Living Forest Cooperative offers field day
By CLAUDIA CURRANStaff Writer
The Daily Press
Last Updated: Monday, January 27th, 2003 10:23:37 AM
POINT DETOUR Dolly and Cher, two registered Belgian draft horses, hauled hefty logs north of Red Cliff Saturday in a fresh powder of snow and in below-zero temperatures.
About 40 participants at the horse logging field day, sponsored by the Living Forest Cooperative, tromped about a mile into the woods on a snowy trail to watch Jacob Obletz drive the two steamy-breathed mares on hemlock-speckled land north of Red Cliff, near Point Detour. Charly Ray,
co-op general manager, and Ray's wife, Julie Buckles, own the land.
TOver the course of the frigid day spectators shifted from the squeaky-cold trails, to a small fire, to watching the muscled horses pulling logs, to a tent for steaming hot chocolate and cider, snacks and warmth.
The cooperative organized the event so the public could experience horse logging, and so participants could receive information about sustainable forestry practices.
Obletz has worked with horses for much of his life, and, since starting out with saddle horses, has shifted his focus to draft.
At first, he was wary of using horses for logging because of the possibility they may not listen to directions, though he later found that using a well-trained team spells success.
He looked for a calm and experienced duo to start out with and found Dolly and Cher.
"These girls were in good shape," Obletz said to the field day participants as he gave them a bit of his horse-driving history.
"If I had a team any less trained, I wouldn't be able to do this," he said.
Obletz grew up in Milwaukee not the woods but even so, he feels comfortable working in the forest with his logging team.
On Saturday, Obletz and the two mares moved maple and white birch on the 80-acre parcel owned by Ray and Buckles. Ray worked with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to develop a forest management plan for the property. Removal of white birch growing over the top of maple, removal of deformed trees, some thinning and other timber stand improvements are outlined in the document, Ray explained.
He is working with Obletz to manage the timber as planned under the umbrella of the Living Forest Cooperative, a three-year-old business comprised of numerous members from the region and from as far away as Barron County.
Wood hauled by Obletz is destined for pulp, firewood, veneer logs and saw logs, Ray explained, and some will be marketed for sale through the cooperative and purchased by individuals and businesses.
The cooperative works to encourage good land stewardship and provide sustainable forest management assistance and education to its members and other landowners.
Approximately 7,000 acres of land are owned by members who share a goal of restoring the ecological stability of forest properties while allowing for wood harvest and production.
Wood sold through the cooperative has a potential for higher return, Ray said, due to the possibility of it being certified as sustainably managed, a label similar to one given to "organic" food.
One such wood-product label is the SmartWood forestry product certification, boasted by some flooring and furniture companies, and even the Martin Guitar Company and the Gibson Musical Instruments Company.
Certification and use of the label gives forest managers who adopt sustainable forestry practices opportunities for commercial incentives, according to SmartWood.
The organization, headquartered in Vermont and started by The Rainforest Alliance, certifies products originating from "well-managed" forests. Wood for these products might come from a sustainably managed natural forest,
plantation, large commercial operation or small-scale community project.
The Living Forest Cooperative supports such certifications and works to collectively market wood with landowners who would like to receive a maximum return on managed forest products.
The local cooperative is still in the process of development, Ray explained to the field day group.
"We're learning as we go," he said.
For more information about SmartWood, visit http://www.smartwood.org. For information about the Living Forest Coop, check out http://www.livingforestcoop.com.
