Wildlife policy

[Greenmantreeservice]

How do y'all handle birds/wildlife on jobs? Do you lookout for nests or critters? Do you modify work practices at all, or do they just get dropped and run through the chipper?

Here in Vegas we don't have as much to deal with, mostly just during nesting season. I discuss that with customers ahead of time and if we have to we will modify work. People are usual cool with it but we've had a couple groaners. It's frustrating sometimes - I've had to shut jobs down to chase little birds and climb back to put them in the nest - doesn't seem right otherwise though.

 

[Marley5]

I'm retired now but still do tree removal on weekends..... occasionally.
If the customer wants the trees gone we make them disappear and only consider safety and nothing else.
I've never ran an animal or bird through a chipper that I'm aware of.

Now if I'm cutting firewood for myself or family I won't timber a den tree, plenty of other trees here.
I've got a large standing dead chestnut oak that has been home to squirrels for over 10 years.

 

[ClimberBusinessman]

I don't give it much thought at all unless the customer says something about protecting them. We don't run into active critter nests too often. We removed a bush once that had some birds in it. By the time the bush was removed they were looking dead so I think I just hauled them away. Another time we just placed the baby critters on the ground off to the side and figure their mother will get them later (or perhaps a hawk gets a meal). I have no issues with getting rid of them; there's plenty around. It's a little bit disappointing, but it's just part of the job.

 

[J D]

For me this is quite a loaded question & the answers will be very subjective.
Personally, while I will go out of my way not to harm any animals, I have despatched pests like possums & magpies encountered in the course of felling trees.
I don't do a lot of climbing so critters are usually only discovered once the tree is on the ground & at that point you just so what you can. If its not something common like a sparrow or blackbird there is a bird rescue organisation locally.
I can see how things could get complicated if you're fully committed to a job & then discover a nest... especially if the client just says to "get rid if it"... in that case I'd be talking to the rescue organisation & if they insisted the nest stay in place that would be what happened (so long as it was safe) & arrangements would be made to finish the job at a later date.
If it was a protected or native animal & the customer chose to be a real dick about it things could get pretty awkward

 

[ATpro]

Once was cruising timber on a mans property for a large timber CO and ran across a nest tree full of redheaded pecker woods which is protected in AL. and it's not just the tree protected, the forest around it to. Went back and told the landowner that we couldn't cut his timber because he had a family of redheaded wood pecker set up residence in a dead tree on his place and until they were evicted or decided to leave and the dead tree was gone we couldn't cut his timber. He ask if I would be kind enough to introduce him to his newest esteemed guest, and I said sure and we went to the tree where they were. Saw him about a month later and he said we could come and cut his timber now because the peckerwoods decided to leave and the tree fell. Seems the peckerswoods may have got an eviction notice.

 

[dboyd351]

Once was cruising timber on a mans property for a large timber CO and ran across a nest tree full of redheaded pecker woods which is protected in AL. and it's not just the tree protected, the forest around it to. Went back and told the landowner that we couldn't cut his timber because he had a family of redheaded wood pecker set up residence in a dead tree on his place and until they were evicted or decided to leave and the dead tree was gone we couldn't cut his timber. He ask if I would be kind enough to introduce him to his newest esteemed guest, and I said sure and we went to the tree where they were. Saw him about a month later and he said we could come and cut his timber now because the peckerwoods decided to leave and the tree fell. Seems the peckerswoods may have got an eviction notice.

Sounds like red cockcaded woodpeckers, which are listed under the Endangered Species Act. Mostly live in mature longleaf pine stands, which are becoming rare as those stands are logged and replanted with loblolly.
They typically nest in pines that are suffering from heart rot because that makes it easier for the woodpeckers to drill out the tree and make a nest cavity. Most other cavity nesting species use dead standing trees, so heart rot is not an issue.

It's a dilemma. You tell the landowner about it and he whacks the nest tree of a species that is in real trouble so he can cut the stand. If he abides by the law, he can't log the area.

probably the best solution would be if you contacted the US Fish and Wildlife service or the state division of forestry to see if they offer an economic incentive to preserve the area but realistically speaking, most people are going to go to that trouble so they just whack the tree instead

 

[ATpro]

the best solution would be if you contacted the US Fish and Wildlife service or the state division of forestry to see if they offer an economic incentive to preserve the area but realistically speaking, most people are going to go to that trouble so they just whack the tree instead

Kind of like the Spotted Owl, the woodpeckers just moved on to somewhere else. Had another track of timber of about 3,000 a where the Wildlife service found what they call the Red Hill Salamander. We surveyed off no cut buffer zones around it's habitat like around streams, hardwoods, and north facing slopes. We worked out a deal with conservation department where they gave us access to State Timberland to cut to leave this habitat out. There is only believed to be 60,000 acres on earth where the Red Hills Salamander habitat could exist.

 

[dboyd351]

Kind of like the Spotted Owl, the woodpeckers just moved on to somewhere else. Had another track of timber of about 3,000 a where the Wildlife service found what they call the Red Hill Salamander. We surveyed off no cut buffer zones around it's habitat like around streams, hardwoods, and north facing slopes. We worked out a deal with conservation department where they gave us access to State Timberland to cut to leave this habitat out. There is only believed to be 60,000 acres on earth where the Red Hills Salamander habitat could exist.

Good for you!!!
Nobody likes being constrained by rules, but sometimes if you take the initiative like you did, it can be a major win for all the parties.
Thank you for being open minded and for going the extra mile.

 

[ATpro]

Thank you for being open minded and for going the extra mile.

Well the Red Hill Salamander is considered an official state amphibian. The Timber Co I was working for under contract had about 20,000 acres where the Red Hills Salamander habitat could exist. My idea was to maximize profits for the Timber Co with timber contracts on state land by swapping with the state the land where the Red Hill Salamander was found, this worked out good for the state and also the Timber Co.