Waiting for EAB stricken Ash

[locustoak]

The EAB has finally hit our farm.  This fall, all of the ashes, except for one, made it to leaf-fall without showing signs of stress.  However, 2 months later I'm seeing way too many wood-pecker holes in them to have any hope for next year.  My guess is they won't leaf out next spring.
Regardless,  my question is, would it be bad for me to wait until next fall to log the ashes?  I'm worried about them showing staining/discoloration in the wood if I wait.  Assuming they die this winter, that will mean one year standing dead.
It's questionable if I can get to them this winter.  So just trying to decide if I'm making a bad decision by waiting.
Thanks in advance!

[Tarm]

If your goal is to sell the logs to a sawmill I would get going ASAP. Other landowners will notice their ash dying in the coming years and flood the market. (That may have already happened.) I've also experienced severe reductions in log grades and prices when trying to sell one year dead timber. If the lumber is for your own use then it is not so important. EAB infected trees die from the top down. Next year they will probably send out epicormic sprouts and die in a year or two. If your goal is barn lumber waiting a year will not matter. If you wish to have quality veneer and sawlogs get going now!

[locustoak]

Yeah, this is lumber I was going to use myself.  The local mill is only paying $.30/B.F. for ash, so I don't consider it worthwhile selling the logs.  I'm just concerned about staining or discoloration in the sapwood for use in my projects.

[JBlain]

I did a pre salvage on ash in 2006 on my wife and my woods in central PA.   You should be fine leaving them for one year.   I logged about 10,000 bd ft of the easily accesaible safe remaining trees last year since EAB hit our property hard about 2 years ago.   Just be careful with the tops. They get punky quick and can break off when felling.

[beenthere]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum

[JBlain]

Thanks.  Seems like tons of collective knowledge here.  My wife and I own a place in SC PA and I have been managing it for about 10 years.  Starting to really see results of TSI work, mostly thinning from below and some lower grade sales due to prior harvests.  It is ridge and valley geology so we have great growth sites and then some of the worst areas which are small shale barrens.

[Magicman]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, JBlain.