The Lyme Timber Company and Three Rivers Forest Management are holding a forestry summer series to introduce their operations to the public.
The series will focus on Lyme’s investments in timberland and related businesses in the region, approaches to forest management, and conservation strategies.
From 3 to 5 p.m. Monday, a session will be held in Potter County on harvesting and log markets.
The meeting will be held at Northern Appalachian Log & Forestry yard, 301 Old Colesburg Road, Coudersport, located along Route 44, 1.2 miles north of US Route 6 in Coudersport.
Paul Buchsen, president, Northern Appalachian Log and Forestry, will lead a tour of the Northern Appalachian log sort yard and discuss hardwood log markets in the U.S. and overseas. Jim Hourdequin, CEO, Lyme Timber, will lead a visit to an active timber harvesting job on Lyme lands and discuss cut-to-length and other mechanized harvesting systems on Lyme lands.
A Cameron County meeting will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Aug. 5 at the Emporium Hardwood sawmill, located along Route 120, a half mile south of the intersection with Route 155 on the east side of Emporium.
Ed Weiner, mill manager, Emporium Hardwoods, will lead a tour of the newly rebuilt Emporium Hardwoods sawmill; in 2017, millions in damages was sustained in a fire at the mill. Participants in the tour will be guided through the log yard, sawmill, and dry kiln operation. Representatives from Lyme will discuss Lyme’s recent significant, minority investment in the mill.
Over the past two years, Lyme has purchased approximately 57,000 acres in McKean, Potter, and Cameron counties. In the summer of 2018, Lyme granted the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources a working forest conservation easement on approximately 9,200 acres of the Sterling Run tract in Cameron County.
Working forest conservation easements maintain traditional uses of the forest by restricting development and subdivision, allowing public recreational access, and requiring sustainable forestry practices in perpetuity. Lands that are subject to the easements remain in private hands and on the local property tax rolls. In coming years, Lyme hopes to sell conservation easements on additional portions of its timberland while continuing to manage the land for sustainable timber production, wildlife habitat, and recreational use.
The forestry summer series is intended for the public and introduces all aspects of Lyme’s business model, including forest management, silviculture (the growing and cultivation of trees), conservation strategies, acid mine drainage remediation, harvest operations, log marketing, and sawmilling.
The first session, held Monday in Crosby, McKean County, was well attended, officials stated.
Those interested in participating are asked to RSVP to Lisa Olszak Zumstein: email: lolszak@olszak.com or send voice message or text to (724) 679-9261. More information about this event can be found at: www.threeriversforest.com.
