Silver Linings

[wood4heat]

I am fortunate enough to live on a couple acres near the end of a private road in fine PNW timberland. It's a beautiful setting with privacy and lots of trees, mostly Doug Fir with some patches of Alder.

Well early this spring the neighbor across from me had most of his lot cleared. Now instead of looking out my front window at a wall of Doug Fir I see the side of his house. There are still plenty of trees to look at beyond him but I'm sure you can all understand how I would be upset. Sure it's his land to do as he wishes with but if the guy didn't like trees why did he leave the city??? That's all I'm saying.

So where's the silver lining you ask... today I was up there talking to him and there was a small pile of wood the logger left behind, not marketable I guess. My silver lining was getting 2-3 cord of firewood from right across the street!

Of course I would prefer the privacy and trees but what am I gonna do, they're gone. I'll just try not to think about it as I'm burning them this winter.

 

[oneoldbanjo]

I can feel your pain - and share your grief and wood blessings. I have a set of large powerlines on my property. I own the land.....but the power company has an easement that is 150 feet wide and it runs along the west side of my property right up against an old fence line common with a neighbor. The lines were put in about 40 years ago and they only maintained 100 feet of their easement cleared. The common fence line was filled with trees and my neighbor and I both liked it that way. The trees were thick enough that the weeds/brush were kept in check and we did not have to mow that area - and as much as we like each other and get along very well it was nice not to have to look at each other constantly. He cuts my hay, we cut wood together, he fishes in my pond, I help him bale and stack his hay, etc.

Somewhere in the country a large tree fell down and took a powerline with it and caused a huge blackout - so the Federal Government supposedly ordered all utilities to clear the entire right of way for their powerlines - or face a fine (that is what the powerline owner told us). The end result is that they came on my property and cleared their entire easement and took down 25 feet of trees on each side of the easement (50 feet total for 2,000 feet) - I am guessing it was somewhere around 200 trees. They chipped up the brush, and left me the wood and all the stumps. Our house now has a view of the neighbors and the public road - all of which were screened by the trees prior to the right of way clearing. I have about 6-8 years of wood lying on the ground that I have been working on all summer to get gathered up and stacked. I have been trying to mow the right of way but the stumps are tearing up my tractor and mower - so I will be renting a stumper in a few weeks and grinding the stumps enough to permit safe mowing. I liked my trees and privacy a lot more than I like having to gather up and stack 6 years or wood in one summer. The attached photograph shows what they left for me about 1/3rd of the property and the other 2/3rds looked about the same.

 

[mga]

gees, you guys....count your blessings. many of us have neighbors right next door to contend with.

 

[olyman]

oneoldbanjo---what im wanting to know is--how did a tree close to the powerline--get that far away from the trimming crews, to get high enough, that after it broke off--to fall on those lines that got knocked out-----some one is passing mucho gas---as those arent small lines----as ive got 167,000 volt lines going by my house-------bureaucrats!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[oneoldbanjo]

olyman:

I know the company spent lots and lots of dollarrs clearing lines as they were on my property for 3 weeks - and spent a whole year cutting withing a 10 minute drive of my house. There is a powerplant on the river just below my house and several different lines all head toward the powerplant - luckily only one set is on my property. I don't believe they would have done nearly as much clearing without being forced to. In the summer when it is 90+ degrees and everyone is running their air conditioner the lines are hot and they really sag low between the towers. I agree that most of the trees they took down were never a threat - but it is their right of way and they do have the right to clear it. My only regret is that the fellow who owned the property when the line was built got paid for it - while us current owners get no pay and only get the burdon. I would much rather the easement was a lease - and I would get some compensation for having them on my land.

 

[wood4heat]

gees, you guys....count your blessings. many of us have neighbors right next door to contend with.

Don't get me wrong I love it where I live...just loved it a little more six months ago. I'm hoping to plant some kind of screen along the front of my property just not sure what. I'd like something that looks native but will provide a nice screen in the next 5 years or so. Any suggestions? I've probably got 125' to fill.

The neighbor is a decent guy, I guess he wanted more light into his place. I would've bought him some flood lights if that's all it was.

 

[wood4heat]

Sorry oneoldbanjo, I'm glad I don't have powerlines to look at as well.