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January 1998 Vol. 2, Issue 1 Regenerating Pennsylvania's forests As part of its sustainable forestry practices, DCNR's Bureau of Forestry deposits 10 percent of its timber sale revenue into an account earmarked for forest regeneration. This Forest Regeneration Fund is then used to restore high quality forest onto areas that have recently undergone timber treatments. This regeneration process ensures the long-term health and viability of the state forest system. Several techniques are used to encourage forest regrowth, the most common being deer fencing and vegetation treatment. Deer fencing is used to discourage deer from freshly treated areas, since these areas are rich in foods the animals desire, such as hardwood seedlings and other browse. This is a crucial time for regrowth; if sufficient hardwood seedlings fail to grow past the point of interest for hungry deer within a few seasons, then healthy regeneration of that area is unlikely in the near future.
Vegetation treatment eliminates plants that would challenge seedlings for sunlight and space. The threat is different from place to place. In the northern tier, fern - which deer find inedible - coat the forest floor, giving very little opportunity for hardwood seedlings to grow. By spraying this area with a herbicide very similar to the household garden brand "Round-Up" a year or more before harvesting the surrounding wood, seeds like cherry, which require warmth to germinate, are given ample opportunity to establish themselves. In addition to this spray dispersal method of herbicide treatment, various machinery is used for larger competing species, in addition to a technique called "basal" spraying, which selectively eliminates specific individual plants by soaking the roots with herbicide suspended in an inert corn-oil base. "We're always trying to think of new ways to do things for regeneration," said Forestry's Mike Kusko. "For instance, there's a technique called scarification that we are experimenting with that seems promising. Since leaves often cover the floor of a timber sale, it's often difficult for seeds that need actual contact with the soil to sprout, they just rest on top of the leaves. By taking some sort of machine over that land and actually physically pushing the seeds into the ground, we can give them a better chance at germination." About $2 million was dedicated to the forest regeneration fund in 1997, and more than 2,800 acres were treated for competing vegetation.
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Typically about six feet high, deer fences consist of a few wires strung parallel, which are charged with electricity. Deer fencing has produced dramatic results where applied; areas that have been fenced for a few years are lush with healthy trees and understory, whereas the forest on other side of the fence, accessible to deer herds, shows definite signs of thinning. Fences require diligent maintenance and supervision, since weather and wildlife can bring sections down or stop electrical current.
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