Farwell School Forest: 94 years and growing

“Although the trees will never become large enough to be of use during my life-time I have always felt that in whatever we do we should think of the pleasure and benefit to those who come after us. This is a progressive world and we should work to the end that we may leave it better in some way.””

Josiah L. Littlefield

From page 20 of the 2019 Farwell School Forest Stewardship plan

Absent any unforeseen issues such as a large storm or disease outbreak, harvests can be realized every 7-12 years for at least the next 40 years over most of the pine plantation area. As these stands reach the end of their rotation, or life cycle, the smaller trees in the understory will replace the current plantation trees. This will be a more diverse, uneven-aged forest that will have greater wildlife values.

Attachments

20230621-113153-2019 FSP Farwell Schools by Nat Cap Forestry 01-2019.pdf

For over 94 years the Farwell Area Schools have managed an important asset not many school systems possess. Ninety-one acres of land near the school and in the Farwell area were donated by Josiah Littlefield in 1929 for use as a school forest. First plantings in the future forests were done as early as 1927. After many decades and under several generations of stewardship the forests are growing and thriving with a plan for the next decade and beyond.

Josiah Littlefield graduated from the University of Michigan with a civil engineering degree in 1871. Josiah was called to help survey a better route for the Ionia to Houghton Lake state road while still at the university by his uncle Edmund Hall.  He returned after graduation and made Farwell his home. Littlefield was in business logging the area and even owned a small logging rail operation. Unlike many timber operators who cut the land with no regard to the environment and then sold the land off, Littlefield adopted a philosophy of conservation. No doubt his feelings of loss for the big forests cut down during the lumber era drove him to create and donate the school forest.

Steve Scoville, superintendent of Farwell Area Schools gave the Cleaver a boots-required tour of the forests and the work that is currently taking place. He also provided the Cleaver the 70-page Forest Stewardship Plan created in 2019 when Tom House was acting superintendent of Farwell schools.  The plan outlines management of the forest through 2038, 103 years after Littlefield’s death.

The plan was created by James Grey of Natural Capital Forestry, LLC. The 2019 plan was made possible by a Michigan DNR Forest Stewardship Program Outreach and Education Projects Grant. With the plan in place the Farwell Schools were eligible to enroll in the American Tree Farm System, a non-profit organization that offers non-commercial forest landowner resources, support, and recognition for their efforts.

The school forest consists of three parcels. Twelve acres are adjacent to Farwell Schools on Michigan Street in the Village of Farwell and the other two parcels are 40 acres and 39 acres in Surrey Township a few miles from the school. The last large-scale thinning of growth took place 40 years ago.

“We are cutting back the first three rows. We are doing it for two purposes, we need to move away from the powerlines and our goal for the first front row is to plant sugar maples.” said Scoville.

Currently, there are a few sugar maples in the Michigan Street forest location that are tapped by the forestry program class and the sap given to a local processor.

“It’s 20 to 30 years out [to tap new trees] but a row of sugar maples will look nice here. As we do the different things with the forest, we are certified to tree farm, and we are doing all the things that go along with that,” said Scoville.

The trees recently cut to the west of the school are not part of the project. They were cut by the Village of Farwell for safety and visibility and to make way for a future sidewalk.

Tree farming and managing the school forest are also used as part of the school curriculum.  Harvested trees are used for woodshop classes, and this year acorns will be harvested from oak trees on the Washington Road property to be in a school greenhouse for replanting. The entire school forest is a classroom and students learn to identify tree species, recognize the lifecycle of trees, estimate the board feet of a tree, ecology, sustainable forestry skills, and use products from the forest.

“As part of our woodshop program and our forestry program is for the kids to see it go from this [standing trees] to something they are making in woodshop. And a lot of things in this year’s woodshop auction were from our 2019 project. We had three huge white pine tress that had to be taken down for the new elementary parking lot,” said Scoville.

In addition to the $129,000 netted from select cutting on the school forests this year a DNR grant of $37,000 will be used to replant trees. White oaks will be planted to promote raptor and deer habitat. Autumn Olive is an invasive species that is expected to quickly grow in logged areas. An effort will be made to eradicate it.

Long-term projects at the Washington Road site include building a pole barn to store tools and also serve as a classroom and shelter, a parking area with bus turnaround, a walking trail, and a disc golf course.

While short-term progress is obvious as new trees are cut and new trees are planted, the majority of the school forest plans won’t come to fruition for generations. Exactly as Littlefield envisioned it. 

A copy of the Forest Stewardship Plan for the Farwell Area Schools is available from the school office or on the Clare County Cleaver website.