GRANVILLE — The public is invited to join the Vermont Tree Farm Program on Sept. 15 for the organization’s Tree Farmer of the Year Tour in Granville.
Participants will tour the historic Old John Vinton Hill Farm with Peter and Julie Parker, the 2018 Vermont Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year. It is a 560-acre Certified Tree Farm located on North Hollow Road in Granville.
The event begins at 8:30 a.m., and tours depart at 9:30 a.m. At 11:30 a.m. there will be networking around the tent as well as a provided lunch. Following lunch at 1 p.m. there will be an awards ceremony and presentations.
As part of the Tree Farm Tour, there will be three different morning tours of the property, beginning at 9:30 a.m., that attendees are encouraged to register for. The Northern Hardwood Woodlands tour will explore over three decades of ongoing tree stand improvement work and multiple commercial harvests completed. Visit old sugaring sites; discuss access road and wildlife habitat considerations. This tour will be on moderate terrain with mostly woods roads.
The second tour, Pine Woodland & 1999 Blowdown Area, is a two-part tour. For part one, enjoy a walk through a mixed natural and pine plantation situated on formerly cultivated land. This area has had two harvests along with past timber stand improvement work. Discuss the harvest history of this area, an ongoing white pine “growth” study, and the significant bird habitat provided by this area. For part two, follow old town road across Thatcher Brook and on to view the 1999 blowdown area and glacial erratic. This tour will be on easy terrain, with some wet sections on woods roads.
The third tour is a “Mixed Bag.” Follow old town road across Thatcher Brook and on to view the 1999 blowdown area and glacial erratic. Continue around a loop on log roads past areas of mature red oak, a growth plot, an area with high percent white ash, and on through a Northern hardwood area recently harvested. This tour will be on moderate terrain with some wet sections on mostly woods roads.
The Tree Farm Tour is $20 for adults and $10/child 14 and younger (non-refundable). The required registration deadline is Sept. 10. Register online at vermontwoodlands.org, by email at [email protected], or by calling the Vermont Woodlands Association at (802) 747-7900.
Tree farmers are woodland stewards who share a common love for and connection to their land and who proudly display the “Tree Farm” sign, a nationally recognized symbol of sustainable forestry. The program is third-party certified. “Tree Farm” foresters work with landowners to enroll their properties in the program and write management plans that address the four tenets of Tree Farm: wildlife, water, recreation, and wood. They update plans and complete on-site inspections as required. Tree Farmers and Tree Farm foresters can be proud of their commitment to stewardship.
If you see a “green and white” Certified Tree Farm sign, know that it is a sign of good forestry. For more information about the Tree Farm program or to inquire about becoming a Tree Farmer visit vermonttreefarm.org, contact the administrative office at 802-747-7900 or email [email protected].
The American Tree Farm System is a program of the American Forest Foundation. Vermont’s state program is sponsored by Vermont Woodlands Association. There are approximately 500 Tree Farmers in the state and nearly 100 Tree Farm certified foresters. The American Tree Farm System is a network of 82,000 family forest owners sustainably managing 24 million acres of forestland. ATFS is the largest and oldest sustainable woodland system in the United States, internationally recognized, meeting strict third-party certification standards.
VWA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation whose mission is to advocate for the management, sustainability, perpetuation, and enjoyment of forests through the practice of excellent forestry that employs highly integrated management practices that protect and enhance both the tangible and intangible values of forests — including clean air and water, forest products, wildlife habitat, biodiversity, recreation, scenic beauty, and other resources — for this and future generations. Visit vermontwoodlands.org for events in your area or to become a member.