EB 1316 A Primer for Timber Harvesting Washington State University Extension College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences Washington State University Pullman, Washington Authors Francis R. Greulich, Ph.D., Professor of Forest Engineering, College of Forest Resources, University of Washington, Seattle, WA; Donald P. Hanley, Ph.D., Washington State University Extension Forester, Seattle, WA; Joseph F. McNeel, Ph.D., Director for Division of Forestry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV; David Baumgartner, Ph.D., Washington State University Extension Forester, Pullman, WA. Photo-Credits Figure 8 — Ronald Copstead, Joseph McNeel Collection Figure 9 — Joseph McNeel Figure 10 — Joseph McNeel Figure 14 — Donald Hanley Figure 13 — Joseph McNeel Figure 15 — Don Hanley Figure 21 — Reese Martin Figure 30 — Frank Greulich Designer Gerald Steffen Substantial revision from Timber Harvesting Alternatives, EB 1316, by Reese Martin, Frank Greulich, David Baumgartner, and Donald Hanley, UW and WSU respectively. December, 1985. Portions of this text are taken from Managing Your Timber Sale, by William Schlosser, David Baumgartner, Donald Hanley, Steve Gibbs, and Vincent Corraro, EB1818, WSU Extension, October 1996. A Primer for Timber Harvesting EB1316 Contents Introduction ......................................................................................................... 1 Planning ............................................................................................................... 1 Forest Plans.................................................................................................... 1 Professional Assistance .......................................................................................... 2 Public Agencies .............................................................................................. 3 Private Assistance ........................................................................................... 3 Important Considerations in Timber Harvesting .................................................. 4 Harvesting Limitations .................................................................................. 4 The Logging Process ........................................................................................... 10 Felling and Bucking ..................................................................................... 10 Ground-Based Yarding Systems........................................................................... 14 Yarding or Skidding ..................................................................................... 14 Layout Recommendations............................................................................ 14 Horses.......................................................................................................... 15 Rubber-Tired Skidders ................................................................................. 17 Tracked Skidders .......................................................................................... 19 Forwarders ................................................................................................... 20 Modified Farm Equipment .......................................................................... 20 Cable Systems ..................................................................................................... 21 Highlead and Jammers ................................................................................. 21 Running Skyline .......................................................................................... 22 Skyline Carriages.......................................................................................... 23 Skyline ......................................................................................................... 24 Terrain and Skyline Relationships ................................................................ 26 Helicopters ......................................................................................................... 27 Loading and Hauling .......................................................................................... 28 Contract Trucking........................................................................................ 29 Suggested Reading .............................................................................................. 31 Glossary .............................................................................................................. 33 ffff A Primer for Timber Harvesting By Francis Greulich, College of Forest Resources, University of Washington Donald Hanley, Washington State University Extension Joseph McNeel, Division of Forestry, West Virginia University David Baumgartner, Washington State University Extension A forest activity plan details exactly how to accomplish Introduction short-term goals on your property. It includes exact management prescriptions, expected outcomes, and Decisions by private forest landowners in Washington dates when activities will be accomplished. Forest about timber harvesting alternatives are very important. landowners should have a forest management plan The timber harvesting system landowners select written and implemented before undertaking any directly affects their financial return, future site timber sale on their property. productivity, potential damages to the site or remain- ing trees, soil erosion, and other factors. Landowners Landowners who want to manage a variety of re- need useful information to plan and conduct timber sources, including timber may wish to develop a Forest harvests. Stewardship Plan for their property. Forest Stewardship Plans provide an organized and integrated approach A timber sale entails a complicated set of activities in to managing for timber, fish, wildlife, soil and water the management of forestlands for the nonindustrial resources, and aesthetics and recreation. private forest (NIPF) landowner. Many landowners spend too little time researching markets, interviewing Developing a plan well in advance of potential timber logging operators, paying attention to forest practice harvesting can provide a clear guide that supports the laws, and ensuring adequate attention to post-sale landowner’s long-term goals. A written stewardship concerns. A timber sale embraces more than the single plan or forest management plan is required to apply event of harvesting trees; it involves the integration for forestry property tax classification, to join forestry of landowner goals, silvicultural needs, specific site cost sharing programs, or to receive recognition as a requirements, and the long-term productivity of Certified Tree Farm® or Stewardship Forest. the site. Many landowners hire a consultant to prepare their plan. Others participate in Coached Forest Stewardship Planning Planning Workshops, where they develop their own plan with instruction from natural resource profes- sionals. Planning assistance also may be available Forest Plans from Department of Natural Resources (DNR) or the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service Timber sales can influence how forests grow. Along (NRCS) foresters in some areas. with other activities, timber sales determine the long- term management of the forest. To ensure that all Planning should always precede harvesting. Harvest activities focus on a common set of goals and objec- planning involves, at the minimum, collecting infor- tives, we urge forest landowners to develop a written mation on timber volumes, stem counts, and prices forest management plan. A forest management plan is to obtain a suitable logging contract. A harvest plan a detailed document outlining long- and short-term should specify forest management objectives and goals and objectives. It includes details about how to indicate how logging should be done to obtain these move from current forest conditions to a desired objectives. Refer to Managing Your Timber Sale, WSU future state. EB1818, Figure 1. 1 Figure 1— Managing Your Timber Sale, EB1818, • Better control of the logging operation with WSU Extension. respect to when, where and how it is carried out. • Smaller scale harvesting or selection of smaller COOPERATIVE EXTENSION EB1818 trees that might not interest a commercial logger. Managing Your • Self-satisfaction to the landowner. Timber Sale • Inclusion of some operations otherwise not economically feasible, such as pruning crop trees during a thinning operation. • Increased knowledge of the timber market leading to better decisions in future management of the timber resource. Disadvantages of self-logging include: • Physically demanding and often dangerous work. Logging is one of the top ten most dangerous jobs in the U.S. • Costly investments in either the purchase of Establish management objectives in order of priority. logging equipment or the modification of farm Clearly explain objectives and priorities and make sure equipment. your logger understands them. • Lack of necessary skills, such as how to fell trees One common objective is to realize monetary return. or how to rig and operate a cable system. Other objectives: • Decreased/diminished value due to inexperienced • Improve timber stand conditions for future growth. handling of the logs; e.g., poor felling and • Enhance the wildlife habitat in an area. bucking, or, losses due to insect attack and stain when felled trees are not removed in a timely • Remove mature timber, while protecting younger manner. trees. • Loss of value because of a poor understanding • Enhance recreational