Support healthy and sustain-able forests with innovativebusiness activities that meetyour needs and contributetoward sustainable forestmanagement.

Forest Stewardship:Rhode Island Landowners Discover NewStrategies in Forest Conservation

INTRODUCTION

Rhode Island's forests provide many benefits includingclean air and water, habitat for wildlife, aesthetic values,

places for recreation, as well as economic opportunities.Considering that they enhance the quality of life in RhodeIsland, it is in everyone's best interest to insure the protec-tion and wise management of the state's forest resources.

Despite recent land conversion, about 59 percent (394,590acres) of Rhode Island is now forest. Most this forestland isunder private ownership, with over 70 percent controlled byindividuals and families, and issues affecting these landown-ers have a direct impact on the current and future use ofRhode Island’s forests.

To many forest landowners economics and preservation gohand in hand since they rely on revenue from their forest topay property expenses. The small size of most parcels andlong-term nature of forest management make harvesting tra-ditional wood products on a sustainable basis difficult formost forest owners.

Developing markets for specialty products, such as edible andmedicinal plants, decorative products, and forest-based recre-ation, serve as a means to provide an alternative incomestream. Forest landowners can supply products for theseniche markets.

This publication is part of an effort by DEM, which includedpublications, workshops, and challenge grants, to increaselandowner awareness about forest management opportunitiesthat prevent fragmentation of forest land by providing a wayto pay property expenses so the land does not have to be soldfor development.

1 http://www.dem.ri.gov/topics/forests.htm

Forests in Rhode Island provide habitat to 86 species ofmammals, 394 species of birds, 19 amphibians, and 26species of reptiles.

The forest products industry in Rhode Island represents3.3 percent of manufacturing jobs with an annual payrollincome of 22 million dollars. 3

75 percent of Rhode Island residents depend on surfacewater reservoirs for drinking water. Forests play an impor-tant role in maintaining water quality and quantity.Protecting forests in water supply basins is a strategy usedto ensure safe and plentiful drinking water supplies.

Of all sectors of development farm, forest, and open spaceproduce the greatest financial incentive for municipalities.For every dollar of evenue generated by undeveloped landtowns spend an average of 42 cents on public services, leav-ing 58 cents to offset other municipal expenses.

According to a DEM survey, one to five percent of forestlandowners have commercially harvested an alternative for-est product. including maple syrup, mushrooms, witchhazel, and floral greens.

Many Rhode Islanders participate in forest-based recreation: 31percent participate in nature watching, 17 percent in camping,14 percent in hiking, five percent in equestrian trail use, four per-cent in off-road vehicle use, and three percent in hunting. 2

LANDOWNER PROFILES

Wayne Anderson has been working in the forestharvesting since he was a teenager. His businessspecializes in timber harvesting throughout RhodeIsland. The timber he harvests is sold to sawmillsin Rhode Islandand nearbyConnecticut. Healso sells about350 cords offirewood a yearto homeowners.Most of thetrees he harvestscome from theproperty of pri-vate landownerswho thin theirforest to pro-mote the growthof the forestand improve towildlife habitat.

Typical of many Rhode Island forest owners heowns a small parcel, only 7 acres. He is also anavid gardener and grows a large portion of hisfamily’s food. Also an avid wild mushroom collec-tor after learning about cultivating mushrooms onhardwood logs he decided to pursue that as analternative source of income.

Some trees that would otherwise be used as fire-wood are inoculated with mushroom spores andstacked in the forest for about a year until mush-rooms develop. The mushrooms are picked andthen sold at a friends farmstand.

WWaayynnee aanndd RRuutthh AAnnddeerrssoonn - Exeter SStteevvee TThhoommaass - North ScituateSteveThomas has managed his 50 acre property forover two decades doing much of the work himselfincluding harvesting timber, firewood, witch hazel,and other forest products. A recent commercial

harvest, doneby a localsawmill,removed hard-wood trees.The lumberfrom some ofthese trees wasin turn used inthe renovationof his house.

This propertyserves as anoutstandingexample offorest steward-

ship and is covered with a diverse, healthy forestwhich is home to many species of wildlife. CorkBrook, a tributary of the Scituate Reservoir, f lowsthrough the property making conservation of theproperty key for protecting the quality of drinkingwater for Rhode Islanders.

DEM has purchased a conservation easement onthe property of Steve Thomas through a grantfrom the USDA Forest Service, Forest LegacyProgram. The objective of this program is to pro-mote and protect traditional forest values and usesby preventing the conversion of forestland to non-forest uses. Under the terms of the easement, theproperty can-not be devel-oped, althoughMr. Thomaswill continueto own andmanage theproperty fol-lowing the rec-ommendationsof a writtenforest manage-ment plan.

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management 2

Wayne Anderson recieved a grant from DEM tocultivated mushrooms to grow a high value forestbased crop that will eventually pay some of hisproperty ownership expenses. .

Wayne Anderson and sons actively manage their seven acre property, grow-ing both shiitake and oyster mushrooms on trees harvested from the forest.

A recent commercial harvest of Steve Thomas’land, done by a local sawmill, removed hardwoodtrees. The lumber from some of these trees was inturn used in the renovation of his house

Steve Thomas’ property is protected from develop-ment through a conservation easement purchased byDEM through a Forest Legacy Program grant.

LANDOWNER PROFILES

CChhaarrlleess CChhaassee - Coventr y

On a 28-acre parcel near Chepachet Carol Valleseis starting a business using forest plants for deco-rative displays.She usesgreens fromnative plantsfor f loralarrangements.Carol hasestablishedadditionalplants l ikeholly, mountainlaurel, andcedar along theedge of and insmall openingsin the foreston her property. She uses the material for creatingswag, garland, and wreaths and markets the prod-ucts at craft fairs, local businesses, and on herproperty using roadside displays.

CCaarroollyynn VVaalllleessee - Glocester

As a teenager Charlie Chase helped his father ontheir Christmas tree farm and tree nursery in west-ern Coventry. He became interested in maple syrup

after visiting asugarhouse inFoster and see-ing sap boiledto make syrup.He startingtapping mapletrees on hisfamily’s prop-erty as a 4Hproject andexpanded ontosurroundingproperty.

With the purchase of 45 acres adjacent to the fam-ily homestead Charlie has maintained his avidinterest in actively managing his land. He now hasone of the largest maple syrup operations inRhode Island sell ing to over 100 stores and restau-rants. He taps trees within a 20-mile radius of hishome, with 1300 taps, and plans to expand to 2000next year. Charlieis so optimisticabout the futureof maple syrupproduction thathe recently plant-ed 500 sugarmaple seedlingsto provide himwith trees to tapcloser to home."Although it willtake at least twen-ty years before Ican harvest sapfrom these trees,my eight year olddaughter Beckywill appreciate myefforts later,” saysChase.

In addition,Charlie has pur-sued alternative

means of generating income. Twenty years ago heplanted noble fir seedlings, intending to harvestthem for Christmas trees. The demand for thisspecies is low so they were never cut. The darkgreen foliage is in highdemand by f lorists for holidaydecorations so these treesare trimmed every year toprovide f loral greens.Charlie has planted over2,000 seedlings of otherconifer varieties,including grand,Korean, and con-color fir.

Charlie stands outfrom many forestowners in that hemanages his prop-erty as a workingforest, using revenuegenerated by forest-based businesses topay expenses so hecan afford to own it.

3 http://www.dem.ri.gov/topics/forests.htm

Charlie Chase gives a tour of his maple sugaringprocess to a group of students.

Charlie Chase recieved challenge grants fromDEM, through the USDA Forest ServiceEconomic Action Through Forestr y Program,for establishg floral greens and maple syrupproduction on his propety in Coventr y.

Charlie Chase uses revenue generatedfrom his forest based business to payproperty expenses.

Carolyn Vallese uses greens from native plants tocreate floral arrangements and decorative displays.

LANDOWNER PROFILES

WWrriigghhtt’’ss FFaarrmm - BurrillvileAl, John, and Paul Wright inherited their 153 acreTree Farm from their parents who sold the devel-opment rights to the Forest Legacy Program toinsure the property will continue to be used as aworking forest.Stone wallscriss crossingthrough theforest indicatethe parcel wasa farm at onetime butreverted toforest. Theproperty wasused as a hunt-ing club beforebeing pur-chased by Johnand GertrudeWright in1961.

The property has always provided a portion of thefamilys income with trees typically harvested everyten years. Products harvested include firewood andsawtimber (some of which was processed at a localsawmill). Recently, however, the Wrights’ havebegun looking at the potential of non-timber for-est products to supplement their income.

The family has planted a variety of conifers forChristmas trees, has tapped maple trees for syrup,and have harvested woodland plants for use asf loral greens during the holiday season. He is cur-rently investi-gating the fea-sibility of har-vesting witch-hazel on theproperty, aswell as oppor-tunities forgrowing medic-inal plants.

AAppeeiirroonn IInnssttiittuuttee ffoorr EEnnvviirroonnmmeennttaall LLiivviinngg -Coventr yFounded as a non-profit organization in 1994, theApeiron Institute for Environmental Living isworking to bring sustainable living practices fromaround the world to this region. The Institute isbased on a on a 55-acre forested tract in Coventry.The property, which is open to the public, housesexamples of environmentally friendly buildingtechnologies, renewable energy, sustainable agricul-ture, and green business practices. The property isalso home to Camp Hamilton, owned and run bythe Nickerson Community Center.

The Institute received assistance from the RhodeIsland Chapter of the Society American Forestersto develop a forest stewardship plan for the prop-erty and has collaborated with that group to holdtours on the property to educate the public aboutthe benefits of forest management.

They have also developed a trail system throughthe forest that includes a series of educationalsigns to inform visitors about the forest. Theorganizationrelies ondonationsfrom trailusers to fundeducationalprograms andmarkets thetrail to poten-tial usersthrough theirwebsite(www.ape-iron.org) andemail data-base.

Now under active forest management for morethan four decades the property is an outstandingexample of how careful forest stewardship can beused to provide for current expenses while sup-porting a healthy and productive forest for futuregenerations.

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management 4

Wright’s Farm in Burrillvile is protected fromdevelopment through a conservation easement underthe Forest Legacy Program.

The Apeiron Institute has developed a trail systemthat includes a series of educational signs to informvisitors about the forest. The organization relies ondonations from trail users to fund educational pro-grams.

A system of trails provide access through the property forrecreation and forest management.

LANDOWNER PROFILES

Formed in 1981, the Southside Community LandTrust encompasses a network of community gar-dens in Providence; The Broad Street Farmers’Market; and Urban Edge Farm, a 50-acre parcel inwestern Cranston. The later, purchased by DEM in2002, is a former dairy farm that has been leasedto the Land Trust for a farm business incubatorprogram and also serves as a educational site forchildren and adults.

SouthsideCommunityLand Trustrecentlybegan grow-ing shiitakeand oystermushroomsto diversifythe cropsgrown atthe farmand to satis-fy thedemand forlocally grown products. The mushrooms will besold at two local farmers’ markets and through theLand Trust’s Community Supported AgricultureProgram. According to Pat McNiff, farm manager,“This combination provides a perfect opportunityfor Southside Community Land Trust to demon-strate a viable project that can be copied by otherlandowners who wish to diversify their operationsand increase their income potential.”

SSoouutthhssiiddee CCoommmmuunniittyy LLaanndd TTrruusstt - Cranston

RRoonn aanndd MMaarryy FFaassaannoo - Richmond

5 http://www.dem.ri.gov/topics/forests.htm

Ron and Mary Fasano bought their 41-acre parcelnear Arcadia Management Area in north-westernRichmond in 1978. In 1980, the property was defo-liated by gypsy moths and their first forest man-

agement activity con-sisted of removingdead and dying oaks.Management sincethat time has focusedon improving habitatto increase the varietyof wildlife species onthe property as wellas improving accessfor hiking and naturewatching. Their landis surrounded bymature forest sorecent activities havefocused on creatingopenings. Those

clearings will revert back to forest, creating apatchwork of mature and young forest on theproperty.

The Fasano’s became active in the American TreeFarm System soon after they purchased theirproperty. The American Tree Farm System is anational program sponsored by the AmericanForest Foundation, committed to sustainingforests, water-sheds and healthyhabitats throughstewardship ofprivate landown-ers. Propertiescertified as TreeFarms must havewritten forestmanagementplans, complywith standardsand guidelinesdeveloped by theAmerican ForestFoundation, andpass inspectionsby a volunteerforester every fiveyears. Ron

is active on the Rhode Island Tree FarmCommittee which insures program standards aremet and organizes educational workshops for for-est landowners.

The Southside Community Land Trust received a grant fromDEM to innoculate 200 logs with shiitake and oyster spawntogrow mushrooms and provide another locally grown product to besold at the Broad Street Farmers market.

Ron Fasano has created 5 acres of openings on hisproperty to enhance habitat for wildlife.

CONCLUSIONSustainable forest management meets the current needs of landowners withoutcompromising the health or integrity of the forest for future generations. Thisincludes a wide range of values from clean drinking water, to economic opportuni-ties, to biological diversity. Since they own most of the forest in Rhode Island, pri-vate landowners play a critical role in ensuring sustainably managed and healthyforests.

Although mangement for traditional wood-based forest products is difficult inRhode Island because of the small size of most parcels, there are a variety of alter-natives, l ike mushrooms, maple syrup, witch hazel, or hunting leases that can pro-vide landowners with a means to generate income to pay their property expenses sothat they are not forced to sell their land for development.

At one time most Christmas trees used in Rhode Island were imported from otherareas. Rhode Island landowners recognized this as an opportunity and now locallygrown Christmas trees are a viable industry in Rhode Island. Forest landowners canalso take advantage of markets for locally grown products and alternative forestcrops provide the opportunity to contribute to the sustainable management ofRhode Island's forests. Enhancing the health of the forest, stimulates the localeconomy and conserves the forest for future generations.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCESRI DEM, Division of Forest Environment

1037 Hartford PikeNorth Scituate, RI 02857

(401) 647-3367

PUBLICATIONSForest Landowners Guide to Internet Resourceshttp://na.fs.fed.us/pubs/misc/f lg/

Planning for Forest Stewardship: A Desk Guide.www.fs.fed.us/spf/coop/library/Forest%20Stewardship%20deskguide.pdf

URI Cooperative Extension: Today’s Forest Tomorrow’s Legacyhttp://www.uri.edu/ce/wq/has/html/has_woodscaping.html

WEBSITESRI DEM Alternative Forest Uses Websitehttp://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bpoladm/stratpp/forprod/forstprd.htm

RI DEM, Division of Forest Environment http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/forest/index.htm

RI Forest Conservators Organizationhttp://www.rifco.org/

RI Natural Resources Conservation Servicehttp://www.ri.nrcs.usda.gov/

USDA, Forest Service, Forest Stewardshiphttp://na.fs.fed.us/stewardship/index.shtm

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management 6

Rhode IslandDepartment of Environmental Management

Funded by:USDA Forest Service

L to RBruce Payton, Dan Lawton, Bruce Payton,Gregg J. Cassidy, Bruce Payton, Paul Ricard

ClockwiseBruce Payton, Bruce Payton, Bruce Payton,Kimberly Anderson, Bruce Payton, MelindaHopkins

ClockwiseGregg J. Cassidy, Timothy Libby, RuthAnderson, Ruth Anderson

ClockwiseDebra Page Trim, Joseph Vallese, Gregg J.Cassidy, Debra Page-Trim

ClockwiseGregg J. Cassidy, Gregg J. Cassidy, PaulRicard

Gregg J. Cassidy

Timothy Libby

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PhotographsLiterature Cited1

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Public Water Supplies in Massachusetts and RhodeIsland: Investigations of Processes Affecting SourceWater Quality, US Department of theInterior, US Geological Survey, April 1997.

Ocean State Outdoors: Rhode Island ComprehensiveRecreation Plan, State Guide Plan element 152.Statewide Planning Program, March 2003.

Rhode Island Forest and Paper Industry at aGlance. American Forest and PaperAssociation. 2001.

Cost of Community Services in Southern NewEngland. Southern New England ForestConsortium. 1995.

Rhode Island Forest Landowners Survey Report.Rhode Island DEM, Division of ForestEnvironment. 2004

Rhode Island Forest Resources Management Plan,State Guide Plan Element 161. March 2005