One of the challenges of being a Landowner is knowing how to manage the many invasive pests, tree diseases and other stresses that can affect the health, growth and availability of timber resources on your land. Hooper Hill Forestry has the tools and expertise to help you address these challenges. Our experts measure overall forest health, track changes to forest ecosystems and assist in the control of forest insects, diseases and disturbances.
Whether you need assistance removing unhealthy, diseased trees or dealing with ice storm damage and blow downs (see additional information on common diseases, pests and environmental problems below), Hooper Hill Forestry will perform field investigations, ground plots and surveys to detect, identify and treat forest health issues at your property. We may consult entomologists/pathologists from the New Hampshire Division of Forest Resources. Our goal in assisting in the control of forest insects and diseases is to ensure your land and timber remain healthy and profitable for many generations to come. We understand the importance of maintaining and protecting healthy forests and look forward to working with you.
Why evaluate Forest Health on your property?
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Increase Productivity and Generate Income: By managing the complex factors that influence forest health, Hooper Hill Forestry can help you increase forest growth, income value, and long-term sustainability.
- Improve Landscape and Increase Property Value: By managing your forest land with our expert assistance, Hooper Hill Forestry will help you improve the health of your trees, increase annual growth, and build a lasting resource on your property for many generations to come.
- Encourage Forest Health: There are many pests, diseases, and overall stresses that can limit tree growth. Hooper Hill Forestry can help mitigate these stresses to prevent disease, guard against invasive pests, and other species, and mitigate natural disturbances.
Why Choose Hooper Hill Forestry for Forest Health Evaluations in New Hampshire and Vermont?
Efficiency: Having personally worked thousands of acres of land in New Hampshire and Vermont, Hooper Hill Forestry owner Jordan King draws from many forestry practices and techniques to quickly identify and address forest health issues.- Experience: With over 15 years of experience managing land in New Hampshire and Vermont, Hooper Hill Forestry saves you money by working quickly to determine what land management practices need to occur in order to mitigate forest stresses and improve forest health.
- Customer Satisfaction: Hooper Hill Forestry has completed many successful forest health evaluation projects in New Hampshire and Vermont. We are proud of our work and relationships with Landowners.
If you are looking for Forest Health assistance, Call or Contact Hooper Hill Forestry today!
If you are looking for Threatened and Endangered Species Verification, field checks by a professional are the best way to search your property for threatened and endangered species or rare natural communities. You can also visit the New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau website and use its Data Check Tool to search their database for known occurrences in your area: https://www2.des.state.nh.us/nhb_datacheck/
Looking for a different forestry service?
We can also assist you with Timber Harvesting, Timber Appraisals, Land Acquisition, Stewardship and Current Use, GIS Mapping, Forest Health Evaluations, Boundary Line Maintenance, Sugarbush Management, Wildlife Habitat, View Creation, and Forest Roads and Trail Building. We are New Hampshire and Vermont’s premier, licensed, forestry professionals. If there is still another forestry or logging service you are looking for, please contact us. We work with a large network of other industry professionals and would be delighted to help you in the right direction. We look forward to hearing from you.
Additional Information on Invasive Pests, Diseases and Environmental Factors that Impact Forest Ecosystems
(https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/resource000413_rep435.pdf):
- White pine canker (Caliciopsis pinea): Pine canker is a fungus that attacks white pine, and can be found in dense pine stands on sandy and well-drained soils. Signs of possible infection include significant pitching, as well as crown thinning, and decreases in crown density. Pine canker typically doesn’t kill the tree. It does affect its growth rate and vigor. Trees with pine canker become more susceptible to other disease and insect issues. Mitigating the canker in a pine stand consists of removing unhealthy or heavily infected trees while opening up the crowns to sunlight and air flow.
- White pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola): Blister rust is a fungal disease that was discovered in the early 1900’ Unlike the pine canker, blister rust severely effects the tree. The infection will appear as a large black area on the trunk and is usually accompanied by a deformed shape on a section of the stem. This area of the tree will decay, and eventually lead to tree mortality, or a weak point which can snap during a wind event. Trees that show signs of blister rust should be removed from the stand as soon as possible to stop the spread of the disease. More information can be found on the UNH Cooperative Extension website (as listed above).
- Overcrowding (overstocked): When you have too many stems in a small area they shade each other, and compete for resources. This leads to reduced growth and health. The forest needs to have the poor-quality timber, which will not gain more value, “weeded” out as well as the mature trees that are beginning to decline in health and value. Once thinned the growth for each tree per acre per year will increase. This leads to more long-term income from your land, and a healthier forest.
- Ice Storm Damage: The most damaging ice storm in recent memory was the 1998 ice storm. This storm ravaged huge areas of New England. Many forests still have residual damage from that storm. However, ice damage can happen in smaller pockets from any storm, especially in higher elevations. Trees with damaged crowns (tops) from ice damage lose value the longer they live. The tree starts to stain from the top down, which increases heart sizes in the logs, which affects pricing. Ash, birches, and maples are more valuable with smaller hearts and more white wood for lumber. The longer you wait to harvest, the more staining and heart increase you will find once the tree is cut. Minor ice damage is not usually a concern, but every property with elevations about 1000’ of elevation should be periodically evaluated by a professional.
- Sugar Maple Borer: Hardwood stands with high concentrations of sugar maple are at a higher risk of damage from the sugar maple borer beetle. This beetle is common in maple stands. This beetle bores across the tree which damages the lumber and creates a wound on the tree that could eventually kill it. The wound on the tree begins to decay, and can snap in a wind event. By thinning the stand, you can increase the distance each beetle has to travel to reach each maple, which slows the spread and limits the damage. The damaged trees would be removed during a harvest to salvage their value.
- White Birch and Aspen (Poplar): White birch and aspen are fast-growing, shade intolerant species, that reach maturity quickly. Both species are commonly found throughout New Hampshire and Vermont. Since the life-span is short for these species, we generally recommend cutting them once they reach 8-10” in diameter at breast height. This way you can salvage their value before they die. Regenerating these species is done by creating opening with group selections or clear cuts. Both species require a lot of sunlight to grow. Aspen is an important species for woodcock and grouse habitat. These birds feed on the aspen buds. Group openings where aspen is present is an excellent way to create specific wildlife habitat for these species of native bird. Wildlife biologists throughout New England agree that there is a need for more early-successional habitat (new growth). This includes regenerating aspen for woodcock and grouse, but other species as well which provide browse for large mammals and nesting habitat for birds.
- Emerald Ash Borer: This bug poses a significant threat to all Ash trees throughout New England and other areas throughout the Country. It was originally found in Massachusetts, but came from Asia. It has been recently discovered in numerous areas of NH, VT, and ME. Federal quarantines are in effect, and these regulations need to be followed at all times to slow the spread of the Borer. Trees typically die within three years of infestation. Ash is common throughout New England, so you should have a forester examine your property. Harvest your ash soon to salvage its value before it’s too late!
- Blowdown: In a strong wind event, trees can blow over or snap off. This can happen on a large or small scale. These trees can remain financially viable for up to a few years, so it is important to identify the problem and salvage their value before they decay.