Requesting Experience Info on Chip Mills

[sfloggie]

About 50-60 acres of our land slopes toward the river. It was almost clear-cut in 1998 and is now covered with scattered nice trees, but also vines, brush, millions (or so it seems) and simply odd shape trees that only God would love. I was thinking about talking to a Chip Mill to clean this land and leave the nicer trees which are about 100 feet in some places. But as I read about the mills there are some who say they create a mess and others who say (by nature of the business) they do not.
I assume they move the main (portable) chip mill along while they cut and drop the wood into the chipper and it into trucks. Most of this is in Agricultural Wetlands due to the drainage, so that is something I have to study also. Not withstanding the Agricultural Wetlands, is this something those with experience suggest I consider or just leave everything for the environment. If I had a Fecon or Bobcat with a Forestry Cutter I would be in Hog Heaven. But if I could afford one (and did buy one) my wide would in some way let me know I was wrong! I want to treat the environment correctly including that which makes the area home, so this is more thought than action. Thanks, Jim

 

[teejk]

So let's ask why do anything? If you want a path to the river then cut one in with a nippers/hand saws. The smaller trees/brush on the bottom will support new growth for the day when your big trees get removed. I am a firm believer in keeping a house in the sun (reduces mold/mildew) but I leave my woods alone.

 

[dmccarty]

Have a talk with your state forester. They should be able to give you good advise about your local conditions. The thinning operations I see use a small machine that cuts and gather a bunch of small trees into a bundle. I have not seen the chipper but I assume the machine carried the bundle to a nearby chipper. These were trees maybe 10-20 feet tall and 4 ish inches across. I saw a load of larger pines on a truck this morning. The trees were maybe 4-8 inches in diameter with lots of tree tops. I assume he was taking them to a plant to chipped.

At work, they cleared out some underbrush with a Fecon and it did a heck of a job. I was impressed. I would say the woods cleared with the Fecon vs the thinning operation looked about the same. Far more wood chips on the ground with the Fecon obviously. The thinned woods are "clean" but orderly because the machine creates rows. Not bad looking but not natural looking either. There is a pine stand with mature trees that was thinned a few years ago that looks real nice. Looks natural but I think it was treated the same as the woods that at the moment look "unnatural."

A neighboring parcel was clear cut around 1995 and has started to get decent looking in the last few years. For years that land was a jungle of small trees an briars. If a man was chasing me with a machete, and my choice was to run through that parcel or take on the machete man, I would have fought the machete man. I would have lost less blood. :laughing::laughing::laughing: The land we timbered in 2000 is getting to be kinda nice looking again. In a few more years as the trees push up, it will get nicer.

Unless you have particular needs to clear the land such as generating timber income or getting a timber tax valuation, I would leave it alone. I have trails cut into my woods that I recut every year or two. This lets me use the land as I want, let nature do what it wants, and is less work for me.

Later
Dan

 

[dave1949]

I think it all depends on your soil conditions, firm, soft, wet, etc. Do you see any ruts or tracks from the '98 harvest? That would be an indicator.

I wouldn't cut it unless you have some use in mind for the land, don't overly worry about the brush and vines. It you had it cut, they would be back--unless you want to commit to mowing once or twice a year, assuming it can be mowed and you remove the cut stumps, so I don't see that you have much to gain on that score.

I just had a chip harvest done on 15 acres. It has been a wet year, but that equipment is heavy stuff for sure. First, the harvester cuts the trees and lays them in piles, then a skidder hauls them to the chipper. They do show up all the soft wet areas for sure. The chipper is set up in a position that allows 53' tractor-trailers to get to it. The loads they took out scaled 90 to 100 thousand pounds gross. Thank goodness they had tri-axle trailers.

So, you have two issues to consider: ground damage from the harvest, and providing access for heavy trucks. As for leaving or making a mess, they do chew things up. That wasn't an issue for me since my goal is to create pasture and the whole thing is going to get ripped up to remove stumps and grade. If I had wanted to keep it as woodlot, to minimize damage, I would have scheduled the harvest in winter while the ground is frozen and snow covered. Probably not an option in the Tidewater area.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

No mill is going to be interested in a brush patch. There's just not enough tonnage. Eastern hardwood forests typically re-seed naturally, but if you have a lot of undesirable species, you might do hack and squirt with Garlon to kill out the trash and do some judicious replanting. The native tree species will eventually close canopy and shade out the brush.

If you want to clean up the land so it is easy to access, run a fence around it and run goats and hogs. Goats take good (read: lots of work) fences, hogs can be contained with nothing but an electric nose wire 6" off the ground.

 

[SPIKER]

I might go thru and try & cut the vines (Grape, P.I. & spray) maybe get something planted (Oak, Rock Maple, Walnut etc) near the poor trees and that will force those good trees to grow into light and straighten up and the poor trees can be removed later. Otherwise above posts provided lots of good info.

Mark

 

[teejk]

I recently got a load of cherry boards from a 3rd generation lumber guy that is in many ways a tree hugger and in many ways a prepper (my brain was working overtime trying to connect the dots). He described their old practice of leaving a site totally clean when they logged. The discussion progressed to him describing a total mess left behind by other loggers but he got a lecture from some professionals and found that he was doing it wrong. The brush/tops left alone protect new growth from animals etc. He also said that when they log, they tend to leave the nicest trees alone. Something about genetics (Darwin).

 

[aczlan]

Is your intent to clear it out while making some money off the chips, or just to get it cleared out and plant something else?
If the second, I would look into getting someone in with a mulcher. They will turn the brush into chips on site which will help firm up the ground a little and will decompose to help improve the soil.

Aaron Z

 

[sfloggie]

All, thanks. A few hours after starting this thread I wanted to withdraw it and did not know how. The decision to write was when I was considering a comment about no one being interested in that portion when I sold the land. Then I realized I brought the land because of this and improved little by little. So it should stay as is and someone like me will buy and improve little by little. Take it all and it can not be put back.
1. I love those woods as there are trees up to 150', although many at full leaf still have a considerable amount of vine coverage. I love to watch them grow and the animals who move through and out of them. I would effect both including my joy if I had it all chipped. So I am in agreement with teeJK here.
2. I have a cut boundary line about seven feet across from the NW corner due South 2500' to the river. That was become an unbelievable "green-way" for the animals and a 22 minute rough walk on a dry period. Thus this is in agreement with several of you.
3. Three years ago I started clearing vines and saplings between nice size pine and hardwood. These areas are now of green nice grass and fast growing trees. A thing of beauty which would not be so if cut or chipped. I did this with a JD with Racket-Rake and a Bobcat Forestry Cutter (whenever my wife let me use some money to rent same). Now I just bush-hog around the trails and walk them afterwards.
So I am going to continue to do a little and enjoy until I leave. Jim

 

[teejk]

IMHO there is no need to withdraw any comment on this site!!! I've never seen anybody reply with a "Jane you ignorant sl*t" yet (that's why I like it...a lot of people that "suggest" rather than "dictate").

You being in VA might want to concentrate on vine control since some can actually choke a tree. Long handled loppers at the base works for me.