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Game Commission Offers Seedlings For Landowners

HARRISBURG, Penn. - Landowners seeking to plant trees beneficial to wildlife are encouraged to order seedlings being offered by the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Howard Nursery, which is accepting orders until April 24. Order forms and information is available on the agency's website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) by clicking on the "Forms and Programs" section and choosing "Howard Nursery Seedling Program." The order form can be completed and submitted on line.

"All Pennsylvania landowners may purchase seedlings for wildlife food and cover, watershed protection, soil erosion control, and for reclamation of disturbed areas, such as surface mine site and utility right-of-ways," said Cliff Guindon, Howard Nursery superintendent.

"The goal of the Howard Nursery is to provide the finest tree seedlings available of those species that best provide for the various needs of wildlife, including food and shelter. All of our stock is inspected annually by the state Department of Agriculture and certified to be disease-free."

Guindon noted that the nursery sells seedlings in units/bundles of 25. Orders of 12 more total units receive discounted pricing. Prices are as low as $3.75 per unit of 25 seedlings (15 cents each).

Some species have already been sold out. The following species remain available: Eastern white pine; mugo pine; red pine; Norway spruce; white spruce; Colorado blue spruce; Canada hemlock; common elderberry; red elderberry; silky dogwood; flowering dogwood; nannyberry viburnum; arrowhead viburnum; sawtooth oak; scrub oak/bear oak; pin oak; white oak; northern red oak; black walnut; Chinese chestnut; hybrid chestnut; American hazelnut; black locust; large tooth aspen; trembling aspen; American mountain ash; Washington hawthorne; assorted crabapple; American sweet crabapple; assorted standard crabapple; and eastern redbud.

Guindon noted that, for evergreens, 1,000 seedlings planted at the recommended tree spacing of 8 feet by 8 feet will occupy 1.5 acres. Planting spacing for hardwood trees should be a minimum of 8 feet by 8 feet for black locust and European alder; for other hardwood species, the minimum should be 10 feet by 10 feet. For hardwoods, 100 trees will occupy one-quarter acre, and 1,000 seedlings will occupy 2.5 acres.

A description of each, along with size information, is available on the website. Some of the new native shrubs are available in limited quantities and are expected to sell out quickly. The selection of native trees and shrubs is being expanded annually. With the exception of black locust, all of our hardwoods are grown from seed collected and processed by Game Commission personnel from Pennsylvania sources.

In addition to making arrangements for landowners to pick up their seedling orders, the nursery does ship via United Parcel Service (UPS). Shipping and handling charges do apply. This is very efficient and most orders are received next day. Orders are only shipped Monday thru Wednesday to assure delivery for weekend planting.

"Due to conditions beyond our control, such as ice and snow, wet weather, frozen ground, we may not be able to ship trees as early as we would like," Guindon said. "We will do everything we can do at the nursery to ensure timely shipping and arrival of trees." Generally seedlings ship in the month of April.

For more information, contact Cliff Guindon at the Howard Nursery, 197 Nursery Road, Howard, PA 16841, telephone (814) 355-4434. Hours of operation are Monday thru Friday 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Guindon noted that schools are encouraged to consider the "Seedlings for Schools" program, which is available at no cost. For more information, visit the Game Commission's website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) and click on the "Seedlings for Schools" icon in the center of the homepage.

The Game Commission's Howard Nursery produces bare-root seedlings for wildlife food and cover on State Game Lands. The nursery has been producing and distributing 2.7 to 6 million seedlings annually for wildlife food and cover since 1954. Landowners who have land open to public hunting and are enrolled in one of the Commission's public access programs are eligible to receive up to 500 free seedlings annually, as available. Those enrolled cooperators with more than 500 acres are eligible for one free seedling per acre enrolled up to a maximum of 10,000 seedlings annually, as available. Cooperators are provided an order form each fall for following spring delivery. Free seedling orders are only taken in the fall through local Wildlife Conservation Officers (WCOs) and Land Management Group Supervisors (LMGS).

Media Contact:
Jerry Feaser (717) 705-6541 or PGCNews@state.pa.us