How to mark your woodlot boundaries

[Ohio_Bill]

I am trying to mark my Woodlot Boundaries for the OHIO Forest Tas Law Program and hear are the instructons.Place the marks on the tree in the direction of the line.  If there is no tree on the line , locate a tree that is within 6 feet of the property  line without  going over it . Paint a blaze facing the line on trees that do not stand directly  on the boundary line. 

Does this meen to paint on the trees Parallel  or Perpendicular to the property line  ?     Thanks for your help

Bill

[Ron Scott]

If they are your property boundaries I would assume that it means on the "cardnal direction side" of the line, N-S-E-or W side of the line depending upon which direction the line is running, i.e a line running north and south, paint the north and south sides of the trees. On the east and west lines, paint the east and west side of the trees.
That's normally how its done for property boundaries and survey lines.

If you are marking an "interior cutting area or project line", then the marking would be placed on the "project facing side so that you don't go beyond the intended project area.

Did they specify a specific paint color, such as "red or blue"? Some gov't, agencies have standard paint colors to be used in specific markings.

It wouldn't hurt to check for sure with the gov't. office issuing the instructions to be sure of their intent. ;)

[sprucebunny]

I was under the impression that it was not legal for anyone but a surveyor to "blaze" a boundary, at least in my state. If the marks are there , it's good to repaint them.
Here is a link that might be helpful and contacting your state forestry agency would be a good idea.

http://www.safnet.org/archive/0704_howtoforestlines.cfm

[SwampDonkey]

It's the same here also Sprucebunny. But, as I have marked lines in the presence of surveyors I might be able to give ya an explanation. In my province the spots are blazed in the direction of the line as Ron has stated. But, for situations where there is no tree on the line the two blazes are toed-in toward the centreline. If there is old evidence on the tree you are not allowed to cut off the old blaze, you have to mark above or below the evidence. You can paint over the old blazes though. If your line goes through small trees, they are not blazed, only painted if under 4 inches at the point above the ground your blazing, typically 4-6 above ground. The line should also be brushed (4-6 feet) so you can look down a corridor of line trees.

[Ohio_Bill]

Thank You  Everyone   .   I understand now  .    My property lines have been done by a surveyor and Ohio requires that I mark the line every 66 ft.  with red paint to meet there Forest Tax Law rules .  The web site that sprucebunny  gave is great information .  Thanks  for the information.

Bill :P

[Phorester]

In 'ol Virginny you can mark your property lines and post your land from hunting at the same time, if the paint marks are applied in a particular fashion.

The paint color has to be aluminum.  Your marks have to be at least 6 inches long, and painted so thay face away from your property, so anybody walking up to it from outside your property can see the paint.  The marks have to be between 4 and 6 feet above the ground, or above the normal water level if on a creek, swamp, etc.

Hunting is still allowed on such posted land if you have written permission from the landowner, or are hunting in his presence.   

[Frank_Pender]

I marked my lines with routed signs with very discripts terms and pictures=, like headstones and pistol outlines. 8) ;)

[SwampDonkey]

Up here you can't post your land 'No Hunting' and hunt on it exclusively. I guess the reasoning is that you don't own the wildlife, just the land. You can post no tresspassing if you want to hunt your ground, and keep everyone else out.

[OneWithWood]

Paint fades with time.  After the surveyors marked the lines with lathe I followed with steel fence post over which I placed 2" PVC and painted the tops flourescent pink.  I placed my no tresspassing signs and danger warnings on the posts.  There is no question where the boundaries are and anyone entering has been forwarned of the dangers within, i.e., falling trees from TSI girdling, protective landowner who is passionate about keeping trees nail free.

[Phorester]

"Paint fades with time." Excellent point about maintaining boundary lines.

Like anything else, you don't just do it once and never come back.  Boundary lines need to be checked at least every couple years or so and repainted, signs replaced, etc.  Even metal posts rust off at the ground over time.

The most permanent markings I've seen are axe blazes in trees.  Even decades later, a properly done blaze still stands out.  In Virginia, corner trees and line trees were once marked in a specified, legal  manner so as to recognize each one, and to tell what direction the property line took from each one.  Most landowners have gotten away from using tree blazes here. 

[sprucebunny]

Phorester...Are landowners in Virginia allowed to blaze thier own boundries with an axe ?
Only a liscenced surveyor can legally make those marks here and it is illegal to cut those trees .I've seen blazing done by foresters , though. The system of marking is similar in most states.
It is getting very expensive to have large parcels of land surveyed and maintaining old markings is increasingly important.

[Frickman]

In our area the standard is white paint. If a tree or post is directly on the line you paint completely around it. If it is within six feet or so you paint the side facing the line. In this way you can stand on and look down the line and see the white marks facing the line from either side. Corners get three marks/stripes all the way around.

[Phorester]

Sprucebunny, no regulations on who can blaze.  Most of them were done just by surveyors, because the landowners of that time (50-100 years ago) didn't really care so much for exact boundary line location, since forestland was not as valuable then as it is now. 

On a turn (corner) in the line, a tree was blazed with three blazes a foot or so apart on the side of the tree from where the property line approached it.  On a tree along a straight portion of the property line, it was blazed with two blazes on opposite sides of the tree.  All these blazes would be about chest high, one directly above the other, and most always would be on a diagonal in the tree. 

[Engineer]

This is a part of my business.  The law does not require that we mark lines, only corners.  However, only a licensed surveyor can blaze and paint lines.  We usually do so with a sharp axe or Woodsman's Pal, followed by red or yellow paint.  The Forest Service uses red paint, so we generally use yellow.    I have found that the most durable paint I have ever used for line paint has been bright yellow oil-based floor enamel from Wal-Mart.  Your mileage may vary.  ;)

As for *where* to mark - usually a tree on the line is painted on two faces as if the line was a solid wire running through the tree and you were painting the entry and exit points.  No blazes.  On trees near the line, the side facing the line is blazed and painted.  i.e. if you stand on the line and face the tree, you will be looking at the blaze and paint.  Also, blaze and paint should be high up the tree - 5-6 feet up or more.  Sometimes there will be an occasion to follow lines in the dead of winter, and the snow will cause the blazes and paint to be a foot or two above the surface of the snow.  I have found low paint marks and blazes hidden by drifts.

I have had landowners ask me to flag their lines, and I will do so, but most are reluctant to have the lines blazed and painted due to the additional cost involved.  I think all landowners should have blazed and painted lines in forested areas, and the brush and small saplings should be removed.

[Texas Ranger]

In Texas we have a purple paint law.  A  specific color paint (looks like peptobismo) in specific pattern indicates no trespass.  Once you trespass across that line of paint, it is considered aggravated trespass cause you were warned.

Law passed in part due to timber theft.

[wiam]

Jon does that apply to repainting a line that was blazed by a surveyor.

Will

[OneWithWood]

Aggravated tresspass kinda reminds me of one of your other posts about hunting something that could hunt you.

[Engineer]

Will,

I did some research in the VT Statutes.  Acoording to the Statute, "locating, relocating, establishing, reestablishing, or retracing property lines or boundaries, or demarcating other legal rights or interests in any tract of land, road, right-of-way, or easement" is ONLY allowed to be performed by a licensed land surveyor. 

However, in another section of the same Statute, '"Monument" excludes paint marks, ribbons, signs, and any nonpermanent structures supporting ribbons or signs'. 

I think that repainting the lines is a bit of a gray area, specifically because it DOES constitute relocating and retracing of existing lines, but paint is not considered a monument.  I think you would be safe if you were to paint only existing paint marks, but would be in trouble if you painted other trees in addition to the ones already painted and held them out to be boundary line trees.

Quoted from Statute: A person who knowingly removes or alters monuments marking the boundary of lands or knowingly defaces, alters or removes marks upon any tree, post or stake which is a monument designating a point, course or line in the boundary of a parcel of land shall be fined $100.00 and shall be civilly liable for the replacement cost and any consequential damages.  However, land surveyors in their professional practice may perpetuate such monumentation by adding additional marks, or by remonumenting nonsubstantial monuments or by the placing of new monuments to preserve monuments to be destroyed or made inaccessible. 

There again - a gray area - does painting a blaze constitute defacing  or alteration of a line marking, or is it excluded from being considered a monument?  I have a beef with an unknown individual, NOT the owner of a parcel, who has painted and flagged lines on trees throughout a parcel I am trying to subdivide.   It's really irritating to see apparent evidence of boundary lines when you know for certain that no such lines exist. 

Personally, it doesn't bother me much when a RESPONSIBLE landowner flags and/or paints their lines, as long as they have been shown the line by a surveyor, or are remarking existing lines that they are certain are boundary lines.

[SwampDonkey]

Engineer,

It a touchy subject for sure. Back in the 1990's the federal government had a forest land management program for private woodlots. One of the activities was boundary line updating/establishing. It's my belief that this was to be done by surveyors, but i know alot of non-surveyors took to the woods and marked lines that were not well established. I've seen some of these lines that 'bow' with the contour of the hill and not sure if it was one of those instances that either a landowner or a third party took an axe and some paint and marked the line for a government subsidy. I'de like to think not, since the programs were supposed to be monitored by government. I think since those years the land surveyors have made a good case that 'only a registered land surveyor should be updating and marking boundary lines'. Brushing (not blazing) and painting shouldn't be an issue, it's just maintenance.

[wiam]

Jon, Thanks

Will