Help with logging/thinning our farm...

[hill]

Our farm is approximately 90 acres and has become quite overgrown since my grandfather passed away years ago. There is no homestead on the property, I simply use the land for hunting and firewood. I would like to thin the property of some of the undergrowth and a good bit of the hardwoods. I'm sure this is the place to receive some sound advice on the process. Are there logging companies that would come in and remove the trees? Do they pay me for the wood? Do I pay them? Who should I contact for a service of this sort? Any information on this matter is greatly appreciated.

Thanks again.

 

[Ed*L]

Check with your local county ag office, there should be a county Forester available to help you and develop a land managment plan.

In dealing with a timber sale, knowledge is your friend! It's also in your best interest to have a Forester handle any timber sale you conduct. A crooked logger let run wild without supervision can ruin your property for many years to come.

Ed

 

[NYCHA FORESTER]

Check with your local county ag office, there should be a county Forester available to help you and develop a land managment plan.

In dealing with a timber sale, knowledge is your friend! It's also in your best interest to have a Forester handle any timber sale you conduct. A crooked logger let run wild without supervision can ruin your property for many years to come.

Ed

Ed is correct! Seek out a licensed forester in your state to write and administer a management plan.

 

[hill]

thanks

Just what I was looking for...thanks for the great info. Is there a fee involved for this service??

 

[Bushler]

A good resource is NWOA (National Woodlands Owners Asso.)

www.woodlandowners.org

Good info on tax deferments, market conditions, and there's listings for consulting foresters as well.

They have an email address as well: [email protected]

Contact them and ask for a copy of their quartery pub.

 

[Boike]

Hill,
I am not sure what type of wood, or what quality you have, but if you are looking to clear out some of the less valuable stuff you may want to talk to some of the horse loggers. I know there are a couple working this side of the mountain, but they may get over to the valley for the right job. Most(not all of course) are a bit more forward looking. You may want to take some of the less valuable trees out now, leaving the good mast producing trees. I hear that horse logging will bring in less value to the land owner in the short haul, but you recoup by less damage/less logging roads. Some one at this link should be able to point you in the right direction. http://healingharvestforestfoundation.org/

 

[NYCHA FORESTER]

Just what I was looking for...thanks for the great info. Is there a fee involved for this service??

Yes,

You are, in essence, hiring a professional consultant (licensed by the state). With that you get some who is bound by ethics and is accountable. It is money well spent and most likely recouped if you decide to have some trees harvested.

Horse logging is a great "low impact" method for doing a small scale TSI (Timber Stand Improvement) and harvesting. You consultant will explain in details the pro's and con's of different harvesting methodologies.

 

[skyhightree1]

Do you want select cutting or just complete log out a section? You can drop me a Pm if you like a friend of mine has one of those forestry machine that grinds up under brush but im not sure how far you are from richmond area.

 

[skyhightree1]

http://www.elklandrestoration.com/ is the link to his site if you call him tell him Jules sent you over to him. I think youre about 2 hrs away from me so I cant swear he will come up there to service your area.

 

[hill]

select cutting

It will definitely be select cutting. There are a bunch of dead trees and windblown trees that I would like to get rid of. I absolutely do not want any of my walnut and cherry trees taken. Most of the trees that I would like to "tag" will be oaks (red and white mostly), a few of which are in the 36+ inch diameter range, hickory, cedar, locust, and tulip poplar. I appreciate all the information. I guess my next step is to contact a forester.

 

[hill]

one more question

Would the forester be "hired" to oversee what the loggers would be doing? By that I mean, would he/she be present keeping an eye on what they were cutting, or are they simply offering advice on how to best handle the situation?

 

[acer saccharum]

Would the forester be "hired" to oversee what the loggers would be doing? By that I mean, would he/she be present keeping an eye on what they were cutting, or are they simply offering advice on how to best handle the situation?

Depends on how you structure the deal and the forester you hire. The forester should not be 'hired' to oversee a job but rather for a long term relationship to oversee the productivity of your land as you desire. Be that for wildlife/hunting/recreation, a firewood source and an income producing woodlot.

When it comes to harvesting, the forester should tag your trees and stumps, and have a very good estimate of what is to come off your property. The logger should not be choosing what to cut. The forester, while representing you, should also have a relationship with the logger, so there will be some element of trust.

 

[kingston]

The forrester cruises the property inventorying your standing timber. They then develop a long term management plan, identifying which trees to cut and when. Those cuts are offered to logging companies to bid on. You pick the one who pays most, etc... Not knowing your land or what's on it, timber can be very valueable. I just looked at buying a large farm with 100 acres of hardwood timber on in in PA. The forrester I had look at it valued the timber at $250K as it stood.

Absolutely, hire a licensed forrester, even if you think your timber is worthless.

 

[aquan8tor]

I'd add to that, make sure the forester doesn't work for a pulp company. My family had about 40 acres logged on a property in Allegheny co. VA by Westvaco. They (their forester) told us it would be selectively cut, tops cleaned out afterwards and replanted. Well, we got less than they originally said, no replanting was ever done, there is still debris in some places from the removal(over 10 yrs. ago) and what's left is a 40 acre thicket of briars and young scrub saplings. Don't ever believe anything that isn't on paper in a contract, period. To add to that, even after we complained a lot after it was logged, they came back last year uninvited and wanted to log another 100 acres. We told them to get lost.

 

[hill]

that's what I'm afraid of...

Yeah, that's what I don't want to happen. As I said I use this property to hunt on and it is very productive. I absolutely do not want to end up with a piece of treeless land.

 

[hammerlogging]

There are lots of ways to be cheated, short term and long term, forester of logger, whether they charge you hourly, a percentage, whatever. What you need to determine is the reputation of those with whom you work, and trust your gut instinct.

You need to determine your objectives, for timber, and other land ownership values. The timber will determine to some extent what your appropriate harvesting options are. regeneration is an issue, at some point you need to get the next generation going. This does not have to be a part of stage one.

Additionally, there is a lot of misinformation about what is low impact and what is simply perceived as low impact. Truth be told, all other things being equal, its the operator, not the equipment. That goes for horses, skidders, all of it. What you want is to make the money you deserve, do the land right, and achieve your ownership/stewardship objectives.

Check your private messages. Good luck.

 

[NYCHA FORESTER]

Lot's of great advise and experience here..... Probably one of the best threads I've seen in a long while here.

 

[Boike]

hill,
Below is the link of one of the horse loggers that works in our area. Not saying this is the way to go for you, but since you have some certain goals in mind you do want to find someone who shares them. One added benefit of working with horses is that the work is not completed in just a few days, so you can get a better picture of how your lot on whole will look before everything is taken.

 

[Boike]

here is the link

http://www.greenmanforestmanagement.com

 

[secureland]

I believe here in NY state our county forester will consult for free.

Hill, Be aware of what is happening every step of the way and you'll be allright.