Waldo
County Soil and Water Conservation District and Maine Forest Service are
continuing a series of short field tours to highlight forest stewardship and
conservation in Waldo County. These events are open to landowners, foresters,
loggers, and others interested in the stewardship of small woodlands, and offer
a brief, two-hour opportunity for observation, questions, and discussion.
Wednesday,
March 21th, 3:30-5:30 p.m. (note time change) – 133 N. Main St.,
Morrill. Our March event will be a post-harvest review of a fall 2017 logging
operation – what was the plan, how did it work, what are the results. This
operation with a chainsaw and small skidder contrasts with an earlier tour
involving a cut-to-length harvest system. Planning is often critical to achieving
the goals you have for your woodland and for the harvest itself – here we’ll
look at things in retrospective. The forester
and landowner will be present to provide context. Our hosts are the folks at
Century Farm in Morrill, 133 N
Main St (route 131, approximately 0.8 miles north of the village center/general
store). Meet at the farm.
Save the date: Thursday, April 26th,
3-5. Tending the Forest - Which Trees Do I Cut? The heart of forestry is
vegetation management or “silviculture” - deciding if, when, and which trees to
remove, in a commercial or non-commercial harvest. But what if timber
production is not a priority? We’ll start with understanding how different tree
species live, how forests grow, what creatures live there – and consider
options for actively managing the forest cover to promote non-timber and timber
values of the forest. Then we’ll do a forest “marking” exercise in a couple of
locations. Foresters often mark trees to communicate which trees are to be cut as part of harvest planning – here’s a
chance to participate. Hint: it’s easier before the leaves come out! Location
TBA. (This presentation will be a field follow-up to a 3/19 presentation at the
Belfast Library: “What’s a Woodlot, and what do I do if I have one?”)
These events are free and open to the public.
They will involve being outdoors/walking in the woods and will occur rain,
snow, or shine, so please dress for field conditions. If driving is hazardous
due to weather, please call to confirm. Parking is often limited, so please
consider carpooling if you can. For more information contact Aleta McKeage,
Technical Director of Waldo County Soil and Water Conservation District at 218-5311 or Morten Moesswilde,
Midcoast District Forester with the Maine Forest Service, at 441-2895.
Photo caption: Once the most common equipment in the
woods, a small cable skidder, with a careful, skilled operator, is still a good
option for sustainable harvesting.
Back to Top
|