German Forester - page 2

Spring Green forester, Jim Birkemeier, described Erdman's forestry program.  "We have been working very hard for seven years to reverse the long term trend of 'high-grading,' that is quickly depleting the timber resource in this region.  Erdman's focus has been to save the better crop trees for the future, and harvest low grade trees that compete with the crop trees for growth resources.  We have developed new markets for pulpwood  and low grade sawlogs to make this possible.  We are constantly searching for trained loggers who are willing to harvest this material in a careful manner.  So far, we have marketed about 1,000 cords of pulpwood and 300,000 board feet of primarily low grade sawlogs."

Grebe added, "You have made a start - keep working in this way."  When asked about oak management in Germany, Grebe described using even aged management in the past.  "For a long time we have used clear cutting in Germany.  That is now gone - for 15 years now.  Now we try to get a mixed forest with all kinds and all sizes of trees.  We are having a change-over.    This is because of the Green Party,  and bad experiences with diseases and storms.  Mixed forests are more durable, and more resistant to insects and more durable to everything.  For a managed oak stand we would have 60 good trees/acre and we get about 600bf/acre growth each year.  We do multiple species management and Sustainable Forest Management is our goal."

Birkemeier compared, "Most forests in this area have only 10-20 potential crop trees/acre.  And we probably average only between 100-200 board feet/acre annual growth.  We have a long way to go to catch up to German forest management."

Grebe concurred and added, "The United States has the best hardwood timber resource in the world.  You should do a better job to manage it for the future."

Much of the groups discussion centered on when a crop tree would reach maturity.  Dr. Grebe explained,  "Our most valuable tree is the beech - a white colored hardwood.  For beech, we say maturity is 40" diameter plus.  For pine its 30 inches and up, for oak its 30 inches diameter."

At one stop in the tour the group examined walnut crop trees that had been released from competition with a harvest 4 years ago.  Large trees ranging in value from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars per tree were evaluated.  Birkemeier explained local stumpage prices of $500/ thousand board feet (MBF) for poor quality sawlog trees, $1,000/MBF for better sawlog trees, and veneer prices of $3,000/MBF, $5,000/MBF and up to $10,000/MBF for veneer logs in the best trees.

Grebe agreed, "Yes, those are very fair prices - for the landowner and the industry."

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