Maple Regeneration Sale

1. Name - Maple Regeneration Sale

Context | Objectives | Treatment Specifics | Utilization | Targets | Pre Treatment data | Post Treatment data |
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This project occurred in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, on land owned by a Timber Investment Management Organization (TIMO) and managed by Forecon, Inc., a consulting forestry company. The entire property contains 697 contiguous acres on gently rolling terrain. The project profiled here covered 72 acres in an oak forest with small sawtimber size class. Prior to the cut, the basal area ranged from 120 to 150 square feet per acre.

A large amount of oak and red maple regeneration was present in the sale area. The oak was being browsed by deer, but not excessively. The sawtimber trees were not mature enough to justify a removal cut, but it was felt that too little sunlight was reaching the ground, the basal area was too high, and the trees were growing at a suboptimal rate.

Forecon, Inc. decided to conduct a shelterwood harvest that would remove a few lower quality sawtimber trees and the majority of the pulpwood in the stand. All timber to be cut was marked with paint. All sawtimber trees to be cut were measured, and 1/5-acre plots were used to estimate the pulpwood volume. After treatment, the stand was to support 50 to 60 square feet per acre of good quality sawtimber in a mix of red oak, white oak, chestnut oak, red maple, an occasional hard maple, black cherry, and yellow poplar. The sale ended up being low value with a large amount of pulpwood to be cut. There was some uncertainty about the feasibility of this sale, but it was felt that the sale was the best way to enhance the existing regeneration and add volume and value to the residual stand.

The sale was negotiated with a local sawmill that could utilize the pulpwood. The sale was cut by a two-man crew with a grapple skidder, and all trees were felled by hand. The pulpwood went to the local Weyerhauser (now Domtar) papermill (about 20 miles away), and the sawlogs went to a local sawmill. The sawtimber was sold for $455 per MBF while the pulpwood was priced at $2 per cord. The sale was cut in 2004, and today the regeneration is abundant and includes red oak, chestnut oak, white oak, red maple, and scattered black cherry and birch.

Links

• Forecon, Inc.