Agenda - 05-26-2015 - C-2 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Recommendations: If possible, the stand should be thinned in about 8 years along with Stand 1. If a timber crop worth managing can be cultivated in the pines, the pines and hardwoods can be more easily managed in the future. If commercial thinning is not economically feasible, one alternative is to complete a crop -tree- release treatment where desirable species of good stem quality are selected and released through mechanical removal of competing trees and vines. The treatment should select for loblolly pine and well - formed oaks on the upland sites and for loblolly pine and tulip poplar on the lower sites. Stump sprouts should be approached by removing all but the best quality stem. Ideally, this work could be completed in -house over several years. The other alternative is to allow this stand to grow on its own until enough volume is present to justify a commercial harvest. This may not be until the stand is thirty or forty years old, between the years 2030 and 2040. At this time a commercial removal of pine and hardwood pulp should be feasible if markets persist. Stand 3 This stand is located along both sides of the small tributary flowing from the pond on the west end of the property. Slopes are moderate, mostly under 10 percent and the landform is rolling, containing both concave and convex sites which face either north or south. Soils are primarily Georgeville series, but some Herndon soils are present on the western end. The soils have been used heavily in the past, both cultivated and grazed, though some areas were likely too wet for cultivation. The fifty year site index for loblolly pine is 90 feet. This stand was about 40 years old at the time of the last harvest, and probably established on an old pasture in the 1960's. A mixed stand of pine, sweetgum, and tulip poplar with a fairly diverse mid - story, the previous stand was nearly clearcut, burned, and planted to loblolly pine, like Stands 1 and 2. Some exceptionally poor quality residual stems were left standing along the field edges and on the wetter sites. The success of the pine has been patchy with pine density higher on the better drained sites, and lower elsewhere. To the south of the stream, white oak, southern red oak, maple and hickory are the dominant hardwoods and to the north of the stream, sweet gum, tulip poplar, red maple, and winged elm are dominant. Access to the stand is good except for the areas to the south of the stream. A temporary crossing on this stretch should not be difficult and if properly installed will have minimal impact on water quality. Wet soils in some areas will require limiting equipment use within the stand to dry weather. The following table offers a general summary of the stand: 20 167