On proper forest management

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Concerning Robert Wills’ letter in the October 21 edition of the Pontiac Journal about forestry and plantations in the Pontiac: Scotch pine trees were planted

Concerning Robert Wills’ letter in the October 21 edition of the Pontiac Journal about forestry and plantations in the Pontiac: Scotch pine trees were planted
to create natural windbreaks and to be harvested as Christmas trees. It takes about ten years of pruning and maintenance to produce a desirable Christmas tree. Some landowners neglected to dothat work and some of those plantations grew into the ugly mess Mr. Wills refers to in his letter.
Red Pine plantations were successful in producing logs and a few of the best ones grew straight and tall enough to be used for hydro poles. One plantation where I conducted thinning operations produced one truckload of hydro poles that sold for more than the four loads of logs cut from the lower grade trees. The next
harvest of that plantation will produceseveral loads of larger, longer hydro poles that will sell for even more.
Whether it’s a plantation, woodlot, or large tract of forest, good management and prudent harvesting will provide a renewable, sustainable source of wood products while protecting the ecosystem that makes wood production possible. Neglect and destructive harvesting greatly diminishes the future potential of any forested area.
 
Garnet Stephens
SHAWVILLE