Thinning Sugarbush with Beech blight and Beech bark disease?

[Wmmaple]

L&M I have a 105 acre bush lot in Ontario Canada that is comprised of 15 acres of fields, 65 acres of mixed vegetation, 1/3 of which was beech, and 25 acres of maples that is a natural mono culture with little else growing in the maple stand. 5 years ago we noticed the beach bark disease on a few trees. Within 2 years it had moved into roughly 35-40 trees. We had the bush professionally marked then cut 2 years ago while the trees were still merchantable for firewood, leaving smaller beach in the stand to see what would happen. As beech blight rots from the middle out, 90% harvested beach showed serious rot in the center core. As of a month ago, the smaller beech show no signs of the disease. As mentioned above this is after 2 years. As a side note, we are planting maple and pine in different groves where the beech stands were because of how quickly the poplar or popple as the old timer's refer to them here, are already taking over. As this was our experience to date, I would consider removing them. Also be aware of the amount of clean up required with all the tops. On the bright side I now have firewood for the next 10 years for the evaporator lol

[Wmmaple]

Sorry meant to say remove the large diseased and keep the smaller. Seems to be working out so far

[L&msugarbush]

Didn't no that!Thanks for the tip Ed

[Ed R]

My logger may be sending the hardwood pulp from my property to the new plant in Grayling instead of to Escanaba, He has to work out the trucking logistics. I am one hour west of the bridge in Eastern Schoolcraft Co. Even if the pulp doesn't go there it should help the overall pulp market in Northern Michigan, the place is supposed to be one of the biggest in the world.

[VT_K9]

I would echo WestfordSugarworks with his post. I am not as educated in the forestry management but have done research and talked with the forester who over sees our property for land use in VT.

We have a stand of about 30 Beech trees which have had the Beach Bark Disease start small and grow through. I am letting it progress naturally right now. I will be cutting them next winter for firewood. We are seeing a lot of Beech saplings in our woods. I will let a few grow in the sugar bush for diversity of the woods. We have a moderately large Beech tree not far (150 yards) from the stand with the disease and the cutting will begin early if the saplings are showing signs of the disease.

Also we have not had many squirrels until this year and they are everywhere, including other properties. I don't attribute it to the Beech trees, but maybe the cycle of food and predators in the area.

I'd keep the healthy ones and eliminate the sick or very sick ones. Check with a local forester too as there may be a management plan covering nearby properties.

Mike

[DrTimPerkins]

Also we have not had many squirrels until this year and they are everywhere, including other properties.

2017 was a mast year (heavy seed crop) for maples and many other tree species. That results in a boom in the squirrel population. Fortunately it is typically followed by precipitous drop in squirrel numbers when they run out of food.