Timber Harvest Schedule
1.  Restoration Harvest
            Initial harvest  in new working area
  a.  Harvest dead, dying, diseased, deformed, damaged, 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.
  d.  Perform non-commercial TSI  during harvest work
        (weeding - including vine removal from crop trees and invading  exotics,          thinning,    crop tree release, site preperation, pruning)
  d..  stocking may be reduced below desired levels in this first harvest to     
alter timber type, eliminate undesirable species, or promote regeneration.
    (BA after this cutting: 75-90 sqft/acre)


2.  Improvement Harvest
Regular light improvement harvests on a 1-10 year cycle
Productive sites will be harvested more frequently than dry sites.
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  Harvest some better trees if necessary to fund TSI work
In general, several (2-5) cutting cycles will be needed to develop full stocking
      for most forests that have been high-graded in the past.
Low-impact logging will allow more frequent harvests of less volume per acre.
  (BA after each cutting - 90 to 140 sqft/acre) 


3.  Maintenance Harvest
Sustained yield harvest of fully stocked stand
Periodically harvest 80-90% of the annual growth, removing low value trees first.
Selective harvesting using low impact - low damage - high utilization logging.
Harvests may be adjusted slightly to owner's needs and market changes.
Plan harvests to maximize the quantity and the quality of timber growth while                      increasing the natural diversity of the forest.
Residual stand volume  2,000bf to 10,000 bf/acre depending on stand conditions
  (BA of stand - 100 to 180 sqft/acre)




Economic Considerations -  Year 2000
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 for the forest owner.  Maturity is now extended far beyond traditional definitions of age and or size.  At this time, if selling stumpage, the only truly mature tree is a dead tree, one that will not survive until the next harvest, a decaying tree, or a poor quality tree that is hindering the growth of a more valuable crop tree. 

  next page