Current use is the generic term for taxation of land based on its forestry value rather than fair market value. States across New England have current use programs, and in Vermont it is officially…

Of all the trees that grow in the northeast, the black walnut is the most highly-prized by cabinetmakers. The trees are scarce enough that a woodworker's quest for good walnut takes on aspects of…

Day in and day out, most loggers work alone in the woods with no chance to show off their skills. That's one reason why so many of them make it to the Vermont Forestry Expo, the big annual event…

Have you seen any martens? Kimberly Royar would like to know. Royar, a wildlife biologist who works out of the Fish and Wildlife Department office in Springfield, would be interested in hearing from…

The draft recommendations of the Northern Forest Lands Council released in March were regional in scope, covering 26 million acres in four states. Implementation will be on a state-by-state basis.…

Officials from Fish and Wildlife departments have been preaching for years that wild animal lovers shouldn't adopt orphaned animals, but until recently it's been the animals they were worried…

Thinning and harvesting operations temporarily stress forest stands because the remaining trees have to adjust to changes, such as increased light levels and drying winds. Logging should be timed to…

Keep an eye out for healthy butternut trees. Pessimism about the future of this species is spreading as a relatively new fungus continues to kill butternut throughout its range. Butternut canker…

The New England Society of American Foresters (NESAF) showed that it is not afraid to go out on a limb when it became the first of the SAF's 34 regional organizations to endorse a Society report…

Times have changed. It used to be easy to talk about forest management. After all, we meant timber management — grow the best trees, with periodic thinnings to improve volume and value…

In some areas of Vermont, landowners have been alarmed to see the leaves on their sugar maples looking scorched and colorless in late summer. Fortunately, the situation is not as bad as it appears,…

People embarking on a construction project take great pains to do their homework. They talk to different contractors, get bids, check references and look at their recent work. When they enter into an…

This past winter's deep, fluffy snow and subzero temperatures combined to make life difficult for much of Vermont's wildlife, including whitetail deer, wild turkeys, and a number of…

Years ago a fellow traveled around central Vermont with a circular saw mill and charged for his work by counting the number of times he poured five gallons of gas into the tank of his sawmill engine.…

The lustrous sheen of yellow birch bark adds a warm element to Vermont woods, even on a gray, rainy day. Yellow birch does not occur in pure stands, but it does appear in all stages of forest…

We live in an age in which impatience is the cultural norm. As a society, we Americans seek—if not demand—instant gratification in almost every aspect of our lives. Against this…

The first time my wife and I had logging work done on our land, we made all the classic mistakes: we were away when the work was done; we had no contract with the logger; and we didn't mark or…

A hundred years ago in the Connecticut River Valley, a logger had to be pan amphibian. When spring came after a winter's work in the woods, the loggers were sent downstream along with the logs.…