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Agriculture Special Programs - After the Storm: Management Alternatives for Storm-Damaged Timber
1) TITLE OF FOCUS PROGRAM: After the Storm: Management Alternatives for
Storm-Damaged Timber
2) SITUATION AND PRIORITIES:
Tornadoes, wind, and ice storms can strike somewhere in
Arkansas almost every year. They cause extensive forest damage
by uprooting, wounding, bending, and breaking trees. For
example, ice storms in 2000 affected over 15,800,000 acres of
forest land. The total financial impact from this one storm was
over $154,000,000. Storm damage can also increase the risk of
pest and disease outbreak and wildfires by weakening the
defenses of host trees. The initial storm damage and consequent
complications can result in a significant income loss to private
family forest landowners. Forest landowners therefore need
information and resources to help them make decisions regarding
forest stand rehabilitation, regeneration, and stand management.
Should they start over and regenerate the stand? Manage the
stand until the next harvest? Can potential storm damage be
minimized through different management alternatives including
stand density? Can low cost forest regeneration methods be used
effectively? Each of these questions depends upon the stand
condition after the storm.
The UA Division of Agriculture is uniquely qualified to
provide landowners with the information needed to minimize the
financial loss and risk resulting from storm damage. Counties
with significant private forest landowner ownership (SW, NE)
would greatly benefit from participating in this focus program.
The counties involved in the Multi-County Educational Forest
Education Project should also be involved.
3) GOAL(S) OF THE PROGRAM:
Provide forest landowners with decision making tools and
resources needed to manage storm damaged forest stands and/or
install management practices that minimize damage.
4) OBJECTIVE(S):
Develop decision making tree for damaged stands
Demonstrate effectiveness of different regeneration
and rehabilitation techniques
5) FACULTY IN CHARGE BY OBJECTIVE:
Tamara Walkingstick, Kyle Cunningham, Caroll Guffey, Jon Barry.
All work on objectives.
VI. OUTPUTS (for each objective):
Demonstrations: Storm damaged stands at the Southwest
Research & Extension Center. Current and planned regeneration
demonstration areas conducted by area county agents. Spacing study
at SWREC.
In-Service Trainings: Two-Day training needed on stand
assessment, regeneration techniques, management options at SWREC.
Support Materials: Existing: Several research publications
about storm damage exist through the USDA Forest Service, UA
Division of Agriculture Experiment Station Research Bulletin; UA
Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service fact sheets on
establishing and managing pines, presentations, hand-outs. To
develop: Extension publication about storm damage focused on a
decision making framework.
Meeting Support: Support is available from the Arkansas
Forestry Association and the AFRC.
Other: The Arkansas Forestry Commission also has educational
materials concerning storm damage and stand assessment.
VII. OUTCOMES EXPECTED (for each objective):
Increase in landowner ability to make informed management
decisions.
VIII. TARGET AUDIENCE(S):
Forest landowners
County agents
Natural Resource Managers and Professionals
IX. (A) SPECIALIST ROLE: Develop & prepare materials &
demonstration protocol. Support county agents in implementing
program
(B) AGENT ROLE: Conduct, plan, implement & conduct education
& outreach.
(C) DISTRICT DIRECTOR ROLE: Provide oversight into program
delivery, implementation, and county agent training.
(D) UNIT HEADS ROLE: Provide oversight & program support when
needed
X. EVALUATION METHODS PLANNED:
Evaluations at meetings that focus on increase in landowner
understanding of storm damage management alternatives.
Evaluations of demonstration work will address the cost savings
and storm damage mitigation possible through implementing
recommended practices.
XI. RESOURCES REQUIRED: Funding for In-service trainings,
publications, demonstration materials, meetings will be needed to
implement this program.
XII. LIST OF DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED: Arkansas Forest Resources
Center, UAM School of Forestry. SWREC.
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