Lake Plains Resource Conservation and Development

Forestry Related Activities

Forestry Committee Activities: The council formed a Forestry Committee in 1996. Since their formation the committee has sponsored a yearly forest owner’s workshop. Topics such as forest management and the environment, forest skills education, timber sales contracts, and timber trespass have all been presented.

1996 – The Council sponsored a project to plant American Chestnut trees on public lands throughout the RC&D area. They have networked with the American Chestnut Foundation to both plant seedlings and distribute educational information about the American Chestnut to the general public.

1997 – A woodlot workshop was completed in co-sponsorship with the Monroe County Soil and Water Conservation District in 1997. It was well attended with over 200 people gaining educational ideas on care and utilization of their woodlot properties.

1997 – The Council sponsored and conducted a daylong seminar in December 1997 on the installation of Dry Fire Hydrants for the rural communities. This session dealt with the benefits, design, installation, and maintenance of these much-needed infrastructures additions.

1998 – The Lake Plains RC&D was involved in the Niagara Frontier Forest Owner Workshop on March 21, 1998 at the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) Niagara County Education Center in Lockport, New York. Approximately 300 people attended.

1998 – The Lake Plains RC&D hosted a fall Woodlot Owners Workshop on October 3, 1998 at the Genesee County Park and Forest Interpretive Center in Bethany, New York. Many workshops were held including chain saw safety, wetlands wildlife habitat, and taxation in relation to woodlot ownership. Approximately 60 people attended including presenters.

1999 – The Ontario Lake Plains RC&D helped publicize the following Forestry programs offered through other New York RC&D Councils: The Greater Adirondack RC&D Council in association with the US Forest Service and NYSDEC provides wood product industries with the opportunity to exhibit and attend the worlds largest wholesale forest products show in Cologne, Germany. New York's Wood Products Companies on the Internet: The Sullivan Trail RC&D Council through a NYSDEC Forest Service grant offered assistance to New York Forest and Wood products companies through technical assistance and cost sharing for Internet Web Site development.

Agroforestry at Springdale Farm - Using the information available through the USDA National Agroforestry Center, the Springdale Farm Advisory Committee would like to develop and display agroforestry practices that are suitable for the site. These demonstrations would be incorporated into the overall agricultural, environmental and conservation education program at the Farm. Springdale Farm offers many opportunities to present agroforestry management practices in a typical western New York setting. To help accomplish this goal the RC&D Council supported the development of a grant proposal that was submitted to Northeast Region SARE program. Although the grant was unsuccessful the Lake Plains RC&D Coordinator assisted the AmeriCorps crew with development of an agroforestry demonstration plot (woodland mushroom cultivation) and assisted the AmeriCorps crew with development of a natural trail at Springdale on June 7^th.

Dan Peters (Farm Manager) and Paula Smith (Monroe County SWCD) discuss potential wetland demonstration project at Springdale Farms (Summer 1999).

Visitors of all ages enjoy a Forestry Education Hike with the Lake Plains RC&D Coordinator at Springdale Farm

Springdale Farms. The Lake Plains RC&D assisted the Farm with a tree-planting program on May 3, 2000^r approximately 65 Xerox employees volunteered to help plant 65 saplings, and 150 seedlings.

Mark Gooding a NYS DEC Forester supervised the planting which was funded through a NYS Forestry Tree Planing Grant ($5,000).

Wood Products Manufacturing Focus Group – The first meeting of the focus group was held July 16, 1999 at the office of the Empire State Development Corporation in Buffalo. A "White Paper" was developed which was submitted to the Buffalo Niagara Enterprise Council. This is an opportunity to help rebuild Western New York’s Wood products manufacturing base. To further support this effort the Lake Plains RC&D Council development of a draft proposal titled: Promote the Niagara Region Wood Products Manufacturing Potential. The proposal addresses development of a marketing plan, which could be used by groups such as the Buffalo Niagara Enterprise Council, aimed at supporting forest industry in our region. Our action plan reflects recommendations made in the report of the Governor’s Task Force on Forestry Industry 1989.

Promote existing New York State manufactured wood products by emphasizing the advantages of using local forest resources and the high quality wood products that are currently manufactured. Promote business retention, attract new forest industry, and develop an export program.
Projects need to be undertaken to expand applications of local wood and to both identify and create markets for underutilized and low quality trees as well as enhance our capability to produce higher quality trees.

This marketing plan would include information developed through meetings with local industry leaders and facilitated by an established forest industry-consulting firm hired to develop this marketing plan.

One result of this effort was the Wood Products Industry Leaders Conference on May 31, 2000 at Holiday Valley Resort in southwestern New York.

Springdale Farm received a New York State Urban and Community Forestry Grant. The $7,500.00 grant was used for the design of the Forestry Demonstration Project, which was completed in 2001.