The Napa County Resource Conservation District (RCD) is carrying out a local man’s vision to expand a grove of Coast Redwoods into a community forest.

“We’ve been marginally involved the past couple of years – Paul’s (Asmuth) been talking with our forester – and last year we were brought in for this large volunteer event,” said RCD Community Engagement Project Manager Ashley Kvitek.

“Since, we’ve talked with him about his vision and how this community forest can fit in with the district’s mission and goals, but Paul’s still the driving force,” she said.

More than four decades ago, Asmuth, a St. Helena resident, visited the Big Basin State Park and fell in love with the Redwood. Eventually, he relocated to California, and based on a town of Graton’s effluent irrigation project in Northern California, he approached the then-mayor of St. Helena with a proposal.

He requested he be allowed to use a fallow spray field next to the city’s Wastewater Treatment Plant to grow Redwoods that could be sustained by the effluent released there by the plant . The city approved, and in 2012, after a failed first attempt, Asmuth planted 300 Redwood seedlings that today stand 30 feet tall.

With Napa County RCD and the Natural Resources Conservation Service serving as partners, Asmuth and other leaders plan for the grove to grow across 10 acres of fallow land and become the Napa Valley Community Forest.

Annica McGuirk is the new staff lead for the NACD Forestry Resource Policy Group (RPG). McGuirk’s primary responsibility for NACD is serving as its Northeast Region Representative.

“Living in the northeast, forestry and forest management is a vital part of our lives and communities, not to mention our quality of life,” said McGuirk. “I’m excited to bring this personal connection to the forestry portfolio at NACD and deepen connections with forest resource managers and leaders across our network of conservation districts.”

McGuirk can be contacted at annica-mcguirk@nacdnet.org.

Clearfield County Conservation District is reminding residents that it currently has a no cost-share program for gypsy moth control.

The district has recently been receiving a number of calls regarding gypsy moth treatment, according to Agricultural Technician Nick Hepfl. The gypsy moth is an invasive species and has been the main driver of tree mortality on state forest land since the 1970s, according to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

While the district receives $750 for coordinating a gypsy moth program, a functioning program would require additional funds, according to Hepfl.

The Francis Marion National Forest announced the completion of the Swamp Fox Passage Reclamation Project. What started as a simple partnership between the Francis Marion National Forest and Berkeley Soil and Water Conservation District in 2017 evolved into a comprehensive, five-year project involving nine partners across the Lowcountry.

To recognize this achievement and show appreciation to those involved, the Palmetto Conservation Foundation and Berkeley Soil and Water Conservation District will be hosting a ribbon-cutting event on March 11.

March 2, 2022 – SUFC Annual Conference l Virtual

April 12-14, 2022 – International Mass Timber Conference l Portland, OR

June 13-17, 2022 – SFI/PLT Annual Conference l Madison, WI

August 1-4, 2022 – NACD Forestry RPG Summer Meeting l Columbus, OH