To thin or not to thin

[fishfactor]

A consulting forester is not a gov agency. They are consultants, often self employed, who act as a middle man between you and the timber buyer or logger. Everyone has their opinion about them and whether there fee is worth it, but in my experience it is. I recently used one for a 1st thinning on 65 acres of pine. Even after I pay his commission, I still get more per ton than I was offered straight from a logger. He also puts up cameras to photo every truck as it leaves so there is no question as to load count and provides a contract to protect you from them damaging your property, or violating stream buffers, etc.

From my limited experience, your crown indicates you need to thin. Ask around or search google for a list of consulting foresters in your county. They will come out and take a look for free.

 

[Ed of all trades]

There are county foresters and company foresters and foresters that are consultants and work for you. I would say use the first or last but the company foresters are nor there for you, they are to make the logging company $$$$$$ Ed

 

[truckdiagnostics]

The county Forester will be out on Thursday. Our land has swamp on it and is part of a water shed, previous owner put the trees in as part of the CRP program. So, yes i am being paranoid. They have also been all up in arms about the farm run off, so all the conservationist are all up in arms anytime anything goes on in the water shed. Even though i don't believe I would need a permit to thin, I would involve the county. It is just paying respect to your elders so to speak. We have absolutely no building inspections whats so ever here except for when I had to have the instillation of the septic approved and out of 20 acres the only one spot it could go was the size of a Buick. Wife calls it paranoid I call it being cautious.

 

[MossRoad]

Just another darn government agency spending money

On the contrary, your taxes pay for it, so take advantage of it and get some of your money back and use the services you are already funding. :thumbsup:

 

[MossRoad]

The county Forester will be out on Thursday. Our land has swamp on it and is part of a water shed, previous owner put the trees in as part of the CRP program. So, yes i am being paranoid. They have also been all up in arms about the farm run off, so all the conservationist are all up in arms anytime anything goes on in the water shed. Even though i don't believe I would need a permit to thin, I would involve the county. It is just paying respect to your elders so to speak. We have absolutely no building inspections whats so ever here except for when I had to have the instillation of the septic approved and out of 20 acres the only one spot it could go was the size of a Buick. Wife calls it paranoid I call it being cautious.

What state are you in? We don't have county foresters, we have state foresters, state biologists, etc... all state programs. No county programs.

 

[smstonypoint]

What state are you in? We don't have county foresters, we have state foresters, state biologists, etc... all state programs. No county programs.

The NC Forest Service has an office in each county AFAIK. The representatives in the various counties are state employees but are titled "_________ County Ranger." I sometimes refer to my county ranger as the county forester.

Steve

 

[MossRoad]

The NC Forest Service has an office in each county AFAIK. The representatives in the various counties are state employees but are titled "_________ County Ranger." I sometimes refer to my county ranger as the county forester.

Steve

Gotcha. We have about 10 districts that cover about 8-9 counties each.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

Chances are you are correct, we live in one of the poorest counties in Wisconsin and one of the most Conservative towns in the county. So, funding is probably coming from the state. We are on the Niagara escarpment, not on our property, but parts of the river that makes up our water shed, cuts into the bed rock of the escarpment and on some farms the bed rock is real close to the surface. So, they are real careful about how manure is spread. Anyway to my point they have had some issues and the county/state was not responsive fast enough. It just so happened to be the farm near us. IMO I think the farm did an excellent job cleaning up and stepping up. It just that some think the state should have been more involved. Our property is part of the buffer. So, that would be why I got there response so fast, and that is about the only thing they are concerned about around here. We are on wells and it doesn't take much to mess with your drinking water.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

County Forester just left nice guy. No where near the attitude of the guy permitting for the septic, when he was done thought he was going to have the whole place declared a wet land. Anyway, I have basically three areas, the first every tree planted came up and for the most part they look like Q tips. These are all white pine, he said, cut every third row, starting in two row from the edge. Then wait three years and thin those. The other area that is all white pine and they did not all come up, we went through an marked the ones to come down, these don't look like Q tips. The next area they planted row of white pine then row of ash. he said cut all the rows of ash down the ash bore will get those anyway and the pines will push them out. Then thin, leaving the dominate trees. Looks like building a tree shear is in my future.

 

[MossRoad]

Good for you. :thumbsup: