Cook Forest old growth areas & big tree locations   Djluth-@aol.com   Mar 04, 2002 11:39 PST  --part1_17b.48527e8.29b52741_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Colby, Matt, Bob, et. al., Glad to hear from you Colby, and thanks for the reminder to update Cook Forest's tree locations. I was away this weekend up in Erie. Hopefully the following will answer your questions, feel free to add/subtract what you like: 5 old growth areas within Cook Forest State Park:       1. Forest Cathedral Natural Area -    probably Pennsylvania's finest and largest intact old growth forest, Registered Natural Landmark, noted for its old growth white pine and hemlock, one of the highest concentrations of tall white pine in the entire Eastern United States. (numerous 225-450 year old trees, total acreage is questionable, accounts suggest 171 to around 500, I'd go with a middle figure of around 300 until I can accurately GPS the whole stand. Maybe 171 acres is untouched, the "natural area" is around 550 acres, but contains areas that have been selectively cut in the past. There are other accounts of 2000-4000 acreas of old growth in the Alleghany National Forest in the Tionesta Scenic Area... I haven't seen the whole area, but from what I've observed, we're probably looking at no more than 10 acreas untouched, ask Bob for a confirmation on this.   The entire Cook Forest State Park may house 1500-2000 acres of old growth using the Alleghany National Forest definition (185+ years old), this includes areas that have been selectively cut in the past but are now showing old growth forest characteristics). 2. Swamp Natural Area - not sure of total acreage without looking into the park's management plan, but is definitely smaller than the Forest Cathedral Area (maybe 75-125 acres), nice stand of old red and white (283+ Orwig) oaks, sugar maples, hemlocks, and American beech, again selectively cut and burnt over possibly two times within the last 200 years (Orwig). 3. Seneca Special Management Area - old growth white pine and hemlock along steep slopes overlooking the Clarion River, historically part of the original Forest Cathedral tract, possibly a very ancient pitch pine located here (started growing around 1644, may have been blown down in 1976 tornado), old growth red, chestunut, and white oak along with old growth white pine and Eastern hemlock. Unsure of exact acreage without looking in management plan, but less than Forest Cathedral (200-300 acres), selectively cut and burnt over one time in certain areas in the late 1880's. 4. Cook Trail Area - located behind the River Cabins and between Cemetary and Troutman Run Roads and near the Cook family cemetary, selectively cut but now showing old growth forest characteristics. Houses some very nice old growth Eastern hemlock, some ancient red, white, and chestnut oak, a few tall white pines, old growth black gum? (Bob & Will, can you help me on this? Haven't been able to find it.), 200-300 acreas. Current 1 acre deer exclosure study plot looking at deer density and old growth. 5. Deer Meadow Trail Area- another small section of selectively cut forest now showing old growth characteristics, old growth Eastern hemlock, white oak, and American beech. A very lightly travelled area of the park in the Upper Tom's Run Valley (200-300 acreas). I believe Bob also suggested that I send Matt Therell (sorry if I mispelled your name) our current tallest and largest trees at Cook Forest. Here goes black cherry CBH=7.55ft, 136.6ft high, measured by VanPelt/impulse laser 7/97,   Ridge Trail black cherry CBH=11.48ft, 131.0ft high, measured by Luthringer 10/19/01, Breezemont Drive red maple CBH=8.3ft, 107.5ft high (Colby, note change in height in your Tallest Trees in the East list), measured by Luthringer 12/6/01, Baker Trail in the Swamp Natural Area red maple CBH=8.97ft, 107.5ft high (Colby, new addition to your list), measured by Luthringer 2/18/02, Upper Little Hefren Run in the Upper Tom's Run Valley, near below mentioned coordinates for large northern red oak sugar maple CBH=4.35ft, 111.9ft high, measured by Luthringer 2/12/02, Breezemont Drive Eastern hemlock CBH=?, 142.2ft high, measured by VanPelt/impulse laser 7/97, Seneca Trail in the Seneca Special Management Area Eastern hemlock CBH=17.25ft (triple, one side broke off), 117.7ft high, measured by Luthringer 2/12/02, Corduroy Trail in the Upper Tom's Run Valley American beech CBH=7.6ft, 119.0ft high, measured by Luthringer 11/01 (Colby, note change in date from your Tallest Trees in the East list), Breezemont Drive American beech CBH=9.85ft, 110.6ft high, measured by Luthringer 2/12/02, Breezemont Drive white ash CBH=5.48ft, 115.5ft high, measured by Luthringer 2/12/02, Corduroy Trail in the Upper Tom's Run Valley white ash CBH=7.72ft, 110.5ft high, measured by Luthringer 2/18/02, Upper Little Hefren Run in the Upper Tom's Run Valley Northern red oak CBH=6.49ft, 117.1ft high, measured by Luthringer 10/01, Ridge Trail Northern red oak CBH=16.64ft (single), 115.4ft high, measured by Luthringer 2/18/02, Upper Little Hefren Run in the Upper Tom's Run Valley (Bob, found a higher sprig without leaf cover, this is listed as the state co-champ on the PA Forestry Assoc. big tree list, but they list the height at ~160ft) 41 21.856N by 79 15.548W white oak CBH=11.61ft, 119.5ft high (Colby, note change in height on your Tallest Trees in the East list, it's that one that's been giving me such a hard time), measured by Luthringer 2/26/02, Deer Meadow Trail, adjacent to Deer Meadows Campground, 41 08.685N by 78 47.856W               black oak CBH=5.95ft, 104.5ft high, measured by Luthringer 2/18/02, Upper Little Hefren Run in the Upper Tom's Run Valley yellow birch CBH=7.64ft, 92.2ft high, measured by Luthringer 10/01, west side of Vowinckle Road across from Shelter #1 black birch CBH=5.2ft, 103.4ft high, measured by Luthringer 10/01, Ridge Trail black birch CBH=7.41ft, 89.1ft high, measured by Luthringer 1/10/02, Forest Cathedral Natural Area/Seneca Pine grove Eastern white pine CBH=11.14ft, 180.1ft high measured by Leverett 2000?, Forest Cathedral Natural Area/Longfellow Trail (Longfellow Pine), 41 20.492N by 79 12.730W Eastern white pine CBH=13.21ft, 131.33ft high, measured by Luthringer 12/19/01, Forest Cathedral Natural Area/Seneca Pine grove, beside Seneca Pine balanced on rock, top blown off but has new growth, 41 20.747N by 79 12.620W cucumbertree CBH=7.26ft, 122.9ft high, measured by Luthringer 10/01, Ridge Trail cucumbertree CBH=11.59ft, 109.0ft high, measured by VanPelt 7/97, Forest Cathedral Natural Area/Longfellow Trail (near Longfellow Pine) shagbark hickory CBH= 8.06ft, 92.0ft+ high, measured by Luthringer 10/01, near water tower at Ridge Camp (Cook Forest State Park family campground) sycamore CBH=20.57ft (double), 105.87ft high, measured by Luthringer 11/21/00, south side of Clarion River directly across from River Cabins Be advised folks, these numbers are always changing the more we get out in the field. Hopefully, ENTS will be able to break a few of our records in our spring event! Sincerely, Dale J. Luthringer Environmental Education Specialist Cook Forest State Park   Home