1. MDC mulls role of forest nursery (w/pic)
2. Outdoor events planned for public in September
3. MDC watching gypsy moth hot spot
The Missouri Department of Conservation is considering how to adapt its forest nursery to the changing needs of Missourians and their forested acres.
LICKING, Mo. -- To look at State Forest Nursery Program Manager Bill Yoder, you'd never suspect that he is at the center of a swirl of change. Driving around George O. White State Forest Nursery in a Missouri Department of Conservation pickup truck, calmly surveying neat rows where thousands of tree seedlings grow, he's a picture of tranquility.
The illusion is partly due to the fact that the changes swirling around him are slow ones. The state has millions more acres of forested land now than it did when the MDC gave its forest nurseries the task of replacing trees cut in the logging boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. But that was 60 years ago. Still, the change has not been so slow as to be undetectable. Between 1972 and 1989 alone, the state gained 1.1 million acres of forest.
Other changes have little apparent connection with Yoder's work, but still exert a powerful influence. An example is changing land ownership patterns. In the past, almost all of Missouri's forest land was held by a relative handful of individuals and corporations in large blocks. Look in county plat books today, and you will find a large and growing number of 5-, 10-, 20- and 40-acre tracts with homes, summer cottages and hunting clubsoccupying them. Subdivisions with a generous sprinkling of woodlots sprawl over thousands of square miles around towns and cities.
Yoder has worked at George O. White State Forest Nursery for 21 years. For most of that time, he was the nursery superintendent. His new role is to plot the course of the state forest nursery into the 21st century. "Individually, you might not notice the changes that much," says Yoder, "but in combination, they make a big difference in the number and kinds of trees people want, and we see the difference here."
Differences seen by Yoder and his staff include a substantial decrease in demand for tree seedlings. From a peak of 12 million tree seedlings distributed in 1966, Yoder has watched orders drop to 10.5 million in 1980, 7.1 million in 1985, 5 million in 1995, 4.1 million in 1994 and 3.3 million this year. And the number of seedlings each buyer receives has changed, too. For the past few years, the average buyer has received 300 to 350 seedlings from the state nursery. "We still get a few orders for 50,000 seedlings, but nowhere near what we used to," says Yoder.
The change probably is due, in part, to market saturation. The reforestation program has done its job. Most land that is well suited to forestry now has trees growing on it, so sales of seedlings for reforestation have dropped.
The decrease in demand is also due in part to a deliberate effort to get the MDC out of the business of selling trees to Missourians.
"When we started out, there was a real need for government involvement in reforestation," says Yoder. "There just wasn't enough private nursery capacity to do the job. Today, there are many more commercial nurseries to supply trees to landowners."
Over the years, the MDC's ability to provide planting materials at low cost made it one of the biggest suppliers of tree seedlings for private land. But as the number of private nurseries grew, the MDC increased the price of its seedlings to approximate wholesale costs. Convenience, availability of different tree varieties and other market factors now lead many Missouri landowners to buy their planting stock from commercial enterprises.
Other factors have brought changes to the state forest nursery. In the 1980s, Yoder witnessed a boom as a result of the federally funded Conservation Reserve Program. The CRP offered landowners financial incentives to plant trees. Private nurseries were hesitant to invest huge sums in long-term production, because funding for the CRP was uncertain. Consequently, state nurseries in Missouri and elsewhere provided much of the planting stock to implement the CRP. When the program reached the end of its 10-year cycle in the early 1990s, there was a drop in demand for seedlings.
Yoder speculates that low prices for agricultural commodities in recent years also might be keeping a lid on demand for tree seedlings. "You have to make the payments on your combine and your mortgage first," he says. "If there isn't much left over, you might decide to hold off planting trees."
He also allows that the drop in demand for MDC seedlings could have to do with service. Customers might turn to other suppliers if they aren't getting the types of trees they want, or if the trees aren't surviving well.
The MDC has tried to respond to such concerns by making its ordering process more convenient. Trees that once had to be ordered in bundles of 200 now are available in multiples of 25. The variety of tree species available from the state forest nursery is greater now, and orders are shipped directly to the buyer, rather than requiring customers to pick them up from a central distribution point in each county.
"We feel there is a continued role for the state in providing nursery stock for both public and private land," says Yoder. "But we're in a transition period where we aren't exactly sure what that role is. The challenge during this transition period is to figure out exactly what that role is."
According to Yoder, the MDC plans to survey forest nursery customers to find out how current service could be improved. On-site visits to customers will give MDC foresters insights about care that seedlings from the state forest nursery receive, how well they survive, whether they are planted in suitable locations, and whether they are appropriate to the buyer's objectives.
State nursery order forms to be sent out this fall for nextyear's planting stock will provide more information about trees offered and will be easier to fill out. And for the first time, customers will be able to fax orders to the state forest nursery.
"We don't want to be the sole provider of forest plant materials for the state," says Yoder. "Our main mission is ensuring an adequate supply of seedlings for reforestation and wildlife habitat. We will always be looking for better ways to do that."
-jim low-
Enjoy the break in the weather that September provides; attend one of these outdoor events.
JEFFERSON CITY -- September ushers in moderate temperatures and an array of organized outdoor activities. From National Hunting and Fishing Day to tours of Missouri Natural Areas and from Clarksville's Riverfront Festival to bird-watching opportunities, Missourians interested in all types of outdoor recreation will have a chance to participate in events statewide all month long.
NATIONAL HUNTING 7 FISHING DAY EVENTS
Sept. 27 is National Hunting and Fishing Day. This year's theme is A Natural Invitation to Step Outside," and Missourians have many chances to celebrate this annual observance.
-- The MDC and Bass Pro Shops sponsor Great Outdoors Day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 27 at Bois D'Arc Conservation Area near Springfield. The event gives participants a hands-on introduction to fishing, canoeing, shooting and archery. For more information, call (417) 742-4361.
--A hunting and fishing expo will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Ozark Family YMCA in Mountain Grove. The MDC will have a booth to answer conservation questions. For more information, call the Mountain Grove Chamber of Commerce at (417) 926-4135.
--The St. Joseph Conservation Service Center will host Hunting and Fishing Day from 1 to 5 p.m. Sept. 28. View and participate in fly-tying demonstrations, chain saw carving, outdoor cooking and nature hikes. Kids can learn about archery and casting or bephotographed with Smokey Bear. For more information, call (816) 271-3100.
--A beginning bowhunting workshop is scheduled for 7-9 p.m. Sept. 19 at the Runge Conservation Nature Center in Jefferson City. Learn about equipment selection, shot placement, scent control and tree stand safety. Reservations are required. Please call (573) 526-5544.
HIKING TOURS OF NATURAL AREAS
Spend a September Saturday or Sunday hiking in the unique environs of a Missouri natural area. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Missouri Natural Area System, a program to preserve the best remaining examples of Missouri's biological communities and geological sites. The Natural Area Committee has designated 168 natural areas, totaling 44,000 acres. In recognition of the system's emerald anniversary, the MDC is offering free tours of the following four natural areas. Registration is required, and the number of registrants is limited. All participants should bring drinking water, sun screen, insect repellent and hiking shoes.
--Wildcat Glade Natural Area, near Joplin. Admire the diverse color and vegetation of Wildcat Glade at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. Sept. 6. Each two-hour hike is limited to 20 people. The topography is not steep, but it is rough and rocky in places. To register, call (417) 781-2811 in Joplin or (417) 451-4158 in Neosho.
--McCormack Loess Mound Natural Area Hiking Tour, near Mound City. Uncommon Missouri plants such as downy painted cup, hairy grama grass and skeleton plant thrive in the prairie of McCormack Loess Mound. The top of the mound provides a good view of Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge. The 90-minute tour will be offered at 2 p.m. on Sept. 7. The topography is rugged, and the hike is limited to 25 people. Please call the St. Joseph Conservation Office at (816) 271-3100 to register.
--Stegall Mountain Natural Area Hiking Tour, near Eminence. View Rocky Falls, a captivating 40-foot waterfall, on a Sept. 13 hike of Stegall Mountain. Tours will be available at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. To register, call the MDC West Plains office at (417) 256-7161.
--Pickle Springs Natural Area Hiking Tour, near Ste. Genevieve. A sandstone glade, sandstone savanna and sandstone foresthighlight the Sept. 20 tour of Pickle Springs. The three-hour, two-mile tour is offered at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. The tour will be moderately difficult, with short segments of steep grades. Each hike is limited to 15 people. To register, call the Cape Girardeau Service Center at (573) 290-5730.
MISCELLANEOUS OUTDOOR EVENTS
Whether it be in honor of waterways, plants or wildlife, the Show-Me State is celebrating Missouri's diverse natural resources throughout September.
--Kirkwood Park in St. Louis will be home to the Greentree Festival from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 6 and 7, 13 and 14. A parade, entertainment, arts and crafts and information booths will all be part of the festivities. Call the Kirkwood Parks and Recreation Office at (314) 822-5855 for more information.
--The MDC and the Missouri Botanical Gardens will sponsor Prairie Day from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Sept. 20 at Shaw Arboretum at I-44 and Highway 100 in Gray Summit. This is a full day of family activities recognizing Missouri's prairie heritage. Events include guided tours of Shaw Arboretum's 80-acre prairie, a live bison, booths on birds, insects and other animals of the prairie, medicinal, edible and fiber plants of the prairie, living history, flint knapping, spinning and weaving demonstrations, story telling, frontier games, live music, and food, including bison burgers. For more information, call the MDC's Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center in Kirkwood at 314-301-1500.
--The Burroughs Audubon Society of Greater Kansas City and the Midland Empire Audubon Society of St. Joseph are planning to spruce up" Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, near Mound City. The volunteer fall work day will begin at 9 a.m. on Sept. 13. For more information, contact refuge volunteer coordinator George Scheil at (816) 353-9024.
--The John F. Spalding Recreation Area at Mark Twain Lake welcomes fourth- through seventh-grade students to Environmental Education Days from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 19. Students will learn what businesses, government agencies and special interest groups are doing to protect the environment. For details and registration information, contact the Mark Twain Lake project office at (573) 735-4097.
--Big River Days roll through Riverfront Park in Clarksville Sept. 20 and 21. Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, attractions include a live river otter show, tours of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' lock and dam, kid's activities, river crafters and educational river tours. For more information, contact the Corps' Clarksville Office at (573) 242-3724.
--The Missouri Conservationist Outdoor Writing Workshop is Sept. 21-26 at the YMCA of the Ozarks near Potosi. For more information, call (573) 751-4115, ext. 247.
--September is Stream Team Awareness Month. To commemorate the impending charter of Missouri's 1,000 Stream Team, various local, regional and statewide activities are planned for Sept. 27 and 28. To find out how you can become involved in helping Missouri's streams, call Stream Team 1,000 Project Manager Andrea Muenks at (800) 781-1989.
--The Northeast Missouri Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation brings back an old favorite on Sept. 27 -- the turkey calling contest. A full day of events begins at 9 a.m. at the Admiral Coontz Recreation Center in Hannibal. For more information, call Bill Yargus at (573) 221-6856.
--The Greater Ozarks Chapter of the Audubon Society takes weekly birding field trips starting in September. For more information,contact President Phil Krummrich at (417) 831-8112.
-amy glup-
Agriculture and conservation officials have their eye on a potential hot spot in the battle to keep Missouri free of destructive gypsy moths.
ST. LOUIS -- Missouri officials say they have found seven gypsy moths in traps around St. Louis, and plan to monitor the area closely to guard against an outbreak of the forest pest.
The Missouri Departments of Conservation and Agriculture set more than 10,000 traps each year to detect the presence of gypsy moths. Only a fraction of those have been collected. Continued trap collection this month could reveal the presence of more of the moths, which have devastated hardwood forests in parts of theeastern and north-central United States.
Missouri officials use pheromones to draw moths to the flame. They target male moths in a trapping program to detect the advance guard of a gypsy moth invasion. Traps containing chemicals that mimic the female moth's pheromones, or sexual attractants, capture the males.
MDC Forest Entomologist Robert Lawrence said the discovery of seven gypsy moths in St. Louis is not surprising, because it is a high traffic area. A few of the moths typically turn up in St. Louis each year after hitching rides on vehicles that pass through areas with heavy gypsy moth infestations.
Originally from Europe, gypsy moths escaped into the wild in Massachusetts in 1869. Since then, they have slowly moved west, causing severe damage as they make their way across the nation. The moths are expanding their range by about 13 miles per year. At that rate the main body of the gypsy moth infestation could reach Missouri around the year 2020. The first moth appeared in Missouri in 1974.
Concerns for the continued health of Missouri forests are behind the annual effort to track gypsy moth populations. Oak trees, which dominate the state's forested areas, are a primary food source for gypsy moths. Gypsy moth caterpillars have voracious appetites for oak leaves. That, along with the insects' tremendous reproductive capacity, could be very destructive to the state's forests. Females lay masses of as many as 1,000 eggs. Repeated defoliation can kill trees, causing food shortages for wildlife and creating erosion problems.
The insects also pose a potential health risk to humans. Lawrence says at epidemic levels the caterpillars create large amounts of waste that can contaminate water sources. And he says the hairs from the caterpillars cause problems for allergy sufferers.
"When the gypsy moth gets here it is going to have a major impact on our forests. We will lose many of our oak trees. The change in the makeup of the forest will have a great impact on the health of the forest and wildlife. That's why we need to continue trapping and doing everything we can to put off their arrival for as long as possible," says Lawrence.
All Missourians can participate in the effort to forestall the moth's arrival by ensuring they do not inadvertently bring the insects into the state. Gypsy moths lay eggs on anything in their paths during the months of July and August. Lawrence says Missourians vacationing in the northeastern United States or states bordering the Great Lakes this month should carefully check vehicles or other items exposed to the outdoors in infested areas.
Lawrence urged travelers to inspect cars, trailers and other exposed items for velvety, sandy brown masses, one to two inches in diameter. He says anyone finding an egg mass should scrape it off their before leaving the infested area. If an egg mass is found after returning to Missouri, call the Missouri Department of Agriculture at (573) 751-5505 or the nearest MDC office.
-arleasha mays-