I arrived home yesterday, our DFPZ project is complete. We even finished on time. 8) Now I have to wait around to see what work comes up next so I will have more time to post for a while.
We did unit lay out, traversing. layed out miles of stream buffers, created a GIS layer coverages, marked the trees and cruised about 1400 acres since May. Some of the units had around 14,000 feet of unit boundary for only about 100 acres.
Two of us did over half the work, we had a couple of others help from time to time. I did all the unit lay out and I developed the GPS/GIS coverages and got in on most of the marking and cruising.
Now.... I just have to find another project. ::)
Glad you're back Tillaway.I have been out bushwacking with engineers enough to know it's a tough,hot,bug slapping/inhaling job.Steep side hills and slide tracts make it even more fun.
Do you ever get a chance to go back and see the results of your work?
Enjoy the slack time.It probably won't last long ;)
Hi Paul,
It was hot... well into the ninety degree zone. The Yellow Jackets ...nasty vermin... were horrible this year. We averaged about one nest per two acres. Actually there were allot more than that since the Bears had dug up most of the nests.
We were hoping to see the contractor that got the implementation (logging, mastication) contract start work. They were delayed by a Biological assesment, now they are trying to wiggle out of the contract. It seems they bid on this without looking at all of it. Also they don't have the equipment to do the job. They have been trying to find a subcontractor to do the logging. They had no idea how much the logging would really cost. They were rather surprised ::) to find their bid was so low it wasn't even in the ball park.
What methods of logging are to be used,Skyline/highlead,ground based,or both?.Are you marking the trees for thinning,or a shelterwood?
It's always nice to see the Bears have been in ahead of you, isn't it.Yellow Jackets don't give up the fight easily
Ground mostly with a little Helo. No slopes over 35% can be logged only hand treated. The product harvested will be hog fuel only. We marked very few sawlogs ... at least not enought to worry about.
They are trying to keep costs down so cable sytems are not an option. The Helo will be uses in a unit with a higher percentage of saw logs although not enough to warrant the cost.
I like Bears. ;D ;) Although the YJ's will hang around a bit really PO'ed. Got nailed twice the other day and never saw the nest. :o