tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448259913624206180.post569570981874561902..comments2023-11-29T07:06:55.168-05:00Comments on Central Pennsylvania Forestry: Why the Forestry “Profession” Should Harshly Criticize High-GradingDavid R. Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274227503840900875noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448259913624206180.post-89348481286758221502016-07-29T03:13:22.249-04:002016-07-29T03:13:22.249-04:00A combination of greed and ignorance results in th...A combination of greed and ignorance results in this practice. There is also issues of a lack of value and appreciation for old-stand forests. It would be a cold day in hell before I would allow anyone to take any wood from my land. I appreciate my large trees for the beauty and value they add to my land. Of course, there is a need for hardwoods. I will be the first to admit that I love hardwood furniture. My feeling is that wood should be harvested from land exclusively dedicated for this purpose much as is done with wood for paper production. I have nothing but contempt for persons who allow loggers onto their land simply to line their own pockets. Anyone setting foot on my land to approach me for permission to log my trees would be treated to a diatribe which would make a truck driver blush. His visit would be a short one and he'd never be back again. Lois E Brenneman, MSN, FNPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16511765937254066912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448259913624206180.post-55168050804757152082016-06-18T09:15:03.695-04:002016-06-18T09:15:03.695-04:00High-grading is an evil practice. Without markets ...High-grading is an evil practice. Without markets for low-grade material, however, it's difficult to to cut out poor quality material and have a logger or mill pay the landowner for it. Loggers, even to good ones, are loath to put any effort into cutting a tree and leave it. And many landowners don't have the wherewithal to cut out the junk. Until the markets recognize some value for even low-grade material, it will be difficult to get a true silvicultural timber harvest.<br /><br />David Maassnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448259913624206180.post-51865310059542394742016-06-03T11:47:44.637-04:002016-06-03T11:47:44.637-04:00"Cutting every tree on the ridge top" is..."Cutting every tree on the ridge top" is not highgrading my friend. Cutting every tree is considered a clear-cut or an overstory removal. And before either treatment is implemented, an abundance of desirable regeneration must be noted in a stand evaluation, also known as stand analysis. This "stand analysis" will support what is being conducted on your ridge tops.<br /><br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448259913624206180.post-87710138466917994212016-06-02T11:10:15.291-04:002016-06-02T11:10:15.291-04:00Interesting article. It appears that DCNR is pract...Interesting article. It appears that DCNR is practicing an extreme form of highgrading when they go in and cut down every tree on the ridge tops in southern Potter County. It will be many generations before any timber harvest will take place on these tracts. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448259913624206180.post-3042475791821107902016-05-24T09:36:56.476-04:002016-05-24T09:36:56.476-04:00Thanks for submitting the article on admonishing t...Thanks for submitting the article on admonishing the practice of highgrading. I’ve stated that we face four significant threats to sustainable forestry in PA: Deer, Forest Conversion, Invasive Species, and Highgrading, not necessarily in that order! But industry and many formally trained foresters continue to do the latter and cast a blind eye. Very frustrating to me. I am convinced that 50% of the time it happens, landowners knowingly do it with full intention of short term profits. The other 50% happens with industry and many consultants that don’t educate landowners enough about the detrimental effects of it. I am convinced through FS research that 80% of the harvests on private lands are highgrades or diameter limit cuts. If we truly “disassociated” ourselves as foresters from getting involved in it, the percentage may drop to 50% or less. The Forest Guild is ramping up in the research end, but may never provide the best avenues to expand the mind that SAF does. However, their Code of Ethics completely stamps out SAF in terms of what a forester should be and do.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448259913624206180.post-81410526007483221412016-05-24T09:36:25.880-04:002016-05-24T09:36:25.880-04:00Mr. Jedrziewski
Truly interesting to have your lo...Mr. Jedrziewski<br /><br />Truly interesting to have your long term perspective. Thanks. John Matelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04076225422403365794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448259913624206180.post-46673670824719299612016-05-23T11:48:59.741-04:002016-05-23T11:48:59.741-04:00This opinion piece seems to be highly generalized,...This opinion piece seems to be highly generalized, more than a little emotional, and not consistent with my observations related to a 400 acre parcel in Rush Township, Centre County, just to the west of the Allegheny Front. It does not recognize the dynamic nature of forest generation in this area and assumes that there is a steady state condition of sustainable yield<br /><br />My observations are those of an 84 year old retired engineer who was born in the area and has observed changes to the forest ecology and has harvested timber. I can conclude that there has been nothing but change from my earliest memories to this day.<br /><br />My early memories are of the valleys and hollows filled with the remnants of stumps left over from the days the virgin pines and hemlocks were harvested, the hills having hardwoods usually no taller than about 25 feet, small pastures and farm plots devoid of trees, and hawthorns no larger than shrubs because they were grazed by the free ranging cows.<br /><br />The parcel I now own was dominated by scrub oaks, typical of the type then found along the ridge in State Game Lands 60. For much of my youth, the scrub oak was about waist high in the game lands.<br /><br />As time went on, the hardwoods dominated the scrub oak, and there is none to be found in my parcel. The trees matured to the extent that we conducted the first hardwood harvest ever in 1995. At this time we had some red oaks up to about 25 inches in diameter.<br /><br />I had heard so much about the evils of high grade harvesting that I was surprised that the forester recommended taking everything over 14 inches in diameter. When I questioned him, he pointed out that we had a lot of healthy trees of smaller diameter just waiting for their chance to make use of the light they would receive. <br /><br />Now it is twenty years later, and we are doing a second high grade harvest in the same area. The timber volume is nearly the same as the first, although the tree count is a bit higher. The conclusion here is that high grading was the sensible thing to do in 1995.<br /><br />An additional conclusion is that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to high grading. Emotion should be kept out of the decision and sensible practices should be selected to fit the circumstances.<br /><br /><br /><br />Edward Jedrziewskinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448259913624206180.post-19757154373959360272016-05-17T20:24:39.218-04:002016-05-17T20:24:39.218-04:00Good article. People unfamiliar with forestry ofte...Good article. People unfamiliar with forestry often think of high-grading as "selective cutting. Indeed, landowners makes the choices, but, as you say, they should be actively discouraged for doing what is not in the best interests of their forests. Thank you for writing this. John Matelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04076225422403365794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448259913624206180.post-52052534852377617852016-05-16T18:27:38.407-04:002016-05-16T18:27:38.407-04:00Nicely written. I wish more forest professionals w...Nicely written. I wish more forest professionals would follow the Forest Steward's Guild policies.John Mchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04806916658121012209noreply@blogger.com