Spring 2023 Online Forest Stewardship Coached Planning course
Registration is now open for spring 2023!
Registration is now open for the Puget Sound area spring online course. This course is for people in Island, King, Kitsap, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, and Snohomish counties. We have courses happening in the other western Washington counties as well. If you are in another western Washington county, please contact us at puget.forestry@wsu.edu and we will steer you to the right course.
We had such a long waiting list held over from the winter course that the spring course is already almost full, so don’t wait to register!
A forestry course for property owners
Our flagship course will teach you how to assess your trees, avoid insect and disease problems, attract wildlife, and take practical steps to keep your forest on track to provide enjoyment for years to come. In this course you will develop your own Forest Stewardship Plan, which brings state recognition as a Stewardship Forest, eligibility for cost-share grants, and possible eligibility for property tax reductions.
Topics covered include:
- How do you know if your trees are healthy? What should you do if they aren’t?
- Are characteristics of your property attracting or repelling the wildlife you enjoy? What can you do if wildlife cause damage?
- How do you choose which trees to keep or remove? How do you cut trees without damaging your land?
- What types of trees do you have? Does your forest look like a “mess”?
- How do you know if your trees need to be thinned, and how do you go about it?
- How do you identify and mitigate wildfire risks to your home?
- Are invasive and noxious weeds taking over your underbrush? What are the risks and what can you do about it?
- What kind of soil do you have and how does that affect what grows?
When and where
The class sessions will be held as live, interactive webinars 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday afternoons March 16 – May 11, 2023. Participants will need a reliable high-speed internet connection and a computer or mobile device capable of running Zoom. Access instructions will be provided prior to the course.
The course also includes an in-person Saturday field trip 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on April 29, 2023.
Cost and registration
Cost
The registration fee is $150 per household or ownership. Space is limited and is first-come, first-served. The online courses always sell out early (sometimes in a matter of hours), so don’t wait to register if you want to take the course.
Registration includes:
- Nine evening class sessions taught by state and local experts
- An in-person Saturday field trip
- A digital library of reference materials and how-to guides
- A copy of the book Native Trees of Western Washington
- A consultation site visit to your property from a state or county service forester
- A tree measuring tool
Registration is now open
Visit the Spring 2023 Online Coached Planning course website at https://forestry.wsu.edu/nps/events/cponline_spr23/ for additional details and to register.
Acknowledgements and accommodations
This program is an educational partnership between Washington State University Extension and the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR). This Program is made possible in part by funding from Island County, King Conservation District, King County, Pierce County, San Juan County, Skagit County, Snohomish Conservation District, and Snohomish County Surface Water Management.
Extension programs and employment are available to all without discrimination. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension office. Reasonable accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities and special needs who contact Grace Garrison at grace.garrison@wsu.edu at least three weeks prior to the event.
Other upcoming 2023 Forest Stewardship Coached Planning courses
- Vashon – Tuesday evenings starting April 18th. Registration is open! Visit the Vashon course website at https://forestry.wsu.edu/nps/events/cpvashon/ for details and registration info.
- Preston – Tuesday evenings starting September 5th. More information will be available later this year.
- Friday Harbor – Intensive 4-day course September 21st – 24th. More information will be available later this year.
Forestry Lunch Breaks: Root Diseases in Western Washington
Spend lunch learning about root diseases!
Western Washington is home to some of the most productive forestland in the world, but that doesn’t mean our trees are “out of the woods” when it comes to pests and disease. Root rots are the most common biotic killers of trees in this region. If you’re a landowner, the chances are you’ve dealt with a root rot fungus at some point or will in the future. In this series, we’ll discuss the life cycles, hosts, identification, and management of the most common root rot fungi in Washington.
All sessions will be presented by Rachel Brooks, Ph.D., a forest pathologist with the WA DNR Forest Health Division.
When and where
12:00 – 12:30 p.m. February 13 – 16, 2023
Monday (2/13): Symptoms of Common Root Rots
Tuesday (2/14): Root Rot Signs and Disease Cycles
Wednesday (2/15): Root Rot Management
Thursday (2/16): Lesser Known Root Rots
Online Zoom webinars
These seminars will be offered via a live, interactive Zoom webinar. A reliable high-speed internet connection is needed. You can access the webinar with your computer or mobile device. Connection information will be sent to those registered the morning of each session. Recordings of each session will be made available to those who register.
Cost and Registration
There is no fee to attend these webinars. Pre-registering is required and can be done online. Registration ends at 8:00 p.m. on February 12th.
Register for the root disease webinars: https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9B6A02mcJ07X69o
Acknowledgements and accommodations
This programming is made possible in part by funding from the Washington Department of Natural Resources, Lewis County, Pacific County, the U.S. Forest Service, Western SARE, and the U.S. Agricultural Marketing Service. Extension programs and employment are available to all without discrimination. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension office. Reasonable accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities and special needs who contact Patrick Shults at patrick.shults@wsu.edu at least two weeks prior to the event.
Forest Health Seminars
Dead and declining trees have proliferated throughout western Washington over the past few years as summer heat and drought has become more extreme. The iconic western redcedar has been particularly affected, causing concern for many property owners. WSU Extension Forestry, in partnership with Sno-Isle Libraries and Snohomish County Surface Water Management, is offering two seminars to explain why trees are in decline right now. Learn what makes forests and trees healthy or unhealthy and how to recognize when there’s a problem on your property. Topics include insects, diseases, and drought, including their environmental roles and the important interactions between them. Learn about what property owners should do (and not do) to increase tree resilience and mitigate impacts. These seminars are free and open to the public, and no registration is required.
Camano Island Library Forest Health Seminar
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Saturday March 25th. More info about the Camano Island seminar: https://sno-isle.bibliocommons.com/events/63c2fa4a12be1d654ebfcd0e
Mountlake Terrace Library Forest Health Seminar
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday May 24th.
Subscription and contact info
Manage your subscription
You are currently subscribed to the Washington State University Puget Sound Extension Forestry mailing list. You can unsubscribe or change your subscription options by visiting our newsletter website at http://forestry.wsu.edu/nps/newsletter/
Contact info
Kevin W. Zobrist
Professor, Extension Forestry
Washington State University
kevin.zobrist@wsu.edu
http://forestry.wsu.edu/nps/
Acknowledgements
The Washington State University Puget Sound Extension Forestry program is made possible in part by funding from Island County, King County, King Conservation District, Pierce County, San Juan County, Skagit County, Snohomish Conservation District, and Snohomish County Surface Water Management.
Extension programs and employment are available to all without discrimination. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension office.
