T o d a y ’ s F o r e s t • T o m o r r o w ’ s L e g a c yT o d a y ’ s F o r e s t • T o m o r r o w ’ s L e g a c y

Timber AccessEquipment access for tim-ber harvesting can oftenpose a practical, logisticalproblem for many smallacreage forest owners.Many small acreage forestproperties are fronted byhomes, garages, sheds,lawns & gardens,stonewalls & patios, wells,and septic systems leavingno area large enough to per-mit access to most standardtypes of large equipment.Where one nearby propertyowner has enough roadfrontage or other accessroads to allow for largeequipment, it may thenrequire passage through oneor more neighboring proper-ties to ultimately reach yourproperty. This situationpresents an opportunity forseveral forest owners to par-ticipate jointly in a tree har-vest, reducing costs andother obstacles. Refer tofactsheet Working WithYour Neighbors—Reconnecting ForestFragments for more ideasinvolving group projects.

Timber, firewood, wildlife,clean water…We can have ourforest and cut it too! There areways of managing forests to

assure that they remain ecologicallysound while also meeting the needs ofour society. The way we do this isthrough the application of the science offorestry. Many woodland owners takepride in managing their property whileat the same time allowing the forest toretain its diversity and beauty.

Forestry that incorporates the fullcomplement of environmental benefits isknown as “ecosystem management.”This means managing forests to meethuman needs while maintaining healthy,diverse ecological conditions. Thisapproach reflects an understanding ofhow forests function, and the recognitionof the growing importance landownersand society place on non-timber values.The goal of ecosystem management is tomaintain complexity, mimic natural dis-turbance, and work at a landscape scale.

Renewable Forest Resources

Wood is a renewable resource and woodproducts are often environmentally supe-rior to alternatives, such as steel and con-crete, which require far more fossil-fuelenergy to produce than lumber. RhodeIslanders, like all Americans, are largeconsumers of wood products. Americansconsume 25 percent of all the wood prod-ucts produced in the world! Yet, whileRhode Islanders consume more and morewood products, our own forest produc-tion declines – not because our forests aredepleted—but because we choose toimport all we can. Some imports comefrom as far away as British Columbia andthe rainforests of Indonesia.

Rhode Island forests can growsuperb timber. However, they are cur-rently producing far less than theirpotential capacity. Furthermore, fewRhode Island woodlands are being man-aged to grow the best wood.

Currently, we are only harvesting12% of our annual growth. Of this

amount, tree harvesting associated withcommercial forestry operations repre-sents less than one-fifth of the timberbeing removed in the state. The remain-ing four-fifths of timber removals are onland that is being converted to some useother than timberland, such as landcleared for development or restrictedfrom timber harvesting. If the state wereto maintain the current acreage of tim-berland and manage it sustainably – har-vesting by best management practicesand taking no greater volume of woodthan grows each year – Rhode Islandcould increase both annual net growth oftrees and production of wood productsseveral times over.

Sustainable Harvesting

Managing the forest for forest productsand managing for biodiversity are com-patible goals. We can have our forest andcut it too! The reason for this is simple:both quality wood products and ecologi-cal health require a mature, diverse for-est. Timber harvesting traps carbon fordecades (or even centuries) in the formof boards, while back in the woods newtrees go on absorbing carbon dioxide, animportant step in combating globalwarming.

There are two parts to managingfor quality timber products: intermediate thinnings and regeneration harvests

Improvement Thinning

Young trees grow in dense stands orgroups, filling the gaps created in theforest after some type of disturbance(fire, harvesting, insects, storms). Mosttrees gradually die out of the standthrough competition over time. Forestrypractices known as improvement thin-nings present an opportunity to periodi-cally thin the stand, removing some treesso that others can grow better. Growthcan be concentrated on those remaining

Working for Renewable Forest Resources

T o d a y ’ s F o r e s t • T o m o r r o w ’ s L e g a c yT o d a y ’ s F o r e s t • T o m o r r o w ’ s L e g a c y

these factors can lead to serious andexpensive mistakes.

Forests take decades to grow, but canbe destroyed in just a few days of poorlyconducted cutting. Landowners canavoid these pitfalls by retaining a profes-sional forester who can identify whichtrees to be harvested, determine the vol-ume to be removed, and how muchvalue or income the landowner shouldreceive. Foresters have been proven tobe well worth the money. Research hasshown the average landowner makesmore money from a timber sale adminis-tered by a competent forester, than byselling the timber on his/her own.

Call your public service forester, RIDEM Division of Forest Environment at(401) 647-3367 for advice and assistancewith achieving your woodland goals in away that protects and enhances thevalue of your property. Your public serv-ice forester can provide you with: ➣Forest cutting/harvesting regulations-

-assistance with the Intent to Cutapplication process.

➣Best Management Practices and over-site when working in forested wet-lands. Refer to factsheet Working forClean, Plentiful Water for more infor-mation about wetland laws.

➣A list of consulting foresters andlicensed wood operators.

➣Ways to manage your woodlands inan ecologically sustainable manner.

The decision to cut trees on yourproperty is an important one; don’t berushed into a bad decision. CALLBEFORE YOU CUT!

Where to do I turn for moreinformation and help?

RI DEM Division of Forest Environment(401) 647-3367 • www.dem.ri.gov• Talk with a state service forester• Obtain information and assistance with for-

est management, forest harvesting opera-tions and laws; a list of consulting forestersand licensed wood operators; BestManagement Practices for Rhode Island: WaterQuality Protection and Forest ManagementGuidelines.

Rhode Island Forest ConservatorsOrganization (RIFCO)(401) 568-3421 • www.rifco.org• Educational programs and events, newslet-

ter, Rhode Island Tree Farm Program, linksto numerous publications and local, state,

and federal forestry agencies and organiza-tions.

USDA Natural Resources ConservationService(401) 828-1300 • www.ri.nrcs.usda.gov• Obtain the Soil Survey Map of Rhode Island

and assistance with the identification of andinformation about the soils on your proper-ty; technical assistance with conservationplanning and practices; and local conserva-tion district contacts.

Southern New England Logger EducationProgramForest and Wood Products Institutewww.mwcc.mass.edu/HTML/FWP/default.html (978) 630-9334• Information about logger education pro-

gram, certification, and scheduled work-shops.

Northeastern Loggers’ Association www.loggertraining.com • (315) 369-3078

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area,State and Private Forestrywww.na.fs.fed.usLinks to Durham, NH Field Office(603) 868-7600 www.fs.fed.us/na/durham • Information on Forest Stewardship, Fire

Management, Conservation Education andSustainability, Economic Action Program,on-line library.

Cornell Cooperative Extension, Departmentof Natural Resources(607) 255-2115www.dnr.cornell.edu/ext/ext/index.htmpublications:www.dnr.cornell.edu/ext/ext/publications.htm• A Guide to Logging Aesthetics, other publica-

tions on timber and firewood productionon small acreage woodland plots.

A Forest Landowner’s Guide to InternetResources: States of the Northeastwww.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/misc/ir/index.htm• Publications and factsheets for: Economics

of Forest Investments; TreeIdentification/Species Info; Forest Healthand Protection; TreePlanting/Regeneration; ForestManagement Planning; Sustainability andCertification; Silviculture; Forest Samplingand Inventory; Forest HarvestingOperations; Timber Sales; Special ForestProducts; Riparian Forest & Wetland Mgmt;Glossaries of Forestry Terms; Miscellaneous

Deer ImpactRhode Island forests, aswith much of the northeastregion, can regenerateabundantly through thenatural growth of sprouts(coppice) on tree stumps.This form of natural forestregeneration has beengreatly impacted by highdeer populations that heav-ily browse the new sproutsand older tree seedlings.Fencing and other methodsfor discouraging deer canbe costly and labor inten-sive. Contact RI DEMDivision of ForestEnvironment and Fish andWildlife for more informa-tion on deer populationcontrol.

Programs and activities are available toall persons without regard to race, color,sex, disability, religion, age, sexual ori-entation, or national origin.

This project is a collaboration of theSouthern New England ForestConsortium, Inc.1, and the Universityof Rhode Island Cooperative ExtensionHome*A*Syst Program2. Written byHolly K. Burdett 2, ChristopherModisette1, Alyson McCann2 andBrianne Neptin2. Special thanks to allpublication reviewers. Funding for thisproject was provided by the USDAForest Service in cooperation with theRhode Island Department ofEnvironmental Management Divisionof Forest Environment and the USDARenewable Resources Extension Act,URI Cooperative Extension.

T o d a y ’ s F o r e s t • T o m o r r o w ’ s L e g a c yT o d a y ’ s F o r e s t • T o m o r r o w ’ s L e g a c y

trees that have the best timber poten-tial, while at the same time utilizingthe products generated from the thin-ning. These thinnings generally takeplace every decade or two and resultin products like firewood, pulp,posts, poles, and small sawlogs. Ifmarkets are good, the costs ofimprovement thinnings can morethan pay for themselves.

These intermediate treatmentsare a slight modification of the way aforest naturally grows. They workwell in young and middle-agedstands. From a timber productionstandpoint, many of Rhode Island’swoodlands are in need of this type ofmanagement.

However, for some older treestands that have been neglected fortoo long, there is little that can beaccomplished through this type oftreatment. Such forests may be finefrom an ecological point of view, butare no longer valuable for timberproducts.

Regeneration Harvests

After trees have been allowed to growand produce more valuable wood, itis time to think about harvesting thetimber and regenerating the next for-est. Much of Rhode Island’s forest isapproaching this point. Since it is notdesirable, practical, nor economical toregenerate all the forest at the sametime, it is better to proceed gradually,diversifying the forest into a varietyof tree species and ages. Because ofthe abundance of natural regenerationin our region, it is not necessary toplant new trees. The new forest thatemerges is determined by:

➣The seedlings (the types of existingtrees) that are on hand

➣How vigorously the tree stumpsdevelop sprouts (known as cop-pice)

➣The amount of sunlight now reach-ing the forest floor in that area

The ability of a tree to reproduce,grow and compete (survive) is afunction of the amount of light that itrequires. The amount of light that isproduced in the forest is determined

by the size of the gap that is openedin the overlying forest canopy--eitherthrough natural disturbance or artifi-cially through cutting.

There is more than one way toharvest a forest

Effective natural replacement in theforest requires an orderly successionof trees growing to take the place ofthose that die or are harvested. Theway in which trees are harvestedhelps determine how quickly the for-est regenerates and what kinds oftrees will grow in succession.

To make informed land manage-ment decisions, landowners needinformation about the effects of dif-ferent harvesting techniques. Havinga range of options available meanslandowners can choose a techniquethat meets their objectives and pre-serves Rhode Island’s beautiful land-scape.

The following are some com-monly applied regeneration harvestsfor Rhode Island’s forests: DiameterLimit Harvest; Group SelectionMethod; Shelterwood Harvest;Commercial Clearcut; SilviculturalClearcut; and Coppice with Standards.Depending on the tree species youwish to encourage, the type of timberproducts you wish to produce, andthe degree to which you also wish toincorporate other forest activities suchas enhancing wildlife habitat, one ofthese tree harvesting methods maybest suit your plans and goals.Contact a state service forester and/ora consulting forester for more infor-mation and assistance. Refer to the listof contacts and resources at the end ofthis factsheet.

What are some marketablewood products and treespecies that I can grow?

Think QualityWhile red oak and white pine are thetwo most commonly grown and mar-ketable tree species for Rhode Islandforestland production, it is importantto remember that tree quality is justas important--if not more important--than tree species.

Timber (Sawlogs)The production of wood products meas-ured in board feet—also known assawlogs. These products are usuallyhigher in value, such as veneer and largesawlogs. For board-foot volume produc-tion, the value per foot differs greatlywith species, tree size, and tree quality.Thus, focusing on volume productionalone without considering the character-istics of individual trees is not the sameas focusing on the value of the products.Board-foot volume production involvestreatments that focus available resourceson trees that have the greatest potentialvalue. To determine the right number oftrees per given area to grow, forestersidentify the tree species and then meas-ure the tree stand density, the basal area,the number of trees per acre, and the sizeof the trees. Ideally, you want enoughtrees growing to make use of the avail-able space and other resources withoutcausing “overcrowding” which reducesboth quality and growth rates.

The tree species most commonlymarketed as sawlogs in Rhode Islandinclude: Red Oak, White Oak, and WhitePine. Other species also sold as sawlogsbut to a lesser degree include Black Oak,Scarlet Oak, Maple, Birch, Hickory, RedPine, and Hemlock. Red Oak is the mostvaluable species sold.

FirewoodFuelwood is produced from lower quali-ty trees that are poorly formed orcrooked, or it may come from the tops oftrees harvested as sawlogs. Lack of man-agement, past history of land use, andfire have resulted in an overabundance ofcrooked, diseased and otherwise undesir-able trees. In most RI woodlots, crop treesor straight trees of a species that aredesirable for sawlogs, are far outnum-bered by undesirable cull trees (poorlyformed or damaged trees that have nomarketable timber value). Proper fuel-wood production can, therefore, makeuse of these cull trees while at the sametime improving your woodlot by givingdesirable crop trees room to grow(improvement thinning).

Fuelwood can be of any species butspecies such as hickory, red oak, whiteoak, ash, sugar maple, yellow and blackbirch and American beech tend to havehigh heat value while species such aswhite pine, hemlock, red pine, pitch pine,

red cedar, aspen, poplar, black cherry, andred maple tend to have low heat value.

PulpwoodIn some areas of the country, there is theopportunity to grow trees to provide asteady supply of wood to a pulp mill,chipboard plant, or wood burning energyplant. Usually, treatments aim to grow asmany trees, or as much volume, in asshort a period of time as possible, ratherthan focusing on growing large, highquality trees. Short rotations and only afew, if any, improvement thinning treat-ments are recommended. Income isearned through the steady supply ofpulpwood. The income from pulpwoodproduction may be enough to pay yourownership costs, as well as earn a profit.

The pulpwood market in Rhode Islandis limited and fluctuates dramatically.Species commonly sold for pulpwoodinclude most of the hardwoods and soft-woods depending on market demand.Most of the pulpwood sold in RI isshipped to mills in northern New England.Prices for pulpwood tend to be very low.

Miscellaneous Products (Poles,Custom Sawn Wood)There are some specialty markets thatmay occasionally be available to thewoodland owner. Poles are trees thatmeet certain manufacturers specificationsfor use as utility poles, piling, and logcabin stock. Individual trees that meetthese rigorous specifications can be ofmore value to the landowner. Red pine isespecially suited for use as poles.

There is a market for trees that can becustom sawn and used to construct suchthings as post and beam homes, furniture,boat building and restoration, etc. Thismarket generally requires trees to be har-vested in different lengths than is custom-ary for the standard sawlog harvest. Again,individual trees may be of more value tothe landowner if he/she can develop arelationship with the people and/or busi-nesses looking for this material.

Be A Smart Consumer - Call Before You Cut!For most landowners, the process of sell-ing timber is foreign, unknown territory.Timber harvesting requires expertisesuch as current price information, famil-iarity with markets, technical jargon, andenvironmental regulations. Ignorance of

SilvicultureSilviculture is the art, sci-ence, and practice of estab-lishing, tending, and repro-ducing forest stands ofdesired characteristics. It isbased on knowledge ofspecies characteristics andenvironmental requirements.Much of silviculture is theart of manipulating theamount of light that is intro-duced into the forest. Silva isthe Latin word for forest.

High Grading –Beware: Woodland owners are oftenscared away from timberharvesting by visions of“clearcutting” that are oftenerroneously portrayed in themedia. They are attracted bythe idea of “selective har-vesting” in which only indi-vidual trees are harvested.However, in actual practice“selective harvesting” is toooften a term used for highgrading.

In this practice the bestand most commerciallyvaluable trees are cut andthe poorer quality trees areleft behind on the woodlot.“Cut the Best and Leave theRest” is a phrase that iscommonly used to describethis practice. This is not arecommended woodlandmanagement practice--espe-cially if your interest isgrowing high quality tim-ber. In actual practice, thebetter way to manage yourwoodland is to periodicallyremove poorer quality treesto favor the better qualitytrees. Multiple intermediateharvests over the long termoften generate greater rev-enue returns than the onetime practice of high grad-ing. CALL BEFORE YOU CUT!

Low Impact LoggingNext to commercial fishing, com-mercial logging is the most danger-ous occupation in this country.Logging is a physically and finan-cially rough and risky business, anda logging operation is a disruptiveoperation even under the best ofconditions. Introduce adverseweather, difficult site conditions,and poor planning; and the disrup-tions are compounded. Mostlandowners think of logging asmuddy and ugly. Research revealsthat many woodland owners arereluctant to harvest their timber forfear of destroying the natural beau-ty, recreational opportunities, aes-thetic values, and wildlife habitat oftheir forest.

The four elements of timberharvesting that cause the mostimpact are trucking roads, landings,skid trails and tree felling. A land-ing is a cleared area where logs ortrees are brought from the woods,usually by a piece of heavy equip-ment. The wood is cut up into vari-ous products, then sorted andstored here until they are loadedonto trucks and hauled to market. Askid trail is a temporary road in theforest that provides access for amachine (not trucks or cars) to dragfelled trees or logs from the stumpto a central landing area. Finally, atrucking road, which is oftenunpaved, connects the landing withpublicly maintained roads.

In most cases, these activitiesshould be planned and supervisedby a professional forester, but theyare ultimately under the directcontrol of the logger or thelandowner. It is, therefore, impor-tant that the logger as well as thelandowner understand the con-cerns and their solutions.

Logging can be a dangerousand disruptive affair but has comea long way. Licensing and train-ing programs for loggers, such asthe Southern New EnglandLogger Education Program haveimproved safety in the woods aswell the quality of the work thatthe logger performs. Refer to thelist of contacts and resources atthe end of this factsheet for moreinformation.