Some forest landowners never harvest trees because they are afraid that logging would be ugly. Some worry about soil erosion. However, many simply don't know how valuable their trees are or how a well-managed harvest could benefit forest health. The Missouri Department of Conservation is working to help all these landowners make the most of their forest.
"One of the least-known facts about forests is that they change, no matter what you do," said John Tuttle, forestry field programs supervisor for the Conservation Department. "Forests seem timeless, but they are always changing. Trees get old and die, and the mix of trees in a particular area changes over time. The overall health of a stand of trees changes, too. Landowners can affect those changes to make sure they get what they want from the land."
Tuttle said forests change so gradually that people often don't see it. They are more likely to notice things that affect their activities, such as hunting. For example, a landowner whose forest grows up in cedars might notice fewer deer and turkey as oak trees disappear and acorn production declines. Someone who lets trees grow up along brushy field edges might notice that quail no longer live there.
"A surprising number of people think that money is the only reason for cutting trees," said Tuttle, "but timber harvesting can serve many purposes, including keeping a forest healthy. Forest management is not all clearcuts and dollar signs."
He said profits from timber sales can pay the taxes on forest land, making it financially practical for the owner to keep acreage in forest, rather than selling or developing it. Proceeds from timber sales also can fund other forest or wildlife management activities.
While profits from timber sales can be important to landowners, often it is not the most important benefit. Timber harvests can remove diseased or damaged trees. They can favor certain tree species or selectively remove a few large, commercially valuable trees while stimulating the growth of new trees that ensure the future vigor of the forest.
Foresters with the Missouri Department of Conservation or private forest consultants can help landowners decide how to manage forest to achieve their goals. But even with good advice, few landowners have the knowledge, equipment and time to do the necessary work. That is why the Conservation Department works with the Missouri Forest Products Association (MFPA) to offer Professional Timber Harvester education.
Eighty-five percent of Missouri's forest is in private hands, making this land critical to the state's forest health. Professional Timber Harvester sessions aim to give landowners, as well as loggers and forest-management professionals, the information they need to manage forests wisely. The program offers five one-day courses.
Forest Management covers best management practices - ways of conducting timber harvests to ensure the health of the land and remaining trees. Long-term profitability, forest ecology and wildlife also are part of this session.
Level I Professional Timber Harvester training covers protective equipment, saw use, maintenance and safety, the benefits of controlled felling and a method, known as bore cutting, for felling large trees.
Level II Professional Timber Harvester training includes instruction on the notch-and-hinge method of felling trees. Also covered are the use of wedges, assessing hazards and escape routes, chain filing and chain saw bar care.
Level III Professional Timber Harvester training covers how to fell leaning trees, advanced cutting and wedging techniques and ways to safely remove limbs from trunks and get trunks out of the woods with minimum disturbance to the forest.
Level IV Professional Timber Harvester training covers advanced felling, planning efficient harvest layouts and use of powered forest management tools.Kansas City InfoZine
