Public Land Milling Colorado?

canoeral · Jul 18, 2010

I am moving to Colorado soon , and have decided to continue milling(currently milling urban wood in Chicago) when I move there I will be attending the Fine Furniture program at Red Rocks CC and I am bitten by the milling bug and can not see myself not doing it.

Now I have seen some of you all talking about milling on public land and I have searched for it about and all I can find is this permits for firewood.

http://fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsint...et Determined.Html&ttype=detail&pname=Arapaho

Does anyone know the regs for Colorado or a place on the internet to find the information.

mtngun · Jul 18, 2010

canoeral said:
Now I have seen some of you all talking about milling on public land and I have searched for it about and all I can find is this permits for firewood.

If you go to a government office and ask for a permit to mill lumber on public land, they will freak out. Milling lumber is considered a commercial activity -- even if you only do it as a hobby -- and it would be treated like any other commercial timber sale. You don't want to go there.

My suggestion is to ask about a firewood permit, read the fine print, and don't say anything about "milling lumber." There are usually limits on the maximum length (typically 8' in a National Forest) and I notice the Boulder district has a 10" diameter limit. Plus they will generally insist that you cut in very particular areas, and only at certain times of year. They want you to stay away from logging sales. They want you to stay off the logging roads when they are muddy. They want you to stop cutting all together during the summer wildfire season. etc..

Then get an enclosed trailer like Big Jake, so if your tape measure happens to be a little off and causes you to accidentally cut some "rectangular firewood" that exceeds the maximum length, well, at least no one will be able to see it once it is inside that trailer. :laugh:

canoeral · Jul 18, 2010

I read all that I could find and there is nothing about a length limit but I did see the 10" dia at chest level. Is that after I make it a 10 x 10 cant

I hope that the officials out there are as cool as some the forest preserve people here I knew some of them from my scouting days and they call me if they have any blow downs, and as long as I donate some of the wood to the local Hgh Schools they have no problem with me mlling there.

Also when I am out there I will be leaving all my milling buddies behind here in IL I will need to find some new ones. Anybody in the west denver area that runs a CSM for fun? I have a 088 mag on a 36" alaskan and 028 super that I will be bringing with me.

mtngun · Jul 18, 2010

canoeral said:
I read all that I could find and there is nothing about a length limit but I did see the 10" dia at chest level. Is that after I make it a 10 x 10 cant

Ha ha, you wish.

When they issue a woodcutting permit, they'll likely include a copy of the rules and regulations, or it will be in fine print somewhere on the permit.

I hope that the officials out there are as cool as some the forest preserve people here I knew some of them from my scouting days and they call me if they have any blow downs, and as long as I donate some of the wood to the local High Schools they have no problem with me mlling there.

It seems to vary. My former local forester was pretty laid back about woodcutting. His exact words "your permit says 2 cords, but hell, take all you want. There's tons of wood up there."

But now, there is a new forester who is Mr. "Rules and Regulations." No bending the rules, no looking the other way. I try to work with him and stay on his good side, but I keep my mouth shut about milling.

griffonks · Jul 18, 2010

There is so much beetle kill pine here that little attention is paid to anything else. You can have all the dead pines you can handle and probably get paid to remove it to boot. Boulder is probably the most difficult county to deal with. I would suggest Jefferson County, also on the west side of Denver. Red Rocks is in Jefferson County, and is a little more people friendly rather than government oriented (read way left of center, Peoples Republic of Boulder).