Forestry work around the Great Cedar Snag

FORESTRY: 2 hours: 3:15 PM to 5:15 PM

Thinning, pruning and general clean-up between Riparian Zone unit #3 and  Eastern Wedge unit #5.

Forestry portion of new trail establishment into Eastern Wedge unit #5 from the Great Cedar Snag. Cull tree and decrepit brush removal along with lower branch pruning (mostly with the hand saw in tight quarters). Surprisingly, a large collection of established (16 year-old) Doug fir in this northern end of Eastern Wedge unit. These appear to have prevailed against the encroaching hemlock and alder found in much of this unit. Still, many of them have broken (but regrown) tops, or are suppressed to the point of failure, and some have twin trunks growing from the base, so there is plenty of cull material here. The Red Alder in the Alder Seep are amazingly well-spaced and robust for their young age, perhaps 30 feet tall and 6”-10” DBH, forming a nearly pure stand of alder. Quite a few have compromised (re-grown) tops, but this damage occurred at such a small diameter (high up on the tree) that it appears to have fully sealed the wound. Many of the alder are in perfect condition for their age. I cut out some of the obvious culls: the suppressed, bent-over, and the bad broken-tops.