Thinning of the sugarbush

[GANGGREEN]

I'm not terribly serious about syrup production. Until this year I'd make 2-3 gallons per year, just for fun. This year I'm going to put some tubing up and run double the taps that I usually run. I doubt that I'll ever go much bigger than that but I would like to thin out a section of my sugarbush. It's mostly smaller 10-14 inch soft maple that would need to be cleared out but there's a bit of smaller hard maple, maybe some ash and some assorted other mixed hardwoods like beech and birch.

Timber's big industry around here but most of the loggers are high grading. How would I go about doing a thinning cut on 10 or 15 acres? Who should I contact? What kind of money could I expect to see on smaller logs or pulpwood right now? I'm thinking that it may be worthwhile to wait until soft maple goes back up in value (I really don't know where it's at right now) but wouldn't mind clearing that section a bit to improve my sap flow in the coming years. I think a main logging road coming off the hillside at an angle would make it easier to run the lines as well.

Any thoughts?

[gdtowne]

To really answer specific questions in your case, you should contact a consulting forester or state forester. They can guide you on what to cut, and why. There may not be much money in pulp right now, but you could always do the cutting yourself, and use the wood to burn or sell as firewood. What I would recommend based on your description would be a crown thinning. Basically, select your crop trees (in your case: straight, tall, well balanced sugar maples) and mark those for reserve. Next, go through and cut as many undesirable trees as you can that are touching the crowns of those trees you wish to prosper. This will allow those desirable trees to get increased resources, and grow faster. Additionally, you may want to remove all the American beech. This species is often left behind when loggers move through, and can spread via root sprouts that come about as a result of the soil and root damage the residual trees have suffered. If you have ever been in a beech thicket, you will understand what I am talking about. You may even want to apply roundup on the stumps immediately after the beech are cut to ensure that they do not sprout.
I am a recent graduate in the field of forestry, and live in southwestern NY. If you are within a reasonable distance from me, I could come visit and give you a hand, and explain some things in person. Either way, good luck.
Gerry Towne

[GANGGREEN]

Thanks for the info Gerry. I'm in Potter County not far from Olean NY. I once had a forester come to give me a whole forest management plan and he never really did anything with it, must have forgotten me. I've got some red oak on the property and a good bit of decent soft maple but none of the oak and only a bit of the maple is really ready to cut for timber.

Thanks again.

GG

[maple flats]

About the management plan, are you saying he never drew it up? or he never acted on the plan after drawn up? If the plan was written it is YOUR job to get it done, either by making contacts or doing it yourself. If he never wrote the plan you should have kept after him or gotten a different forester.
To answer your question now, a forester can help you by marking the trees and righting the invitation for bid. Unfortunately, unless you have a good amount of marketable timber, not many loggers will bid a 10-15 acre plot. Prices are low now and they can't afford to harvest the lower grades. On the other hand, if you have some they "want" you can have the contract written that the rest must be taken first before the "good stuff". A forester will seldom suggest a particular logger but most often will give you a list of several who have done good jobs on previous harvests he has supervised. A forester does not really cost you money but usually will yield you more money for what you have and will improve your wood lot much more in the future. This does not mean you will make a lot of $, but you will years down the road as the thinning allows better growth of quality trees that are left to grow. In fact you could even need to pay if you have too little timber value. A forester will not allow hi grading at the cost of the forest.

[Farmboy]

Get a forester to draw up a plan. Then do all the cutting urself. Cut and split the hardwood and burn it yourself or sell it. Cordwood is getting a nice price rite now. Take all the soft wood and either sell it for pulp or split it and burn it in your evaporator.