Tree Marking Symbols

[Laird]

Are tree marking symbols universal? I have some trees that were marked during our last sale that I'm not sure what the mark means as they were not harvested. Most I see have a 6-8" horizontal red line while some with the same symbol are also blue. The blue may be from an even earlier harvest as they appear more weather worn.

 

[Gologit]

Are tree marking symbols universal? I have some trees that were marked during our last sale that I'm not sure what the mark means as they were not harvested. Most I see have a 6-8" horizontal red line while some with the same symbol are also blue. The blue may be from an even earlier harvest as they appear more weather worn.

We need our resident Tree Marker/Forester person to answer that. SLOWP?

'Til she gets here...some times trees are marked to cut, other times they're marked to leave. The FS uses blue a lot to mark the cut. They also use colored ribbon to mark unit boundaries and corridors. The ribbon is great because it can be removed or relocated by the logger. Not that that ever happens.

The outfit I do most of my work for usually marks leave trees and I think they use whatever color on sale at WalMart that week. We mostly clear-cut, so the only marked trees are arch sites, buffer zones along waterways, and boundary identification.

If you want to see a USFS person get all agitated...ask to borrow their blue paint for a while.

 

[GLOBOTREE]

are you gonna remove the RED and prune the ones that BLEW over
If the individual who marked them originally is not around the blue and red might represent some clue? if a storm comes into a forest the wind does not care which woods are harvestable, perhaps you should have the forest assessed again,if in doubt>dont take them out. By the way? have any interesting Oak burls? burls of any sort?

 

[ckliff]

forest service documents

first heading - "service-wide issuances", look under chapter 70.

hope this helps.

 

[Laird]

We need our resident Tree Marker/Forester person to answer that. SLOWP?

'Til she gets here...some times trees are marked to cut, other times they're marked to leave. The FS uses blue a lot to mark the cut. They also use colored ribbon to mark unit boundaries and corridors. The ribbon is great because it can be removed or relocated by the logger. Not that that ever happens.

The outfit I do most of my work for usually marks leave trees and I think they use whatever color on sale at WalMart that week. We mostly clear-cut, so the only marked trees are arch sites, buffer zones along waterways, and boundary identification.

If you want to see a USFS person get all agitated...ask to borrow their blue paint for a while.

No clear cuts here, all mixed hardwoods that are marked for cutting. I've e-mailed our forester here for an answer but it's been a week or so and he hasn't gotten back with me yet. My best guess is that they are trees marked for harvest that were missed by the loggers as they are all good looking trees and all in one area.

 

[Laird]

are you gonna remove the RED and prune the ones that BLEW over
If the individual who marked them originally is not around the blue and red might represent some clue? if a storm comes into a forest the wind does not care which woods are harvestable, perhaps you should have the forest assessed again,if in doubt>dont take them out. By the way? have any interesting Oak burls? burls of any sort?

I pass what If I remember right is a Cherry Burl as I go into the woodlot. I'll try to remember to take a pic next time I pass by.

 

[Laird]

forest service documents

first heading - "service-wide issuances", look under chapter 70.

hope this helps.

Forest Service Website Is Currently Unavailable

I'll have to try later, Thanks.

 

[slowp]

First off, Bob....boundaries are also painted up here and should also be in your neck of the woods. We use orange paint for boundaries but used to use white. White can be hard to see in the snow and fog.

Different agencies/outfits use different color schemes. Blue is cut here. Yellow is firewood but the wildlife people also use it to mark wildlife trees so then somebody has to put no woodcutting signs on it...:question:

Red is usually a leave tree color except now that we have loggers doing the marking it can be cut. Confused?

Sounds to me like your area was leave tree marked. And cut tree marked.
By the way, The Most Important Mark is the stump mark. That way you know what color the tree was marked after the logging if you got the stump mark at ground level and in a crack or hole where it couldn't easily get rubbed off by the skidder or turn of logs. Ahhhh, the secrets of timber marking. Never Look Back or You'll Go Crazy. Never Admit To Being A Timber Marker. Etc...

 

[madhatte]

Our boundaries are marked by weatherproof cards stapled to trees. Cut trees get a blue ring at eye level. Leave trees generally get no mark unless they are wildlife trees or otherwise excluded, in which case they get orange paint and usually a card of some sort to explain the exclusion. As noted, the stump mark is all-important -- that's the logger's insurance against a fine for timber theft.

And no, you can't borrow my paint gun.

 

[yooper]

like slowp mentioned check the stump. here all removals are stump marked so the logger is not taking unmarked trees. wild life trees here are usually marked with a W and birds eye is marked with a circle and a dot in the middle both on the tree and the stump. Are the marked trees flowing a skid trail? perhaps the forester gave them designated trails to follow.

 

[Gologit]

First off, Bob....boundaries are also painted up here and should also be in your neck of the woods.

Painted? Really? Wowzers. That must have been what all the screaming and yelling was about awhile back where our ground meets FS ground. Gosh, we didn't know.
It's hard to figure boundaries when you're color blind and somebody stole the ribbon and maybe there was some bar oil film on my glasses...or something. And it was just a couple of trees. Small trees, too. Sound familiar?

 

[Gologit]

And no, you can't borrow my paint gun.

Okay. But how 'bout a handful of those nifty weather-proof cards instead?

 

[2dogs]

In the Sierras the FS marks take trees with a horizontal blue line and a V at ground level. The blue paint has a tracer that identifies it as "FS only" and is called $10,000.00 paint. One can will mark up to $10K in timber.

White dots are survey marks and green paint is my own marking system.

 

[GLOBOTREE]

opcorn: interesting

 

[madhatte]

Okay. But how 'bout a handful of those nifty weather-proof cards instead?

Turns out, you gotta order 'em direct from the manufacturer. I was gonna just give you a link, but I can't find one!

 

[Laird]

I'll have to check the stump area next time I'm out. I doubt that they were marked to leave since it's always a selective harvest and only trees to harvest are usually marked. I was told at one time a tree marked with an X was not included in the sale, was of little or no value and was free for that taking if the purchaser was so inclined. I'm just not sure how the trees marked to be sold were marked.

 

[forestryworks]

No clear cuts here, all mixed hardwoods that are marked for cutting. I've e-mailed our forester here for an answer but it's been a week or so and he hasn't gotten back with me yet. My best guess is that they are trees marked for harvest that were missed by the loggers as they are all good looking trees and all in one area.

CALL him! Hound him! Some of these foresters around here - it's like trying to get a hold of the Pope!

 

[radoutdoors]

From the markings I have done many foresters or buys have there own little markings, especially when bidding a job. We had marks for veneer and marks for other grades. The color change may be nothing more than a guy ran out of paint or it could be from different buyers. The markings could also be since it was a selective harvest for seed trees. Never know until you talk to the forester, since there are so many ways to mark a woodlot. Just my 2 cents. Good luck

 

[slowp]

In the Sierras the FS marks take trees with a horizontal blue line and a V at ground level. The blue paint has a tracer that identifies it as "FS only" and is called $10,000.00 paint. One can will mark up to $10K in timber.

.

Ruh Roh. You may expect a black helicopter to be landing in your yard, and appropriate action to be taken. You have revealed a trade secret.

We have to check the paint out, check the empties back in, constantly inventory it, keep it locked up behind a heavy locked door, and heaven help you if you lose a can out in the brush.

Those cards that are stapled on trees are getting spendy. They are made of Tyvek.
Staple Staple Staple Staple Staple, Tie, Squirt, Squirt. That's what it takes to do a boundary. It would be nice to have three hands. The Used Dog can carry tags and flagging, but he is not tall enough to staple the tags and lacks thumbs for tying flagging. :cute:

 

[8433jeff]

How will we ever cut budgets in an environment that checks empty paint cans back in? For what, refill? lol As if that color isn't on hand in a nearby store.