Years ago, there was a lot of negative sentiment around clear cutting and timber harvesting in general. Clear cutting is now much more regulated than it was back then, and maybe that’s why timber harvesting in general doesn’t seem to be frowned on nearly as much anymore. That’s a good thing.
Many people now realize that there are advantages in timber harvesting. Old growth timber stands get stagnant. Growth slows down to a crawl and very little sunlight reaches the forest floor. An occasional thinning scarifies the forest floor, which allows seeds to take root, and it opens up the forest canopy to let sunlight in to stimulate new growth, which also benefits wildlife as food and cover.
Ongoing revenue from timber harvesting helps homeowners pay their property taxes, and more importantly, it helps to justify leaving the land in forestland and not developing it. As a snowmobiler, and outdoorsman in general, I appreciate having plenty of local timberland to venture out on, and I know that an occasional timber harvest can help preserve that opportunity.
The author is a licensed Arborist. He can be reached at RobertFogg@Q-Team.com or 207-693-3831.
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