Sustainable Management 1998 page 4
Diameter growth monitoring will also indicate when each forest area has reached full stocking - when all light, water, soil nutrients and space are used efficiently for the trees.  When a stand of properly spaced, large, high quality crop trees begin to slow their average growth rate below a 1/4" growth ring, then we know the stand is fully stocked, and sustained yield harvesting will begin.

Quickly rising timber values caused by the shrinking supply of good quality timber available for harvest, now makes nearly any sound tree a valuable investment.  Maturity is now extended far beyond traditional definitions of age and or size.  At this time, the only truly mature tree is a dead tree, one that will not survive until the next harvest, of a poor quality tree that is hindering the growth of a more valuable crop tree. 

Stumpage prices rising faster than the rate of inflation and the prime interest rate combined, encourages us to be very conservative in cutting high quality timber.  Forest owners may choose to maintain stocking levels of valuable trees at a level higher than where optimum crop tree grwoth will occur - while this stumpage price trend continues - as long as the future productivity of the forest is not jeopardized.

Growing large, high value crop trees delays the need for regeneration for many years.  Allowing a gradual change to shade tolerant species encourages desirable natural regeneration.  Initial low grade harvests stir up the forest floor and open up the canopy to help tree seedlings become established.  Natural regeneration often becomes so plentiful as to become a hindrance to selective harvesting.  Once regeneration is well established, choices can be made concerning the best mix of crop trees for future harvests.  Invading and undesirable species makes regular TSI necessary to nurture desirable natural regeneration as it develops into cro trees for the future.


Harvest Schedule: 
  1.  Initial "once through clean-up" - with full utilization of low grade materials
            Description of initial harvest 
  a.  mark dead, diseased, deformed and defective trees
  (trees that will not ever be future crop trees)
  b.  Thin overcrowded groups of good trees (work on proper spacing).
  c.  release crop trees from competition of lower value trees.
 
Perform non-commercial TSI  during harvest work (marked while selecting trees)
  4 types of TSI (weeding - including vine removal from crop trees,    thinning, crop tree release, site prep for natural regeneration)

  Basal area may be reduced below desired levels in this first harvest to  alter timber type, eliminate undesirable species, or promote regeneration.
  Target BA after this cutting: 75-90 sqft/acre 

  2.  Description of next improvement harvests  (5-10 year cycles)
Cut less than annual growth to build up the forest to full stocking
Always harvest the worst trees first
Work to improve spacing of crop trees
Continue TSI work                                                            next