New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Forestry

New Invasive Affecting NYS Elm Trees; Threatens Major Spread

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elm zigzag sawfly courtesy Wikimedia user SigaThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that the elm zigzag sawfly (Aproceros leucopoda) was detected for the first time in New York State at three locations in St. Lawrence County, including Wilson Hill Wildlife Management Area, Brasher State Forest, and Lost Nation State Forest.

This exotic pest feeds exclusively on elm trees and can cause severe defoliation, branch dieback, and crown thinning. Although the sawfly has not yet been shown to cause tree mortality, repeated defoliation by established sawfly populations would put added stress on native elm trees already heavily impacted by Dutch elm disease. [Read more…] about New Invasive Affecting NYS Elm Trees; Threatens Major Spread

Tree Slime: Harmless & Beneficial

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bacterial-wetwood-symptomsCast members of the new Ghostbusters film aren’t the only ones getting slimed – trees sometimes get slathered in slime flux as well. Many kinds of trees are subject to sludge assaults, with elms, apples, oaks, maples, and walnuts being among the more vulnerable species. Tree-goo, unlike the Psychomagnotheric Slime in Ghostbusters, is basically harmless. In fact, it can be beneficial. [Read more…] about Tree Slime: Harmless & Beneficial

The Ecology of Adirondack Wildfires

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fire just south of Pottersville in April 2012There are several natural disasters that can alter the ecological make-up of an area. Widespread tree disease, severe winds, and intense ice storms can all seriously damage or destroy the dominant members of a forest community.

However, the most catastrophic force of nature is fire, as a major blaze can significantly impact more than just the composition of trees that cover a given location. [Read more…] about The Ecology of Adirondack Wildfires

New Threat to Beech Trees Found In 35 NYS Counties

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BLD advanced symptomsThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that Beech Leaf Disease (BLD), which affects all species of beech trees, has been identified in 35 counties in New York State to date.

DEC began tracking BLD in 2018 after it was confirmed in Chautauqua County. Fourteen of the counties with BLD were confirmed in 2022, and more are likely to be identified. [Read more…] about New Threat to Beech Trees Found In 35 NYS Counties

DEC Proposes Changes to NYS Forest Tax Law Program

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Blue Lake in Sterling Forest State Park courtesy State ParksNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced proposed changes to the implementing regulations for Real Property Tax Law Section 480a, also known as the Forest Tax Law.

The overhaul of these nearly 50-year-old regulations are hoped by DEC to lessen the administrative burden on participating forest landowners, help the Department promote compliance with requirements in place, and maintain and improve sustainable timber management on enrolled lands. [Read more…] about DEC Proposes Changes to NYS Forest Tax Law Program

An Adirondack Lumber Camp at Twitchell Lake, 1860-80

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5a Objects dug up in Lumber Camp #2 about a half mile east of Twitchell Lake, Noel SherryMy uncle Frank Sherry taught my brother Tom and I orienteering, using a map and compass to navigate through the woods and find a remote pond or other location. We were teenagers and it was an exciting way to spend a Saturday.

On one of these adventures we were in search of Silver Dollar Pond to the east of Twitchell Lake in Northern Herkimer County,when we stumbled on our first lumber camp. The telltale signs were pieces of metal hanging from a tree and protruding from the ground, with old bottles half-buried in the forest floor. We made note of the location on our map, a half-mile from Twitchell, and returned to explore it. It wasn’t long before we located the camp dump, from which we dug up the items pictured here.

These and other objects triggered an active discussion on the date of this old camp, with an imaginative re-creation of what life might have been like for a lumberjacks living and working there. [Read more…] about An Adirondack Lumber Camp at Twitchell Lake, 1860-80

DEC Announces Aerial Spraying of Six State Forest Areas

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Gypsy moth courtesy USDANew York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that DEC will be conducting aerial treatments for the invasive pest spongy moth (formerly known as gypsy moth) in six state forests areas in New York.

Treatment is taking place between May 20th and May 31st, weather permitting. The priority areas chosen already suffered spongy moth defoliation for multiple years and are expected to have another high level of infestation this year according to survey efforts conducted by DEC regional staff. [Read more…] about DEC Announces Aerial Spraying of Six State Forest Areas

Up Every River: Logging The Adirondacks (1820-40)

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3a Our Double-bladed AxeIn the 1820s the State of New York encouraged Adirondack exploration and settlement, benefiting from the land sales and taxes (when they were paid). Lewis County newspapers were abuzz with praise for the 1825 completion of the Erie Canal, and in less than a year, the Black River Gazette launched a discussion on “improving” the Black River as a connection between the canal and the St. Lawrence River, anticipating the economic benefit Adirondack timber would bring when this opened a commercial route to the rest of the world:

“The quantity of lumber which might be drawn from those vast forests, now covering a soil which would anticipate the desires of a husbandman are beyond all calculation. For it is a fact admitted by all who have the least acquaintance with this section of country, that a greater quantity of wood, timber, lath, staves, boards, shingles, masts and spars might be drawn from this northern triangle, by means of a Canal, than any other district or county in the state.” [Read more…] about Up Every River: Logging The Adirondacks (1820-40)

Striped Maple: Food & Shelter in the Forest Understory

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Striped maple growing at the edge of a forest with pine and hickory in the background courtesy Wikimedia user N3362 Beneath the forest canopy, or overstory, of towering trees is a second layer of vegetation known as the understory. It is composed of shrubs, saplings, and understory trees that grow in the dappled shade of the overstory.

One understory specialist is striped maple, a small tree that seldom grows more than 20 feet high and 8 inches in circumference. Despite its moderate stature, striped maple plays an important ecological role in the forest, providing shelter and food for a variety of wildlife. [Read more…] about Striped Maple: Food & Shelter in the Forest Understory

How to Scrape Spongy Moth Eggs

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spongy moth egg masses on a tree courtesy DECHave you noticed spongy moth egg masses in your neighborhood? Last year was a boom year for spongy moth (formerly known as gypsy moth) caterpillar populations, especially in Central and Western New York.

Egg masses contain 600-700 eggs each and will hatch around May. If you find them now, you can scrape them off trees or buildings and drop them into a container of detergent to prevent the eggs from hatching. [Read more…] about How to Scrape Spongy Moth Eggs