Controlled Burn - Pic Intensive Post!!

[wisconsitom]

I've reviewed the MI materials.  It's as good as anything out there but you will note...or already have...that a great deal of uncertainty will be found in this, and all existing guides.  The USFS group, which is, BTW, cooperating with WI DNR, is, I think, attempting to combine and integrate all known data, but to do additional work to see what can be done to enhance regeneration of this species.  I don't know much else about their activities, as I have had no correspondences for about a year now.  Deer are the issue.

W-C is a very common tree in Menominee, Delta, and Schoolcraft Counties of Michigan's UP as well, likely more counties.  In more westerly locations in the UP, it is common in boggy areas, often with stunted black spruce and tamarack.  The color of these plants (white-cedar) in this more western area is generally not good, and growth is tiny.  These are more acidic areas and less well-suited to the species maximum growth potential.  But to the east, the tree really shines.  There are, of course, nice cedars in that more western area, but they will be confined to streambanks and the like.  The area where I once lived and worked-the Watersmeet/Paulding area, was such an area of less-than-great w-c growth and occurrence, with a few nice trees around waterfalls, etc.

Where my land is in WI is in the "cedar belt".  There, more neutral soils with decent levels of cations, nutrients like calcium and magnesium, make for better growth and health of this tree.  White-cedars I have transplanted are able to almost keep up with Norway spruce in terms of height increment.  That's saying something, given NS's fast growth rate.

tom

[SwampDonkey]

I've not seen that kind of growth here on pure cedar stands on cut sites.  It takes 20 years to get 4 meters. Now in old fields seeding in, or on the lawn that changes. A NW only takes about 10 years to 4 meters and balsam fir grows faster than spruce here, 12-18" leader growth after 3-5 years or so on good sites, unsuppressed. They look kinda funny with those bushy buts, then boom a broom handle the first year they take off. In my local area, what isn't hardwood or mixed is a cedar stand or was. An awfully lot have been clear cut on private land. A lot have been told cut off, something better will grow back. I haven't seen it, cedar grown is cedar ground. ;D We have a lot of calcium and magnesium in the ground here. Some wells have magnesium sulphate in the water, stinks like eggs, drinkable though. Found this big chunk behind the house when rock picking the field. I took a hammer and beat off the sulphur precipitated on the out side, sure knew it was sulphur, stunk. The magnesium shines like metal. ;) Well driller says lots of it in well water, not at this house, but in Grafton it was in the water. Everyone had it.

[SwampDonkey]

The largest known northern white cedar specimen is 112 ft tall and 69 in. diameter, on South Manitou Is, MI within Leelanau County. Oldest specimens in southern Ontario, over 1600 years old. Oldest Canadian trees.  

[sources Wikipedia and Science Olympiad (Vincent Liu)]

[WDH]

January 2021 and time to burn again.  One area was last burned 3 years ago and the other area 2 years ago.  This burn was for the area burned 3 years ago.  The stand was planted in 1998, so it is 23 years old.  Lots of chinese privet and sweetgum and volunteer pine reproduction in the understory.  Some parts of the stand had much more sweetgum and privet than what you see in these pics:



 



 

Conditions were very good for the burn.  No rain for 4 days, 35% humidity, and just enough but not too much wind.  Only get a few days each winter like this.  The fire was hot, but not too hot.



 



 

The aftermath show some of the understory that will be set back by the fire.  Lots of sweetgum and invasive privet.  Sweetgum has no wildlife food value and fire is about the only way to control privet at a stand level.



 



 

This was a 50 acre burn.  I have another 50 acres to do when the conditions get right again. 

[Thomasjw4]

 

 

 

 
Prescribed fire is the best

[YellowHammer]

That looks like fun.

From the pictures, the mature pines look to be a good distance apart.  Will they be thinned again, or what is the next step on the management plan?

How do you manage the firebreaks so it doesn't spread?  It looks like a pretty hot fire, especially to kill sweet gum. 

[Southside]

What is your harvest target / age WDH? 

[WDH]

These trees have been thinned twice already and will be thinned a third time.  There are about 80 trees/acre in this stand.  As to harvest age, it is general industrial forestry practice to clearcut and replant plantation Lob-lloy at age 27 to 30, but I do not plan to do that as I enjoy the stands and the habitat that they provide.  As long as they are healthy and continue to grow, it will be at least 10 to 15 years before harvest if I am still around at that point in time.

Firebreaks are harrowed and patrolled during the burn.  I use the same ones each time so all I have to do is make a circuit with the tractor and forks to remove any fallen trees/brush since the last burn then re-harrow the breaks.  On this burn there were two fire setters, me and a forester friend, and three people on patrol, one of those also a forester friend with experience.  It is important to have the proper help to keep tabs on things or things can get very interesting if the fire jumps the firebreaks and very bad things can happen. 

[caveman]

Thank you for sharing the burn pictures.  Burning, thinning and thoughtful management lead to good results and aesthetically pleasing forests that are both productive and beneficial to wildlife.  It looks like your fire was running at a good rate.  I bet it did not take too long.  Does the Georgia Forest Service offer burning for landowners?  I think the rate in Fla. by the forest service is $20/acre.

[SwampDonkey]

Glad the fire did what you wanted to get done, and glad the weather cooperated. And great to have good help around when you need it.

Great pictures.

[WDH]

Yes, I believe that the Georgia Forestry Commission will bring equipment and assist in a burn.  Not sure of the cost, but $20/acre sounds about right. 

[Texas Ranger]

Texas costs are higher, by 50%

[hedgerow]

In my area we used to control burn the pasture ground to control ceders and a few other small trees ever couple year. We have so many acreages around my area now the fire dept doesn't like to issue burn permits. About the only thing now that gets a control burn is CRP land ever five years and they told me on some new sign up I have starting this year I will only hay it at the five year mark and no burning too many houses around. Its even getting tough were my home place is to get a burn permit to burn brush piles. No problem over in the next county were we have land. 

[Southside]

Can you brush hog it during those 5 years?  I sure hope so, because it won't be good hay otherwise. 

[hedgerow]

Can you brush hog it during those 5 years?  I sure hope so, because it won't be good hay otherwise.

I asked that question when we were signing the contract and never got a straight answer. When it gets hayed it will be what we call grinder hay and will probably go to a feed lot and get mixed in with other better kinds of feed and mostly get used for a filler. 

[Claybraker]

Yes, I believe that the Georgia Forestry Commission will bring equipment and assist in a burn.  Not sure of the cost, but $20/acre sounds about right.

Been a while since I used their services they brought a small dozer, JD 350 to cut fire breaks at a very attractive price. $/hr for machine and operator based on elapsed time on the machine. Even loaned me a drip torch. I know it's fashionable to cuss the gubmint,  but GFC folks are good people. 

[mike_belben]

Ita true.. Govt is too big for the worker bees to be all bad.   ;D

[caveman]

The park manager at O'Leno State Park is dilligent about prescribed burns.  To promote the seeding and propagation of the native wire grass, the growing season burns are used.  I think they are buring on about a three year rotation and maybe more frequently on some sites.  While on a walk Tuesday afternoon I took a couple of pictures of a burn that was done on some Florida flatwoods.  The wire grass is more prevalent on the uplands portions of the forest.  


 

Some of the areas burned were much thicker than this but even at 2:30 in the afternoon, when I'd stop in the thicker areas, the bugs knew that it was feeding time.  I ran into several deer, some spotted fawns and even a pack of eight wild/feral dogs that were a bit over knee high.  They startled me a bit but eventually they went their own way.  With the amount of ticks in these woods, I'd be inclined to burn often.