Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation Plan - Western ...

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Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation PlanChapter 2. Land Resources41 percent coverage. Barren lands, which are usually comprised of inactive and abandoned mine areas,and transitional areas together comprise slightly fewer than seven percent of land use. Wetlands aresparse, representing only one tenth of one percent of the project area.ForestryIn 1630, an estimated 95 percent ofPennsylvania was covered with forest. Harvestingthe timber to support a growing nation reduced thecoverage of Pennsylvania to an amazing 30percent by 1907. Over the past century, thenumber has rebounded, and today 58 percent ofthe land area in Pennsylvania is forested. Amongthe forests throughout the state, private interestshold 69 percent, while 31 percent are owned bypublic agencies (DCNR, 2004b).Forests provide a variety or resourcesincluding timber, wildlife habitat, water filtration,aesthetics, recreation, and jobs. Over 90 percent ofthe nation’s threatened and endangered specieshave some or part of their habitat on privateforestlands (Koehn, 2005).Nationally, Pennsylvania ranks number onein hardwood production (Bureau of Forestry).Seventeen million of Pennsylvania’s 28 millionacres are covered by forest (Bureau of Forestry).Private landowners own the majority of the forestin Pennsylvania, with 12.5 million acres or 71percent. State forest and state game lands make up22 percent of Pennsylvania’s forests, and threepercent is national forestland.There are 176 square miles of forestlandwithin the project area, with deciduous forestscomprising the majority at 79 percent. Coniferousforests account for four and a half percent ofTable 2-1. Current Land UseLand-Use TypeSquare Miles% of Land AreaAgriculture 177.40 41.29Pasture/Hay 79.62 18.53Row Crops 97.78 22.76Wetlands 0.04 0.01Woody Wetlands 0.03 0.01Emergent Herbaceous Wetlands 0.01 0.00Barren 26.47 6.16Transitional 26.47 6.16Development 44.31 10.31Low Density Urban 36.20 8.42High Density Urban 8.11 1.89Forest 176.16 41.00Deciduous Forest 139.94 32.57Coniferous Forest 19.58 4.56Mixed Forest 16.64 3.87Water 2.29 0.53Open Water 2.29 0.53Mining 3.02 0.70Quarries 2.88 0.67Coal Mines 0.14 0.03Total 429.69 100%forestlands. Mixed forests, which contain combinations of both deciduous and coniferous trees, compriseclose to four percent of forestlands. Within the project area, no state forests exists, which helps to explainwhy the percentage of private landowners who own forestlands is significantly higher than the state’saverage, with 97 percent private landowners in Butler County (Jacobson and Seyler, 2004).Many livelihoods are based on the forestry industry. Butler County has 24 forestry and wood productestablishments, which employ 174 people. The value of Butler County’s standing timber is valued at$159.34 million, while the annual economic contribution of the forestry sector is $16.9 million. Theannual timber harvest’s value is $8 million and an additional $7 million is generated by wood productsand paper production (Jacobson and Seyler, 2004). More information about forests is available in Chapter4, Biological Resources.2-8
Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation PlanChapter 2. Land ResourcesForest ManagementForest management is the art and science of developing a forest to promote a desired outcome.Skilled foresters use silviculture (the art and science of controlling the establishment, growth,composition, health, and quality of forests and woodlands) to meet the diverse needs and values oflandowners and society on sustainable basis (Helms, 1998). The type of management used may differdepending on these goals. Common types used in Pennsylvania often fall under the categories of “evenaged”versus “uneven-aged” management.Even-aged management methods harvest all trees in a stand at one time or in several cuttings over ashort time to produce stands of all or nearly the same age. This management method is commonly appliedto achieve a forest comprised of shade-intolerant trees, such as black walnut, cherry, poplar, oak, Virginiapine, and table mountain pine. Typical management practices include clear-cutting, seed tree, andshelterwood.1. Clear-cutting: The removal of all trees and most, if not all, woody vegetation from anarea, leaving maximum growing space and resources available for the nextgeneration. If done in an appropriate area, it can allow for rapid seedling growth andrecolonization.2. Seed Tree: A heavy removal of a forest where trees are left for regenerationpurposes.3. Shelterwood: A heavy removal in which some trees are left uncut to provide a seedsource for regeneration. Once regeneration is established, multiple cuttings removingremaining trees may occur.Uneven-aged management is used to maintain a stand with trees of varying ages—from seedlingsto mature. Trees are harvested selectively to maintain shaded conditions. It is most often used to promotestands comprised largely of shade-tolerant species, such as sugar maple and beech (DCNR, 2007b).Typical management practices include individual selection cutting, group selection cutting, and highgrading.1. Individual Selection Cutting: Cutting of scattered individual trees, including bothlarge, economically valuable trees and weak trees, in order to maintain the health ofthe forest and multi-dimensional forest structure.2. Group Selection Cutting: Similar to individual selection cutting, but involves cuttingsmall groups of trees.3. High-Grading: Involves cutting of only the biggest, most profitable trees in a stand;this is not a good forestry management practice because only smaller, weak treesremain. Some foresters also view this as an even-aged management technique, butrarely recommended it as a sustainable management technique. High-grading is alsoreferred to as selective cutting or diameter limit cutting.Though specific management practices may be favored, these practices may not be appropriate forall types of stands. Forest management needs to be specific for each individual forest. No one practice canbe recommended as the best or worst practice because of the varying characteristics and factors that existfor each forest. However, it is recommended that forest landowners work with a professional forester tomanage their land to its greatest potential.2-9
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