PROGRAMS:

EDUCATION:

       

Knowledge is the key to protecting the forest health and prosperity of our region. CFA offers educational programs at all levels, from one-on-one On-site Visits at landowner properties to group woods-walks, workshops and seminars. These programs furnish landowners, foresters and timber harvesters with state-of-the-art management strategies which are practical.

CFA publishes CFA NEWS, a quarterly newsletter, which focuses on practical ways to implement forest management goals. To reach the general public, CFA writes articles for local newspapers and magazines, and places booths at fairs and other public events. CFA helps to educate school children and teachers about forest management and protecting our region's environment, and offers a summer internship to high school students.   

CFA provides chain saw safety training for landowners.  We have trained scores of landowners, preserve managers, utility company employees, and weekend warriors.  Check the Events listing for future training dates, or simply call CFA.   

CFA brings forest education directly to students from 2nd to 12th grade. Using our own unique experiences and lesson plans, CFA participates in woods walks, environmental awareness days, and class visits to schools and youth groups.

Advocacy:

 

CFA promotes proper forest management through dialog with policy makers. When policy decisions will impact the ability of landowners, timber harvesters and foresters to practice sound forestry, CFA becomes involved in the policy process. CFA speaks for the forestry community, providing information and research to the policy makers. Often we advocate in partnership with other natural resource organizations. CFA's advocacy is backed by the strong, unified voice of its members.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

Forest landowners, foresters, timber harvesters and the forest industry, as well as the communities in which they reside, depend on markets for timber, firewood, Christmas trees, herbs and other forest products. CFA helps identify markets which will help the region prosper. Often we partner with other organizations on economic development projects.

 




Tree Marking:




        

This is a great way to get an area marked that will provide you and others with firewood as well as improve the health of your forest.  You are welcome to join us during the marking to learn how to do it yourself.  This could save you money down the road as it will sharpen your understanding of forest management and you will be developing your own tree selection skills.  Thinning out the forest will make it more resistant to insects and disease, a better water filter, better wildlife habitat and increase the value of the timber. 

 

DETAILS:

1.   You must be a CFA member.

2.   An “on-site-visit” fee of $100 plus mileage will be charged for selecting, designating on the ground the area to be marked, and determining the acreage to be included.

3.  After reviewing the forest management plan (if there is one) and taking into account the landowner(s)’ objectives, a prescription for that stand will be recommended by the representative and the marking guidelines agreed upon by both the representative, the landowner(s)’ forester (if there is one) and the landowner.

4.  A maximum of 10 acres will be marked for each landowner in any one calendar year.

5.  A fee of $45 per acre will be charged for the marking.

6.  $15 of this $45 can be claimed as a tax deductible contribution to CFA, a 501-c-3 not-for-profit organization.

7.  The trees marked will be the trees that are considered “crop” trees (These are the trees that are the “keepers”.)  They will be marked by tree-marking paint at or just below eye height, most of the way around the bole of the tree, and on the stump.

8.  It will then be up to the landowner to remove or kill2 all of the trees without paint.  In most cases these trees will not be useful for anything but firewood.  There may be an occasional saw-log tree, but unless there are a sufficient number of them, it will not be worth-while to have them delivered to a mill.  The goal with this program is to improve the forest by removing the “weed trees”.  In some cases the trees can be left as fertilizer and wildlife habitat.

9.  In the case that the landowner does not want to do the work themselves, a list of professionals will be given to them by CFA to contact in order to have the work done.

10. There is a limited amount of this we can get to, so sign up soon!  Just fill out the application below and mail it in.  We will call to schedule.

A thinning typically removes about 4 to 5 cords per acre.  If you had 10 acres marked, that would be about 45 cords of firewood being made available to you!  That means that for an on-site fee and somewhere around $10/cord you would get a rare and valuable educational experience along with the wood marked by a professional forester from CFA.