August 2010
Bulletin Board
Items for sale?
Have an item you are looking to buy or sell? Submit it for inclusion on our bulletin board! Please send submissions to Josh with the subject heading "WoodNet e-newsletter bulletin board." To save space and to allow for multiple items, please limit submissions to 150 characters.

Ideas for Catskill WoodNet?
Have an item you'd like to see in the Catskill WoodNet news?
Submit your ideas for links to stories, articles, or even your own article for consideration!  Any topic on wood products may be considered. Send submissions to Josh
with the subject line "WoodNet e-newsletter topic".

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Events
Mid-Hudson Woodworkers Show
The Mid-Hudson Woodworkers will hold its Fourth Annual Woodworking Show on Saturday, September 25, at the Hurley Reformed Church, Hurley, NY 12443, from 10 AM to 5 PM.  See displays of their members' work, including furniture, boxes, bowls, carving, guitars and artistic pieces. They will have demonstrations by local craftsmen in wood turning, scroll saw, and hand tool use.  They will hold a free "Children's Workshop" where each child can make a birdhouse to take home. They also have wooden cars as gifts for younger children. There will be a raffle of selected woodworking items and a sale of gift items.
Admission is $3, free to children under the age of 12.

Belleayre Mountain Fall Festival
Belleayre Mountain will hold its 31st Annual Fall Festival at Overlook Lodge of Belleayre Mountain on Saturday - Sunday, October 9-10 from 10 AM to 5 PM. Vendor applications are still being accepted. Last year, approximately 10,000 people visited this two-day event. For more information, see the links below or contact Alexandra Jarrette Sines at (845)254-5600 ext. 2474.
New Members

Kieran Kinsella - Rosendale, NY
Pacama Valley Lumber - Olivebridge, NY


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Letter from the Editor
Joshua VanBrakleLetter from the Editor,

Greetings Catskill WoodNet members and all recipients of this newsletter:

My name is Joshua VanBrakle, and I recently joined the staff of the Watershed Agricultural Council replacing Collin Miller as WAC's Wood Products Utilization and Marketing Specialist. I know that many of you had excellent working relationships with my predecessor, and it is my hope that I will get to know each of you better and offer my support to the forest products industry, an industry I consider a critical component of maintaining, and even improving, forest and water quality.

I received my Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Economics and Policy in 2008 from Lebanon Valley College, and my Master's Degree in Forest Resource Management in 2010 from SUNY - College of Environmental Science and Forestry.  The research for my master's degree focused on the role of forest management plans in promoting Best Management Practices and sustained yield management on family forests.  Prior to joining the staff of here, I worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in their Bureau of Forestry, examining silvicultural practices for conifers on state forestland. I also served for two years as the contracted Model Forest Coordinator for the Watershed Agricultural Council Model Forest Program, and in addition acted as a teaching assistant for a course in Natural Resource Managerial Economics at SUNY-ESF.

My philosophy on forestry is that while "preserving forests" sounds noble, truly protecting the majority of forests requires their responsible use. While many may equate "forest" with public land, in reality most "forest" is owned by private individuals holding relatively small acreages. These landowners face real costs, from property taxes to medical bills to sending their children to college, and they can only hold onto their forestland if they can satisfy these costs.  Without diverse and robust markets for forest products, landowners may be forced to parcelize their land into small pieces (often developed into vacation homes), or high-grade their woods to get whatever short term-value they can. If we want to counter these negative outcomes and keep forest as forest, the entrepreneurial spirit that defines America should be put to use in developing markets that allow for the sustainable use of forestland. In my position at WAC, I hope to promote a wide range of forest markets, including not only traditional wood products but new and even experimental markets such as woody biomass, ecosystem services and non-timber products like maple syrup, mushrooms and ginseng.

To that end, I dedicate this issue of the Catskill WoodNet News to all forest-products entrepreneurs. To celebrate these individuals I invite you to check out the University of Kentucky's Cooperative Extension Service's five-page list of wood products, from tables to toothpaste. The tireless efforts of our forest-products industry provides a remarkable diversity of products and services that nearly all Americans use every single day. 

I look forward to working with each of you, and I hope you will find this newsletter informative and useful in your pursuits.  Enjoy!
Joshua VanBrakle

Wood Products Utilization and Marketing Specialist

Watershed Agricultural Council Forestry Program

(607)865-7790 ext. 112

[email protected]

Quick Links
Products Made from Wood
In 2002 the University of Kentucky's Cooperative Extension published this five-page list of wood products from tool handles to hair spray.

Regional Wood Products Consortium Hosts Specialized Innovation Workshops
The Regional Wood Products Consortium hosted two workshops in a series for wood products businesses in May and June 2010.  Three Catskill WoodNet businesses participated in these workshops, which included "Developing New Marketing Strategies" and "Making Effective Use of Technological Advances."


Just for Fun - Forest Service Tech Tip
Need a large animal carcass removed? In this 1995 U.S. Forest Service Tech Tip, the agency's Technology and Development Program discusses a method for eliminating those pesky carcasses once and for all.
Your privacy is very important to us; therefore we will not sell, rent, or give your name or email address to anyone. And, you can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link at the bottom of every Catskill WoodNet News.
Catskill WoodNet and the Pure Catskills branding campaign are economic initiatives of the Watershed Agricultural Council. The Watershed Agricultural Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to support the economic viability of agriculture and forestry through the protection of water quality and the promotion of land conservation in the New York City Watershed region. The WAC is supported by the U.S. Forest Service, The New York City Environmental Protection, U.S.D.A and other sources. The Watershed Agricultural Council is an equal opportunity employer and provider.