Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Jones Mountain Crown Thinning and Log Pulling

 The Forestry Crew carried out a crown thinning in early 2013 in a small pine plantation on Jones Mountain. This thinning was designed to create gaps (shown below) into which dominant white pine trees left in the stand could expand and grow, thereby becoming more valuable timber trees (as well as being larger and more aesthetically pleasing). Crew members cut the trees as part of a chainsaw training earlier in the year, and have been pulling saw logs out of the stand using a tractor and winch system. Once all the saw logs are out, the Horse Crew will help drag the logs to Warren Wilson Road, where Landscaping Crew will help transport them to the mill.

The stand will also serve as an educational tool for silviculture classes, and will be shown as a working model of the effects of a crown thinning.
 


 Hannah Billian, suited up and ready to cut the last of the trees


The crew chokes a log that is about to be pulled to the edge of the stand


 Crew member Frank prepares to operate the tractor and winch


The logging crew with the tractor and winch

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