They started on the woods to the east of me....
I know the absentee landowners needed $$$ for their taxes. They've leased out the land in sections for hunting and farming. Apparently it doesn't pay enough.
Sigh.
I guess I won't freak out because it IS not my land.
They need the money.
The understory will grow back in.
But damn, it looks ugly.
These are the tops of the magnificent oak trees they cut down. The tops are left where they land and the oak logs are taken.
I know all of this, it has been years since I've seen another section of this land logged.
However, my creative thinking says this would be a perfect dystopian backdrop for some of my toys.
Right? What better place to show off the damage to the earth.
This logging is not for forest health. It is for cash and quick money.
His biggest concern was the logging company taking oak trees in the spring.
Oak wilt is a huge concern and spreads with this activity in the warmer weather. He wished they'd done this work in the winter.
I calmly explained to him that the owners are not stewards of the land. They only want money for leasing and money for profit [I think]. Someone pointed out that a lot of land owners log off their forest before selling the land.
Uffdah.
The dynamic of the forest will be changed. It is not my land but I know it so well from walking it for 29 years. Last summer......
How it will change remains to be seen.
Things change and we have to adapt.
~~~~~
I had meant to show off some birds we've seen in the past few days. But this was on my mind.
I wonder how it will affect the two families of the Pileated Woodpeckers in this forest. This was one of them visiting just the other day. Chipping at the deer skull on the tree for some calcium perhaps?
Poor Lil Bear looks shocked and bereft. How very sad for the land and for you.
ReplyDeleteIt was a shock, I didn't think it would look this way. The loggers have 400 or more acres to log on this land so it may look quite different when they are done.
DeleteThis was just a small area.
It's very sad to see beautiful oaks cut down. This is a huge loss. I hope the woodpecker family is ok.
ReplyDeleteThe woodpeckers do make their nests inside of dead trees so there is that. The loggers don't choose dead or damaged trees to harvest and would only knock them down if they are in the way of the skidder I imagine.
DeleteA very sad story.
ReplyDeleteThat is a significant loss. It’s too bad.
ReplyDeleteYes. Perhaps though these stumps and tops will develop cool fungi in the future to photograph.
DeleteI won't be around to see the regrowth if they plant trees, but I can make the best of it.
Ugly loggers for sure, looks like they clear cut:(
ReplyDeleteThey didn't clear cut but left all the soft maples and the 'junk' trees. The maples will probably take over along with some nasty underbrush eventually.
DeleteForest management is a good thing but I know these owners won't invest in that.
IF they did, they'd actually get a tax break our county has some incredible managed forests.
I hate change.
ReplyDeleteI admire you for making the best of it.
Well, not much I can do about it but figure out how to enjoy it. The new trails will be very wide and clear for a few years so I intend to use them to get around the forest.
DeleteTruly sad. Oaks harbour more species of wildlife than any other tree. The loss of the tree is the loss of habitat for so many creatures. These trees may be on private property but they are the patrimony of the whole world. Gone forever.
ReplyDeleteThey do but they also are worth $$$. Seeing dollars and seeing nature are two different things.
Delete