Spring 2002 Volume II, Number 1
HARVESTING TIMBER ON
INDIANA STATE FORESTS
Since the first state forest was established in 1903,
state forests have been managed for the many forest
resources that these
lands are capable of providing. When the state acquired what
is now state forestland, almost every acre was
comprised of eroding farm fields, pasture, or cut-over
timberland considered to have very little value to
anyone. Most of the existing woodland had been high-graded, with the residual
trees often exhibiting defects from forest fires and
livestock grazing.
Many early management activities were aimed at stopping erosion and restoring the productive potential of the land. Tree planting to control erosion and reforest worn out fields was a primary management activity for many years. Early timber harvesting on state forests provided raw materials for CCC projects and utility poles for several rural electrification projects.
The techniques used to manage the forests evolved as the forests grew. Less emphasis was needed on tree planting and more emphasis was placed on managing new stands of trees. Management activities, such as timber stand improvement and selective harvesting, were used to upgrade the quality of the stands and increase tree growth. This emphasis on stand improvement techniques continues today, with the goal of improving not only timber production but also all of the various forest resource benefits.
Of the 150,000 acres of state forestland, a significant portion is
Reserved from the harvesting program because of special considerations
including:
intensive recreation areas; unique natural conditions
which include: dedicated Nature Preserves (1784
acres); Old Forest Areas (5706 acres); severe
topography; other environmentally sensitive areas;
facility development (including roads, right-of-ways, operational
buildings); and, non-forest
fish and wildlife habitat.
During FY 1999-2000, the Division of Forestry conducted timber harvests on 2,772 acres. A total of 15,994 trees were harvested, yielding over 3 million board feet of timber. According to the US Forest Service's "Indiana's Forest in 1998", Indiana forests averaged 444 growing stock trees per acre. In FY 99-00, the Division of Forestry harvested an average of 5.77 trees per acre marked for sale.
State forest timber harvests serve six broad functions:1)
Maintain health and vigor of forest stands.2) Enhance biodiversity and wildlife
habitat.
3) Demonstrate sound timber management practices for private
landowners and the forest products industry.4) Fulfill legislative
mandates.
5) Provide raw materials for the forest products industry.6) Provide revenue for
state and county governments.
MAINTAIN HEALTH AND VIGOR OF FOREST STANDS:
Forest stands, like all natural communities, are dynamic and competitive entities. In an unmanaged stand, competition increases with age. All community members tend to slow the rate of growth and eventually die until enough competitive room is provided for renewed growth. There are certain forested areas where allowing the stand to follow this pattern is appropriate, such as Nature Preserves and Old Forest Areas. However, it is equally appropriate that a portion of the forests be managed to provide both tangible products and a more vigorous level of growth. By periodically removing a small percentage of trees in a managed stand, the level of stocking is maintained near the level at which the decline in growth and vigor would begin. Maintaining the stand at a level of vigorous growth can minimize opportunities for disease and damage.
ENHANCE BIO-DIVERSITY AND WILDLIFE HABITAT:
Maintaining a wide variety of forest types, size classes and structure can increase both bio-diversity and support a diverse wildlife habitat. Prior to European settlement, the diversity of Indiana's forests was maintained by a combination of weather-related events and Native American activities. These early events, most often land-scope-scale wildfires, small-scale clearing for agriculture and wind events created a patchwork of forest of various size and age classes. This variety of forest conditions is the foundation of the wide range of diversity of plants and animals found in Indiana's forests today. These landscape scale events have been virtually eliminated in today's Indiana forests. Carefully planned and executed timber harvests are used to duplicate the positive effects of these earlier events while not duplicating the unacceptable negative aspects.
DEMONSTRATE SOUND TIMBER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES:
State forests provide most of the large, stable, forested public
areas in Indiana that are available to demonstrate active forest
management alternatives and technologies. These demonstrations provide
information to private forest owners and the primary forest products industry.
These two groups control 85 percent of Indiana's
forests and have a greater impact on forestlands than any other
groups. The sound management practices demonstrated involve not
only timber production, but also how to integrate and sustain the
production, protection and enjoyment of all the forest resources. Among
the techniques demonstrated in the integrated approach are the cultural
resource clearance process, Best Management Practices for
water quality, Natural Heritage Database review to identify known
Endangered, Threatened and Rare species and natural communities,
wildlife habitat reviews of each planned timber management activity,
specific strategies for endangered species management and production of
high quality forest products.
FULFILL LEGISLATIVE MANDATES:
Beginning in the early 1900's, the Indiana legislature recognized the importance of forest management to the well being of its citizens and economy by purchasing state forest lands. Later legislation laid the foundation for the management of state forests (IC 14-23-4-1): "it is the declared public policy of this state to protect and conserve the timber, water resources, wildlife and top soil in the state forests for the equal enjoyment and guaranteed use of future generations. It is recognized, however, that by the employment of good husbandry, timber which has a substantial commercial value may be removed in such manner as to benefit the growth of saplings and other trees by thinnings, improvement cuttings, and harvest process and at the same time provide a source of revenue to the state and local counties and provide local markets with a further source of building material."