Forests? We don't need no stinkin' forests!

[TomAiello 26]

Quote

We do that regularly. We think nothing of killing ten thousand people to convert them to our system of government or to prevent a possible future threat to the US. Surely if that's OK, then a negotiated treaty on emissions or fishing is even more OK.

That's a rather largish "if".

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[Swoopyswoop 0]

OH BOY finally a topic I can get involved with.

First of all some of you know me some may not. For those who dont know me feel fortunate. I live in the center of the trinity national forest and I am a logger. I have been falling timber off and on for almost 15 years from the east coast all the way to this west coast. I cant speak for all the forestry in america but I will speak on the ones I know. here alone in trinity county the forest to this day is growing at a rate of 366 million board feet a year. If anyone is unclear of how much wood that is it is equivelant to approx 10,000 3500 square foot homes. The most that was ever cut in this county alone was in 1983 at 251 million board feet.
Now the 366 million is not how much tmber there is in this county, it is how much it is growing every year. Today there is only 25 to 30 million cut each year. What do you think our forests look like? Healthy? Clean and enjoyable to the public? I dont think so. The trinity forest is one of the most cluttered and useless and least enjoyed forests in the state.
The lack of good forest practices is showing and the trees along with everything in the way are burning up. Animals killed, trees destroyed, ground sterilized from the heat so nothing grows for 100 years or more, homes and buildings destroyed, and sadly human killed by fire. Right here in trinity county there are 3 remote fire stations being closed and sold to the public due to lack of funding. 2 community owned fire stations are also being closed and sold and the county is shutting there stations as well. Trinity is the poorest county in the state due to the lack of funds that were generated by harvesting timber. The forest service is broke due to the lack of funds generated by the sale of timber, the state, county etc etc etc. This means forest fires will be even a bigger issue in the years to come and even more destruction to the land.
Last year alone at the sims fire in hyampom california, there were 5300 acres burned in less than a 24 hour period. A total of 168,000 acres burned and over 22 million board feet of timber was destroyed. over 3000 men and women from the forest service, C.D.F., inmate crews, and contractors battled the fire. There were 10 helicopters, over 200 water trucks, 16 cat dozers, and numerous other equipment and crews on site. How much do you think this cost an already broke system? 65 homes and buildings were destroyed, deer, bear, squirrels rabbits were killed in the blaze, and over 30% of the ground was completely sterilized.
With todays technology and modern equipment along with much learned practices from the industry the forest can be managed with a abundent growth rate and be maintained to a degree where fire risk can be reduced greatly. Timber harvesting helps everyone from the little guy thats logging all the way up to uncle sam.
Cutting old growth timber is not a big part of logging by todays standard as there are not that many mills big enough to handle the big trees. However we should use common sense when harvesting and pay attention the the smaller details instead of just going for the big ones like the old days. By taking some older growth it does promote the smaller trees and helps along the ones that wouldnt make it otherwise. This provides sunlight that the larger trees were blocking, alllows more water to be taken in by the smaller trees, and opens up sunlight for the forest floor and promotes the growth of grass and other vegetation that also helps prevent floor fires.
So many people in the past have made there living in the woods and for most all that has come to an end. Familys moved away, stores and business closed there doors, leaving nothing but memorys of what used to be there.
If you take a tree count and look around sometime it may just shock you how bad things really are. According to accredited schools and forest institutes a healthy forest is considered to have anywhere from 280 to 350 trees of any species in a one acre area. The average for our forest alone is over 4000 trees per acre! Imagine a one acre plot with over 4000 trees on it and what do you see? I would like to see you ride a horse through that and enjoy your ride. Try throwing a frisbee or even playing hackey sack inside that mess. Remember, trees are a NATURAL renewable resource and ven stimulate a little better with a helping hand.
Good common sense logging and a great timber harvest plan will do nothing but boost the eco system and help the system along. ALways remember with the new hybrid seedlings, forest replanting after a logging, and select cutting will do absolutely nothing but help promote good health and growth among all the living things in the woods.
So before you go barking at some hillbilly redneck with a chainsaw thats lived in the woods all his life step back a little bit and look at the whole picture. There is a tremendous amount of unseen problems in the forest and its not just loggers and fire and bugs and disease's, sometimes one of the biggest problems is someone behind a desk in the city that knows absolutely nothing about a forest itself.

"when I die, I want to go like my grandfather while im sleeping, not like the passengers riding in the car with me
Swoopster
A.S.S. #6 Future T.S.S holder

[steve1 5]

This is off the subject, (but what the heck). A lot of people don't like loggers, and logging. Growing up in Western Montana most everyone I knew either worked in the woods or in a saw mill. Now loggers are becoming extinct in that area. There aren't many timber sales left to be found there.

Scott's post got me thinking. I'll bet most people don't have a clue how rough and tough you need to be a logger. Your up every morning around 4:00 a.m. The job is often 80 miles away, and you might be traveling on icy roads all the way there and back. When you get there you might be working up to your waist in snow all day. And it's all work.

Falling timber is probably the roughest of all. And this has to be one of the most hazardous professions anywhere. I've had five good friends who were killed falling timber. Two were hit by snags. One died when the wind blew a big spruce over in Alaska. One when a tree barber-chaired and he couldn't get out of the way in time. And the last one was Jake. He was an old rodeo buddy of mine who was somehow smashed by a big tree just a couple years ago. And then there are people I've known who were severely injured or crippled for life. I could go on and on.

Not many folks have what it takes to be a timber faller. You can make a lot of money as a sawyer, but there's also a lot of skill involved to the job. If you can't put a lot of wood on the ground you may go broke, because you get paid by how much you can cut in a day. You need to work fast, but yet keep yourself from getting killed.

I fell timber for ten years and still felt like I was learning something new almost every day. I'd like to say that I am still rough and tough enough to still work as a faller, but I know that isn't the case. I've worked too many years now at a cushy desk job. But I still have tons of respect for those who make their living falling the big stuff....Steve1

[Swoopyswoop 0]

Thanks steve,
Im glad someone understands whats its really like. I dont think people can truly fathom what goes on in the woods. Its not a place for screwing around on the job. Take care bro

Scotty

"when I die, I want to go like my grandfather while im sleeping, not like the passengers riding in the car with me
Swoopster
A.S.S. #6 Future T.S.S holder