program.  If you have any other ideas for increasing our member outreach, please feel free to contact our State Administrator Colleen Meek at (208)-667-4641, ext 503.

If you are interested and have any questions, contact your District Chair or our State office for more information.

By Mary Fritz, Idaho Department of Lands, Forest Stewardship Program Manager

The program is evolving to address four national priorities. Forest health is addressed through these priorities.

• fire (fuels reduction, prescribed fire),
• water (water quality, clean drinking water, watershed management),
• jobs (rural prosperity), and
• wildlife habitat.

USFS Cooperative Forestry leadership organized a working group of key external partners and agency staff to develop options to better focus and prioritize federal investment, achieve outcomes on priority lands, serve landowners and leverage partnerships. Currently, assistance to landowners has been on a first come, first service basis and the future direction is to focus planning and technical assistance in priority landscapes to address resource issues.

In 2010, Idaho’s Forest Action Plan delineated priority areas using a collaborative process. Currently, IDL is updating the Forest Action Plan with the help of many partners. https://www.idl.idaho.gov/forestry/forest-action/index.html

In Idaho, the Forest Stewardship Program is administered by the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL). Many forest owners have benefited from the services IDL Private Forestry Specialists provide that includes planning, technical assistance and education. How will Idaho’s Forest Stewardship Program change? That is yet to be determined and will be based on the final national recommendations. The Forest Service and

state coordinators as well as other partners will work to design and reshaped program in 2019 (which may require revised program metrics, allocation formula, database and data needs) in 2019, with program implementation anticipated in 2020.

For more information contact: Mary Fritz, mfritz@idl.idaho.gov or phone: 208-666-8667

November 10, 2018 at Thompson Falls Community Center

Ties to the Land is an award winning curriculum developed by leading estate planning experts at Oregon State University Extension and the Austin Family Business Program.  An excerpt from the notice on this session reads:

Do you own and care for ranch or forest land?

If so, you probably have strong feelings about leaving your land in good condition for the future. 

Succession Planning – the human side of Estate Planning – focuses on ways to maintain family ties to the land from generation to generation, building awareness of key challenges facing family businesses, and motivating families to address those challenges. 

Facilitators of this session will be long time Tree Farmers, Kirk and Madeline David.  Kirk and Madeline have a wealth of experience with forest products industry, forest management and family succession planning.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Workshop Content

Ties to the Land includes presentations, video clips, and interactive exercises on the following topics:

·       10 Steps to Successful Succession Planning

·       Passion, Preparation, and Planning

·       Family Ties, Differing Objectives

·       Generation Gaps

·       The Heirloom Scale, Values and Goals

·       Conflicting Roles of Family and Business

·       Tips for a Successful First Family Meeting

·       Guidelines for Good Communication

·       Choosing the Best Team of Advisors for You

·       Putting the Plan Together, Success Strategies

·       Transferring Ownership

·       Legal and Financial Instruments

The Session is open to forest landowners and ag producers

The cost is $10 per person or $20 per family.  To register or learn more, contact:

July Thurston at – (406)-827-6934

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Forestry Short course 

Enriches family forest owners’ basic understanding of forest planning, forest ecology, silviculture, insects, disease, wildlife habitat, taxes, and other forest stewardship topics (2 UI credits available) (IMFS).

Moscow, Six Tuesday/Thursday afternoons, January 29 & 31; February 5, 7, 12, & 14, 2019

Sandpoint, Six Wednesday mornings, June 12, 19, & 26; July 10, 17, & 24, 2019

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Identifying Idaho’s Trees 

Learn to identify Idaho’s native forest trees and some common forest shrubs. Sessions may be indoors or in the field.

Sandpoint, Saturday, December 1, 2018 (9am to 12pm)

Coeur d’Alene, Mon. February 4, 2019 (6pm to 8pm)

St. Maries, Thursday, April 11, 2019 (1pm to 4pm)

Additional sessions of this program can be scheduled for interested groups of 10 or more.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Turning Idaho Trees into Wreaths 

Learn to make a fresh wreath using native evergreens. A presentation and demonstration will be followed by hands-on time to create your own wreath.

Sandpoint, Saturday, December 1, 2018 (1pm to 3pm)- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Current Topics of Farm and Forest Health: Climate Change 

Learn how climate change is expected to influence agricultural pests, invasive weed spread, cattle and grazing systems, and forest insects in the Inland NW.

Orofino, Thursday, December 13, 2018- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Family Foresters Workshop 

Annual UI/WSU Extension program updating foresters and other professionals on emerging technology and knowledge applicable to family forests.

Spokane Valley, Friday, January 18, 2019- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

 For more information or to register, contact 

Chris Schnepf – Area Extension Educator, CdA – (208)-446-1680 cschnepf@uidaho.edu 

Bill Warren, Extension Educator, Orofino – (208)-476-4434 williamw@uidaho.edu 

Randy Brooks, Extension Forestry Specialist, Moscow – (208)–885-6356 rbrooks@uidaho.edu

Tom Eckberg. Forest Health Program Manager Idaho Dept of Lands

Douglas-fir tussock moth has been defoliating Douglas-fir and grand fir in southern Idaho, mostly on the Boise National Forest and adjacent state and private lands south of Cascade. There was limited defoliation in 2017 west of Smiths Ferry, and an isolated outbreak near Craters of the Moon National Monument. Egg mass surveys indicate that there will be one more year of defoliation before the populations crash due to a virus disease specific to this insect and predators and parasites. Some areas had severe defoliation, with as much as 90% of the needles lost to feeding injury. Where there are large populations of caterpillars and little available food, starvation will result.

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Nov  10, 2018 – Ties to the Land, Thompson Falls, MT

Jan 17, 2019 – Idaho Tree Farm Committee Meeting, CDA, ID

Feb 6-7, 2019 – Forester Forum, CDA, ID

March 24-26, 2019 – Family Forest Landowners & Managers Conference and Exposition, Moscow, ID

Welcome New Members!

As a current member, and a steward of the land, we appreciate your current support of the program and your management of the forestland for pride and pleasure.  Thank you for your continued commitment to protecting watersheds and wildlife habitat, conserving soil and, at the same time, producing the wood America needs and uses.

Stay Informed…..

About Our Organization…

•  Vice President –
Erin Bradetich
(T) 208.290.6037

•  Treasurer –
Madeline David

•  Administrator –
Colleen Meek
ID Tree Farm Program

admin@idahotreefarm.org

(T) 208.591.5933

2019-2020
District Chairs:

•   District 1 Chair –
Andy Eckberg
Idaho Forest Group
aeckberg@idfg.com

(T) 208.255.3276

•  District 2 Chair –
Robbie Easley
Idaho Department of Lands
(T) 208.877.1121

•  District 3 Chair –
John Lillehaug
All About Forestry
(T) 208.630.4076

Other items to discuss are the challenges of working so closely in the wildland-urban interface near Coeur d’Alene, the relationship Brian has developed with the Idaho Fish & Game Department in helping manage access and game herds on the property, as well as working to combine sustainable forestry with the need for a sustainable income from the harvests.

As always, the tour is free and lunch & seating will be provided.     The plan is to meet on the Mica Bay Land Company Tree Farm property adjacent to Highway 95 about 2 miles west of Coeur d’Alene Lake and Mica Bay around 8:30 that morning.     Coffee, doughnuts, snacks and beverages will be provided by the Idaho Tree Farm Program.

Be sure to dress appropriately for outdoor field conditions and have proper footwear for the woods. We will send out another notice with a map and scheduled itinerary for the day, but if you wish to contact us just email admin@idahotreefarm.org or call our State Administrator Colleen Meek at (208)-667-4641, ext 503.Hope to see you there!

Fall Field Tour 2018

Kroetch Land and Timber

Coeur d’ Alene, ID

Mary Fritz, Certification Chair.       Mary is a long time IDL employee who earlier worked on the Clearwater as a private forestry specialist and has been living in the Silver Valley since moving to Cataldo to fill a position as a private forestry specialist. Currently Mary works as program manager in forest stewardship in CDA.

Matt Engberg, Inspecting Forester Chair. Matt, a University of Idaho graduate, has been a Northwest Management Inc employee from the early 90’s to present.  Matt’s career started out falling snags on a wildland fire crew and then cruising timber, ran planting programs, precommercial thinning programs, timber sale layout & admin along with building roads and installing bridges, working wildland and prescribed fire programs for NMI and last but not least helping with Idaho tree farm on the Palouse.

Welcome aboard and thanks to both of you for stepping up to help our program!

As we all know the workings of our program and the fine stewardship done on your land doesn’t happen on its own. It takes all of the dedicated volunteers working together and we want to honor those that are in the blue ribbon class. If you know of a particularly well cared for parcel, a logger that goes beyond what is required to make things shine, or an Inspector that is especially helpful to landowners, give us a all or email a note for us to consider them for special recognition.

“The Sustainable Forestry Tour has been the best short-term professional development experience I have taken part in during my 22 years as a teacher.  The Idaho Forest Products Commission (IFPC) team did an outstanding job of handling logistics and being continual educators throughout the tour. I participated in several activities where I plan to use either the teaching strategy or the content of the lesson.  I gained a greater appreciation for our forests and the importance of managing them well. By the end of the tour I found myself wishing I was a lobbyist that could get policymakers to be a part of this tour. I believe the most effective, transformative way to get the information we gained this week into the hands of policy makers would be to have them participate in this tour in its entirety.  Trying to gain the same level of information and appreciation for the information through reading or listening to lobbyists, or even participation in a one-day conference is simply not as effective as being immersed in the activities we did, including touring the facilities and job sites we had the privilege of seeing. I will definitely be recommending this tour to my colleagues in education.  

In addition, my husband, Sean Hammond has been a sawyer for several area logging contractors for most of the last 30 years. This tour gave me a much greater appreciation for the work my husband does and the entire forestry industry.  At each tour stop, I found myself delighted in knowing some of what was being taught because of what Sean has taught me and our children. By the end of the week I found myself with a significant degree of pride in what my he does, his care for the land, and his integrity as now a private one-man logging operation.” 

Thank you Idaho Tree Farm for your sponsorship and participation in this incredible opportunity. 

Sincerely, Virginia Hammond

Idaho Master Forest Stewards Program Accepting Applications

Applications for the IMFS program are accepted continually. When we have at least ten applications by August of a given year, we schedule IMFS core sessions for the next. We are very close to reaching that threshold, so if you are currently interested in taking the training in 2019, send an application in August 2018. More information on becoming an Idaho Master Forest Steward and application materials can be downloaded at:

The largest portion of the 2019 training would take place during four, one-day sessions held April thru September.

Across the state, the Idaho Department of Lands employs Private Forestry Specialists (PFS) whose primary role is to provide forest landowners with information to help them meet their forest management goals. Our PFSs provide planning advice, assess insect and disease threats and design a variety of practices to help you manage your land. Some of these practices include thinning, tree planting, forest health improvement and fuel breaks. We collaborate with a wide variety of resource professionals and are long-time and strong supporters of the Idaho Tree Farm Program.

For landowner’s writing a forest management plan, IDL’s Forest Stewardship Program staff collaborated with the Idaho Tree Farm Program and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to develop the One Plan Template. Each of these three programs require a management plan and by working together, the One Plan allows a landowner to easily sign up for all three programs.

The Idaho Department of Lands administers the Forest Stewardship Program, a national program that provides funding to IDL to assist forest landowners. To become a Forest Steward, landowners must develop a management plan. The benefit of participating in Idaho’s Forest Stewardship Program includes a free site visit every five years and access to conference and educational opportunities. Many of our staff are also Tree Farm Inspectors that can enroll you in the Tree Farm Program.

You will find the One Plan Template on the Idaho Department of Lands Forestry Assistance webpage https://www.idl.idaho.gov/

If you need advice or technical assistance, you can call your nearest Private Forest Specialist for an appointment. Our PFSs can be contacted at anyone of these locations:

For more information on the Idaho Forest Stewardship Program contact Mary Fritz, mfritz@idl.idaho.gov or phone 208-666-8667.

Mary Fritz, Forest Stewardship Program Manager, Idaho Dept of Lands

Chris Schnepf – Area Extension Educator, Forestry

Extension offices across Idaho frequently get calls about brown conifer needles, especially in the fall and spring. Brown needle causes vary from normal tree physiology to a wide range of insects and diseases. Unless the whole tree is brown, some brown needles are not necessarily a problem. 

Fall needle drop. Deciduous trees drop all their leaves every fall. But non-deciduous conifers drop leaves too – they just don’t drop them all every year. Older conifer needles are less photosynthetically efficient than younger needles, as they are often shaded by newer foliage. Conifers drop these older needles because those needles take more energy from the tree to stay green than the tree gets in return.

Trees vary in how many needles they keep on the tree. Some conifer species can keep 4 or more age-classes of needles. Needle drop on lodgepole, ponderosa, and white pines is often most noticeable, because every fall, three-year needles turn brown and eventually drop. If a pine had particularly good growth 3 years ago, putting on abundant needles, that needle-drop can look dramatic, but dropping those old needles helps the tree.

Needle diseases visible in spring. A variety of diseases infect needles. The most commonly noticed needle diseases are those visible on pines in the spring. It is usually worse in the lower parts of younger trees and in draws or low-lying areas where humidity is higher. One of the most dramatic examples is Lophodermella concolor, which sometimes affects whole mountainsides of lodgepole pine at high elevations. Sometimes in the spring it can look like a whole lodgepole forest is dying, until the new growth comes on shortly thereafter. Most pine needle diseases are worse in the lower and interior parts of the tree – the least efficient needles on the tree. Sometimes they look terrible, but trees almost always survive needle diseases.

An exception occurs for trees planted from seed sources which were too far removed from the site to be adapted to it (“off-site” trees). These trees are often more dramatically affected by or even killed by needle diseases. Therefore, needle diseases could be a way to monitor changing climate. If needle diseases are killing many naturally regenerated trees, it may be time to consider assisting the migration of better adapted seed sources to that site.

Brown branch tips. Various insects and diseases can turn individual branch tips brown. Some of the most common issues with pines are gouty pitch midge, pine shoot borer, Diplodia tip blight, and western gall rust. Some small bark beetle species also kill Douglas-fir branch tips. These organisms usually only kill a few branches or tips – they almost never kill a tree, unless it is seedling-size. They are generally considered non-economic pests in the context of forest management. 

Larch commonly has needle issues in the spring. Western larch needle issues are usually caused by three factors: larch needle cast, larch needle blight, and larch case bearer. Larch needle cast starts as small yellow-brown spots which grow and eventually cause the whole needle to turn brown and fall off the tree. Larch needle blight wilts whole clusters of needle downward (they look melted, like a Salvador Dali painting), eventually turning them brown. Larch case bearers are tiny insects that mine the inside of needles, turning them straw-colored

(continued from previous page)

August 24-25 Priest River Experimental Forest

The Friday evening program will feature Dr. Russ Graham discussing the origins and history of PREF. Saturday’s field tour of the Experimental Forest will be a walking tour of the research projects in close proximity of the facilities at PREF. The travel route is on trails and roads covering generally flat and gentle terrain.

What to do if you are interested in possibly attending: Send an e-mail to inlandempiresaf@gmail.com stating your interest in one or both days, lodging, and meals by August 10th. You will be placed on our e-mail list for this field tour (only). You will receive a registration response with all of the final cost information and charges for your selected portion of tour.

Bark beetles? Root disease? If both new and old needles are not a healthy green, a tree is probably being affected by something other than needle maladies. If the whole tree fades over a period of years, it is likely root disease. If the whole tree turns brown within 6 months, it is more likely bark beetles. But if the symptoms are more like those described previously in this article, the tree will likely survive. Consider waiting before starting a salvage sale or cutting such trees for firewood.

If you are not sure, bring a fresh sample (and/or perhaps photos of the tree) into your local University of Idaho Extension or Idaho Department of Lands office.

IDL personnel also received many calls from landowners reporting dead & dying Douglas-fir saplings. We have been seeing an increase in the occurrence of secondary bark beetles in small Douglas-fir. Scolytus monticolae and Scolytus unispinosus (Douglas-fir engraver) are minor bark beetle species that usually do not cause many problems. The dry weather in 2016 / 2017 is probably the main cause of this mortality. Most of the damage has been on sites with rocky or thin soils. As with fir engraver, maintaining proper density is important, especially if the soil is well drained or rocky.

Aerial observers are also reporting needle blight on western larch. This disease will quickly turn the needles red, and they will wilt and remain on the short spur. The disease is most common when conditions are wet in the spring when the needles are expanding. It rarely kills older trees, but can be mistaken for other, more serious problems. Fungicide sprays are rarely warranted, except for isolated small trees in ornamental settings. Increasing airflow (thinning) can lower infection by reducing humidity during the infection period (shoot elongation).

Aerial observers in southern Idaho report some Douglas-fir tussock moth defoliation in grand fir and Douglas-fir on the Payette NF southwest of Cascade Reservoir. Parts of the Boise and Sawtooth NF are also experiencing defoliation. Western spruce budworm is also defoliating grand fir and subalpine fir in parts of the Payette NF. With defoliating insects such as tussock moth and spruce budworm, selecting for nonhosts or less preferred hosts is a key management tactic. Pines and western larch are not commonly damaged by these defoliators. Damage is often worse in dense, multi storied stands with susceptible understory. Larvae feeding in taller firs or spruce will fall down on young trees, often causing severe defoliation. Grand fir is often more severely defoliated than Douglas-fir, so during harvest or thinning operations, grand fir should be discouraged as a leave tree.

IDL is receiving reports of “shiny, sticky” grand fir foliage and even broadleaf shrubs in the understory beneath grand fir. In 2013, there was a widespread outbreak of the balsam twig aphid (Mindarus abietis), a sucking insect that creates “honeydew,” a sticky, sugary secretion, which covers the needles and drips onto foliage below. This honeydew attracts attention from landowners, but trees are rarely seriously damaged. This honeydew is often a food source for insects such as wasps, yellow jackets and bald faced hornets, which can annoy woods workers. A good link to this insect can be found at this link:

https://tidcf.nrcan.gc.ca/insects/factsheet/5549. 

Late July through November is the ideal time to conduct thinning or other management activity in pines to minimize damage from the pine engraver (Ips pini). There is often temptation to time harvests or thinning during the winter through spring due to access, logistics or other reasons. Creating pine slash during these times can cause unwanted damage. Creating slash during the summer allows it to dry out and become unsuitable for overwintering adults and damage is often avoided.

Tom Eckberg. Forest Health Program Manager Idaho Dept of Lands

Aug 25-25, 2018 – Good Neighbor Authority Field Tour, Priest River, ID

Sept 8, 2018 – Fall Field Tour, Kroetch Land & Timber, CDA, ID

Oct 18, 2018 – Idaho Tree Farm Committee Meeting, CDA, ID

Welcome New Members!

As a current member, and a steward of the land, we appreciate your current support of the program and your management of the forestland for pride and pleasure. Thank you for your continued commitment to protecting watersheds and wildlife habitat, conserving soil and, at the same time, producing the wood America needs and uses.

Stay Informed…..

Learn more at:

www.idahotreefarm.org

About Our Organization…