Forest thinning help?

[sweetjeep]

Hey Folks..

I own about a 25 acre wood lot in Massachusetts. The bulk of it is pine and other garbage. I intend to have the pine/hemlock/spruce logged and otherwise removed and leave the hardwoods that are sprinkled within.

However I have a couple areas where the hardwoods have done a good job taking over. However, they need to be thinned to help everyone thrive. The problem here is I don't really have a good starting point on how to do this..

Can anyone point me to a worthwhile resource or share any pointers? I have a couple acres of Maple and Ash that I am trying to take care of and help grow. As well, at some point when I have the pine and other garbage logged I intend to replant with various hardwoods. Mainly as an effort toward future firewood. Possibly some psuedo exotics for "fun things"

Thanks all!
Morgan

 

[ATH]

Here are a few guidelines to start:

*Thin the ash to favor the maple (or anything for that matter). Emerald Ash Borer will wipe out the ash in a few years. If you have some ash that are at least 12" in diameter (or lager) and nice logs, you might keep those in hopes they will grow to sawlogs.

*Look for poorly-formed trees (twisted, crooked, low forks, etc...) and cut those.

*Look for really, really nice trees (usually a combination of species and quality) and be more aggressive about thinning around those.

*Call the State Department of Conservation and Recreation about the Forest Stewardship Program to find out about getting a forester out on your property. You should do this BEFORE you plan the logging operation.

 

[sweetjeep]

Here are a few guidelines to start:

*Thin the ash to favor the maple (or anything for that matter). Emerald Ash Borer will wipe out the ash in a few years. If you have some ash that are at least 12" in diameter (or lager) and nice logs, you might keep those in hopes they will grow to sawlogs.

*Look for poorly-formed trees (twisted, crooked, low forks, etc...) and cut those.

*Look for really, really nice trees (usually a combination of species and quality) and be more aggressive about thinning around those.

*Call the State Department of Conservation and Recreation about the Forest Stewardship Program to find out about getting a forester out on your property. You should do this BEFORE you plan the logging operation.

Thanks for the tips. For whatever reason the Ash and the Maple are not intermixed. And only in an effort to express appreciation for my luck: I have nearly enough Ash better than 2' in diameter to build a house. Which is partly a plan if we are ever able to.

I would like to get a forester out there before the loggers come. At the moment, I am in little hurry to get the loggers out there. Mainly because I have enough other stuff going on at the property to sort out first. Mainly an orchard that I am trying to rehab.

Again: I appreciate the help (and the link).

 

[StrataTree]

Well your personal preference will play a large roll, but I would keep a diverse assortment of species. As ATH said, focus on removing sick, diseased, deformed, or otherwise compromised trees regardless of species. I love the idea of trying to introduce some stuff for fun. The healthiest forests are full of diverse species and are multi canopied... Meaning if the pines you have are fairly big, keep several of the healthiest ones and let them get big. Might be a beautiful addition to a future forest... I'm in Oregon but grew up in NH. Love it and miss it there but now this is home... I say don't eliminate the pines entirely...just my .02...

 

[ATH]

....I would like to get a forester out there before the loggers come. At the moment, I am in little hurry to get the loggers out there.....

This logging will impact your forest for decades (not exaggerating...literally DECADES). It is worth a few more weeks and some dollars to get somebody on your side who knows what they are doing. There are certainly good loggers out there (I don't know your area...but I'd in many areas, I'd even say most are good), but there are also some really, really bad operators. If you end up with one of those having their way, you will regret it for the rest of your life. I talk to people all the time who do. You can't pick them out just by talking to them...they are smooth operators. Asking neighbors for references isn't always reliable because they just know they got paid...never mind that it was a third of what there timber was actually worth, and that they took all the best logs and left a bunch of junk, etc...

Get a forester.

(says the forester )

 

[isaaccarlson]

Make sure the loggers understand exactly what you want done. Most tend to leave a mess. You will have a lot of cleanup to do when they are done.
Keep plenty of space between trees. I like to leave a foot for every inch in diameter. Make sure you figure on future growth or you will be thinning again before long. If you have a nice stand of maple, make syrup.

Don't leave a lot of pine. Some is nice. They give the critters a place to hide in the winter and breaks the wind.

I like to keep the woods more open rather than crammed. It gives everything more room to breathe and cuts down on rot.
Not quite as open as a park, but open. That way you can drive in to pick up your wood and you don't do a lot of collateral damage when you drop a tree.

The deer, rabbits, squirrels, and turkeys will LOVE it. You will have an easy time hunting in there if you like to hunt, and you won't be crammed and limited on what shots you can take. A good supply of oak will ensure your freezer stays full of meat. A few crab apple trees will lure the turkeys.

It will be a lot of work to get it where you want it, but it will be well worth it. Always make sure to have trees of different ages. Lots of folks leave only the old, big stuff and then it all dies out about the same time, leaving them with no trees. My dad is in this kind of situation. He has old oaks in his yard, but no younger trees, and the oaks are starting to die out. He needs to trim them back this year and plant a few younger trees so they will grow some before the oaks finally come down.

PICS!! We need pics!

 

[isaaccarlson]

This logging will impact your forest for decades (not exaggerating...literally DECADES). It is worth a few more weeks and some dollars to get somebody on your side who knows what they are doing. There are certainly good loggers out there (I don't know your area...but I'd in many areas, I'd even say most are good), but there are also some really, really bad operators. If you end up with one of those having their way, you will regret it for the rest of your life. I talk to people all the time who do. You can't pick them out just by talking to them...they are smooth operators. Asking neighbors for references isn't always reliable because they just know they got paid...never mind that it was a third of what there timber was actually worth, and that they took all the best logs and left a bunch of junk, etc...

Get a forester.

(says the forester )

Yep. Can't say it enough. A friend of mine just had me go over a logging quote he got a few weeks ago. He has many mature hardwoods on his land and the logger offered him pennies on the dollar. I told him what he should be getting and he almost tipped over. My dad had his land logged when I was a kid and they took the good stuff and trashed the place. Absolute mess. I did find some nice hickory and oak that they missed though. NICE wood. It is back in a corner and they went right past it.

 

[sweetjeep]

Yep. Can't say it enough. A friend of mine just had me go over a logging quote he got a few weeks ago. He has many mature hardwoods on his land and the logger offered him pennies on the dollar. I told him what he should be getting and he almost tipped over. My dad had his land logged when I was a kid and they took the good stuff and trashed the place. Absolute mess. I did find some nice hickory and oak that they missed though. NICE wood. It is back in a corner and they went right past it.

With out replying to everyone right now.. I'll see if I can grab some pictures this afternoon.

I did see some more good advice in there, which I appreciate!

 

[Twindad]

Here are a few guidelines to start:

*Thin the ash to favor the maple (or anything for that matter). Emerald Ash Borer will wipe out the ash in a few years. If you have some ash that are at least 12" in diameter (or lager) and nice logs, you might keep those in hopes they will grow to sawlogs.

*Look for poorly-formed trees (twisted, crooked, low forks, etc...) and cut those.

*Look for really, really nice trees (usually a combination of species and quality) and be more aggressive about thinning around those.

*Call the State Department of Conservation and Recreation about the Forest Stewardship Program to find out about getting a forester out on your property. You should do this BEFORE you plan the logging operation.

You've gotten some really good advice so far.

I won't say a lot but will reiterate : get a forester.
They will be able to provide information and advice about your particular stand that we just cannot give online without seeing it in person even with pictures.



I will also say don't totally write off the pine. If the pine that is already there is junk, then by all means, remove it. But pine is often the best choice for reforestation plantings because it can be very tough to have long term success with hardwood plantings in a forest setting, especially if there is a deer problem in your area.

Good luck.

 

[sweetjeep]

Sssoooo.. what I am hearing is that you guys, as a general rule, see no value in getting a forester to take a look. That really appears to be a big fat waste of my time eh? No value. Worthless. Pointless.




I grabbed some representative pictures this evening and I'll post them up asap. I am hoping they are in focus as the bugs were in FULL FORCE last night.

Thanks!!

 

[Lil Red]

Also check out your states Forestry Department, they should have lots of help for you. From attaining grants for your property to programs that help for little or no cost. Also tax breaks...