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l l d d o o o o W W t t s s e e w w h h t t r r o o N N s s d d n n a A Publication of the Oregon Small Woodlands, Washington Farm Forestry, Idaho Forest Owners & Montana Forest Owners Associations Owners Forest a Montana & Owners Forest Idaho Forestry, Farm Washington Woodlands, Small Oregon the of Publication A

WINTER 2015 2015 WINTER NO. 1 NO. 31 VOLUME • •

TABLE OF CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS 3 PRESIDENTS’ MESSAGES Winter 2015 6 DOWN ON THE FEATURES TREE FARM 28 TREESMARTS TOOLS OF THE TRADE 30 TREEMAN TIPS From planning and inventory aids to high-tech equipment, choose the tools that will make your work safer, easier and cost-effective. ON THE COVER: 8 BY TRISTAN HUFF

MOBILE ELECTRONIC FORESTRY There are many benefits from using electronic aids to manage your forest- land. Take a look at some of the most useful applications (apps) and devices that are available today. 11 BY CHRIS SCHNEPF Longer logs or bunches of logs can be fully suspended with two MANAGING YOUR FOREST WITH A JAPANESE arches resulting in minimal QUARTER HORSE drag and minimal impact. Photo courtesy of Mark Havel If you’re a do-it-yourselfer with some logs to move, find some valuable tips for making your project efficient, effective and minimally painful! STAFF: 15 BY MARK HAVEL ANNE C. MALONEY, Editor P.O. Box 1897 Phoenix, OR 97535 TODAY’S HEAVY HARVESTING EQUIPMENT [email protected] Here you’ll find descriptions of the large machines often used on commercial logging operations. MINTEN GRAPHICS, Graphic Design Northwest Woodlands Advisory 18 BY REX STORM Committee Members: Dick Alescio INTEGRATING SAFETY INTO YOUR FOREST MANAGEMENT Mike Barsotti Chuck Higgins ROUTINE Jim James Be sure all of your hard work and planning aren’t negated by an accident. Anne Maloney Follow these tips for a safe operation, every day. Vic Musselman 20 BY JASON PETTIGREW Tom Nygren Elaine Oneil Lori Rasor CHAINSAW MAINTENANCE 101 Your most-used tool might be your chainsaw. It will be a more reliable and Northwest Woodlands is published quarterly by the World Forestry effective tool if you follow this advice for consistent maintenance. Center for the Oregon Small Woodlands Association, Washington 23 BY GLENN LOVELL Farm Forestry Association, Idaho Forest Owners Association and Montana Forest Owners Association. Other than general editing, the articles appearing in this publication have not been ALSO IN THIS ISSUE . . . peer reviewed for technical accuracy. The individual authors are primarily responsible for 13 USES OF TECHNOLOGY IN FORESTRY 26 BASIC TOOLS FOR WOODLAND the content and opinions expressed herein. OWNERS 22 PROFESSIONAL EQUIPMENT: IT’S NOT “All registered marks, trademarks and service marks belong to their respective JUST FOR PROFESSIONALS 31 WFFA ANNUAL MEETING owners.”

2 . NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 plots, which makes the trees easier to identify. I admit that I prune some PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE trees, usually the larger ones, to make them look better. On the home front I have a tool Washington story that relates something about life BOYD WILSON in the U.S. I burn wood for heat in my house. To split that wood I like to use a double-bitted cruiser’s axe. This axe has a 2.5-pound head and a 28-inch Indispensable Tools handle. It’s compact and easy to man- age. A few years ago my cruiser’s axe love my tools, how they are designed trees you need a shovel and a tree bag. was stolen from my porch and, to my and what they let me accomplish. My-oh-my, when I look at my forestry surprise, I have not been able to find a I Some I’ve had for years while others equipment catalogs and see all the pos- new one. It appears that the era of I’ve recently added to my collection. At sibilities, I have two thoughts: first, I’m needing an axe has passed. times there is the urge to buy a tool just thankful that all those items exist if I There are also a couple of handle- because of its clever design, so I have to need them and second, I’d need a barn less aids to tree farming that I consider be careful when I go to the hardware to put them in. important. I have an ATV that I take store. Other tools are so obviously good The tool I most frequently find in to my tree farm in my pickup. I find that I wonder where they have been all my hand is my pruning saw. At a hair that having a permanent onsite ramp my life. Take the orbital sander and the over 6 feet long it fits in the bed of my for unloading is much safer and faster impact driver. Both are operator-friend- pickup. I have fitted the saw blade to a than a portable ramp. And when you ly and make short work of what used to cedar pole handle so it is very light. I need help on a job too big for you be onerous jobs. use it to open up roads, trails and alone it’s nice to have someone to call. On the tree farm I use a variety of property lines as this makes access If those relationships can be set up tools depending on the job. For cruising much easier. Also, I prune my growth ahead of time it will make life easier. ■ or surveying you need tools for meas- urement, like a tape or clinometer. I thought that maybe I could be a tree farmer without a chainsaw, but that didn’t last long. Now, because I’m not good at filing chain, there is an electric chain sharpener in my garage. One thing leads to another. Cutting brush or doing hack-and- squirt with chemicals requires a machete or a brush axe. For planting

A BALANCED APPROACH Portland Foresters 503-222-9772 Corvallis Foresters 541-435-0383 [email protected] www.troutmountain.com Forest stewardship for productivity and diversity These forests have been independently certified as well managed. FSC Trademark © 1996 Forest Stewardship Council A.C. • SCS-FM/COC- 00062GN

NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 . 3 out there somewhere. • A smartphone. It’s surprising how PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE much I’ve used this tool. I have definite technophobic leanings and I actively Idaho eschew being “plugged in.” However, I appreciate a multi-functional tool. My PAUL BUCKLAND wife requests that I carry some method of emergency contact in case I get hurt out in the woods. So I’ve saved “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” as an What a Tool! instant text in my phone. You can even take a picture of Sasquatch, download good tool is hard to beat. that’s NOT smart-alecky. “Orange, you the Global Positioning System (GPS) That’s why I carry at least one say? That color is used for Sasquatch coordinates to the authorities, and post A with me at all times while I walk sightings. You know, we’re never gonna the picture on Facebook for your in the woods. Since my vest only car- catch that fella if we don’t start track- friends to “like.” I think the key to suc- ries so much, I usually wind up having ing his whereabouts with data points. cess with this particular tool is to keep to choose which ones I expect to need It’s science.” Alas, the real answer is less it from dominating your attention. the most. I’m not talking about going satisfying. As far as I know, there is no Therefore, I put my phone on “forest out to the woods to accomplish a spe- official standardized color code that mode” when I’m out in the woods. My cific job, such as cruising or burning, defines what the colors mean. It daughter informed me that there is no with its concomitant tool. No, I’m depends on what the hanger wants it to such mode and that most people call it talking about those forays into your mean. I use blue for property lines, red “airplane mode.” I guess I’m still a woods on a dreary day to cure cabin for road layout, pink for stream buffers, dork in her eyes, even with flagging fever: productive goofing-off or sylvan and, yes, orange for Sasquatch sight- wrapped around my iPhone. Whatever! skylarking. Here’s what I carry and ings. Aldo Leopold wrote that game (and why: • A machete. It’s a knife, a sword, a I’d argue forests too) can be restored • Flagging. I have lots of plastic rib- hatchet, a Christmas tree pruner, and a by creative uses of the same tools that bon in a rainbow of colored rolls. I am dandy weapon to have during the zom- were used to destroy it—the axe, cow, often asked something like, “I saw bie apocalypse. It’s a must-have tool plow, fire, and gun. I agree that the real some orange flagging in the woods last for someone with an overactive imagi- conservationist/tree farmer doesn’t try weekend—what’s it for?” I usually stare nation. Unfortunately, my first to enshrine their forest into a natural at the questioner blankly, like a frog in machete did not have bright flagging museum, but rather uses a tool in hand a rainstorm, while I think of a response wrapped around the handle so it’s still to live with the land. Now, if that dang cow would stand still so I could wrap flagging on its tail in case I lose it... ■

Seedling Nursery Since 1974 A full service We bring experience with owners that care about their product and customers. Natural Resource Approximately 10 million seedlings in annual production consulting firm since 1984 1 container site (plugs), 2 bareroot/transplant sites (p+1, 1+1)

Contract growing and spec seedlings for forestry and Christmas tree production ➤ Estate Planning ➤ Reforestation ➤ Water Resources LET US GROW YOUR SEEDLINGS ➤ Log Marketing & Inventory ➤ Timber Appraisals ➤ Harvest Administration ➤ Fire/Fuels Management David Gerdes Mike Gerdes ➤ Forest Management Plans ➤ GPS/GIS Services [email protected] www.consulting-foresters.com HOME OFFICE (208) 883-4488 FORESTERS • NURSERYMAN • SEEDSMAN [email protected] EASTERN WASHINGTON (509) 276-4699 SILVASEED COMPANY [email protected] P.O. Box 118 • Roy,WA 98580 • (253) 843-2246 MONTANA “Serving Many of the Reforestation Needs of the World From This Location Since 1889” (406) 442-7555 • [email protected]

4 . NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE STATE OFFICERS IFOA PRESIDENT: Paul Buckland 208-771-0251 • [email protected] Oregon SCOTT HANSON VICE PRESIDENT: Lawrence D. Packard 509-336-0483 • [email protected] SECRETARY: Allen L. Naugle 208-664-7059 • [email protected] Useful Forestry Tools TREASURER: Sandra G. Murdock 208-683-2105 • [email protected] have purchased two new tools this your road system open. Walk along EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT: Kirk David year that help me on my woodland the road with the clipper held nearly PO Box 1257 • Coeur d’Alene, ID property. The first is a gas-operated perpendicular to the ground and cut 83816-1257 • 208-683-3168 • info@ I idahoforestowners.org hedge clipper and the second is a jun- back berry vines and other small ior arch. stems that are reaching out toward the OSWA The hedge clipper is helpful to cut middle of the road for sunlight. PRESIDENT: Scott Hanson away encroaching small brush (less The junior arch was useful to me 503-313-3729 • [email protected] than 1 inch in diameter) from a young this year when I was doing a first- PRESIDENT ELECT: Rick Barnes seedling after the first year. Douglas entry thinning in a small area timber 541-673-1208 • [email protected] fir seedlings thrive in full sunlight, so stand. I needed to move short logs 2nd VICE PRESIDENT: Donna Heffernan cutting away competing vegetation downhill to a landing about 50 feet 541-786-2257 • [email protected] will speed up the seedlings’ ability to away. The arch hooks lift the front 2nd VICE PRESIDENT: Bill Potterf achieve free-to-grow status. end of the log off the ground, thereby 541-479-0868 • [email protected] Another use of the clipper involves reducing friction, and the wheels help 2nd VICE PRESIDENT: David Schmidt a two-step process to make a trail to traverse bumps on the ground sur- 541-979-7523 • lakehousedave9@ through head-high shrubs, in a steep face. Later, a portable sawmill was gmail.com area where using larger equipment is used to make boards. The arch has 2nd VICE PRESIDENT: Mike Barnes problematic. The first step is using the some limitations, such as a maximum 503-538-5344 • [email protected] clipper to take the plant height to load of 1000 pounds and a maximum knee level, reducing the amount of diameter of 16 inches, however I was TREASURER: Dallas Boge 503-357-7688 • [email protected] herbicide to be sprayed on fewer able to complete the project. These leaves of the remaining plant in the two tools might be of value to you on PAST PRESIDENT: Scott Hayes 503-568-9999 • [email protected] second step. your forestland. ■ The clipper is also effective to keep EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Jim James 187 High Street NE, Suite 208 • Salem, OR 97301 • 503-588-1813 [email protected] WFFA PRESIDENT: Boyd Wilson SUPPORT 360-438-1166 • [email protected] 1st VICE PRESIDENT: Patti Playfair RESPONSIBLE 509-936-3842 • [email protected] 2nd VICE PRESIDENT: Alan Walker FORESTRY. 509-779-4012 • [email protected] SECRETARY: Michelle Blake 360-790-5498 • [email protected] TREASURER: Bill Scheer, Jr. When you consider that only 10% of the world’s forests are certified, we have 360-269-3850 • [email protected] a long way to go. The good news is that there are a number of credible forest 1st PAST PRESIDENT: Tom Westergreen certification programs. And each one, including SFI, encourages responsible forestry. 360-961-0312 • tomwestergreen@ For more on forest certification and what you can do, visit www.sfiprogram.org. hotmail.com EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Elaine Oneil P.O. Box 1010 • Chehalis, WA 98532 360-388-8033 • eoneil@ wafarmforestry.com

NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 . 5 u Precommercial Thinning (PCT)—The most important forest treatment after stand establishment is to manage stems per acre by thinning. ❑ PCT by definition means your expenses will be greater than your revenue. There is also a cost to not thinning when your stand is ready, such as less merchantable volume per tree, poor crown ratios, and poor resist- ance to wind, snow and ice storms. A stand thinned late is particularly susceptible to damage from weath- DOWN ON THE er events. In a PCT you decide which trees will be left to occupy the site and grow large enough for a com- mercial thinning operation or final harvest. The fol- TREE FARM lowing Web address will take you to “Thinning Systems TREE FARM for Western Oregon Douglas-fir Stands”for good infor- mation on thinning. tinyurl.com/OregonDougfirPCT. TIPS & TRICKS OF THE DAY: Use ethanol-free fuel in Silviculturally, there may not a good or bad time of your small engines. year to PCT. My preference would be to avoid PCT just before and during fire season to minimize red needles during the period of highest fire danger. In WHAT TO DO IN . . . areas susceptible to pine engraver beetles, thin trees greater than 3 inches DBH after August 1 to mini- FEBRUARY mize damage. See DOTTF Fall 2013 for a more in depth discussion on PCT. u Dispose of Your Mixed Gas if You Used Ethanol Fuel. You can add it to the gas tank in your car or pickup. MARCH u Issues with Ethanol Fuel u Finish Tree Planting on the West Side of the Cascades ❑ Shelf life is three months or less. by the Middle of the Month. ❑ Ethanol (alcohol) is a magnet for water and contami- ❑ If you run short of trees, be cautious when purchas- nates your fuel. The water causes your fuel to ing someone else’s surplus trees. Questions you degrade faster and rusts smaller metal parts like in should ask are: your carburetor. • Seed source and seedling size: Are the seedlings ❑ Alcohol dissipates the oil you mix with your fuel and suitable for your site? your small engine does not get the lubrication it • When were they pulled at the nursery? Seedlings needs. have a shelf life that varies based on species. ❑ Fuel stabilizers appear to have mixed results. • How were they stored? In the nursery cooler? Did ❑ The simplest solution is to buy ethanol-free super they go out to the planting site for a few days? and use that in your small engines or in vehicles that Possibly not stored in ideal conditions for a while? sit for months. It is readily available to me where I • Have the bags been opened and the seedlings live in Oregon, but maybe not where you live. You dried out a little or a lot? can also purchase fuel in a container at your saw shop that is ethanol-free high octane. The car or pickup you drive the most burns a tank of fuel in APRIL three months or less, so ethanol fuel is typically not u Remember Me: Scotch Broom? an issue. ❑ Endearing qualities: I have pretty, bright yellow flow- ers; I sequester nitrogen; I was brought here from February usually has a good week of cool dry u British Isles and southern Europe to control erosion. weather for... Possibly no endearing qualities if I am found on your ❑ A small logging job. place. ❑ A hack and squirt project. ❑ Enduring quality: My seeds are viable for 50 years or ❑ A basal spray project. more. ❑ Pruning roadside trees to keep your road prism ❑ Long-term strategy: If you can get a thick canopy of open. trees established, I will be shaded out. ❑ A precommercial thinning project.

6 . NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 ❑ Remember, controlling invasive weeds is your u KNOW YOUR WOODS WORDS responsibility. Tips for controlling me: ❑ Callipers or Calipers. A device used to measure the • Cut plants off below the basal node (this is near or distance between two opposite sides of an object. below ground level where the stem is more yel- The one I am familiar with looks like a capital F. The low than green) during the dry season. Most of midpoint bar is the same length as the top bar and the older plants will not sprout. Apply 25 percent slides along the calibrated vertical bar. You can Garlon 4 (20 percent Garlon XRT) in water or oil measure the diameter of, say, a future log lying on carrier to the cambium on the cut surface to pre- the ground before you buck it, rather than trying to vent sprouting in younger plants. get a D-tape under and around it. • Pull or jack plants. Young plants in moist soil can ❑ Jitney. Sawmill term for the piece of equipment that be pulled out by hand. Use a weed wrench on moves and/or stacks lumber around the mill yard. older and larger plants. Search for weed wrench tools online. u FAVORITE FORESTRY WEBSITES • Mow. Individual plants may require several mow- ❑ Send me your favorite forestry related website and I ings before they die. If mowing only once, the will share the link here. best time is when the plants begin to flower, as • cocorahs.org. CoCoRaHS is a national grassroots, root reserves are at their lowest point and new non-profit, community-based precipitation net- seeds have not been produced. work. Tree farmers who live on their property are • Apply herbicide as a foliar spray with a backpack ideal volunteers as they may not have any neigh- sprayer. Mix 1.5 percent Garlon 4 in water with 1/2- bors in their neck of the woods providing rainfall to 1-percent vegetable oil surfactant. Vegetable oil data. Basically you get to be a rainfall nut. You log surfactants by brand name and manufacturer are onto their network via the internet and submit HASTEN by Wilbur-Ellis and MSO by Loveland your data electronically. You have access to the Products. I got application recommendations from: data submitted by other participants and can 1) anytime they are in full leaf to full bloom so you compare your rainfall to theirs. More volunteers can see them and the root’s reserves are low, and 2) are needed. late summer and early fall when the plants are in • oregoncanopy.com. This is the Oregon Woodland seed head stage. The down side of waiting to seed Cooperative’s conifer essential oil website. This is head stage is you have banked another year of your opportunity to send the scent of a Northwest seeds to sprout after your herbicide treatment. conifer to a friend in the city. • If you have mature plants, you have a significant • oregonheartwood.com. Handmade and natural seed bank in the soil and control will require sev- goods from the Oregon woods by Oregon eral treatments as the seeds sprout. Woodland Cooperative members are for sale on • I have applied Garlon 4 with HASTEN after leaf set this site. Take a peek and you will be impressed. and before flowering, while flowering and after seed set with good results. I have also seen mow- ing of mature plants with no sprouting. My experience Down on the Tree Farm is edited by David Bateman with help from Linn County Small with pulling plants is that Woodlands members Aaron White, Joe Holmberg, Roy Stutzman, Steve Kohl, Neal Bell, Jim seeds germinated in the dis- Merzenich, Rick Fletcher,Tim Otis, Mike Barsotti, and Brad Withrow-Robinson.This column turbed soil. I did not use a is a project of the Linn County Small Woodlands Association and the OSU Extension weed wrench, but I have a Master Woodland Managers.Suggestions always welcome; send to Dave Bateman friend who did and he loved at [email protected]. it. If herbicides are not in your tool box, I would pull or cut plants in the woods to get my 503-684-8168 seedlings to crown closure 1-800-783-6818 and mow my roads. Search 11825 SW Greenburg Road, Suite 200 for Scotch broom control Tigard, OR 97223 options online. www.nwforestryservices.com

Disclaimer: Use all pesticides selectively Professional Forest Management Appraisals and carefully, following requirements ❑ ❑ on the label. ❑ Timber Inventories and Cruising ❑ Mapping and GIS

NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 . 7 rangefinder). Don’t forget a good field vest: I speak from experience when I Tools of the Trade say that without tying your expensive tools and electronics to a vest, you will By TRISTAN HUFF woodlands. The articles to follow spend at least one afternoon crawling include equipment and strategies to through brush looking for a lost GPS, or as long as we help you: 1) understand and make smartphone or compass. When build- humans have decisions about your woods, 2) take ing an inventory tool kit, it’s important F been manipulat- management action, and 3) be safe to remember that the best forest tools ing our environment, when working in the woods. are useless without a good understand- we have relied on ing of inventory techniques. I recom- Tools for understanding and making tools to help us get mend attending local inventory work- decisions about your woods the work done. shops offered by your Extension Forests are large complex systems and A forest inventory is fundamental to Service, landowner organization, or it’d be hard to get much done in your any forest management plan; after all, assistance provider before you go out woods without some help from tech- how can you get your forest to your and spend big bucks on equipment. nology, whether that technology is a desired condition if you don’t know Another option is buddying up with a simple ax, a handheld GPS receiver, or where it is right now? Jon Aschenbach knowledgeable woodland owner who a million dollar harvester. Ultimately, and Jim Freed both discuss some great can show you what inventory tech- the tools you choose to use should be options for building a forest inventory nique works for him or her. For more the ones that fit your size, scale, and toolkit. Some tools are relatively inex- information on forest inventory tools style of management. This edition of pensive and easy to use (diameter tape and how to use them check out the Northwest Woodlands is all about help- and sighting compass) while others are two publications: “Tools for ing you decide which tools will help more expensive and may have a steep Measuring your Forest”, tinyurl.com/ you achieve your objectives on your learning curve (GPS and laser ToolsforForestry and “Basic Forest Inventory Techniques for Family Forest Owners”, tinyurl.com/ InventoryTechniques. Mobile devices such as smart- phones and tablets are becoming more powerful, cheaper and more commonplace every day. In his article, Steve Wetmore describes his experi- ence using an iPad for data recording, measuring trees, mapping, and navi- gating in the woods. As Chris Schnepf discusses in his article, there is an ever-expanding selection of applica- tions (apps) that can turn your smart- phone into a GPS, compass, field guide, clinometer, topo map, or any number of other useful forestry tools.

Norm Michaels Forestry LLC Forest management to meet your goals • Management Plans • Reforestation • Timber inventory • Timber cruising Over 40 years managing forests in Oregon and Washington 541-822-3528 [email protected]

8 . NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 If you don’t think of yourself as espe- images to your email in real time Tools to take management action cially tech-savvy, consider bringing using cellular phone service. This section could perhaps be titled along your kids or grandkids who will While technology is getting cheaper “tools to get things done”. A manage- be excited to put their devices to work and more accessible every day, there ment plan is essential, but what good on the family tree farm. Who knows, are some tools that remain out of is a binder full of written ideas if you might get the next generation reach for the typical family forest there is no work accomplished? excited about growing trees! owner. That doesn’t mean, however, Whether you are planting trees, con- that you have nothing to gain from trolling competing vegetation, or har- these technologies. Light detection vesting timber, the right tools are and ranging (lidar), for example, is a essential. Jim Freed discusses some of relatively new technology that uses the hand tools that will be useful for lasers to scan the ground from the air accomplishing these tasks efficiently. and create very detailed three dimen- Tree planting is an especially strenu- sional models of earth’s surface as ous task and his tool recommenda- well as the vegetation growing on the tions will make the job easier on your landscape. Map products showing back and also easier on the trees. detailed terrain and vegetation heights Harvesting trees is a decision not to are already available in some areas be made lightly since trees are notori- and will become more common in the

E ously difficult to reattach to their C I V

R near future. Another mapping tech- E stumps once separated. The right har- S

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E nology that is quickly gaining

R vest system can help ensure a safe, O F . momentum is the use of unmanned S . efficient operation that produces qual- U

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O aerial vehicles (UAVs). These small,

Y ity logs while being easy on the land. S E

T relatively inexpensive aircraft are able R Conversely, equipment that is either U O C to take very high resolution aerial E too large or too small for the job can R U G

I photographs for a fraction of the cost F result in torn up ground, damaged Motion-detecting cameras can help track of traditional, manned aerial photog- logs and residual trees, and perhaps desirable or undesirable wildlife in your raphy. Although commercial use of injuries. Mark Havel discusses many woods. UAVs is currently very restricted by of the options for woodland owners the Federal Aviation Administration, who want to harvest small quantities Motion-detecting game cameras, new rules to address this issue are of timber for sale or personal use. On commonly called game-cams or trail- expected in 2015. Once UAVs come the other end of the spectrum, Rex cams, can be another useful technolo- into play commercially, it will be pos- Storm does a great job describing the gy for monitoring your woods. They sible to commission aerial imagery of harvest options when a logging con- can help you monitor game and non- your property that can be used to tractor is brought onboard. Logging game wildlife populations, and can assess reforestation success, look for systems are constantly being refined also help detect trespassers. While forest health concerns, or even check and skilled operators are capable of inexpensive models require you to for signs of trespass. high levels of productivity on tough visit the cameras to download photos, more sophisticated cameras can send –Continued on next page– D N A

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L S A E R R E U N I G I F M Two maps of the same area, produced from lidar data, showing terrain (left) and vegetation height (right). Darker shades indicate taller vegetation.

NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 . 9 terrain while minimizing impact to importantly, through adoption of safe map and figured a nice new GPS your woods. Whether you are plan- practices. Jason Pettigrew, with the would be just the ticket. Her options ning on removing a few trees for per- Oregon Department of Forestry, out- were to: 1) purchase a GPS that sonal use or clearing a 40-acre stand, lines some equipment and practices matches her accuracy needs and learn remember that a skilled operator that can help ensure you make it to collect data and integrate them into working with care will do more to home safely each day after working in her management map, or 2) hire a ensure a quality job than any piece of your woods. consulting forester to collect data and expensive equipment. produce maps that suit her purposes. But what tools do I need? Excluding, perhaps, a book of Kelly decided that the initial cost of a matches, few handheld tools pack as The articles to follow will be filled GPS receiver that was accurate under much power and capacity to alter with tools and equipment that could tree cover and the time needed to your woods as a chainsaw. Also, few keep your wish list full for many, learn to collect and process data were tools are surrounded by the level of many years. Some of these tools are hard to justify for a one-off project so brand loyalty, maintenance dogma, or basic to managing a tree farm of any she hired an expert to do the work. If general mysteriousness that these size, while some will only be needed she had a strong desire to learn the machines garner. You won’t find opin- occasionally for specialized purposes. technology, and a continuing need for ions here on which brand is best, but When a management task comes up, a GPS year after year, it might have you will find some excellent mainte- you’ll need to weigh the one-time cost made more sense to purchase. nance tips from Glenn Lovell. of purchase against alternatives such While every decision is unique, as equipment rental or hiring out the these simple examples illustrate a Tools to help keep you safe work. Also, don’t forget that along process that can be used to decide The woods of the Northwest with with the initial cost of purchase, you when equipment purchases make their rough terrain, inclement weather, may need to invest time in learning sense for a woodland owner/manager. and various hazards, are inherently how to use a piece of equipment. Two other options that did not come dangerous places to work. Hazards As an example, let’s consider up in these examples are borrowing or can be mitigated through the use of Landowner Kelly. Kelly owns a 40- renting equipment. Some woodland appropriate personal protective equip- acre tree farm and noticed Scotch owner organizations have experiment- ment (PPE) and, perhaps more broom popping up around the place. ed with purchasing tools, such as Through research, she learned that inventory tools and planting tools, treating the sprouts with herbicide and placing them in a lending library Managing for would be a good way to control the for members to use. This system invasive plants. Kelly’s options were works well for specialty tools that are the Future to: 1) purchase a backpack sprayer not used frequently enough to justify with the right expertise and associated personal protective purchase by an individual, such as equipment and learn how to safely planting shovels and bags. Check to apply herbicides, or 2) hire the work see if your local woodland owners’ Timber Appraisal done by a licensed commercial appli- association has a lending library and, Sustainable Forest Planning cator. In our example, Kelly decided if not, consider creating one. Harvest/Reforestation Planning that, because retreatment would be Finally, remember that your mind needed in following years, the pur- is the most sophisticated and useful Timber Sale Management chase of equipment made more sense tool you will ever own. Sharpening its Water Rights than hiring out the work each year. If edge by reading up on woodland Kelly had been uncomfortable work- Survey, Land Use & Engineering management, attending workshops ing with chemicals or unable to spend and trainings, and visiting with the time learning how to apply them, knowledgeable neighbors will yield she may instead have chosen to hire results far greater than the shiniest out the work. technology or heaviest equipment. ■ For another example, while Kelly had an Extension forester out looking TRISTAN HUFF is an Oregon State at her Scotch broom, she noticed the University Extension forester based (541) 267-2872 forester had a GPS receiver that could in Myrtle Point. He can be reached locate their position on the ground. at 541-572-5263 or tristan.huff@ Coos Bay ◆ Dallas ◆ Forest Grove She wanted to accurately locate her oregonstate.edu. www.stuntzner.com roads, stand boundaries and other features to add to her management

10 . NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 SoilWeb), topography, or any other information delineated on the map. Mobile Electronic Forestry Google Earth and Google Maps are available as Android apps. Several By CHRIS SCHNEPF GPS other apps do some similar things The inclusion of GPS (from satel- including Oruxmaps, and Back- ield data collec- lites, not just cell towers) started many Country Navigator. Even ESRI has an tion has steadily thinking of forestry possibilities for Android app now (ArcGIS). Google F shifted from Android devices. Some newer devices Maps is pretty useful to most people paper plot sheets to can even access GLONASS (Russian immediately, whereas the ArcGIS app ruggedized devices GPS satellites). More satellites often may require more familiarity with that store data elec- means more accurate coordinates. At GIS to use fully. tronically. Unfortu- least a dozen apps will bring up screens Field Guide Apps nately, these devices are not cheap: similar to GPS receiver screens (e.g., Books can be heavy. Field guide prices range from $1000 to $4000. GPS Essentials, GPS Status). Google apps add no extra weight to your pack! Smartphones and tablets have Maps even provides audible driving One of the better apps of this kind is added even more computing power, directions. 1,000 Weeds of North America, which better internet access, GPS, and larger, Mapping, Geographical Information helps you identify weeds using plain sharper screens. Compared to System (GIS) language rather than arcane plant tax- ruggedized forestry mobile devices, Some of the best apps integrate onomical terms, and includes over smartphones and tablets are usually GPS with aerial photos, maps or other 4,000 color photos. E-books on identi- lighter and have current operating data loaded from the internet, so you fication of plants and animals can also systems. Also, smartphones can be can see your live location relative to be downloaded and read on a mobile used for telephone calls. nearby roads, forest cover, the soil type device with Adobe or Kindle apps. These devices are also less expen- you are standing (on an app called sive—from $100 to $700, depending on –Continued on next page– your cell service plan. Even if they are damaged in the field, you could burn through two or more smartphones and still pay less than a ruggedized device costs. Lower prices make upgrading to a newer device less painful fiscally. Apps galore A growing number of forestry- friendly computer applications (apps) are available on Android, an operat- ing system from Google, Inc. that is used on many smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. (Some apps discussed here are also available on Sustainable Forestry Initiative iOS by Apple, Inc. and Windows by Microsoft, Inc.) Purchasing Douglas-fir sawlogs and timber at the following locations: Victor P. Musselman Small Forest Landowner and Olympia,WA 360-596-4232 Certified Appraiser specializing in: • Capital Gains • Estate • Gifting • Special Use IRS Appraisals Longview,WA 360-414-3401 7150 S.W. Hampton St., Suite 205 Portland, OR 97223 Springfield, OR 541-729-3922 Email: [email protected] 503-936-5956

NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 . 11 Timber Cruising • Want the forecast for burning easier, so many smartphone users also Basic spreadsheet apps can be used slash piles? Try the Weather Channel, purchase tablets. If your smartphone to collect forest measurement data and Weatherbug, or other weather apps. can act as a hotspot, you can get data calculate stand characteristics. There • Converting feet to meters or for the tablet through your phone. are also forestry-specific apps. For chains? gUnit converts over 30 kinds You can often improve GPS recep- example, Plothound stores geo-refer- of measurements. tion by placing an external receiver enced (data that is tied to a location) • Want current snowpack informa- where the signal is less blocked (e.g., plot data from a mobile device to a tion? Install the SnoTell NRCS & above your head, or away from a tree). “cloud” (a computer network accessed RFC Stations app. Garmin makes a small external GPS through the internet), where you can • Estimating tree height? Try the receiver that links to a mobile device retrieve it at another computer. Measure Height app. via Bluetooth. • Determining a road or hill slope? A case protects your device if Citizen Science Try the Clinometer app. dropped or exposed to water. More people are being engaged to • When will the sun be best posi- Supplemental power options such as collect more data to support better tioned to take a picture? Try LightTrac. extra battery packs or portable charg- science. For example, the EDMapS ers help you go longer in the field. A West app allows anyone to contribute Don’t Forget your Web Browser growing number of solar devices can georeferenced data about noxious Many field-useful websites aren’t also charge mobile devices. Finally, a weeds and other invasive species. channeled through a dedicated app flash card provides additional data Phenology is the relationship (e.g., OSU’s tree identification site). If storage for maps, photo-filled field between a periodic biological phe- you use SoilWeb to determine soil guide apps, or other large data sets. nomenon (e.g., flowering and migra- type, the Web Soil Survey provides tion) and climate. The Natures more details about various character- Conclusion Notebook app helps you share pheno- istics, such as road and tree planting Many of these applications are logical data for a given location for suitability. works in progress. Fortunately, multi- use in the scientific community and Devices and data access ple apps are often available to accom- for your own interest. plish a given task. If an app isn’t Apps are typically either free or less The CoCoRaHs app helps you to working the way you like, try another than $25. A more difficult issue may store precipitation records online and similar app. The more successful apps be the cost of data and access. Some share them with others after signing are frequently updated to fix bugs and apps require real-time access to data up as a CoCoRaHs volunteer at improve functionality, so a future (e.g., mapping applications). Family www.cocorahs.org. upgrade may do a better job provid- forests are often relatively close to ing what you want. ■ Other Apps towns and cities, so you may have Many other apps can be handy for data access. Check to see which serv- CHRIS SCHNEPF is an Area Extension a forest owner. For example: ice providers have the best data cover- educator in forestry for University of age in your area. Idaho Extension in Coeur d’Alene. Many apps allow saving maps or He can be reached at 208-446-1680 other data to the device. Downloading or [email protected]. that data ahead of time via your home wireless network may be faster than in Note: Mention or a display of a trademark, the woods and you won’t generate proprietary product, or firm in text or figures extra data costs. does not constitute an endorsement by the US Department of Agriculture or University of Accessories Idaho Extension, and does not imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable A bigger screen makes map viewing products or firms.

Connecting Forest Landowners with Seedlings, Services and Contractors DISCOVER Our Interactive Website www.forestseedlingnetwork.com

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12 . NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 cases for Android tablets. All are designed to protect the unit from falls, Uses of Technology in Forestry damage to the screen, dust and water. Now that you have your device, it’s By STEVE WETMORE in the field. I will speak mainly to the time to get some apps that will help use of iPads, but know several people you use your device in forestry. Some or many years I who use Android devices in the field. of these apps are free and others are have been using The major differences between iPad only a nominal fee. Basic categories to F various “high and Android devices are: Android consider are office or admin, mapping tech gadgets” or tech- nology, such as GPS, Table 1. iPad Protective Case Comparison digital camera, and MAKER IPAD COVER DURABILTY ACCESS TO PORTS LONGEVITY notebook computers, 4

LIFE FORCE Extreme Covered Hard Plastic 1 0 2 to assist with my forestry and fire avia- E R

GRIFFIN Very Good Covered Rubber retains O

tion work in the field. However, on M T stiffness E W :

more than one occasion I have forgot- E C R

OTTERBOX Very Good Covered but wear out Rubber stretches U

ten to change the batteries in the GPS O S or charge the digital camera, and was forced to modify my plans for the day. devices allow easy interchange of and storage. The apps for iPad may The era of having to go into the field information between devices, such as be downloaded through the Apple with Rite in the Rain paper to gather pictures, forms, maps etc.; and the App Store, and for Android devices data, then come back and transpose apps for Android devices are not reg- through the Google Play Store. Any the data into some form useable by ulated, tested, or approved, meaning forestry tool or gadget such as com- whatever computer system you are anyone can develop an Android app pass, GPS, clinometer, camera and using, is long since gone. and distribute it. Another forester in data sheets have an associated app. While there are many GPS units my office who is quite technological Most Apple apps are not purely available, Garmin and Earthmate seem stated that Android tablets are much compatible with Windows programs to be the most prevalent and reliable. more versatile to use because of the such as Word, Excel or PowerPoint. Any model that downloads and file transfer capability. There are many apps that are similar uploads data with ease is recommend- Whatever tablet you get, it is and I have tried several. Figure 1 ed. Delorme makes a program that imperative to get a model with GPS shows my suggestions for basic apps. I downloads topo maps and allows built in, otherwise you will be limiting would recommend you try others to drawing and importing GPS data from the unit’s field functionality unless see what works for you. Pages is Earthmate GPS units. you spend more money to purchase Word-compatible, Numbers is Excel- Four years ago I started using an an external GPS. Now that you have compatible and, if you do presenta- iPad in the field to assist with forestry a device with built-in GPS, protecting tions, Keynote is Powerpoint-compat- and fire management. I must admit that device from the elements is ible. Numbers is a great tool for con- that I am somewhat old school and imperative. Otterbox, Griffin, and ducting surveys, scheduling forest not very technological (I do not even Life Force all make very durable cases own a smartphone.) but I was able to for iPads. Rhino and Gumdrop make –Continued on next page– adapt to using the iPad relatively easi- ly and it has improved my efficiency

Professional Forestry Services, Inc. Forest Appraisal • Management Expert Witness • Hazardous Trees Mike Jackson, CF, ACF 360-943-1470 Since 1960 100 Ruby St. S.E., Ste. B Fax 360-943-1471 Tumwater, WA 98501 www.proforestry.com

NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 . 13 management activities, inventorying in Figure 2. Avenza PDF Maps is an in Google Earth. roads and culverts, and tracking excellent tool and topographic maps Another excellent tool is Offline wildlife sightings. If you have a need may be downloaded for free, as well Topo Maps, which allows the user to for a spreadsheet, Numbers is the as aerial photos. Avenza PDF Maps is select a zone and download all of the ticket. available for both iPads and Android topographic maps at one time to be Essential to managing your forest tablets. Downloading requires used when there is no cell service, and property is the ability to map harvest Internet access and must be done the maps are seamless. The ability to units, wildlife areas and other areas of prior to going to the field. This app view your maps offline when there is special concern. An example is shown allows the import of KML files made no cell service or internet is critical. Theodolite is an app which is useful for measuring distances and tree heights, and triangulating points. Using technology to assist with your forest management activities is as simple as: 1) use Google Earth to delineate the various stands, 2) save your work as a KMZ file and send it to yourself as an attachment to an email, 3) open the file in Avenza, 4) create or use your spreadsheets in Numbers, and 5) remember to take pictures while at a plot. Whether we like it or not, the use E R O

M of a hip chain and survey instru- T E W

E ments, paper notes and printed pic- V E T S

F tures have been surpassed by technol- O

Y S

E ogy. As I stated earlier, crossing over T R U

O from “old school” forestry to embrace C

E R

U technology was a fairly simple process. G I F But it would be nice to occasionally Figure 1. Recommended iPad apps, from the top right: Theodolite, Google Earth, Avenza be fully detached from the technology PDF maps, Gaia GPS Offline Topo Maps, Measure your Land, Notability, Pages, Numbers, and Commander Compass. umbilical cord and simply enjoy the forest and all of its splendor. ■

STEVE WETMORE is a stewardship forester working in Grants Pass for the Oregon Department of Forestry. He can be reached at 541-474-3152 or [email protected]

W.R.WEATHERS, MBA Certified Forester Certified General Appraiser Forest Appraisal & Management E R

O Appraisals for: Estate Planning & M T E Stepped Up Basis, Partial Interests W

E V

E Tax Reporting • Dispute Resolution T S

F Takings • Damages O

Y S E T R U 541-937-3738 O C

E R U

G PO Box 39 • Lowell, OR 97452 I F [email protected] Figure 2. Stand typing done in Google Earth.

14 . NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 likely be of a similarly small size and capacity. Manual labor steps in to Managing Your Forestland with a make up the difference! Forest man- agement is an athletic endeavor, espe- Japanese Quarter Horse cially logging. Let’s not forget that, since it is crucial to our health and By MARK HAVEL we chemically manage their competi- ability to get the job done. tion. Much of this is with the stroke of Besides logging with the quarter look at things a pen or a click of a mouse, relying on horse itself, there are many things to from the per- the men and women with machines to do on the farm that don’t need much I spective of 20 to come in and do the job. But for the power at all. While we can haul our 100 acres in western family living on the property and tools around in carts, trailers or wag- Oregon, so please managing all the various aspects of ons, the work is done by the person make the necessary forestry, one notices a unique range of swinging the axe in that athletic adjustments to fit tools and techniques at their disposal. endeavor. It eventually comes down to this information to your situation. I Today was the only nearly rain-free cutting and moving wood: lots of it, have travelled all around the Pacific weekend in more than a month. The heavy and dangerous, as it goes from Northwest, met many of you, and vis- most important tools I used were a standing up in the sky to laying on the ited your property, so I’m certain rake and a trailer to clear the picnic ground and moving off to a log deck. there is no one-size-fits-all situation. grounds down by the creek to bring It is the chainsaw that can make a sin- I was given a book a few months that valuable mulch material into the gle person powerful in the forest, such ago titled Ancient Forests and Western hillside gardens by the house. For a a sculptor of the landscape and sky- Man. It is a beautiful volume of pho- resident landowner-forest operator, line. tographs, all from a century or more forest operations may take only a The chainsaw is a marvelous ago, about harvesting of the huge small portion of the total number of –Continued on next page– Pacific Northwest forests, essentially work days, and the equipment will by hand. As I leaf through and see the fabulous trestles that allowed log- ging of the steep and convoluted mountains, the camps of working men on 7000 calorie/day diets, and the ingenious primitive machines powered by steam or beast, I think, “What a people we were!” and enjoy this beau- tiful perspective on working in the woods. It’s no walk in the park. Purchasing alder, maple and ash saw logs, As forestland owners in the 21st century, our management plans and pulp logs, and timber. Also hemlock saw ownership goals seem so whimsical in comparison. We’ll thin this and logs and timber. clearcut that, replant with improved seedlings and watch them all grow as Centralia,WA (360) 736-2811 u Surveying Longview,WA (360) 577-6678 u Engineering u Logging Roads u Timber Cruising Mount Vernon,WA (360) 428-8583 AKS Engineering & Forestry Eugene, OR (541) 689-2581 503-563-6151 fax 503-563-6152 12965 SW Herman Rd., Suite 100 Coos Bay, OR (541) 267-0419 Tualatin, OR 97062 email: [email protected] website: www.aks-eng.com Garibaldi, OR (503) 322-3367 – Call Keith Jehnke or Alex Hurley –

NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 . 15 machine! With two hands on this use certain safety equipment such as Fourtrax that’s old, with a torn seat snarling bar of a million flying chisels, chaps, cut-proof pant liners, helmets, and banged up racks. But it is a well- let the chips fly and the cuts open up! and boots. Shouldn’t a nonprofession- running four-wheel drive machine But it troubles the author that anyone al be as protected? Come equipped or with a trailer ball. Usually the small can just walk into a store, purchase a stay home. scale equipment we’re going to discuss chainsaw, and walk out the door What does my Japanese quarter is going to be our prime mover and without any training or safety gear or horse look like? It’s a ’98 300 Honda that trailer ball is the key. It could lit- nary a word of caution! Though I haven’t been seriously injured in all these years, early training sure would have made things much easier, safer and more efficient. From the various cuts to perform for safe and pre- dictable tree felling, to the sharpening of these million flying chisels, all aspiring chainsaw users should have training from a qualified instructor. L

And I would recommend backing it E V A H

up by reading To Fell a Tree by Jeff K R A M

Jepson. A logger, an arborist and a : Y S E T good writer, Jeff takes the reader R U O C through many situations and explains O T O H

them well. Overall, there isn’t a better P or more concise book on the topic. This log size is fully carried in a modern log arch, with no drag. Longer logs have increas- Professional cutters are required to ing drag, if you let them, and a 4-inch stob on the bottom side will simply stop the show.

erally be a horse, such as my neigh- bor’s that he uses to log using arches that would also fit behind the ATV. Each machine will have its strengths and limitations, often having to do with its weight. Is it too little or too much? We must also be aware that many of these vehicles are not meant for, or safe in, situations where the ground is sloped, uneven/rocky or soft. The capabilities of some machines are very specific, like the Jonsereds Iron Horse, which is a little, walk- along, tracked skidder. It has some attractive qualities, like its low ground pressure, but first you have to find a way to get the log up onto it. I’ve worked around these machines and they are truly cool, but slow, and a hassle to set up for the pull. On the other end of the spectrum are the prime movers that are general, like a tractor. Notwithstanding their weight and traction, there really isn’t any way to use them specifically in forestry applications without an attachment, such as a 3-point grapple or forward- ing trailer. Just dragging things

16 . NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 around behind it may be far from the low-impact operation desired. In order to do some specific task, trac- tors or skid-steers have many attach- ments, all stepping up the complexity and the cost. We must also realize that the farm tractor is a very dangerous machine in the woods, especially on sloping terrain. The only more dan- gerous operation than skidding logs with a base tractor on a hill is pruning trees from the bucket with your signif- icant other driving from tree to tree! L

Once we realize the limitations of E V A H

our ATV, and work around them, K R A M :

there are many operations that can be Y S E T done safely, relatively easily and with R U O C

a much lower level of impact than O T O H other methods. I’ve narrowed down P the discussion to ATVs, but you can Discussing the incredible pull of a PTO logging winch on a safe, stationary tractor. insert your own preferred prime mover into the discussion. I’ve seen easier, just more complex and harder tractor parked on a nice level landing Amos and Andy, a team of Holstein to budget. So by keeping things sim- and winching the logs in. Or, if your oxen, working the land. You might be ple, understanding that there is a lot terrain is varied but drivable with an able to use your pickup for some of wood weight to move around, and ATV, you might do your logging with things, but they are limited. So we are gaining important chainsaw skills, one a Japanese quarter horse and an arch back to ATVs and tractors of various can enjoy the athletic endeavor and or two. ■ sorts. At the far end of the spectrum get those projects done. we get into crawler tractors, bulldoz- The principles are simple: if you MARK HAVEL is a forest landowner, ers, and heavier production equip- need to drag things around on the engineer and operator of Havel ment. ground it will take a lot of power for a Designs and Future Forestry Products Logging with an ATV would be comparable weight. With this will Inc. He also stands in as Forest Dan, impossible without some way to get come an associated environmental a tree hugger and tree whacker, teach- the log weight off the ground and impact: dirty logs for your saw or ing classes at Tree School and various reduce the drag while skidding. Even sawmill, and some large forces acting PNW forestry venues. He can be 40-footers are possible, with two log on everything. If we just pick up the reached at [email protected]. arches. It isn’t so much a choice of the logs and carry them, in an arch or a primary machine, but an adherence to trailer, the drag becomes minimal and a philosophy. Small scale, low-impact everything becomes smoother. The forestry work is nothing like produc- slope can be both our friend and tion forest harvesting. Falling must be adversary. spot on, and maneuvering is the key If your forest is relatively flat and to extricating anything out of a forest drivable, and the logs are short, you without damaging the remaining might harvest with a tractor and a stems. Folks often start to buy them- self-loading forwarding trailer. If the selves out of a job by purchasing one terrain is too steep to drive, you might machine, then another, and then some log with a tractor and a 3-point hitch attachments. The work doesn’t get Farmi (or similar winch), leaving the TREE MANAGEMENT PLUS, INC. Working with family forest owners managing their woodlands since 1977 Professional Forester, Accredited Logger, Cut-to-Length Logging, Seedling Sales & Reforestation Services CONTACT Tom Fox at 360-978-4305 • 422 Tucker Rd., Toledo, WA 98591

NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 . 17 Today’s Heavy Harvesting Equipment

By REX STORM use of fewer dual-purpose machines, sionals in specific situations may rely older equipment, choker-setting of on a “pro” chainsaw to complete orthwest tim- logs, and more manual chainsaw cut- numerous cutting tasks, such as tree ber harvesting ting. Nonetheless, a small-scale com- falling, log bucking, and delimbing. N operations plement of well-tailored equipment [a-h] employ many differ- should readily yield professional har- Feller-Buncher ent machines that are vest results for the woodland owner. unique to logging and This article focuses on logging A tracked machine cuts and falls other forest management activities. machines for six tasks: 1) fall trees; trees in a controlled direction, then Often called “heavy equipment,” 2) move trees from the stump to the places trees onto piles or “bunches”. today’s specialized logging machines roadside landing; 3) manufacture log A buncher can work on moderately- are purpose-built, right-sized, and products to mill specifications; 4) sort steep slopes. Different cutting-head designed for the exacting demands of and load logs onto trucks; 5) trans- configurations are available, such as varying forestry tasks. For each port logs from landing to the mill; and the rotary hot saw. [b,c,f,g] machine, there’s a skilled logging pro- 6) pile logging slash (limbs/tops.) Harvester-Processor fessional to safely operate it. Here are 13 logging machines a Small harvest operations typically contractor may employ on a harvest. do not have the large-scale economies The codes following the description necessary to afford the full range of indicate where each logging machine expensive logging mechanization. may be utilized using the key below.

Therefore, small timber harvest M R O

Chainsaw T S acreages and low volumes may war- X E R

Although machinery does much of : Y

rant the logging contractor’s efficient S E T

the harvesting, skilled logging profes- R U O C

O T O H P

This high tech machine, on tracks or wheels, has multiple purposes. The machine’s automated “dangle-head” cutter reaches from the end of a boom arm to grab, cut, buck, delimb, and position logs. An on-board com- puter optimizes cutting while working on moderately steep slopes. [a-h] Stroke Delimber M R O T S

X E R : Y S E T R U O C

O T O H P

This tracked machine, with a stroke boom arm and cutting device, removes limbs and bucks trees into logs. It often works at the landing with an automated cutting head and an on-

18 . NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 board computer that optimizes log Mobile Yarder This carriage machine is a log bucking. [b,c,h] This log-lifting and -pulling mover that rides on a suspended cable. Many carriages are radio-con- Track Skidder/Skid Cat “yarder” machine stays on the road- side landing, and is rigged with trolled and motorized, with move- This tracked machine has multiple spooled cable suspended from a steel ments directed by workers carrying purposes and blade attachments. It tower (40-70’ tall). Cables reach to the radio devices. The carriage motor moves logs or whole trees to the road- far side of steep-sloped harvest areas, pulls a cable and attached logs side landing, sorts and piles logs at the and are pulled in/out by the machine. upward toward the carriage, then the landing, piles logging slash, smooths A “carriage” rides the suspended yarder cables pull the carriage and roads and landing surfaces, and can cable, connects to logs using addition- logs from the stump to the roadside. be used as an anchor in cable logging. al cables, then lifts and carries logs or [a-e,g] [a-f,h] whole-trees over steep slopes to the Log Truck Skidder roadside, often while suspended fully Heavy trucks that haul logs from off the ground. [b-e,g,h] A wheeled log mover, this machine the roadside to the timber mills come grabs logs or whole trees with grap- Yarder-Loader Attachment in different sizes and configurations— ples or choker cables, lifts the front all equipped with electronic scales. end of logs off the ground, then pulls The long-log truck is an 18-wheel them to the roadside. Equipped with a semi-truck & trailer that hauls 42-foot small front blade, the skidder can also logs. Where a log loader is unavail- pile logs or slash, and smooth road able, a “self-loader” log truck is surfaces. [a-f,h] equipped with its own log-loading M

R arm capable of loading and hauling

Log Loader/Shovel Logger O T S

X 42-foot logs. The short-log truck pulls E R : Y

S a “hay rack” trailer hauling 32-foot E T R

U logs. [h] O C

O T O H P Woodland Harvest Situations M R A specialized attachment can con- O [a] Small operation: <10 acres; T S

X

E vert a log loader into a small cable <10 truckloads R : Y S

E yarder. This can be an effective substi- T [b] Mid-scale operation: 10-30+ R U

O tute for cable yarding shorter dis- C acres; 10-30+ truckloads O T

O tances and smaller timber. Several H

P [c] Clearcut/regeneration harvest of attachment configurations are avail- mature trees able. [a-e,g,h] The log loader is another tracked [d] Thinning harvest of immature machine with multiple purposes: sort- Cable Yarding Carriage timber ing and piling logs; loading logs onto trucks; piling of logging slash; and [e] Partial-cut harvest “shovel logging” by moving logs from [f] Gentle slopes: 0-45% the stump to the landing (logs are lift- [g] Slopes: 45+% ed from one side to the other of the [h] Roadside landing machine, thereby moving logs to the road.) [a-f,h] Descriptions and images of more Forwarder forest logging machines are available Looking like an off-road log truck, online at oregonloggers.org. ■ the forwarder picks up and carries small logs from the stump to the road- REX STORM, Certified Forester, is side landing. The operator maneuvers Forest Policy Manager for Associated Oregon Loggers, Inc. based in Salem. a heel-boom grapple to lift and load M R O T

S He can be reached at 503-364-1330 or logs onto the forwarder bunk, as well X E R

: [email protected]. Y

as off loading logs onto roadside piles, S E T R and loading logs onto log trucks. [a-h] U O C

O T O H P

NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 . 19 latitude/longitude, or township/range/ section) and specifying a return time. Integrating Safety into Your Or your system could be as advanced as using GPS. One example is the Forest Management Routine SPOT, LLC product that registers your location at specified time inter- By JASON PETTIGREW Occupational Safety and Health vals to geolocate your position, or a Standards (OR OSHA) Division 7 Garmin Rino handheld two-way radio hether rules that are aligned with Federal with GPS location sharing. Radio working OSHA rules. You might also fall communications can range from a cit- alone or as under specific seasonal safety rules izens band (CB) radio commonly W used for decades in the woods indus- part of a crew, the that are imposed during fire season by inherent principles of the Oregon Department of Forestry. try, to company-specific frequencies safety should be first Within Division 7 rules, you find the developed by private companies for and foremost in your minimum safety and health require- your service. Mountaintop radio thoughts and actions every day. ments that guide your operations, repeater systems, satellite phones, cel- Developing a woods program or rou- ranging from chemical applications lular communications (e.g., voice, pic- tine where safety is not something and timber cruising to wildland fire- ture, text, Skype) are readily available extra that you do, but simply some- fighting. Similar rules exist in all states to us for a price. The system you thing that is integrated into every and it is important to be aware of choose must be effective in the worst activity, will provide for your personal those specific to your operation. A conditions you will face, so make your safety while enjoying your forestland. wealth of information about the rules decisions with that scenario in mind. Safe practices that are inherent in and laws can be found on the Internet Further, personal signaling devices your daily operations are easier to or at the local offices that administer such as whistles, horns, and mirrors implement and generally feel less bur- the laws that affect your land. should be considered in your safety densome than strict programs com- Communication is integral in every- program to complement the electronic prised of policies and checklists. thing we do and an effective communi- systems you have in place by provid- There are numerous tools and systems cation program for your activities is ing a basic but reliable system in the to meet your specific communications paramount to success. In almost every event that the technology fails. and personal needs. They will also mishap that occurs there is a failure in Knowing local emergency radio help you comply with laws for person- communication, so focus much of frequencies and having those pro- al safety, public safety, and fire protec- your effort here. Emergency commu- grammed into a portable radio is tion on your lands. An evaluation of nications need to be reliable, effective, helpful and will integrate you into a your operations with the mindset of and readily available. Designing your coordinated system if an emergency “What if this were to occur?” is an communications should be done based occurs. Programming your radio with efficient start to developing a compre- upon the environment and needs of local law enforcement, medical sup- hensive program to meet your needs. your forestry operation. Do you work port, air ambulance, and natural It is important to be aware of the alone or are you part of a team? Are resource agency frequencies can be laws that are required of you to oper- you working in remote, rugged terrain very effective in your emergency plan. ate on your forestlands. For example, or an urban environment? Do you Permission to utilize these frequencies in the State of Oregon, forestry opera- have the budget to subscribe to a larg- needs to be obtained. For woods tions are covered under Oregon er communication system? These operations, work closely with the nat- questions will help you determine your ural resource department that has needs and develop the best safety com- jurisdiction for fire and forestry in LUSIGNAN FORESTRY, INC. munication program based upon the your area to implement this valuable Shelton, WA worst case scenario that you might tool into your program. Work 360-426-1140 face. Time is of the essence in any through a scenario of a rapidly devel- Forestry consultants serving emergency, and clear, effective commu- oping, complex wildland fire incident timberland owners small and large, nication reduces response time for help or a medical emergency while you’re private and public since 1972. to arrive. on scene. How will you communicate ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ your local knowledge to responders? Forest Management, Timber Cruising, Start with a check in process that Inventories and Valuations, Timber Harvest tracks your location. This can be as Will you be able to seamlessly and Administration and Lump Sum Sales simple as a sign out board or a phone effectively participate in the incident E-MAIL: [email protected] text identifying your physical location management? for others (e.g., landmark, road name, Knowing your location is critical

20 . NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 for many reasons, but for safety it is preparedness for other hazards you equipment is also important to a vital. You must be able to communi- may face in the forest environment? woods safety program. Help is often cate the incident location using meth- Will a situation arise where you need far away and you must be able to deal ods that are common language to Nomex clothing for fire protection or with situations until more advanced emergency responders. caulk boots for slip prevention? PPE assistance arrives. Enroll in local first All wildland emergency response needs to be readily available to responder courses and develop a organizations utilize latitude/longi- address the situations you commonly mobile medical kit that can take care tude for pinpointing their responses. face and provide a level of protection of situations such as severe cuts, trau- Be competent in adjusting your loca- that greatly reduces personal injury. ma and shock. Methods to extricate tion using different formats such as Working on your property alone injured persons should be addressed degrees, minutes and seconds, degrees necessitates the use of practices and and training in communication with and decimal minutes (the standard for devices to prevent injury in an envi- emergency responders is important. aviation resources), or decimal ronment of increased risk. Take the Do you have helispots identified in degrees. Are you using a paper map, time to use safe practices, do the job your area and are those known, an iPad, a handheld GPS unit with right, and have the right tools to be approved, and available to medical downloaded maps, or something simi- successful and safe every time. helicopters? lar to identify your location? Personal preparedness not only To assist you in building a woods Township, range and section are involves the communications we safety program consider contacting commonly used on the west coast in addressed earlier, but also the basic others who have already done so and the forest industry but are often not supplies needed for unexpected stays have a low incidence safety record. understood by a 911 dispatch center. in the woods. Appropriate clothing, Neighbors who actively manage their Medical and fire emergency services potable water, food, and shelter forestlands can be part of a simple typically use physical road addresses should also have a place in your safe- but effective safety network. for responses but this is not effective ty program. Meals-Ready-to-Eat Successfully managing your wood- in the forest environment. Road (MRE) are commercially available land means marketing harvestable names might only be known to a and easily affordable. Additionally, products, employing sustainable prac- company or an agency and may not the vehicle you drive in can be the tices, and integrating safety into be shown on common mapping pro- best shelter in an emergency. Is it safe everything you do, every day. ■ grams. Free downloadable map read- to operate in a forest environment? ers, such as Avenza PDF Maps, are Does it provide you with reliable com- JASON PETTIGREW is a stewardship great resources to display any PDF munications and the basic needs of forester on the Klamath-Lake District map on your electronic device so that survival for a short duration emer- of Oregon Department of Forestry. you can track your location, copy the gency event? He can be reached at 541-883-5681 or screen and text or email it, as long as Basic first aid knowledge and [email protected]. you have cellular service to your device. Have your work location iden- tified with several different location formats and share them with those tracking you for safety. Millwood Timber, Inc. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is important to protect you Purchasing Douglas Fir & from the daily risks you face and White Wood logs should be integrated into your daily operations and routines. Developing good, consistent habits of utilizing • Specializing in OVER SIZE appropriate PPE is important to mini- (no maximum diameter) mize injury. The most common injuries in the forest environment are • Shorts and lower grades welcomed related to slips, trips, falls, cuts, over- head hazards and exposure to the ele- • Log yard and scaling in Tumwater, Exit 99 off I-5 ments. Do you use your seat belt, safety glasses, and hearing protection? Do you have first aid equipment to Contact: Rich Nelson at 253-670-1827 treat cuts and burns, slip and fall pre- Email: [email protected] Fax: 253-563-9900 vention awareness, and emergency

NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 . 21 tree. Core samples also show defects such as pitch ring and internal decay. Professional Equipment: It’s Don’t underestimate the value of being able to look inside a tree. If Not Just for Professionals nothing else, an increment borer will give you a great upper body workout. By JON ASCHENBACH 6. Professional GPS receiver: $1,500 The timber cruiser’s vest is a main- to $5,000. stay with professional foresters. It s a woodland gives users lots of pockets, both inside The most commonly used mirror- and out, for storing equipment. The owner and pro- sighted compass is the Silva Ranger. It fessional large pouch in back is great for stow- A is available in azimuth format or in ing rain gear. Many vests have a zip- forester, I know both quadrants. The main advantage of a pered pocket in the back, which is worlds. Over the past mirror-sighted compass is higher 40 years I have seen good for holding aerial photos and accuracy. Also, this compass allows anything else that needs to be secure. many small woodland users to set the declination to about a owners who could benefit from having Good cruiser’s vests are tough as nails half-degree of accuracy. All small and help give protection from brush some of the equipment used by profes- woodland owners should have a good sional foresters. While some of the and blackberry vines. Buy a vest large compass for doing navigation and enough to fit over your jacket. equipment can be expensive, most is mapping work. affordable. Professional equipment The laser rangefinder allows users I use a pair of rubber Viking to measure tree heights very accurate- allows you to work more efficiently caulked boots for most of my forestry and perform some tasks that would ly. The importance of having accurate work. When using a chainsaw, I tree heights cannot be overstated. otherwise be impossible. The equip- always like to have my Viking boots ment below is easy to use, with the Height is the main factor in calculat- on as they give me exceptionally sta- ing volume. Certainly we can measure possible exception of the professional ble footing and have Kevlar built into GPS unit. Here is my list of equipment tree diameter and we should be doing the toe for protection against cuts. For that. Tree height is more difficult to that small woodland owners should woodland owners on the west side of have, along with approximate costs: measure than diameter, and often the Cascades, caulked boots are high- more important. 1. Mirror-sighted compass: $45, ly recommended. For owners on the GPS units vary widely in price, 2. Caulked boots: $175 to $300, east side, they have less functionality capability and ease of use. A good 3. 14” increment borer: $150, and generally are not used. GPS unit will allow you to accurately 4. Timber cruiser’s vest: $80 to $125, An increment borer helps to deter- map your tree farm. You may know 5. Laser rangefinder: $450 to $750, mine the age and growth rate of a the overall acreage of your ownership. Do you know how much supports merchantable timber, young growth or grassland? Do you really know where your roads and streams are located? Having good GPS data can make your maps more accurate and the management of your woodland property easier. Think about the equipment listed above as an investment to help you work more efficiently. Instructional videos are available at: ruggedready.com. Call me if you have any questions. I would love to hear from you. ■

JON ASCHENBACH is president of Resource Supply, LLC in Tigard, Oregon. He can be reached at 503-521- 0888 or [email protected].

22 . NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 chain chassis contacts the bottom of the bar. Always pull the tip of the Chainsaw Maintenance 101 guide bar up when tensioning and securing the bar stud nuts. By GLENN LOVELL spark plug to avoid failures when you Rule #2 need your saw the most. Use a good quality bar and chain roper mainte- The muffler is another component lubricant. All chains should be soaked nance of your of the power head that requires main- in bar and chain oil prior to use. P chainsaw is as tenance. The muffler reduces noise Check your saw’s oiler to make sure it important to your levels, but it also captures and traps is operating correctly and fill your oil productivity as food is carbon deposits that can come out as tank each time you fill up with gas. to your body. With- sparks. Check the spark arrestor out food, the body screen and clean it periodically Rule #3 withers and dies; without mainte- (approximately every 3 months.) A The chain should be clean and nance, your saw does the same. Let’s plugged spark arrestor screen will inspected for damage prior to sharp- break down the chainsaw into two cause poor engine performance. ening. If damage is evident on the parts: the power head and the cutting When placing a saw into storage cutters, find the cutter with the most system. remember to remove any fuel that damage and begin sharpening at this may still be in the fuel tank and push location. All of the damage must be Power Head Maintenance the primer bulb until there is no more removed or the cutter will not hold an Periodic cleaning of your saw fuel in the fuel line. The ethanol fuel edge. Count the number of strokes it makes it easier to work on. An air that is prevalent in today’s market can takes to remove the damage and file compressor makes simple work of destroy carburetor gaskets and fuel the remaining cutters in the loop the cleaning off all the loose grit, dust lines in a matter of weeks. same number of times. All of the cut- and grime from your power head. ters in the loop must be the same While cleaning the saw, make sure all Cutting System Maintenance length. If the cutters are not the same of the fasteners are tight and not The cutting system is comprised of length cutting performance will suffer. missing. Three components in partic- three separate parts: the chain, the All chains must be sharpened to the ular—the air filter, spark plug, and guide bar, and the drive sprocket. These manufacturer’s specifications. three items work together as a team. muffler—will require additional, rou- Rule #4 tine maintenance. The Four Basic Rules of Saw Chain Chainsaw work produces fine par- ticulate matter that the air filter traps Rule #1 to keep out of the engine. If this mat- Check the tension before use and ter is not removed, then the saw will during refueling. Only adjust tension run rich (the fuel will not have enough when it is cool enough to touch. A air in it) and begin pulling air from chain should never hang loose out of wherever it can scavenge it: which the groove of the bar. A loose chain usually means from around the bear- increases wear on the bar, chain and ings on the crank. If dirty air is drawn sprocket. into the engine it will eventually destroy it. Be sure to check and clean the air filter daily when your saw is in Saw chain’s depth gauges must be set heavy use. If the air filter shows signs correctly. of tearing or wear, replace it. The depth gauges, often referred to The condition of the spark plug as rakers, riders or drags, must be set can tell you a lot about how the saw is after sharpening. The depth gauges running and should be checked on a Saw chain must be correctly tensioned. control the amount of bite the cutters routine basis: once a month with take in the wood. Proper depth gauge heavy use, every other month with On a sprocket nose bar, the chain settings will insure optimal cutting moderate or light use. A healthy spark chassis must solidly contact the bot- performance. The depth gauge setting plug will be chocolate brown in color. tom of the bar rails. This is achieved should not exceed the manufacturers A black, greasy looking spark plug by giving the adjustment screw an specified setting. means your saw is running rich and additional 1/4- to 1/2-turn on the ten- you need to clean or replace your sioner adjustment screw after the –Continued on next page–

NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 . 23 For those who do a lot of cutting, it may be worthwhile to purchase a chain grinder. When it comes to chain grinders, it is important to note that while a cheaper grinder will get the job done, you truly get what you pay for. Bar Maintenance

Clean the Oil and Grease Holes Fine particulate matter builds up in the oil hole at the tail of the bar and the grease hole on the nose of the bar. (Note: not all bar manufacturers put grease holes in the nose of the bar.) These holes need to be cleaned out so that the flow of bar and chain oil is Guide Bar Rails unrestricted, and so that the nose bear- Check the condition of the bar rails ings can be kept clean and lubricated. by placing a straight edge against the Clean the Bar Groove body of the bar and against the side of Cleaning of the groove is necessary a cutter. The cutter should remain to remove the debris that builds up in upright and there should be a small the groove of the bar. The debris in gap between the straight edge and the the bar groove can be carried around body of the bar. If there is no gap the bar and deposited in the nose present, then the groove is worn out. where it can get lodged and eventually Remove the burrs from the bar prevent the nose sprocket from turn- rails during your periodic mainte- ing. If the debris is not removed, it nance. If the burrs are allowed to can prevent the chain from turning. remain, they can chip or break off and lead to binding during cutting. Grease the Bar Nose Instructional videos can be found at Grease the nose liberally while tinyurl.com/ChainsawMaintenance101 turning the nose sprocket. Apply enough grease to get all of the old Drive Sprocket Maintenance grease and gunk out of the bearings. The third component of the cut- Do not stop applying grease until ting system is the drive sprocket. The to about .023 inch, or about the same fresh grease can be seen. drive sprocket is the portion of the width as a penny, it needs to be cutting system that transfers the replaced. A good rule of thumb: if Bar Nose Clearance motion of the saw to the chain. If the you have used two loops of chain to sprocket is not checked periodically end of life then it is time to replace and replaced, it will cause damage to the drive sprocket. the chain and poor cutting perform- Performing these maintenance items ance. There are two different types of will insure a productive and safe cut- drive sprockets: a rim sprocket system ting experience. Remember to always and a spur sprocket system. wear safety glasses when working with, The drive sprocket requires period- or working on, your chainsaw. ■ ic inspection, and greasing of the clutch cup bearing. Some rim sprock- GLENN LOVELL is a senior technical ets have wear indicators on them simi- services technician at Blount lar to the tread bars on tires. Once the International. He can be reached at Check the clearance of the chain wear on the rim sprocket is as deep as 503-653-4529, 503-866-0633 or on the nose of the bar. There should the wear indicator (about .022 inch) it [email protected]. be approximately a 1/32-inch gap is time to replace the rim sprocket. between the chassis of the chain and Spur sprockets do not have wear indi- All photos and graphics courtesy of the bar rails on the nose. If there is no OREGON®|Blount, Inc. cators on them, so when the wear gets gap, then it is time to replace the bar.

24 . NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015

Basic Tools for Woodland Owners

By JAMES FREED Tools for Forest Description and Resources Conservation Service, and Location other state and federal natural here are many When starting a forest plan you resource agencies. tools available need to know the location of your With a map in hand you now need T to the landown- property lines. The first tool you will a good compass. A lensatic compass er that cost thousands need for this task is a good map/aerial was used by orienteering professionals of dollars and use the photo. Your county assessor can pro- and engineers before satellites and is most sophisticated vide a map with the legal description, good for more precise work. A Silva computer programs. But if you are a dimensions, and corner locations for Ranger is less precise than the lensatic more hands-on person you can do your property. A good map can also compass, but it does have a sighting basic forestry work with the same show adjacent ownerships and any window and the option to set declina- tools that have been used for many easements across your land. When tion. If you are not concerned about years. asking for maps from a governmental precision, a basic compass with map As a forestland owner, it is a great agency, request GIS overlays that scales on its straight edges is adequate idea for you to learn as much about show any special areas of concern. to take map coordinates and relate your property as you can. Whether Critical areas like habitat for endan- them to the ground. you are managing the land yourself or gered plants/animals, hazardous slopes A hand-held GPS unit, or a cell hiring someone to do the work, the and cultural resources can be shown. phone with GPS, can be used to find more you know about your resources Aerial photos can be obtained or set the locations of corner posts, the more successful you will be in from commercial map services, the property lines, photo points and inven- obtaining the results you desire. Farm Service Agency, the Natural tory plot locations. They are more expensive than a hand-held compass and often do not work as well in heavy tree cover and remote locations. One of the best inexpensive tools for forestland owners is a cruising stick with scales for measuring diameter, log length, log volume, and tree height. The stick is easy to master and is available from forestry tool suppliers and some forestland owner associa- tions. Tools for Tree and Site Evaluation Clinometers are used for determin- ing angles of slope, but the number one use by most family forestland owners is to obtain tree heights. The hand-held ones work well if you can do some simple math. By standing a given distance from a tree, and obtain- ing readings from the clinometer for the top and bottom of the tree, you can measure the total tree height based upon the clinometer’s scale. Increment borers are not inexpen- sive but they give you the best infor- mation about your trees without cut- ting them down. The annual rings on the core sample show the age of the tree, how fast it is growing, and if

26 . NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 there have been any changes in of bending from the waist. growth rate due to thinning, fertiliz- Dibbles are also used by profes- ing, pruning, climate change, and sionals and family forest owners alike. insects or diseases. You only need a They are suitable for flatter ground. borer long enough to go to the middle The user is more upright and has less D E of the trees you will be checking. In a E stress on their lower back. They can R F

S young stand a 6-inch borer will be E be a problem in wetter soils as they M A J : Y

sufficient, while a 12-inch borer will S compress the edges of the planting E T R be adequate for most stands. U hole and are not appropriate for very O C

O

A diameter tape is a good tool for T rocky or compacted soils. A forestland O H obtaining tree diameters. The tape is P manager can use a dibble to plant Planting shovels. calibrated to read diameter when it is –Continued on page 31– wrapped around the circumference of shrubs you will need the most appro- the tree. The tape should have a hook priate tool for what you are planting on the end of it to attach to the tree for and the soils you will encounter. ease of use. If you will be measuring Planting tools range from hand trow- longer distances or larger logs, then els to tractor-mounted augers. Tool you will want to buy a cruising tape choice is based on many factors, that is available in various lengths. including the size of the roots and If you are going to set up variable- number of trees to be planted, the soil radius plots for inventory or cruising, and vegetation on the planting site, you will need a method of determin- and how much time, money and ener- ing which trees are in the plot. This gy you want to expend. can be done by hand, measuring the Power augers are useful for plant- distance of each tree from the plot ing in heavy and hard soils. If more center. A quicker method is to use a than a few trees will be planted, they prism or a cruising angle. Prisms are are best used by two operators and a calibrated for various basal area fac- planter following behind. The tool tors (BAF). The basal area describes typically consists of an auger bit fitted stocking density for your site by giv- to a power head. The cost ranges ing an estimate of ground surface from $300 to over $1500. In wet clay area that is covered by tree trunks (the soils an auger often leaves a smooth, cross section at DBH). For instance, if compressed side of the hole that you use a 20 BAF prism and find 6 inhibits root growth and drainage. trees in your plot, you have 120 A hoedad is a traditional planting square feet of basal area per acre, i.e., tool that has a sharpened 4-inch wide each acre is supporting 120 square blade at a right angle to the handle. feet of wood in cross section. By com- They are effective for planting on hills, paring the current basal area with the in heavy vegetation and in sandy soils. desired basal area, you will know if They are primarily used with smaller your stands need to be harvested, seedlings. Some operators have adapt- thinned or planted. ed their hoedad to also cut roots that Tools for Stand Treatments are in the planting area. Planting thousands of trees with a hoedad is If you plan on planting trees and hard, physical labor and requires lots Protect Your Trees – Protect Your Investment Wildlife Services Company, Inc. 5227 Gifford Rd. SW • Olympia, WA 98512 ® 1-360-352-5150

www.seadust.biz U.S. Patent No. 6,652,870 B2

NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 . 27 TreeSmarts: Answers to Your Tax Planning Questions ▲ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ ▲ TreeSmarts: Answers to Your Tax point out that it can often seem illogi- limits were much higher the past sev- ▲ Planning Questions appears every other cal. It is, after all, a tool designed eral years as part of temporary eco- ▲ issue in Northwest Woodlands. The principally to generate revenue for the nomic stimulus policies that have ▲ column is edited by John P. Johnston, a government. now expired.); 2) the deduction is ▲ partner, CPA, and CMA with Bancroft So, with that in mind, you are limited to certain types of personal ▲ Buckley Johnston & Serres LLP in generally required to capitalize assets property (Personal property is gener- ▲ Seattle, Washington. He is a member of that have useful lives of more than a ally anything other than land and ▲ the AICPA, IMA and WSCPA. year, and deduct the expense over an buildings.); 3) you cannot take the ▲ Questions can be emailed directly to assigned multi-year period. The deduction if you have a net loss (The ▲ John at [email protected]. number of years is set forth in the deduction will carry forward to ▲ tax code and regulations, as is the future years.); and 4) it cannot be Planning for next year’s capital amount of the deduction in any used by a trust or estate. ▲ expenditures obviously has impor- given year. (This is an example of So that was some information on ▲ tant economic impacts—if nothing how the rules may seem illogical.) deducting expenditures for basic ▲ else, it’s cash out the door! But Needless to say, most of us would equipment. But as we all know, ▲ understanding and planning around prefer to be able to deduct every- much more can be spent on other ▲ the tax impact may help mitigate, at thing in the year we purchased the types of long-lived assets, such as ▲ least to an extent, some of the nega- asset. So trying to find ways to do roads, bridges, and reforestation. ▲ tive cash flow. There are the opera- that, or at least reduce the number And this is where the timber indus- ▲ tional considerations of when or of years, or somehow have dispro- try has several unique rules and ▲ whether to buy a new piece of equip- portionately more deducted in the methods for deduction with mean- ▲ ment, how much road to build, or earlier years, is a worthwhile effort. ingful tax implications. ▲ the timing of replanting. While we One tactic that is commonly used First, roads can be very confus- ▲ certainly do not want the “tax tail” for expenditures on basic equipment ing. When is an expense simply ▲ to wag the dog, knowing some of is Internal Revenue Code (IRC) §179. repair or maintenance as opposed to ▲ the rules and opportunities may This section allows a taxpayer to an installation or “betterment”? The impact decisions. ▲ deduct 100% in the year of acquisi- former can be immediately deducted, First, let’s start with some of the ▲ tion. However, it is subject to limita- while the latter may need to be basics. Before I go any further I want ▲ tions and qualifications and you may charged off over fifteen years, or to remind everybody that this is the ▲ not always be able to use it. Here are even capitalized to land which can tax code, which probably means some ▲ a few additional items to note: 1) for only be deducted when the land is of you have already begun to glaze ▲ 2014 the maximum amount you can sold. Here are a couple of examples over, but stick with me. Although we ▲ deduct is $25,000, and you can only that usually qualify as repair and all have infinite confidence in our ▲ do this if your total investment for maintenance (R&M): 1) a seasonal elected officials who have so diligent- ▲ the year is less than $200,000. (These top dressing of gravel, 2) repair of a ly crafted this masterpiece, I need to ▲ washout to the road’s previous con- dition, and 3) a minor rerouting. Anything more significant and you’ll want to consult your tax advisor. Building new roads is obviously not going to be R&M, but the new road can have vastly different treat- ments depending on its intended purpose. In general, a light road built to access a particular stand for harvest which will largely be aban- doned afterwards can normally be charged off as the harvest is com- pleted. In other words, if 30% of the target harvest was completed in year 1, and the remaining 70% in year 2, you would similarly expense 30% of

28 . NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 the harvest road cost in year 1 and the important for your tax planning and understand and incorporate deduc- rest in year 2. More significant main- compliance, and each one could be its tions into your planning decisions. ■ line roads, however, will often be own lengthy article. The rules are com- charged off proportionally over fif- plex and, as stated earlier, not always teen years. logical. Also, some things that are Send in Your Tax Question But there is an important compli- assumed for some, may not apply to Do you have a question that relates to cation when it comes to mainline you. For example, you may not always accounting, business, or tax planning? If roads. The IRS has been clear that want to accelerate deductions. You so, send it to tax expert John Johnston when a mainline road is built, two may want to leave those for the advan- ([email protected]) and he will separate assets have been created. The tage of the future generation. Either answer it in the next scheduled column. sculpting of the land and more per- way, it can be well worth the effort to manent land manipulation is consid- ered a land cost, which is added to the land account and not deducted until the land is sold. The remaining cost is a road addition and, as stated above, is expensed over fifteen years. The determination of how much of the total cost is land versus road can be tricky. Historically the IRS has accepted an allocation to land of 20 to 35 percent, however this can vary depending on the facts and circum- stances. Another complicated concept involves reforestation costs. For exam- ple, the IRS normally expects that some portion of the post-harvest cleanup cost be capitalized along with 206.682.4840 the new planting cost. (I know it seems unfair but that’s the position of the IRS.) However, in 2004 a new and very advantageous law was enacted that allows a taxpayer to elect to expense the first $10,000 “with respect to each qualified timber property” (refer to the block accounting discus- sion in the summer 2014 issue), and any amounts beyond this may be expensed over a seven-year period. Previously most of the reforestation costs could not be expensed until ulti- Certified Public mate harvest, more than 40 years in Accountants the future! 1501 4th Avenue The foregoing concepts can be very Suite 2880 Seattle, WA Disclaimer: To ensure compliance with 98101-1631 requirements imposed by the IRS, any tax advice contained in this communication www.bbjsllp.com was not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding tax-related penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer under the Internal Revenue Code or applicable state or local tax law, or (ii) promoting, market- ing or recommending to another party any tax-related matter(s) addressed herein.

NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 . 29 sant information: much the same Tips From The Treeman strategy employed by our academi- cians and politicians. ▲ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ But if you’re literally digging your- ▲ DEAR TREEMAN, When did they start when the first cul- self into a hole, that’s another story. ▲ calling a filbert a hazelnut? —Scott tured hazelnut/fil- There are limits on what you can do ▲ bert tree was before Big Brother digs into your ▲ DEAR SCOTT, Growing-up in Oregon, planted by a pocket. The rules and guidelines for ▲ “filbert”was the ubiquitous usage by retired Hudson Bay Steve Bowers ▲ local residents and growers.“Hazelnut” Company employee Oregon will give an idea of the ▲ was somewhat of a neologism, named Sam Strictland. potential requirements in the rest of ▲ although as time progressed Oregon Documentation shows that resi- the region. Building a woodland pond is an activity that requires a ▲ residents evolved to calling our state dents of the Pacific Northwest give Notification of Operations and a per- ▲ nut the hazelnut rather than filbert. filberts the nod when comprising the Some perceive it as disparaging: how older generation, while the younger mit from the Oregon Water Resources ▲ do you designate a state “nut”when crowd knows them as hazelnuts. Department (OWRD).There are ▲ so many reside in Salem and through- Likely the biggest reason for the essentially two types of permits: an ▲ out our local county governments? change came in 1981 when the Application for a Permit to Store ▲ But there is a difference: one being Oregon Filbert Commission decided Water in a Reservoir (Alternate ▲ conducive to good health while the to conform to a standard and began Review) or a Standard Review.The ▲ other is toxic.Where’s the filbert blight emphasizing hazelnut.When consid- Standard Review process is required ▲ when we need it? ering the production of all of if your pond will incorporate a dam ▲ Filbert or hazelnut, the name refers Oregon’s fruits and nuts, the hazelnut over 10 feet high and store more ▲ to any of about 15 species of shrubs has surpassed grapes as the largest than 9.2 acre-feet of water.This ▲ and trees constituting the genus revenue producer in the state. But it design will require additional assis- tance and money, and is beyond the ▲ Corylus in the birch family (Betulaceae) still lags far behind timber. scope of the current discussion. ▲ and the edible nuts they produce.The How ‘bout a spirit of compromise? I The Alternate Review Process is ▲ name “hazel”likely comes from the and the geriatric crowd can continue Anglo-Saxon word “haesel”, which calling them filberts, while the young the permit comme il faut. Providing ▲ means bonnet or headdress,describing whippersnappers can tweet hazelnuts. you keep the dam under 10 feet in ▲ the shape of the shell surrounding the We are equal opportunity name- height, you can make a pond larger ▲ nut. Filbert is the correct name for both callers here. Regardless of designation: than a politician’s lust for power, a ▲ the tree and nut.The name is of French take a handful of these nuts, place bureaucrat’s desire for credible ▲ origin and likely first introduced into them in a bag, shake ‘em up and roll recognition, or an academician’s thirst ▲ Oregon by early French settlers. Some ‘em out on a table and they all look, for relevance. In other words: big! On ▲ thought the name filbert was derived smell and taste the same, much like the flip side, you can dig your hole ▲ from St. Philibert whose celebration the aforementioned occupation. Only smaller than Treeman’s sense of ▲ came during the nutting season. difference: digest one and expectorate shame. In other words: tiny.You can ▲ Perhaps we are being provincial in the other.Your call. remove up to 50 cubic yards of mate- rial before permits are required by ▲ the filbert designation. In eastern the state.This is comparable to about ▲ North America, they may be called fil- DEAR TREEMAN, I attended one of berts or hazelnuts depending on your ponds classes and you talked five dump truck loads of dirt. Just ▲ your family history. If you are in about the importance of getting a about any credible-sized pond is ▲ England or Europe, you probably call permit before you start digging. How greater than the limitation, thus ▲ them filberts unless you specifically big a hole can you dig before you requiring a permit. And the permit is ▲ are speaking about cobnuts, another have to get a permit? —Paul gonna cost you ‘bout $500 in Oregon. ▲ nut of the genus Corylus, grown in Something to remember are water ▲ England. If you are in Turkey, where DEAR PAUL, Are we speaking literally rights. If you elect to construct a clan- ▲ production and export of the nut has or figuratively? Remember the old say- destine pond, you will not have a ▲ been going on since the mid-1800s, ing that a person finding himself in a water right: a right to use the water in ▲ you probably call them hazelnuts. In hole should stop digging? We adhere your pond. By obtaining a water ▲ Oregon, the debate began in 1858 to the closed universe theory: merely right, it is certified by OWRD and is a keep digging until you wind up where type of property right attached to the you initiated the journey.The strategy land where it was established.The Forestland For Sale suggests, if you can excavate enough certification bodes well if you elect to [email protected] material, eventually your adversaries sell the land (increased value) and Forester/Broker become so inundated they abandon you or the future landowner will have any attempt to challenge the premise a permanent, legal right to store and of your exercise. Capitulation by inces- use the water. —Treeman

30 . NORTHWEST WOODLANDS . WINTER 2015 Basic Tools for Woodland Owners for different tasks. continued from page 27 When marking trees for removal, tree marking paint is quick, easy and many hundreds of trees once they get durable. You can buy it in an aerosol D E E a system established. R can for small projects (25 trees) or in F

S E

Planting shovels are handy for M larger cans for hand or backpack A J : Y planting larger seedlings and trees in S marking guns. You will use a lot of E T R fine and sandy soils. They do not U

O paint for a thinning or harvest project C

O work well in rocky ground or highly- T since you will mark the tree on the O H compacted soils. Planting shovels are P bole and on the stump so you can Planting bag. not your typical homestead shovel. make sure that only marked trees were They are specialty shovels with spades proof construction are recommended. removed. designed to cut though roots and turf. These bags provide protection for the If you are going to do lots of weed They often have foot plates that pro- young roots so they do not dry out, control, buy a high-quality backpack vide a flatter surface for your boot and free up your hands for the plant- sprayer that can easily be cleaned and and less stress on your foot when ing tool. repaired. One that holds 3 to 5 gallons pushing them in the ground. Marking your trees for thinning, is optimal. A comfortable harness and A good planting bag is a must for harvest or protection is an important easy-to-use pumping handle are essen- all tree planting efforts. Two compart- task. The method you use will be tial. For small projects a handheld ments, a shoulder harness and water- based on how long you want the tank will work. marking to stay. Metal or plastic tags So if you have the time, energy and ADVERTISERS’ INDEX are best for permanent inventory plot, inclination to do your own work, AKS Engineering and Forestry ...... 15 wildlife, and legacy trees. They are check out all the non-power tools that Adams Timber Service ...... 28 easy to use and can offer years of you can have in your cruiser’s vest. ■ American Forest Management ...... 22 value. For quick marking of harvest Association of Consulting Foresters ...... 26 area boundaries and plot areas, plastic JAMES FREED is an Extension Bancroft Buckley Johnston & Serres ...... 29 flagging tape is best. It is very easy to forestry professor at Washington Forest Seedling Network ...... 12 use and biodegrades in a few years. It State University, working primarily in GeneTechs ...... 13 is easy to remove from the tree, and the field of non-timber forest prod- Hampton Tree Farms, Inc...... 3 even move to other trees, so it is not ucts, or special forest products. He Lusignan Forestry ...... 20 typically used to mark harvest trees. can be reached at 360-902-1314 or Norm Michaels Forestry LLC ...... 8 Flagging comes in many colors and [email protected]. Millwood Timber Inc...... 21 patterns. You can use different ones Victor Musselman ...... 11 Northwest Forestry Services ...... 7 Northwest Hardwoods ...... 15 Northwest Management ...... 4 2015 WFFA Annual Meeting ODF–Private Forests Division ...... 16 OREGON® ...... 25 The 2015 Annual Meeting of the Washington Farm Forestry Oregon Forest Resources Institute . . .Back Cover Association will be held at Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound from Port Blakely Companies ...... 27 April 30 to May 2. Best known as a water park with a giant slide imme- Professional Forestry Services, Inc...... 13 diate adjacent to I-5 (Exit 88 off I-5, 7 miles north of Centralia, 15 miles Seadust Wildlife Controllant ...... 27 south of Olympia), Great Wolf Lodge also has a first class meeting Silvaseed Company ...... 4 space and accommodations are available without water park admission. Sperry Ridge Natural Resource Mgmt...... 12 Friday’s program will focus on educational topics with concurrent Starker Forests ...... 18 sessions designed to interest everyone. The 2015 Washington Tree Stuntzner Engineering & Forestry ...... 10 Farmer of the Year will be named during lunch. On Saturday there Sustainable Forestry Initiative ...... 5 will be a field tour, which is also open to people who do not attend Tree Management Plus ...... 17 Friday’s sessions. Vendors will be present Friday and a raffle will be Trout Mountain Forestry ...... 3 held to raise money to add to the Steven D. Stinson Leadership in WACD Plant Materials Center ...... 17 Natural Resources scholarship. Port Blakely Companies started the Warren Weathers ...... 14 scholarship at the 2014 WFFA Annual Meeting. Weyerhaeuser Company ...... 11 For further details and registration information, visit Wilbur-Ellis ...... 8 wafarmforestry.com or contact Donna Loucks, 360-736-2147. World Forest Investment ...... 30

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