Forest care and thining

[Back 40]

Hello folks I just discovered this site and I hope I can find the answers I have sought for so long haha.
So my family and I live on 50 acres in the western mountains of Maine. Our land varies from gently sloping to mountainous. A large portion of this land was logged probably 30 years ago and has grown up into multi shoot maple, beach and other trees I can't ID. most of it is small and trashy interspersed with larger trees in varying degrees of health. There is a medium size stream that borders one side of the property and several small creeks that run through it depending on the weather. We run a retreat center and have a lot of people using walking trails through the property and I'm looking to find out the correct way to turn this into one of those stereotypical beautiful forests. I know thinning has to be done but how do I chose what to cut and what to leave? what to you do with those kinds of runty trees that have 5-8 trees coming out of one base? there is also a lot of standing dead wood....what is the cause of that and should I cut it down? also any other recommendations or comments would be welcome.

 

[HD2010]

I would start with the small trashy trees that you don't want. Anything that you cut and don't want to come back spray with 50/50 glyophosate and water. Otherwise it will sprout back. That is what probably happened with the 5-8 trees in one base it wasn't sprayed. May want to start with a trimmer with a saw blade on it and have someone follow you with spray. May want to contact local Forester he can tell you what should be cut and left.

The property that I am currently working on we are leaving Oaks, Hickory, Walnut and some straight Ash. Elm, Sugar Maple, Silver Maple, Poplar etc. get removed.

Check out this thread, lots of good info and pictures. http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/10-acres-need-guidance.250114/ Lots of good info on You Tube also. Pictures of unidentified trees can be id'd here lots of smart guy's around here.

 

[ATH]

If you are inviting visitors, the FIRST thing you need to do is get the standing dead down if it is within 2 tree lengths of any trails.

Then you can start doing other forest improvement. The first step in doing that is getting a forester out. Start here: http://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/policy_management/district_foresters.html to see if you can get a state forester out. Otherwise, it would be worth hiring a private consultant to help you develop a plan for managing your property.

 

[Jim Timber]

A general rule of thumb for standing/not standing dead - is you want 1 tree per acre for wildlife.

The "park" look everyone seems to favor is actually a wildlife desert. You should have some brushy areas, some open areas, and some of various stages of regrowth. People walking your trails will have much more positive to say when they encounter bunnies, fox, squirrels, and turkey - maybe the occasional deer.

If it looks like a golf course, you'll have far less to offer your guests. The nastier it is, the more certain species prefer it.

I take great pride in the influx of new fox dens I've seen since setting back some of the growth my land has had in the past 40 years since being cut last. Since we have fox, I know we have more bunnies as they go hand in hand. The fox are also putting the hammer down on the mouse problem I've had in the last couple years. I smile every time I see them while walking my woods.

Don't get me wrong though - I'm still planning on having an oak savanna around where my house will be built. There's value in all different types of habitat.

 

[Back 40]

I would start with the small trashy trees that you don't want. Anything that you cut and don't want to come back spray with 50/50 glyophosate and water. Otherwise it will sprout back. That is what probably happened with the 5-8 trees in one base it wasn't sprayed. May want to start with a trimmer with a saw blade on it and have someone follow you with spray. May want to contact local Forester he can tell you what should be cut and left.

The property that I am currently working on we are leaving Oaks, Hickory, Walnut and some straight Ash. Elm, Sugar Maple, Silver Maple, Poplar etc. get removed.

Check out this thread, lots of good info and pictures. http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/10-acres-need-guidance.250114/ Lots of good info on You Tube also. Pictures of unidentified trees can be id'd here lots of smart guy's around here.

I've heard a lot of people talking about glyphosate. Isn't that a nasty weed killer that may cause cancer? Is there anything less toxic I can use?

 

[Back 40]

A general rule of thumb for standing/not standing dead - is you want 1 tree per acre for wildlife.

The "park" look everyone seems to favor is actually a wildlife desert. You should have some brushy areas, some open areas, and some of various stages of regrowth. People walking your trails will have much more positive to say when they encounter bunnies, fox, squirrels, and turkey - maybe the occasional deer.

If it looks like a golf course, you'll have far less to offer your guests. The nastier it is, the more certain species prefer it.

I take great pride in the influx of new fox dens I've seen since setting back some of the growth my land has had in the past 40 years since being cut last. Since we have fox, I know we have more bunnies as they go hand in hand. The fox are also putting the hammer down on the mouse problem I've had in the last couple years. I smile every time I see them while walking my woods.

Don't get me wrong though - I'm still planning on having an oak savanna around where my house will be built. There's value in all different types of habitat.

Great thank you this is the type of input I'm looking for. I had figured some of the runty trees should stay and the one dead tree per acre is good especially as I have a large amount of pileated wood peckers on the land. I mostly just don't want it to look trashy And a lot of it doesn't just some areas

 

[Jim Timber]

Trashy is what small game love.

If people wanted to go to a park and see nothing but other people, they already have multiple other options for that experience.

 

[ATH]

I've heard a lot of people talking about glyphosate. Isn't that a nasty weed killer that may cause cancer? Is there anything less toxic I can use?

Some say household vinegar...but that is actually more toxic than glyphosate (Round-Up is the most common brand name...but you can find plenty of generics out there). ANY thing "may" cause cancer....peanut butter, living in a brick house, drinking tap water, beer, being in the sun, not getting enough sun, pumping gasoline. Used properly, glyphosate is no more dangerous than 10 other bottles you probably already have under your sink or in the garage. But it kills plants (effectively), and GMO corn and soybeans are created around glyphosate, so there are people that freak out about it just because they don't like it so they paint as bad of a picture as they possibly can.

 

[Jim Timber]

Glyphosate is just another salt. Some plants have been genetically bred to tolerate exposure to it, but most plants will not. Weeds are even becoming tolerant of it where it's used excessively in crop production. I'm surprised M hasn't tried suing the weeds for patent infringement.

 

[CTYank]

I got involved recently in reworking some wildlife shelters on land that will remain undeveloped. Feds and state agencies research this, and provide guidance. If you're going to be dropping trees and clearing brush, you'll have the raw materials. These shelters can be made to be pretty inconspicuous. For a starter: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/Habitat/WildAcres/wabrush.asp