Frederick County

Forest Conservancy District Board

April 2020 Email Updates

Due to the Covid 19 emergency the Frederick Board did not meet in person. Enclosed are inputs from members.

  1. Treasurer report (Dave B) There was one donation of $23.97 and interest accrued of $.22. There was no payment made.

  2. Logging site exams (Mike): One plan was submitted that Mike inspected since the landowners are part of the FCMA program.

  3. Forestry Board PR (Dave B, Sonia): All spring green fest have been canceled or postponed. Received three new nature note signups none lost. Received an anonymous donation for $25 ($23.97 after fees)

  4. Frederick County FRO update (Dave B): I was not at the last meeting; however I understand the board agreed to send a letter to the council. A draft letter was supplied by Harry George of the Sierra Club, but no further action has been taken.

  5. Nature Notes (Dave B for Lori): As of 4/1, Dave and FNP has 12 nature notes that are ready for print.

  6. Website (Dave B): Started work on the photo album feature. I’m going methodically through all the nature notes to post the images group together. The album is organized by subject matter such as Aquatic life, Insects, Trees and so on. Each picture has the English name, scientific/Latin name, image, image is linked to the nature note or location the image is used on the website, and credit to provider. If I don’t have proper credit, I search the web to see if I can find the source. If an image is low resolution, I look for a high resolution version on the web to replace it. I have also found some older image provided by forestry board members that have become low resolution images over time, such as Tom Anderson’s image of a pumpkin spider. If I can get the original image I will updated it.

  7. Tree Walk (Bethany): All the tree tags are on with four exceptions that I need to wait to put up. Two weeping trees that I need to meet with the friends of Baker park to determine how we can put up a tag that isn't obscured by the weeping foliage since you cannot see the trunks at all in the warm seasons. Perhaps on a wooden stake of some sort but then there is the mowing challenge.

  • One is the Frederick High School elm, that I need permission from the school personnel before I nail that one in. The last one is the ginkgo that used to be national champion. I delayed that one because it already has a sign so for now, it was low priority. I had to conserve my materials because...I'm out of nails and springs. We wasted some nails because it's very difficult to hammer aluminum nails into trees! We apparently lost some springs...

  • I guess. Vince--check your bag you had your stuff in and see if you have any. I doubt it, but it's possible. Mike--do you have any 3" aluminum tree nails and the springs?

  • One of our trees was cut down. For the love of all that's holy. Can you believe the luck? Cut my daggone tree down. I knew it had some fungal issues, but when Joli and her friend did the walk, she said that tree had many years left in it. :( So, I've located another hackberry so we can just change where on the map the hackberry is and switch the QR code so it takes you to the correct position on the map. It's not an especially great hackberry so I may keep looking. I believe there is one by the creek, near the visitor's center and that would be good because some people will start there. I need to get by there and look at it.