The North Dakota Forest Service will host a series of webinars designed to give information about wind breaks.
Topics in the “Friday Forestry Series” include how to scout a windbreak, challenges of growing trees in North Dakota and information about the North Dakota Windbreak Renovation Initiative . The initiative, launched in 2015, offers landowners information and technical assistance from the North Dakota Forest Service on how to extend the life of a windbreak.
Landowners who participate in the North Dakota renovation initiative can get funding through a cost-share program.
North Dakota’s windbreaks, which primarily were planted in the 1960s to shelter people, livestock and crops, are showing signs of age, and a high priority of the state’s forest service is to revitalize them.
During the past 60 years since the windbreaks were planted, the understanding of how trees perform in a prairie environment has improved, said Liz Smith, North Dakota Forest Service stewardship manager.
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Forest service employees have scouted nearly a thousand windbreaks at the request of landowners who were interested in the Statewide Tree Initiative, she said.
The Friday sessions, which will be presented by Peter Gag, North Dakota Forest Service health manager, and Smith will be 15 minutes long, and there will be 15 minutes of time available afterward for questions and/or a discussion.
“North Dakota can be a really tough place to grow trees, and people can have lots of questions,” Smith said. “The more people can get together and hear each other's questions and answers, the better.”
There is no charge for the webinars, which will be held at 10 a.m. CDT, beginning on Jan. 7 and running through March 11. Registration is required. Information: liz.smith@ndsu.edu or peter.gag@ndsu.edu
