Photo by Mary Lu Roskelley

Summer 2004Volume 8 Number 3

Landowners learned how to measure tree

height with Biltmore sticks at the third

annual Timber Harvest Tour this July.

This year’s tour was east of Springville,

up Hobble Creek. For information on

how to order a Biltmore stick or to

learn how to use one, go to our Web

site at http://extension.usu.edu/forestry/

Management/BiltmoreStick.htm or

contact us by phone or mail (see page 7).

Biltmore Sticks

Photo by John Shaw

“Doc” Daniel: A Forestry Pioneer

A memorial was held in Logan on August 4 to honor

the life of T. W. “Doc” Daniel, who had recently passed

away. It seems like everybody that knew him had at least

one “Doc-story.” USU Silviculture professor Jim Long

pointed out that Daniel was among the first people in the

country to have a Ph.D. that focused on natural resources,

and that he was nearly as old as American forestry itself,

as the Society of American Foresters was formed just

seven years before his 1907 birth. continued on following page

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: � David Schen Will Be Missed

� Ponderosa Bark Used for Food, Glue, and

Healing

� State Farm to Inspect Utah Homes for

Wildfi re Preparedness

� Upcoming Conference: Managing Aspen in

Western Landscapes

Doc Daniel, checking students’ work on Benchmark Hill, above the USU summer fi eld camp.

If it wasn’t right, they had to do it again.

2

continued from previous page Daniel’s son, Bill, related how his father had grown

up working hard to help his family make ends meet

and that he escaped to the nearby woods every

Sunday. As a young man, he pursued a career as a

merchant marine. Upon

discovering that his

eyesight would not allow

him to advance in that

field, he went to the North

Woods and worked as a

people in the room knowing who had raised the bid.

Former student Alan Dymerski told the story of

standing outside the Logger’s Ball, some 20 years

ago, lamenting the lack

of dancing partners

available, and Daniel’s

response was “Well, it

wouldn’t be the fi rst time

a logger danced with a

While in his nineties, Doc was still out limbing trees with Photo by Jim

Long

logger for a time. He soon

realized that his passion

for the forest would never

leave him and he moved

back to his home state

of California to pursue a

forestry education degree

at Berkeley.

Daniel moved to Logan

in 1944 to teach forestry

at Utah State University,

logger!”

Although Daniel’s gruff

approach occasionally

offended women

accustomed to modern

professional demeanor,

people close to him

concluded that he was

a true feminist; partly

based on his extraordinary

generosity towards

and he never left. He is a a Pulaski on the school forest that bears his name. women’s issues. At

legend in the field, especially among those students

who he relentlessly tested with long essay-style

exams recorded in infamous “Blue Books,” according

to the College of Natural Resources dean Fee Busby.

He also is a legend abroad, especially in Austria,

where he recruited a generation of young foresters to

come to Utah State University for advanced degrees

and to bring those skills back home and apply them

for the rest of their careers. His widely known and

well respected text, The Principles of Silviculture, is

printed in three languages.

He was known to many in Logan who saw him

regularly at fundraisers for social causes, especially

those that benefited women. Val Grant was the

auctioneer for one of the fundraisers for many years,

and he said that when there was an early pause in the

bidding Doc would subtly raise a finger to meet the

next bid level; more money would be raised with few

his memorial people told stories of his generosity,

leadership, wisdom, sharing, and above all, the

tremendous work ethic that he instilled in the people

around him.

Perhaps it was Marlin Hoth, who introduced himself

as a long time Cache Valley local, who provided the

most flattering memorial. He told a story of how,

when he was a young boy, every year Daniel chose

a handful of local boys to make a few bucks moving

rocks for 35 cents an hour. I got the impression that

the work of moving rocks from one place to the

other was not necessarily done for a great cause, but

the important thing was to give some local kids a

chance to work hard and make a few needed bucks

for the summer. Daniel taught the boys the value and

importance of hard work, a lesson he left with many

of the people he influenced in his lifetime.

By Darren McAvoy

3

“Doc” Daniel Memorial Scheduled There will be a second memorial for T. W. “Doc” Daniel on Saturday, September 18th. It will start at 8:15

am with a continental breakfast at the Eccles Conference Center Auditorium on the Utah State University

Campus in Logan, Utah. At 9 a.m., there will be a program paying tribute to Doc’s life, including

testimonials of how he influenced individuals as a teacher and mentor. If you wish to share a Doc story,

come prepared. Following this program, everyone will travel up Logan Canyon to Summer Camp where

more stories may be told. From Summer Camp we will travel down the Canyon for lunch at Zanavoo. The

cost of the lunch at Zanavoo will be approximately $10.

David Schen Will be Missed The state of Utah has lost a good friend, as well as

an experienced, committed forester

and natural resources professional.

David C. Schen, Ecosystem

Management Coordinator with the

Utah Division of Forestry, Fire

and State Lands, passed away on

Wednesday, July 14, 2004, due to a

heart attack.

Schen built his career with the

Division after receiving his A.S.

degree in Forestry from Paul

Smith’s College in New York, and

a B.S. in Forestry from Utah State

University. His recent contributions

in forestry include his five-year involvement with the

Four Corners Sustainable Forests Partnership.

Schen was a dedicated wildland

fi refighter and served in many

positions on various teams over the

years. He most recently served as

Operations Section Chief on Sexton’s

Type I Incident Management Team.

Schen was also known for his

extracurricular involvement with the

Northern Utah Chapter of the Harley

Owner’s Group and the Hostler’s

Model Railroad Club. Dave’s

professional insight and wisdom, as

well as his personable nature and

good humor, will be greatly missed.

4

Ponderosa Bark Used for Food, Glue, and Healing

The ponderosa pine, sometimes called yellow pine, is

one of the most stately and picturesque trees in Utah’s

forests. Growing at mid-elevation environments

(7,000 to 8,500 feet), these giants can live to be well

over 500 years old,

partly because their

thick bark enables them

to survive low-intensity

fi res.

Because the ponderosa

can live so long, it may

pick up a variety of scars

throughout its life. A

typical ponderosa scar,

called a “cat face,” is a

small triangular scar that

begins at ground level,

usually on the uphill

side of the tree. These

scars are created during

a fire when burning

material rolls against a

tree, smolders for several

hours, and burns through

the tree bark. Animals

like porcupine also scar

trees by eating the bark.

Animal-created scars

are usually smaller than

a foot in diameter, have

an irregular outline, and

sometimes have visible

teeth marks.

Besides these, archaeologists have discovered

unusual, rectangle-shaped scars on ponderosa pines

that usually begin a foot or two off the ground and

extend up for about four feet. Humans made these

scars, and they have been documented extensively in

Colorado and in numerous locations throughout Utah.

This ponderosa pine is a Culturally Modifi ed Tree, one of several located at the mouth of Yellowstone

Canyon near Duchesne, Utah.

Human-scarred ponderosas are sometimes called

medicine trees, but archaeologists prefer the more

descriptive–though less romantic–term, Culturally

Modifi ed Trees (CMTs).

We know that Native

American groups from

Montana and Oregon in

the north to Arizona and

New Mexico in the south

consumed the inner bark

of ponderosa pine trees.

Actually, the inner bark

offers good nutrition. In

the spring the cambium

contains large amounts

of carbohydrates and

protein. One pound of

phloem, the layer of

cells just beneath the

outer bark that transports

and stores food, has as

much calcium as nine

glasses of milk. Phloem

also contains iron,

magnesium, zinc, and

other nutrients.

Scraped from the outer

bark and rolled into

balls, it could be chewed

as a sweet treat. Mixed

with corn and meat,

it could flavor stew. It

could also act as a tonic.

Anthropologist Anne Smith notes that “small strips of

the inner bark of the pine were tied into bundles and

later eaten with salt” by the Northern Utes.

Local knowledge and oral tradition have given us

some insight into the uses of ponderosa bark in the

5

Uinta Basin. Leo Thorne, a Vernal photographer,

asked members of the Ute tribe about the peeled trees.

They told him the trees were peeled to get the inner

bark and pine gum for healing purposes. Based on

this information, Thorne’s family generally referred

to the trees as “medicine trees,” and the term is still

used in Vernal. Clifford Duncan, a Ute elder, says that

in some areas a medicine man would place the sick

person against

the scarred

portion of a

tree as part of

a healing or

exorcism ritual.

Bertha Cuch,

another

Ute elder,

remembers her

grandmother

peeling trees

and rolling the

inner bark into

balls to give

the children

as treats.

Another woman

remembered her

grandmother

collecting the sap to use as a sweetener.

Ute elder, Jonas Grant, reports that the sap was used

to waterproof moccasins. It may have also been

used as a glue to help repair moccasin soles and as

a waterproof basket lining (although pinyon was

perhaps the preferred pine for this use.) Recently,

Duncan told me that, in the absence of horseshoes,

a Ute who was going to ride in a steep rocky spot

would first glue pieces of rawhide to the bottom of the

horse’s hooves using pinesap. Then he would wrap

the edges of the rawhide piece up around the horse’s

foot and tie it off with a strip of rawhide. These soft

At the entrance to Yellowstone Canyon of the Uintas, bark was removed from several ponderosa pines at the turn of the last century.

horseshoes would help protect the horse hooves in

rocky terrain.

We have other information about CMTs in

northeastern Utah because of dedicated avocational

archaeologists. Lawrence DeVed, Leon Chamberlain,

Tim Sweeney, and other members of the Uinta

Archaeology Club–a chapter of the Utah Statewide

Archaeology

Society–have

photographed,

measured, and

cored nearly 40

of these scarred

trees.

By taking a

core sample

and counting

the tree rings

(years) from

the bark to

where the scar

starts, we can

tell when a tree

was scarred.

For example,

the many

CMTs in the

Yellowstone drainage of the Ashley National Forest

were scarred after 1900, a date that roughly coincides

with when the Utes were moved to the Uintah and

Ouray Reservation from Colorado. These scarred

trees, still visible from the road as you enter the forest

today, document Indian use of ponderosa pine for

sealants, glues, medicines, and sweeteners, and have

become living connections to Indian life at the turn of

the century.

By Byron Loosle, Heritage Program Leader for the Ashley National Forest.

6

State Farm to Inspect Utah Homes for Wildfi re Preparedness

While wildfire risk has always been a part of the

arid western landscape, it has become an increasing

hazard over the last several years due to drought

conditions, record low snow pack, fuel buildup and

growing development in the wildland urban interface.

To address these concerns, State Farm Insurance

has created a program that will be implemented in

Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado,

and Wyoming.

Over the next three years, 24,000 to 26,000 homes

within these states will be surveyed by State Farm.

Their surveyors will conduct an outside inspection

of the home to identify whether or not any additional

steps need to be taken to help better protect the

property from future wildfi res.

The company has already sent more than 700 letters

to Utah homeowners whose properties are scheduled

to be inspected this year in Kane and Garfi eld

counties and Brian’s Head.

Homes selected for inspection are located in what

State Farm has determined to be the highest hazard

wildfire prone areas. These areas were determined

by a combination of factors: vegetation or fuels,

topography (slope and aspect), population density,

lightning strike density, and the proximity of roads

and railroads.

Each homeowner in the areas State Farm has

identified as part of the program will receive a letter

approximately one to two weeks prior the survey,

making him or her aware that the inspection is going

to take place. Because the survey is exterior only, the

homeowner is not required to be on site.

During the survey, the technician will identify

possible hazards on the property. If the steps

necessary to fix the hazards are minor in nature, a

letter will be sent to the customer approximately two

to four weeks following the inspection, listing the

items to address and notifying the homeowner that he

or she has up to two years to correct those items.

If the property requires significant measures to

address the hazards, the customer will be sent a

letter asking that he or she contact local fi re offi cials

to arrange to have an expert visit the property and

develop a plan to better protect his or her property.

The letter will also advise the customer that he or

she will have 18-24 months to obtain the plan and

complete the items noted on the plan. Any charges

assessed for the help of a local fire or emergency

management official will be the responsibility of

the customer.

The customer’s State Farm agent will follow-up to

verify that the recommended measures have been

completed or are underway. If a homeowner chooses

not to complete these safety measures, putting his or

her property and the lives of fi re officials at greater

risk, options will be considered, including the non-

renewal of his or her insurance policy on the property.

State Farm’s goal is to not lose any customers as a

result of the program.

For additional information contact Steve Niccolai

at (970) 395-5840. To view the full article, go to

http://extension.usu.edu/forestry/Management/Fire_

StateFarm2004.htm.

7

Upcoming Conference: Managing Aspen in Western Landscapes

We invite you to attend the “Managing Aspen

in Western Landscapes Conference” to be held

September 21-23, 2004. This will be an interesting

and entertaining conference, following up on

the success of the “Sustaining Aspen in Western

Landscapes” Conference held in Grand Junction in

2000. The conference will be held at Southern Utah

University’s Hunter Conference Center in Cedar City

near Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks and

Cedar Breaks and Grand Staircase-Escalante

National Monuments.

This conference is aimed at aspen management

practitioners and application oriented researchers,

including public and private land managers,

landowners, foresters, students, and others, from

around the West. The three day conference will

begin and end with day-long tours on the 21st and

23rd, highlighting aspen management successes and

challenges in the mountains near Cedar City. On the

22nd, there will be indoor sessions, including keynote

speakers Wayne Shepperd, from the Rocky Mountain

Research Station in Fort Collins, providing a west-

wide view, and James Bowns, from Southern Utah

University, providing a local perspective. We plan

to have 20 to 30 speakers in plenary and concurrent

sessions, as well as poster presentations.

Reduced rates are still available for non-agency

forest landowners. Register on-line using the

conference Web site, or by phone (see below). On-site

registration and conference check-in will be available

from 6-8 pm Monday, September 20, Tuesday

morning, September 21, prior to the first tour (7:30­

8:30 am), and throughout the conference.

Motel lodging can be booked through the Iron County

Tourism & Convention Bureau (see conference Web

site or call 435-586-5124).

Participants can receive 14 CFE credits from the

Society of American Foresters and 21.5 CEUs from

the International Society of Arboriculture.

For maps and additional information and updates,

visit the conference Web site at http://extension.usu. edu/conference/events/aspen or call 435-797-0560.

The deadline for the Call for Papers/Posters has

expired, but if you have a poster idea we may be able

to accommodate it.

The regular registration deadline has already past,

but let us know if you hear about it late and still

wish to register.

For more information regarding any of the information presented in this newsletter, please call Darren

McAvoy at Utah State University, 435-797-0560, write to him at 5230 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322­

5230, or email darren.mcavoy@usu.edu.

State of Utah Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands (DFF&SL) service foresters for your area can be

contacted by calling 801-538-5555.

Ideas and written contributions to this newsletter are encouraged. Send your contributions or comments to

the return address above or call 435-797-0560, or email darren.mcavoy@usu.edu.

8

Forest Landowner Education Program

College of Natural Resources

5230 Old Main Hill

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID

LOGAN, UTAH

PERMIT NO. 1

Logan, UT 84322-5230

Utah State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution.

Utah Forest News

COMING EVENTS:

• Managing Aspen in Western Landscapes- Sept. 21-23,

2004, Cedar City, UT. This three-day conference on aspen

management in the West is organized by USU Forestry

Extension in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service.

For more information, contact Darren McAvoy at 435­

797-0560 or darren.mcavoy@usu.edu.

• Four Corners Sustainable Forests Partnership

Conference- Oct. 20-22, 2004, Springerville-Eagar, AZ.

This conference will showcase uses for small diameter

materials and provide networking opportunities. For more

information contact Herb Hopper at 928-524-6063 (ext. 5)

or email him at sferriegel@littlecolorado.org.

• Backyards and Beyond: 2004 Wildland/Urban

Interface Conference- Nov. 4-6, 2004, Doubletree Hotel,

Denver, CO. Topics include wildland/urban interface

assessment, planning, safety, fire suppression, mitigation,

resources, and others. For more information go to www.

fi rewise.org/2004conference. Fir trees start to take hold beneath aspen on the Wasatch Crest. This topic of succession will be among those discussed at the upcoming Managing Aspen in Western Landscapes.