The Rural Voice, 2000-10, Page 35r
are still high. That puts an
conscientious logger in a tough spot,
Roland says. He knows that someone
else will always be ready to give the
farmer what he wants, so often he
figures he might as well taker
advantage of the situation.
Often what results is what forestry
consultants call a "diameter limit
cut", cutting of any trees that meet
the minimum standard under the tree -
bylaw restrictions of the local
municipality. That may mean
immediatemoney in your pockets
but it can hurt you in the long run.
Atree that's at the minimum
diameter for cutting is at its
maximum growth rate, says
Jim Eccles of Lands and Forest
Consulting in Chesley. "Trees this
size will double in value in the next
10-15 years."
Some of the woodlots that haven't
been harvested in 30-40 years can be
vulnerable to damage if every
marketable tree is now cut, Eccles
says. It leaves a long gap before you
can expect to get another harvest
from your woodlot.
Watson tells of touring a bush that
had been heavily cut 20 to 30 years
ago. Many of the remaining trees
were badly damaged. The tops of the
larger trees are dying from the stress
they've been exposed to. The bush is
so open that the conditions for
regeneration of the younger trees are
not good. The next harvestable crop
of trees is probably the saplings that
are, now only two inches in diameter,
he says. It may be another 40-50
years before there are trees ready to
harvest, he says.
Instead of a pot of gold, Watson
says, he likes to think of a farm
woodlot as business insurance for the
farmer. "You can go in and do a
reasonable cut and get some money.
If you look at it properly you can go
in every 15 years."
Eccles agrees. Someone who
manages his woodlot carefully can
cut every 12-15 years, he says, and
maintain a healthy mix of trees of all
sizes. "You're not starting over every
50-60 years."
Of course the irony is that many
woodlot owners who are looking to
strike it rich by cutting every
allowable tree, are often missing out
on dollars because they don't know
the value of the wood they're selling.
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