COLUMBIANA COUNTY
SOIL AND WATER DISTRICT
Serving Columbiana County’s natural resource and agriculture needs
PROGRAMS WE OFFER
Through the partnership between the Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) we offer several programs that can be utilized to help with implementing these practices on private land with cost share. Depending on the landowners interests we can assist in creating a wildlife or forestry management plan and work to help the landowner achieve funding through government programs which can provide funding. By doing this is allows for the landowner to have less cost involved in the implementation of these practices on private land.
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Through the partnership between the Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) we offer several programs that can be utilized to help with implementing these practices on private land with cost share. Depending on the landowners interests we can assist in creating a wildlife or forestry management plan and work to help the landowner achieve funding through government programs which can provide funding. By doing this is allows for the landowner to have less cost involved in the implementation of these practices on private land.
Already in the EQIP program and need help finding a vendor? Look at the Ohio Resource Connection flier found below to help find a local vendor in your area.
POSSIBLE PRACTICES
When managing for wildlife or forestry there are many diffrent management techniques that can be used to help meet the landowner’s goals for the property. Below is a list of a select few practices that could be used.
Brush Management: Brush management is a very important part of both forestry and wildlife management. This is a tool that can be best used to remove invasive plant species from the landscape that can cause harm to the populations of our native plant species. In areas such as a pollinator planting this may be used to help prevent species such as Autumn olive or Multiflora rose from taking over a planted area of native wildflowers and warm season grasses. In woodlands this can be utilized to help prevent invasive plant species that can hinder the growth of our native tree species or to help open the woods up to allow for better accessibility prior to a timber harvest. With the use of this many different species can be treated including Autumn olive, Multiflora rose, Tree of heaven, Japanese barberry, bush honeysuckle, Ornamental bittersweet, Princess tree, and many others that are commonly found throughout Columbiana County.
Pollinator Planting: Grounds not being unutilized on a property such as agricultural fields no longer being used for crop production or areas which have been mowed in the past are great places to allow the planting of native wildflowers and warm season grasses. These species help provide early successional habitat for wildlife which can be used for forage, nesting, and bedding. These areas can also be utilized by pollinators to help provide forage for them from the beginning of spring to the end of fall.
Warm Season Grass Planting: Warm season grasses are also a great thing to plant when managing for wildlife as they do create fantastic bedding and nesting cover as well as escape cover for wildlife. These grasses can be planted in mixes with wildflowers on their own depending on the landowner’s interest. Unlike the cool season grasses we have now that have been brought over from Europe and England our native warm season grasses grow during the summer and can get quite tall depending on the variety. They also have very deep roots which can aid in preventing soil loss and erosion.
Structures for Wildlife: Structures for wildlife can be a very beneficial practice to help promote habitat for a verity of wildlife such as Eastern Cottontail rabbits, Grey Squirrels, Eastern Bluebirds, Little Brown Bats, ground nesting songbirds, various small rodent species, and many more! There are several different forms of these structures for wildlife that can be implemented. These include the creation of brush piles using downed timber or even trees that were removed as part of a forest stand improvement project. This provides fantastic cover for ground nesting songbirds as well as other species mentioned previously. These structures for wildlife can also be in the form of Eastern Bluebird boxes which can help provide essential nesting habitat for this species across one’s property and help increase the Bluebirds overall numbers present here. Nesting boxes for other species can also be utilized through this practice including nesting boxes for waterfowl species such as Wood Ducks. The final structures for wildlife practice are tailored to bats like that of the Little Brown bat with the installation of bat nesting boxes to help provide habitat for bat species on a landowner’s property.
Structures for Wildlife: Structures for wildlife can be a very beneficial practice to help promote habitat for a verity of wildlife such as Eastern Cottontail rabbits, Grey Squirrels, Eastern Bluebirds, Little Brown Bats, ground nesting songbirds, various small rodent species, and many more! There are several different forms of these structures for wildlife that can be implemented. These include the creation of brush piles using downed timber or even trees that were removed as part of a forest stand improvement project. This provides fantastic cover for ground nesting songbirds as well as other species mentioned previously. These structures for wildlife can also be in the form of Eastern Bluebird boxes which can help provide essential nesting habitat for this species across one’s property and help increase the Bluebirds overall numbers present here. Nesting boxes for other species can also be utilized through this practice including nesting boxes for waterfowl species such as Wood Ducks. The final structures for wildlife practice are tailored to bats like that of the Little Brown bat with the installation of bat nesting boxes to help provide habitat for bat species on a landowner’s property.
Edge Feathering: Edge feathering is a way in which we go about softening areas such as whereas field meets a wooded area. Rather than having a hard edge where the woods just meet with the field, we create a transition zone which allows for a gradual transition between one habitat and the next. This zone which is created also established great early successional habitat that can be utilized for escape cover as well as bedding and nesting habitat for a wide variety of species.
Midstory Opening / Patch Clearcut: In a woodland where there are areas containing undesirable tree species or possibly even areas comprised of invasive species a patch clearcut can be utilized to create early successional habitat which can be used for nesting or bedding cover along with an area that provides forage as well as other wildlife uses. By doing this patch clear cut it opens the canopy to sunlight and allows for grasses and other vegetation to grow such as black berries. This can also help in getting better tree species to grow in these areas over time with these areas becoming reforested in the future. Patch clear cuts do not have to be big and can be as small as ¼ acre while still providing many benefits to our wildlife.
Cull Tree Removal: Cull tree removal is another practice that can be utilized in a landowner’s woodlands for both wildlife and forestry benefit. Cull tree removal involves the removal of select trees from a woodland to promote the growth and productivity of more desirable or better-quality trees. There are several methods of culling these trees with the most popular method being girdling. By doing this you create a standing dead tree allowing for additional crown space in the canopy to be opened. This also can be beneficial to wildlife due to these girdled tree providing areas for cavity nesting wildlife such as Grey squirrels, Wood ducks, and various songbirds such as the Black Capped Chickadee. These standing dead trees will also attract insects which can be utilized as a food source for many bird species including the Pileated woodpecker. Though these trees will fall over time they will be less harmful to neighboring trees which could be impacted by their fall due to them becoming brittle. This leads to less chance of damage to neighboring trees when they do fall.
Tree/Shrub Planting: Tree plantings also can be done for a wildlife or forestry benefit. These planting can help a landowner improve their land by establishing better tree species for future timber productivity or for a wildlife benefit on the land. Many native species can be planted on a landowner’s property, some of these being gauged more towards a wildlife benefit and others being beneficial for timber production. With the assistance of a Wildlife and Forestry specialist and input form a landowner information on proper tree species to plant can be provided. This information can advise the landowner of what would be best to plant on their property for their future goals on the land.
Crop Tree Release: A crop tree release could be utilized by a landowner in a forestry setting where they only have a select few oaks of hickories present on the land and would like to see more of these trees present for future timber production. When looking at wildlife habitat this could be used as a tool to create additional hard mass production on a landowner’s property. Mass is the production of a forage crop. When looking at oaks or hickories this is called hard mass. For species like crab apples or Black gum this would be called soft mass.
Essentially how a crop tree release works is that desired mass-producing trees are left on the landscape while non desired trees are removed. This allows for the crop trees to produce hard mass, some of which will then get the opportunity to sprout and grow. Once a larger number of these seedlings have been established the parent tree is then removed to allow for the new oaks to grow.
Forest Stand Improvement: The use of a Forest Stand Improvement practice can improve several things in a landowner’s woodlands. This includes the removal of undesirable tree species such as American Beech, Ironwood, and Red maple, which are species that prove to be less valuable when it comes to their timber value. Trees that have deformities or are damaged leading to them being of no value are also removed. Finally, the removal of cull trees through girdling is an essential practice completed through this process to help reduce competition and create space in the woods to improve the growth of a more desirable tree present in the woodland.
Forestry Management Plan: The writing of a forestry management plan can be completed through EQIP as well. This plan is what is used to determine how one should go about properly managing their woodland. Through this cost share program, a landowner can have a forestry management plan written for them by a certified forester. This plan then highlights the different steps that need to be taken to improve one’s woodland as well as to inform the landowner of when a future timber harvest maybe completed. This management plan is also required as part of the Current Agricultural Use Value program through the counties auditor’s office if you categorize your land under forestry CAUV for your tax deduction.
These are just a list of some of the most common forestry and wildlife practices than can be implemented. In the end it is up to the landowner as far as what they are interested in implementing on their property as well as what their overall goals for the property are.
THE CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM (CSP)
The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is another program that can be administered to help implement Wildlife and Forestry related practices. This program is typically used after practices have been completed through EQIP as this program can be used to adopt additional conservation activities while also maintaining the landowners baseline level of conservation. The program offers both technical and financial assistance to help agricultural and forest landowners take their conservation efforts to the next level. This can in turn be utilized to improve and maintain wildlife and forestry practices that have already been implemented through a completed EQIP plan. Additionally, some other practices may be able to be implemented onto the property of the landowner if they desire to do so. If you are interested in the possibility of enrolling in the EQIP program please contact John Beilhart, Columbiana Counties Forestry and Wildlife Specialist at 330-277-2977
THE AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION EASEMENT PROGRAM (ACEP)
The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) is a program that helps landowners, land trusts, and other entities protect, restore, and enhance wetlands or protect working farms and ranches through conservation easements. The National Resource Conservation Service then provides financial assistance to partners for purchasing agricultural land easements that protect the agricultural use and conservation value of the land. NRCS then provides both technical and financial assistance to aid in the protection, restoration, and enhancement of the lands. Though this program does not relate to forestry if someone was to want to protect, restore, or enhance their wetland it would be a fantastic option to help fund some of this and assist in providing technical assistance in the project. This could in turn improve some wildlife habitat on one’s property if they already have an area that is a designated wetland or would like to help with the protection and preservation of this wetland.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Wildlife Food Plots
Food plots can be a great addition to someone who enjoys viewing wildlife or hunting and provides a lot of fantastic opportunities to attract a desired species. These species can range from Whitetailed deer and turkey to waterfowl species and even morning doves. Here at Columbiana Soil and Water our Wildlife and Forestry Specialist John Beilhart is able to assist you by providing rescources and recomendation that can aid in you in creating a suceesful food plot planting.
John Beilhart can be contacted at 330-277-2977 or by email at John.Beilhart@oh.nacdnet.net
Attached bellow is a food plot fact sheet that you can use to get started and help guide you to your sucessful planting