Ash Management Guide for Private Forest Landowners

igger, then ash is not the first choice. Butit has enough character that it can swaythe opinion when it comes to choosing.It has the “bend” that craftsmen like(e.g. in making snowshoes); the growthrings come off in thin layers when a log isWhat about dead/dying black ash, afterinvasion of Emerald Ash Borer?pounded, thus providing the material forbasket making; and the wood color andunique grain pattern provide value anduniqueness in the creation of specialtyitems (e.g. ash bowls).Firewood will be a primarymarket for dead ashIn many stands of ash the tree trunksare small in diameter, which makesthem appealing to markets that use fiberrather than needing larger logs to createa solid wood product. The BTU value ofash makes it a desirable firewood source,particularly in rural Minnesota. Anotherattribute of ash for the home heatingcrowd, is the fact that it splits very easily,thus making it a preferred choice overother species of wood.Marketing experts expect that thesheer volume of smaller diameter ash, aswell as the size and location of naturallyoccurring ash stands will drive utilizationin the direction of firewood.Because of ash’s splitting characteristics,homeowners are more apt to purchasetruckload quantities in 100” or treelength and do their own processing intofirewood. Loggers will achieve a betterproduction rate with this type of processing.They will not have to apply extraeffort during logging and delivery, sowill be more likely to harvest ash stands.Moving firewood is not recommended. Seepages 21 and 25 for details.It is important to note that there aremarkets for medium and larger ash logsas saw material and veneer logs. Sortingof larger material to higher value useswill result in greater economic returns.Chapter 3Ash: A 21stCentury ResourcePage 18: A white ash strippack basket constructed byMike Benedict; Inset: Black ashwoven bowls crafted by DennisChilcoteGLOSSARYBTU: British Thermal Unit,is a basic measure of thermal(heat) energy. One BTU is theamount of energy needed toheat one pound of water onedegree Fahrenheit.Survey Recommendations: Wood MarketsFirewood and biomass will be the main market for dead ash. Ash prices will decrease.Several experts pointed out that the transportation distance to markets and local quarantineswill play a major role in future ash markets. It was also pointed out that highvalue ash markets will be impacted by decay fungi as ash die. Landowners shouldharvest ash when considering an already scheduled harvest. Landowners shouldassess their ash inventory and plan a replacement strategy now. One entomologistsummarized several recurring comments this way: “I think landowners in the entirestate should get the recommendation to consider management to reduce the amountof ash if they have a lot and they should not delay. But they also don’t need to panic.As the land gets closer to known EAB infestations the urgency increases. But I am notso sure the management recommendations would change much- reduce ash- don’teliminate ash. Management recommendations in and around communities may bedifferent but that will depend on the situation and how the community is dealing withEAB.” The expert panelists recommend: Do not liquidate ash immediately. Effortsto leave some ash for genetic stock are more likely to survive if neighboring threatsare reduced.” Reduce ash populations in their stands to reduce EAB impacts.Photo: Julie Miedtke19