Leaving Bird Perch Trees After Logging?

[lowpolyjoe]

I was just listening to a podcast and the host told a story in passing about how loggers will leave a tree or setup a post in the middle of an otherwise clear-cut area.  He said it was for birds of prey to perch on so they can still effectively hunt the rodents in the area.

I was curious if this is true or not?

Is that common practice? 

[WDH]

Yes.  In my Company that I worked for (owns 6 million acres of timberland), we would leave some dead standing trees and snags for the critters when possible.

[HiTech]

6,000,000 acres is a very large chunk. wow!!!  over 9,300 square miles. I don't think a person could walk that in a life time. That is awesome for sure.

[OntarioAl]

In Ontario on Public land loggers are required to leave "wildlife trees" uniformly spaced out over the cut block.
Al

[Corley5]

On MiDNR sales snags as well as cavity trees are to be protected unless they are marked for harvest or pose a safety hazard to the logging crew.  Some of these sales have "leave" trees painted a different color.  The sale I'm on now has trees that are marked with two paint rings that are to be girdled and left for wildlife.

[Woodboogah]

Pretty common practice here as well.  I leave some cull trees on certain properties for wildlife, particularly birds of prey.  Worth more to them then it is to me.

[thecfarm]

I have no idea about a clear cut,but in this area when a harvest is done,most times a select cut,wildlife trees are left.Be it a home for squirrels,coon,porcupines,birds,whatever.

[lowpolyjoe]

Glad to hear it.  Thanks for the info, guys.

I had to look up "snag" in the Forestry Forum Dictionary  :P

[enigmaT120]

Willamette Industries used to leave trees like that, sometimes really big ones but defective in some way for use as logs.  They would paint a big "W" on them which I presume meant wildlife.  Weyerhauser bought the land from them and I don't see them doing it the same way.  They seem more likely to leave clusters of trees rather than a few individuals scattered around.  A lot of the individual trees blew down later anyway, so I don't know which is better.

They're my neighbor on 3 sides, and I wish it was all 4.

[Corley5]

  A bid packet I got today for sales in the Pigeon River State Forest has one sale with a "Dead and Down Creation" Specification/requirement 5.2.4.  "All trees marked with a band of green paint must be left until all merchantable timber has been cut and taken to the landing.  At which time they are to be cut/felled and left on the ground.  If more than one tree is marked next to another, fall them so the tops over lap.  This will facilitate snowshoe hare habitat."  Another Spec is for "Den Trees".   "Obvious hollow and/or den trees shall be protected and left standing unless they are a safety hazard."  This spec is under Section 5.2.2-Hazard Trees/Snags.  This sale is an aspen clear cut.  Spec 5.2.2 is also in a hardwood thinning and a pine sale in the same packet.

[pwrwagontom]

For sure!

It can depend on the landowners objectives on the property, but its a relatively common practice in forestry to leave "Den" or "Wildlife" Trees. 
When I've marked a timber sale, we've occasionally hand picked these trees and marked them as such...usually I just put SAVE on them or something like that...

I've been on jobs where slash piles were created for Den habitat as well.

All the best

-T

[Maine logger88]

I will leave dead trees for the wildlife when I can if there's any question of safety I cut them but other than that it helps out the critters and saves time so it's a win win situation

[1270d]

We leave snags in the clearcuts.  In selective cuts there are usually trees marked with a W to designate wildlife tree.

I had the opportunity to watch a hawk utilizing the trees left in a clearcut.  She hunted right behind the processor for several weeks.  While eating lunch I would watch her.  It really amazed me how many critters that bird would haul out in a day.   The bird was totally unafraid of the equipment, sometimes only flying after i started to cut down the tree it was in.  I have pictures of it on the ground within a yard or two of my tracks.

[RayMO]

I cut a huge hickory last week next to a 12" DBH hollow snag and when the hickory bumped it on the way down out jumped 3 flying squirrels . Sure was glad I did not knock it down. One returned right away and the other two set about ten feet up in a near by tree and watched us. I took a extra half hour or so making a way to skid the monster hickory so as not to destroy the den tree . Got down to 4 below last night with 17 below wind chill and I bet those little rascals were all snug and warm in their house  8)

[WDH]

You are a good man. 

[clearcut]

Variable Retention timber harvesting is a modification of the clearcut method where either scattered individuals or small groups of trees are left in a clearcut to provide vertical structure as the new stand grows, provide refuge for birds and other wildlife, and provide a source of beneficial fungi and such.

The retained trees are carried through to at least the next rotation. Often the groups are centered on wildlife trees having large cavities or large branches thought to benefit wildlife.

[Corley5]

"Sec 5.8-Protection of Endangered Species
   5.8.5-Protection of Raptor Nests
   All trees with raptor nests will be protected if found during harvesting operations.  Notification will be made to the Unit Manager or his/her representative who will notify the Wildlife Biologist so an on site evaluation and recommendation can be made, if necessary."
   5.8.3
  In the event that an active red shoulder hawk or goshawk nest is found, the contract may be amended to protect the nest site until the nest is determined to be inactive.  The value of the trees in this excluded area will be refunded or credited to the Purchaser.  The nest will be buffered with a five chain (eight acre) protection area, centered on the nest tree, in which there will be no cutting or new roads constructed.  Avoid human disturbance including loading and skidding in the protection area.  An additional zone of five chains (ten chains centered on the active nest tree) will be established in which there is no management activity from March 1 to August 15.  Limit biomass harvesting and chipping operations within this ten chain zone, retain the maximum one third of residues per the Woody Biomass Harvesting Guidelines (MiDNR 2010).  Nests determined to be inactive will be protected with a one chain no harvest buffer."
  The Red Shoulder Hawk was almost Michigan's Spotted Owl.  In the mid late 90s the Sierra Club got a hold of the possibility that this bird needed large tracts of mature to over mature hardwood habitat to survive and it was imperiled by the MiDNR's forest management practices.  It got bad enough that Pitman Roberts Funds from the Feds were put on hold along with other federal $$$ to the MiDNR.  Forestry and wildlife personnel were sent out with recorded calls of these birds to determine populations etc.  It was quickly determined that these birds love to hunt edges of managed hardwood stands and aspen clearcuts and don't require the mature/ to over mature hardwood for nesting and their populations were not in danger although not very high.  In all probability they have never been a real common bird.  This spec has been on timber sales ever since just to be sure.  A few years ago the MiDNR Wildlife Division held up a major bridge replacement on a pretty important road because there was just such an active hawk was nest nearby. 

[lowpolyjoe]

I cut a huge hickory last week next to a 12" DBH hollow snag and when the hickory bumped it on the way down out jumped 3 flying squirrels . Sure was glad I did not knock it down. One returned right away and the other two set about ten feet up in a near by tree and watched us. I took a extra half hour or so making a way to skid the monster hickory so as not to destroy the den tree . Got down to 4 below last night with 17 below wind chill and I bet those little rascals were all snug and warm in their house  8)

Great story

We have a pet flying squirrel.  I am very much against the practice of keeping such a pet, but my wife has a habit of surprising me, so I had no say in the matter.   We just had him out of his cage playing with us this evening.   He jumps back and forth between us, digs around in my shirt.  Funny little critter

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

6,000,000 acres is a very large chunk. wow!!!  over 9,300 square miles. I don't think a person could walk that in a life time. That is awesome for sure.

Shoot, I hear WDH used to cruise it all weekly, usually got done before lunch on Monday...

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Herb

[WDH]

There was only 4,000,000 acres in the South  .

[SliverPicker]

I'm not required to, but I leave any snags over 6" that have any rot in them for cavity nesting birds.  Also any tree I encounter that has a cavity already excavated by some critter I leave.  Its not like the critters don't have enough dead trees to make nests in around here, but what the heck might as well leave a few more.

[HiTech]

In warm weather I check very close to see if I see any bee activity. If I see bees going in and out of a tree I leave it. Cut one by accident one time.WOW!!! they will light you up. lol Sometimes I will push brush into a pile and leave it. I have seen bears use these for their winter beds.

[chester_tree _farmah]

Classic white pine "snag" on my lot.