10 Sep 2007 - My name
is Doug Bragg and I am 52 years old. My
family moved to Vermont in the late 1700s
from Massachusetts. We have been involved
in the maple syrup industry for seven generations—my
great, great grandmother chronicled the
industry during the 1800’s when our family
used to ship maple syrup out west.
Bud Break
I first started noticing warmer winters
in 1986 when we had 3 warm winters in a
row, which halved our production. Then in
the 11000’s it became more consistent—every
winter seemed to be a little warmer. In
addition to the warmer winters, spring seems
to be arriving sooner.
On our farm, there has been about a 2 week
shift in our harvest timeline. It used to
be that we would start harvesting in late
March and do most of the collecting in April.
Now, we begin in late February and continue
through to March. About 90% of the harvest
takes place in March. In addition to the
earlier harvest, it is has become shorter
as well. Harvest used to take 6 weeks, now
it lasts only 4.
Maple syrup is made from the sweet sap
that flows from tapped trees in the spring.
In order for the sap to flow, the nighttime
temperatures must dip below 32 F and the
days must be at least 45 F. This creates
pressure in the trees which causes the sap
to run. Once the buds open on the maple
trees, the sap ceases to run and there is
nothing more to collect. Harvesting is over
for the year.
Maples in Decline
Sugar maples grow very well in Vermont because
of the harsh winters. The cold winter temperatures
put the trees into a dormant phase, allowing
them to rest. Things are different now.
The warming is triggering many different
stresses for these trees. I’m beginning
to see a lot of dieback on the sugar maples.
Branches are dying and the trees aren't
regenerating as well as they once did. Competition
from trees like hickory, oak and ash is
a factor too. With a milder climate, these
trees will likely be more vigorous and expand
their range.
The optimal place for sugar maples may
be north of here where the winters are still
dependably harsh. I think the Canadian sugar
industry is already benefiting.
Production Falling
Since our harvest period has shortened,
we don’t make as much syrup from our own
trees anymore. This decrease in production
makes the operation more expensive, since
we are still using the same set up and more
traditional sap gathering equipment. We
use old-fashioned buckets for the sap collection
and heat with wood to boil down the syrup.
There have been improvements in the equipment
available such as using vacuum pressure
with plastic tubing, but this kind of set
up is expensive. And besides, if current
trends continue with our winter temperatures,
these things will not help. It has been
estimated that there will no longer be maple
sugaring in Vermont in 2100.
The ski industry in Vermont is also being
affected by warmer temperatures. This past
winter, it was 70 F in January and we didn’t
have snow until February which is incredibly
strange. Christmas is usually a really busy
time for the ski areas but, this year, people
were out mowing their lawns instead. Climate
change is a hot topic here. People are really
starting to stop and think about it.
Scientific Background
According to the National Climatic Data
Center, the average winter temperatures
(December – February) in New England increased
by 4.4 °F from 1970 to 2000. This has
been paralleled by many parts of New England
and New York experiencing an average of
20-30 fewer snow days in 2000 than they
did in the early 1970s.
