Managing a Small Woodlot

Ernest Gould

A professional forester urges woodlot owners to know and care for their land

I became a woodlot owner by accident because we even at mtervals on the longer straight lines. Each were making a property map for the town of year I blaze, paint, and brush out a bit of the Petersham, . As you might expect, boundary so that there is no confusion. As Frost there were problems. We had trouble locating a said, "Good fences make good neighbors," and a number of tracts, and one owner, who lived in well-marked boundary makes it hard for a logger Florida, wanted to sell out. He’d bought the lot to "accidentally" cut over the line. Most states cheap 15 years before, "site unseen" as they say. award tnple stumpage, the value of a tree stand- All he knew for sure was that the northeast ing in the , for trees "knowingly" cut on corner was 19 feet south of a big boulder and that the wrong land, so it saves grief to let people the tax bill called for 48 acres. The deed itself was know just where your land begins. coyly reticent about everything except that northeast corner and about who the abutting Mapping the Bounds neighbors had been a century or so earher. In addition, I knew that two friends of mine hadn’t This was the time to make a map of the place. been able to pin down the boundaries in their With a pocket compass, a tape, and my nephew, it spare time over the previous year. was easy to get the distance and direction of each All in all, it looked hke a real gamble as to boundary line and then plot it up. There is a good where the land was, and how much of it there description of how to do this in the Boy Scout was, so we struck a bargam, and I started hunting. Handbook. I’ve found that a scale of about 400 Nothing made much sense on the ground until I feet to the mch is useful; it allows reasonable traced the deeds back to the old Stratton farm and space to plot details, and most maps aren’t too big could follow its breakup through inheritance and to go on a standard piece of paper that fits into sale over the next hundred years. Then I knew normal files. I make the original m pencil and, where to look for comer and line markers of pipe when I’m satisfied, fimsh it with black ink. I then or "stake and stones" and, because most of my have a master that’s easily reproduced with a land had once been fields, how to mterpret stone Xerox, and having cheap copies makes it possible walls in the woods, bits and pieces of barbed wire for me to use the map freely for records of all sprouting out of trees, and old cutting boundaries. kinds. In fact, such a map is the main place where Working this out became a three-year, spare-time I note all sorts of information that makes owning hobby that eventually required pinning down two my woodlot fun. equally vague neighboring properties. Once I knew exactly where it was and had an After all that, you can bet I have well-pamted outline map of it, I wanted to know more about bounds with iron pipes set at each corner and my land. In the course of chasing boundaries I had 4

The bounds mapped and the permanent features paced. already found an overgrown road and a brook. Pacing the Permanent Features Also, I had found that red maple swales bordered two substantial segments of the stream and that When I had finished working on the boundary and these had apparently been clear-cut for fuel about the time came to look inside to see what this 25 year before. piece of real estate contamed, I learned to pace. The trees are now four to eight inches in diam- Pacing is almost a lost art that anyone can learn eter, are closely spaced, and run heavily to because it simply takes practice but, like riding a stump-sprout groups. In fact, a thinning for stove bicycle, once you’ve acquired the skill it stays could now be made, and the residual would with you forever. Again, the Boy Scout Hand- grow faster. book was a handy reference and about the only The rest of the area had some nice red oak here one I knew that was readily available. So, with and there, growing in mixture with other map in hand, a compass, and my natural stmde, I hardwoods or above an understory of hemlock. A started to fill in the permanent features of my few of the oaks were already 18 to 24 mches in woodlot’s topography. diameter and readily salable. But I really needed I began with my overgrown road and to know more precisely what was there and discovered that it was well worn and needed little where it was before decidmg what was best to do. work to clear up to a stone wall and then a bit 5

eroded and, with a little clearing and a load or two of gravel in wet spots, would be easy to revive. With this landmark in, it was logical next to map in the brook that paralleled much of the road. Doing the mam stream and pacmg the tributaries, I located all the permanent and in- termittent streams that flowed over the lowest land contaimng all the wet spots that markedly influenced growth or gave trouble with roads. I also sketched m the drainage pattern on which the higher land was hung. With the valleys done, it was easy for me to locate the ridges and knolls and to note which were steep and which gentle.

With a little cleanng and a load or two of gravel for the wet spots, a revived logging road makes the easiest trail into a woodlot Photograph courtesy of the New En- gland Forestry Foundation. beyond, to one of the streamside swales of red maples. This part was probably a farm lane that old man Stratton had laid out to get to what one of the deeds calls the "long mowing." In the early days wet swales were cleared and used to cut hay from the natural grasses that took over once the sprouts were killed off. The road continued on but gradually became more overgrown and dif- fuse, so that it looked hke a skid road used occa- sionally for logging. Judging from the old pines lying across it, which probably had blown down in the hurricane of 1938, this part of the road had been abandoned for over 40 years. Finally, even this trace disappeared some distance short of the back boundary. Primitive as it was, the old road Oaks tend to occupy the dry ndge tops. Shown here m was still the easiest trail into the it seemed lot; flower is Quercus rubra, the red oak. Photograph by well enough laid out that it was stable and not Albert W. Bussewitz. Mapping Tree Cover With the topography roughly filled in, I had also defined the main growing sites with moisture regimes different enough to be reflected in the growth of the trees. The wet swales were domi- nated by red maple, while, at the other extreme, the dry ridge tops were given over to oak. The slopes between had mixtures of hardwood with a pine here and there, while some of the gentlest slopes with diffuse, mtermittent streams had a lot of hemlock under the hardwoods. Now I could start to make some sense out of the cover and get a feel for where thmgs would grow. The woodlot began to take on natural form and orga- mzation.

Immature cones of the Amencan larch or tamarack, Lanx lamcma, a species that thnves m valley-bottom bogs. Photograph by Albert W. Bussewitz.

Of course, I knew the local trees because of my traming, but many owners must start from scratch and learn to identify the different species. This is relatively easy: with a good field guide and a bit of practice one can quickly identify the main leaf shapes m the summer and the buds and twigs m the wmter. In addition, many trees have a distinctive bark form, color, or texture that is easily learned. In any case, learmng the trees is the first step toward understanding what you see in the forest because the trees "integrate" the natural growth capacity of each site, telling you something about the local microclimate and The distinctive bark of the yellow birch, Betula al- about conditions below leghamensis, is an aid to its identification m wmter. ground. Photograph by Barth Hamberg. Although red maple, for instance, grows 7

everywhere as scattered individuals, it will to- trembhng aspen. White pine in central New En- tally dommate sites too wet for other trees. Yel- gland also grows almost everywhere, but forms low birch is more plentiful on moist sites and pure stands in abandoned fields and pastures. doesn’t start m big openings exposed to the hot Being the first step back toward forest in such sun. While white birch can’t stand the wet, it can places, it is succeeded by hardwoods on all but dominate sunny cut- and burned-over sites ~ust as the driest sites, such as sand and gravel plains. At well as the pioneer, short-hved gray birch and the other extreme, the wettest sites are the bogs

The short-lived gray birch, Betula popuhfoha, shown here, and the quakmg aspen, Populus tremuloides, as well as the white bmch, B. papynfera, occupy sunny cut- and bum,ed-over sites. Photograph from the Archives of the Arnold Aboretum. 8

that in central New England support sphagnum a host of other satisfactions that are generally not moss on the ground and black spruce, tamarack, traded over the counter. and the odd red maple overhead, with here and Yesterday, when land was cheap and interest there a white pine on a sandy knoll. This complex and taxes low, most folks didn’t worry about get- of species seems able to withstand the short ting the most out of their woodlands. Today, ev- growing season in these valley-bottom bogs, but erything is dear and high carrying costs make it grows very slowly and is probably most valu- owners more cautious and thoughtful, so there is able for managing watershed and wildlife, espe- a renewed interest in land management, espe- cially birds. cially in steps aimed at a balanced mix of those tangible and mtangible returns. But time and money are scarce. How should one ration them in managing a woodlot? Normal the Woodlot Managing prudence suggests investing them first m the venture that the return in cash or One of the popular myths about private land- gives greatest second in the next-best and owners like me is that we butcher our woods and satisfaction, earner, so on. The satisfaction from a mistreat them more often than any other group of greatest owning woodland comes from the initial be- landowners. I doubt we do, however, because so purchase, cause that entitles and to and all many owners I’ve met are like me in wanting to you yours any and future benefits. The next-best return take care of their woodlots. Also, year after year present is from investments to the forest - official estimates show them producing their fair safeguard share of the cut, fair in the sense that they own about half the land and cut about half the wood. In addition, their growth and harvest make about as high a percentage return on their inventory of standmg timber as do industry’s, and much better than government’s. This may simply mean that the woodlots contmue to produce m spite of ne- glect, or perhaps that "management by accident" is more effective than professionals beheve. In any case, trees grow without much attention for a great many pnvate owners. But is this the best way to en~oy and profit from a woodlot, and to be a good neighbor? In most cases, no! Following a few simple rules will bnng you greater ownership satisfaction from the land and, at the same time, will benefit your descen- dants and the pubhc at large. In the past it was not uncommon to hold a woodlot, let nature take its course, and, every couple of generations when prices were high, "lumber it off." And that still happens. But today owners have come to have a high regard for a wide array of values, including outdoor recreation, observing wildlife, hunting, relief from the work-a-day life, gams from rising A road and trail net is essential for access to all parts of a land values, aesthetics, a source of fuelwood, and woodlot. Photograph by Hope Wise. 9

good boundaries, access for fire control, taxes paid, and the hke. For most, the third-best payer is a road and trail net by which to get around and en~oy one’s woods. Finally come investments m management that will improve forest production of goods and services of all kinds. Often, much of the road-net and management cost can be mter- nally financed from the proceeds of a sale when you have suitable timber. People who never really cared much for man- agement are suddenly doing something very posi- tive as they look to their land as a means of keeping the wood basket full. In fact, a common question these days is, "Where can I buy a wood- lot, and how many acres must I have to grow enough firewood for the house?"

Cutting the Timber

If you want to accomphsh all this and get some roads and trails onto your property, it usually will be necessary to make some kmd of cutting. The time to do this is when you need the wood or when the market is brisk. Your problem may be how to find out about the state of the market. One thing you can do is to call the service forester in and ask him or her about it. Part your county you will know what to expect. Most people don’t of a forester’s is to advise job private landowners, know what should be covered by a contract, but and because foresters are the state paid by you get you can call the extension forester at your state such services free. Because there is no charge, university, and he or she will send you some don’t too much attention as the expect competi- samples. Or you can get advice from your con- tion for his or her services is stiff. understandably sulting forester. The rules (see "If You Decide to can the time of a Or, you buy consulting forester, Cut" page 10) give an idea of some of the consid- but be sure to ask about fees before start. If it you erations that should be given attention in logging. turns out that are to make a sale of you going They may give you a small start toward a more then it is to a trained timber, very important get satisfying relationship with your woodlot. person to look after your interests.

The next most important thing is to have a A forest econormst, Ernest Gould is assistant director of written contract with the logger so that both of the Harvard Forest m Petersham, Massachusetts. IF YOU DECIDE TO CUT ’ "~-~

·KNOW THE LAW. Most states have laws Entitled One Man’s Forest: Managing Your that govern the cutting of trees. Woodlot for Pleasure ~J Profit, it was Massachusetts has a Forest Cutting published in 1974 by the Stephen Greene Practices Act, for example, which requires a Press (Brattleboro, VT 05301) and is still m landowner to file a notice of intent to cut, print m paperback for $6.95. of American and a cutting plan before most timber sales. The New York Society a set of Everyone m the business of logging must get Foresters has published gmdeli.nes a commercial harvester’s license from the for the safe and efficient harvesting of state. There is also a Slash Disposal Act, woodlots. Entitled The Timber Harvest which is administered by the state fire Guidelines, they are available free of charge wardens. In addition, local conservation from the Society (c/o Richard Schwab, 200 commissions in Massachusetts administer New Maintenance Building, College of the Wetlands Protection Act, which, with Environmental Science and Forestry, State the Forest Cutting Practices Act, covers University of New York, Syracuse 13210). in wetlands. logging ·SEEK ADVICE. There are a number of three tax laws help Fmally, special places where landowners can get sound landowners with local property taxes in advice on managing a woodlot. In Massachusetts: Massachusetts, each county has a service 61 reduces annual taxes on Chapter forester, whose services are free of charge. woodlands 95 and a by percent imposes To get in touch with yours, consult the severance tax on cut under an products "Directory" beginning on page 11 of this approved timber-management plan. issue of Arnoldia. The service forester, who G1A gives relief to farmland and Chapter can get federal cost-sharing assistance for associated woodlots on bona fide active to undertake certain projects in your farms. you woodlot, is also the person to call if you G1B some tax reduction for Chapter grants want to locate a consultant or invest in tree land devoted to recreation. open management. It is also to get reduced property, possible In addition, there is an extension forester and inheritance taxes a income, by granting at most state land-grant universities (see the conservation easement on forest or other "Directory"). He (or she) is paid to use the land to the town or some other open resources of academia to help solve conservation There acceptable organization. technical forestry problems and has a are also some federal income-tax advantages number of very helpful, free publications for forest returns. about forestry. You also can get free advice ·READ UP. One of the best references I from the Cooperative Extension Service have found is the Manual for Owners and office, which usually is located in the county di~t’r~~t iviultu~etS uj ~tiW ii cOre"Si Lu"i2dS, preparcd byy seat. The Cno ~’ T f7t~ri ~Pr.TivyC a source of Garry van Wart for the Trustees of office for your locality is also Reservations (224 Adams Street, Milton, techmcal help with water-, -, and MA 0218G; telephone [617] 698-2066). This land-management problems. Private 113-page volume is available for $2.50 plus conservation organizations such as the $ I.35 for postage and handling. It gives more Audubon Society, the Massachusetts Land than 200 useful documents, classified League, and the Conservation Law according to eight subjects of special interest Foundation are good sources of information to landowners, in its list of references. for woodlot owners in Massachusetts. exist in Rockwell R. Stephens has written an Similar organizations virtually every entertaining and informative book on the state. joys and woes of handling a woodlot. - E.G. 111

WHERE TO GO FOR ADVICE A DIRECTORY OF INFORMATION SOURCES ON FORESTRY MANAGEMENT

In the United States and Canada, federal, Massachusetts state or provincial, and private agencies, as (Area Codes 617 and 413) a wide va- well as state universities, provide State Government riety of sound information on the manage- In Massachusetts, the Bureau of Forest Development has divided the state into five each with its In addrrion to the ment of small woodlands. In some cases the regions, Regional Supervisor Bureau’s Main Office in Boston, there is an office in Lancaster information is available at no in oth- charge, Boston Office ( l9th Floor, 100 Cambndge Street, Boston ers there is a fee. A brief directory to some of 02202) the key information sources follows. Ad- State Forester (617) 727-3163 dresses and, whenever possible, telephone Chief Forester (617~ 727-3184 numbers are indicated. Lancaster Office (Post Office Box 173, Lancaster 01523) Forester (617) 368-1780

NATIONAL Forestry Regions Federal Government (United States) Region I, Southeastern Massachusetts (Myles Standish Forest Service State Forest, Box 66, South Carver 02366) Department of Agriculture Supervisor (617) 866-2580 Post Office Box 24177 II, Northeastern Massachusetts /Carhsle Re- DC 20013 Region Washmgton, 817 Lowell Road, Carlisle 01741)1) 447-3957 gional Headquarters, (202) Supervisor /617~ 369 3351 Federal Government (Canada) Region III, Worcester County (Box 155, Clinton 01510/ Forestry Service Supervisor ~617) 368-0126 Environment Canada Region IV, Connecticut Valley (Box 484, Amherst Ottawa, Ontano K1A 1G5 994-1879 01004) (819) Supervisor (413) 549-1461 Petawawa National Forestry Institute Hamden County (Hampton Ponds State Park, Route 202, Box 537A, Chalk Ontario Westfield 01085) River, KOJ 1J0 Forester /413/ 532-3985 (613) 995-7010 Region V, Berkshire County (Post Office Box 1433, 740 REGIONAL South Street, Pittsfield 01202) Supervisor (413) 442-8928 Federal Government (United States) Northeastern Area Director State Bookstore The State Bookstore sells a booklet all of the of U.S. Forest Service containing regulations the Dtmston of and Parks To order the booklet, request Document Pnvate State and Forestry 304 CMR 1 00-5 00 and enclose a check for $4 05 ($3 00 plus $1 05 for 370 Reed Road postage) made out to "Commonwealth of Massachusetts " The book- Broomall, PA 19008 store’s address is State Bookstore 461-3125 (215) Room 116 State House NEW ENGLAND Boston, MA 02133 Its telephone number is /617~ 727-2834 The New England Forestry Foundation (85 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116) retams consulting woodland managers who will (for a fee) draw up a management Extension Service plan according to a woodland owner’s wishes. Write the Extension Forester Foundation’s Head Forester, or call (617) 437-1441. Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management 12

Holdsworth Hall Land Use Regulation Commission [for woodlands University of Massachusetts within unorganized towns and ] Amherst 01003 Department of Conservation (413) 545-2665 Station 22 State House State University 289-2631 [Toll-free in Maine: 1-800-452-8711] Chairman, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Man- agement Private Holdsworth Hall Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine, Inc. University of Massachusetts RFD 1, Box 420A (413) 545-2665 Pittsfield 04967

Several paper companies (for example, Boise Cascade in Rumford, Geor- 1 gia Pacific in Woodland, Internattonal Paper in Augusta, Robbins Lumber <, iB in Searsmont, St Regis in Bucksport, Scott Paper Company in Fairfield, and S D Warren in Westbrook) offer woodland-management advice to private landowners In most cases there is no charge for this service, though some compames ask for first-refusal nghts on the timber The Other New England States Extension Service Extension Forester Connecticut 107 Nutting Hall Code ‘ (Area 203) University of Maine State Government Orono 04469 581-2892 State Forester State Office Building State University 165 Avenue Capitol Director, School of Forest Resources Hartford 06106 206 Nutting Hall 566-5348 University of Mame 581-2844 Private Connecticut Forest and Park Association, Inc. 1010 Main Street Post Office Box 8537 East Hartford 06108-8537 (Area Code 603) 289-3637 State Government Director, Division of Forests and Lands Extension Service Department of Resources and Economic Develop- Extension Forester ment Box U-87 Post Office Box 856 University of Connecticut 105 Loudon Road Storrs 06268 Concord 03301 Extension Forester 271-2214 Extension Center Chairman, Department of Forest Resources 06234 Brooklyn 215 James Hall University of New Hampshire Maine Durham 03824 () 862-1020 State Government Private Maine Forest Service Society for the Preservation of New Hampshire Station 22 Forests State House 54 Portsmouth Street Augusta 04333 Concord 03301 289-2791 224-9945 13

Extension Service State University Extension Forester Department of Forestry 110 Pettee Hall School of Natural Resources Umversity of New Hampshire Room 313 862-1029 The Alken Center County Supervisor University of Vermont 111 Pettee Hall 656-2620 Umvers> ty of New Hampshire 862-1029 OUTSIDE NEW ENGLAND New York (Area Code 401) (Area Codes 315, 518, and 607) State Government State Government Chief, Division of Forest Environment Director, Division of Lands and Forests Route 101 Department of Environmental Conservation RFD 2, Box 851 Room 404 North Scituate 02857 50 Wolf Road ’ 647-3367 Albany 12233-0001 (518) 457-2475 Extension Service Director of Cooperative Extension Service Bureaus of the Division of Lands and Forests (all at University of Rhode Island 50 Wolf Road, Albany 12233-0001). Kingston 028811 Forest Management Bureau 792-2474 Room 406 Regional Offices (9:OOA.M. to2:00P.M., weekdaysJ~ (518) 457-7370 Southern Rhode Island 539-2004 Real Property Services Bureau Providence area 272-1132 Room 116 Jamestown area 423-1322 (518) 457-7670 State University and Fire Management Bureau Chairman, Department of Natural Resource Science Room 408 201B Woodward Hall (518) 457-5740 University of Rhode Island 792-2370 Private Secretary, New York Forest Owners Association, Inc. RD 2 Vermont Skyhigh Road, Tully 13159 Code (Area 802) (315) 696-8002 State Government Director of Forests Extension Service Agency of Environmental Conservation Forest Resources and Land Use State Office Building State Cooperative Extension Montpeher 05602 Department of Natural Resources 828-3375 122A Fernow Hall Comell University Extension Service Ithaca 14853-0188 Extension Forester (607) 256-7703 Room 345 The Aiken Center State University University of Vermont School of Forestry Burhngton 05405-0088 107 Marshall Hall 656-3258 State University of New York 14

College of Environmental Science and Forestry at foresters are stationed at and affihated with state land- Syracuse Umversity grant universities. Syracuse 13210 ’ An excellent guide to state, provincial, and federal agencies and private organizations m both countnes is the National Wildlife Federation’s Conservanon Dmec- ELSEWHERE tory, which is issued in a new edition at the start of each , year. The 1985 edition is available from the Federation Contact the department of natural resources or envi- (1412 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036) for ronment m your state or provincial capital for the ad- $15.00 plus $1.55 for shipping When ordemng, request dresses and telephone numbers of your state’s or prov- Order Number 79552. Many libraries subscribe to the mce’s foresters. In the United States, most extension Directory.