Why This Blog

I'm a small forest owner (20 acres) in central Washington state. My overgrown stand of Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir needs thinning.

Fire and infestation
Pine beatles have already killed dozens of my biggest trees. Forest fires burn each year within 20 miles of us (some much closer). The 1994 "Rat Creek" fire burned to within 700 feet of our property.

Our intent is to build a modest house in the middle of this property. To do that, we must first mitigate the fire hazard.

Firewise-dom
We started the year we bought the land, by learning about Firewise and hiring a crew to thin and prune about 6 of the 20 acres. Pruning up 12 feet removes "ladder fuel" that could carry a ground fire up into the crowns of the trees.

Ground fires are a natural ecosystem process that removes brush and leaves surviving trees. Crown fires spread very fast and destroy everything in their path. By thinning out the smallest trees we keep the larger ones that are more likely to be the survivors; we also reduce the possibility of a fast-moving crown fire tearing through our property.

Education of an amateur forester
We spent that winter burning dozens of neatly stacked slash piles, knowing that we were reducing fuel loads and reducing the risk of losing everything in a fire. That year was just the beginning. Since then I've taken two accelerated courses in sustainable forestry, written a forest management plan, and competed successfully for funding from DNR and USDA.

Thinning will thin you
We started with 250-400 trees per acre in 2001. We will end up with about 100 leave trees per acre, the ideal density for a forest in this location and climate to withstand fire and infestations. Our goal is to thin the stand by keeping the biggest and strongest trees, with random clumps of younger trees, and designated fuel breaks around the property. That means removing approximately 4,000 trees.

The understory is done, with all trees under 7" dbh already cut, piled, and either disposed of or waiting to be burned. The leave trees are marked with paint, and pruned up to 12 feet.
The biggest job lies ahead of us, to cut and remove the trees above 7" diameter that are not marked to stay. These trees are from 7" up to 16" (mostly 7" to 12"). Unfortunately, small stands don't make profitable harvests, especially when the biggest trees are staying. In an unhealthy forest, young trees grow tall and thin. Sawmills want tall and stout. Pulp mills will take our small trees, but they pay less than the cost of hauling.

The first estimate we got for logging was -$7,000. That's a minus sign you see there. After all was said and done, we would end up paying the logger. Add 5% excise taxes on the value of the trees. Thinning can seriously thin your wallet! That was in 2001, when logs were worth nearly twice what they are today, and there was an operating mill (Winton) just 40 miles from here.

How I became a logger blogger
So we're now cutting and skidding the logs ourselves, rather than hiring a logging company to do it. We're learning a lot along the way, and I hope this blog is an adequate way to share those lessons with other owners of small forest acreages. (Lesson 1: thinning will make you thinner, when you're hauling 30 lbs of chainsaw, tools, and protective gear up and down hills in the heat.)

I also come across interesting information from various sources, and I'm passing those along. Thanks to those whose help I'm sharing here. I hope I'm now earning the support you've given to me.

I apologize in advance for the rough form of this blog. I'm starting by simply posting e-mails.