Hemlock======blight

[showrguy]

howdy all, i got a call from a guy close to my camp in central Pa. telling me that the neighboring property owner is having all or most of the hemlocks cut out/down due to blight on his property..
i call the guy/logger who's doing the timber job, he said my trees are most likely infested too, i'm going up thurs. to meet with him and have a look around the property..
i really hate to cut em all down cause it's gonna be a rats nest of undergrowth, briars, ect. for years after..
guess my question is, should i wait and see if they die or cut em all down now ??
also, any idea what the board ft. price is for hemlock right now ?
thanks

 

[sILlogger]

i've never heard of the hemlock blight, but i have heard of the hemlock wooly edilgid. and to be honest i don't think it is a matter of if it gets it but when. now is not the best time for log prices, but if i was you i would cut it and get what you can out of it.

 

[willt1981]

i've never heard of the hemlock blight, but i have heard of the hemlock wooly edilgid. and to be honest i don't think it is a matter of if it gets it but when. now is not the best time for log prices, but if i was you i would cut it and get what you can out of it.

the blight and edilgid are the same thing. hemlock has never sold for much around here. ive only used it for structural lumber. seems like it was $200 mbf last year. it does make great building material though.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

How big and how many trees?

 

[Mike Van]

If you have a lot of property/trees, don't take one guys opinion - Get a private forester or someone from the state forestry to give you a few tips, pointers, estimates, etc.

 

[showrguy]

thanks guys,
i'll be able to tell tomorrow by looking at the needles weather or not they have it and how bad.... i know it's in the area though from talking with a buddy up there who cuts timber for a living..

it's not a big chunk of land, only 4 1/2 acres or so, but i'd amagine theres a couple of hundred trees though..

their not huge but the majority of them are probably 18-24" at the stump..

 

[big daddio]

Va Tech is doin some preventive measures on the adelgid population on hemlocks down here. one uses an insecticide injection and the other is the release of predator beetles. don't know how cost effective it could be but around here the hemlocks are preserving the ecology of many small streams.