How is my property going to look after a logging job, and what can I do to control the negative impacts?
Most commercial logging operations look a little rough during and immediately after the job. It’s a bit like getting a haircut: it takes a while for things to grow back and even out. There will be slash (tree branches and tops) on the forest floor. There will be scarification of forest soils along skid roads and at log landings. But slash rots quickly, particularly if it’s lopped to lie close to the ground, and scarified soils can be seeded to grass (CYNTHIA PAPER). Timber sale contracts can be written to minimize the adverse aesthetic impacts. Clauses can require skidding only with frozen or dry ground to minimize soil disturbance. Tops can be removed or lopped to lie within 2-3 feet of the ground (CONTRACT).
