Mary Spring

Education: 
A.S. Columbia Greene Community College, B.S. Dual Major - Forest Ecosystems Science, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Special Interests: 
Forest Health - forest entomology and pathology. The most fascinating aspect of forests, to me, is the interaction of site conditions, tree genetics, weather conditions, human manipulation, and the consequential impacts of insects and pathogens; which all work in concert to elicit some effect on the overall health of forests.
NYC Watershed Model Forest System - I have spent the past two years involved with the model forest network and hope to continue my involvement into the future.

Mission Statement: 
Spring Forestry was established with the mission of providing quality, sustainable forest management and consulting services, with a focus on forest health issues to landowners within the greater Catskill mountain range and the New York City watershed region. The main objective I stand behing is the assurance of the maintenance and enhancement of forest health, as well as long term sustainable forest management; to best provide generations to come with the myriad benefits that forests provide, such as water quality, wildlife habitat, wood and fiber provisions, recreation, aesthetic, cultural and regional quality, carbon sequestration, and ecological function. All management activities focus on improving the health and quality of forests; by avoiding at all costs a "high grade" methodology (take all the best and leave the rest). Instead, I focus on balancing the need for the procurement of wood and fiber products with the removal of diseased, infested, damaged trees, or high quality trees where density or economic and/or biological over-maturity permits - such that the residual forest is of better quality than it was prior to a timber harvest or pre-commercial thinning. Any such harvests are conducted in a manor which follows the principles of silviculture appropriate to the particular forest in question, such that growth resources (solar, soil, and water) are distributed upon residual trees with the greatest growth potential, when and where thinning is deemed necessary and beneficial based on inventory analysis. When and where disease outbreaks and insect infestations are detected, affected trees, individually or as groups, are removed and reforestation efforts are established. The future forests of New York State, and especially the Catskill mountain region, are the focus of Spring Forestry at all times and with all management decisions.