The Mystery of the Clearcut

[MotoMax]

That's the way they treet the forest after cutting here in Germany:

The stumps and all the rest is mulched with a forestry mulcher, then the ground is ripped with a Dozer or bigger tractor an young trees are planted. Most time bigger trees are left, because to much sunlight supports growing blackberrys.
Maybe the wil mulch the stumps :msp_wink:
May

 

[slowp]

Is the unit flat enough to run equipment on?

Were they windrowed?

I assume it was/is doug fir?

Any evidence of corn field forestry in the vicinity?

In the southeast, some stumps are torn out & processed for turpentine. Then a large bedder pulled by a rubber tired skidder is run across it then it is machine planted.

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I did not read far enough before I responded. I did not realize this was THOSE AFTER THE RAPERS ground. They would never think outside the box as it may cost one ROI.


I have a spot that was wind throw on an east aspect that gets wind right off the creek 1/4 mile below. It went over in 96. Only an acre. All down stems orient to the south.

I have a spot a little east of that but in a bit of a hole. Jack strawed here from LRR. Not even an acre. Bit by bit, like was discussed.

It is basic second growth or maybe even third, doug fir with hemlock. Nope, if they turn it into a real farm they'll lose major tax breaks and that company has not yet started selling what we call stump farms.

I'm going with the root rot theory. I escorted some kids on a tour of some logging of this particular company.
They were thinning that time. Apparently it gives you points so you can hit another block hard. Oh, the ground was all done mechanically.

Here's a culvert drainage restoration. Being me, I noted that the culvert was dented a bit on the end like culverts mysteriously do.

Looking towards the edge, where the stumps were pulled.

Snag construction. You will find these scattered about in all their clearcuts.

View attachment 206560View attachment 206561View attachment 206562

 

[2dogs]

Is that snag a wildlife tree? Looks way too small and too far from the edge of the cut. Do you have to leave bug logs?

We lost several mature Jeffery and Ponderosa pines this year that showed blue stain. They died in less than a year.

edit: On second look the snag is close to the edge.

 

[forestryworks]

Slowp, what is the rule of thumb there for snag retention in trees/ac.?

 

[slowp]

Slowp, what is the rule of thumb there for snag retention in trees/ac.?

I'm not sure there is one. I know on the FS land here, the wildlife biologist went by a minimum of 2. The FS puts out contracts for climbers to go cut the tops out of trees after logging is done.

 

[slowp]

Is that snag a wildlife tree? Looks way too small and too far from the edge of the cut. Do you have to leave bug logs?

We lost several mature Jeffery and Ponderosa pines this year that showed blue stain. They died in less than a year.

Those whacked off by the buncher trees are wildlife snags. A logger I worked with on FS ground would do that to any dangerous trees or snags that he had to take. He said he knew it wasn't required by the contract, but they had learned that it was a good thing to do at their logger accredation classes.

He was a really really good guy to work with. He's in another line of work now.

:msp_sad:

Don't worry too much about clearcutting here. We have excellent survival rates for reforestation, and this ground is made for timber growing--not corn farming. This company even reforested an area like would happen naturally--they planted Red Alder. Of course, the price that alder currently is selling for might have something to do with that. Alder is the first tree to seed in after a disturbance at this altitude, and is a nitrogen fixer.

 

[slowp]

OK, I have dug out my Forest Practices Illustrated--A Simplified Guide To Forest Practices Rules In Warshington State.

For Western Warshington: 3 wildife trees per acre, minimum height 10 feet. Minimum diameter 12 inches.

Down logs: 2 per acre, minimum length 20 feet, minimum diameter 12 inched on the small end.

Green Recruitment: 2 per acre, minimum height 30 feet with 1/3 live crown. (these often blow down).

This doesn't mean that they are spread out evenly. For instance, sometimes when green recruitment trees are left, it is desirable to clump them. This might make then less likely to blow over and makes logging with yarders easier. Also safer if the trees have dead tops.

 

[slowp]

Whoda thunk it! It was in the 50s yesterday so I changed into Summer togs, saddled up the Used Dog, and headed into the backyard for a hike on the gated roads.

I took some pictures. Here is my pack dog, who likes the fact that the pack means he gets to go on a long walk, but hates the fact that he has to carry things. On this trip, he carried a bottle of water, cell phone, his leash and collar for when we hit the county road, binoculars, and the camera after the batteries wore out.

This photo shows our "corn" that we grow so well here.

Then, I saw a couple of reserve trees that were left for wildlife. They are good ones--limby and this one has a dead top.

In this photo, the tree on the left is a hemlock, that would be a cull. The one on the right is a big old Doug-fir punkin. I didn't wade the brush and grass over to eyeball it, I had shorts on, but it looked to be about 4 or 5 feet in diameter, had lots of sucker limbs, and was a good tree to leave for the birds and critters.

We had a self loader go by us, loaded so will have to go back (if we have a nice day) and find the logging.View attachment 206673View attachment 206674View attachment 206675View attachment 206676