Small-Scale Logging

by Peter Smallidge

Dec 13, 2011

Small-Scale Logging: Sugarbush and Woodlot Management

 

Issue:  

Many woodlot owners and maple syrup producers want to be more active in gathering logs or firewood from their property.  Often there are too few acres or too few trees to attract a commercial-scale operation. In other cases, the owner just wants to be more closely involved in the selection, felling and moving of wood.

Objectives

  1.  Develop the skills, knowledge, and resources to safely conduct small-scale logging activities in private woodlots and sugarbushes.
  2. Develop a network of woodlot owners and maple producers who can share ideas and strategies related to safe and productive small-scale activities.
  3. Create educational resources that inform owners and producers who will practice small-scale logging.
  4. Identify and create research-based information related to safe and productive practicies

Activities

  •  Almost two dozen workshops for maple producers and woodlot owners in counties throughout NY in 2010 and 2011.  Additional workshops being planned in NY, check the "Events" tab above.
  • Presentations at conferences and training sessions
  • Presentation via the Penn State Forestry Extesnion webinar series.  See link to webinar archive in the "documents" section below.  178 participants in the live presentation.
  • Field trials of equipment, mostly ATV and arch, with research collaborators.

Outcomes

 

Documents (Cornell, Partners, and Other)

 Workshop series in NY, assorted handouts include the following

Penn State University Webinar (12/13/2011)

Penn State woodland tractor safety fact sheet

Tax considerations for selling timber

Cornell ForestConnect publications (available from www.ForestConnect.info)

Productivity and Cost Analysis of Three Small-Scale Harvest Systems...

Other materials and links

Assorted Video Links (please add other links as comments.  Search youtube for logging, mini skidder, etc.)

Equipment

Production strategies

Assorted pictures


Arches

Cornell University's custom made arch

Commercial arch

Home-made arch #1

Home-made arch #2

Wagons / Carts

Tractor accessories  (see safety fact sheet)

  • up

    Peter Smallidge

    In response to a question on my YouTube site, here is some information about ATV tire chains.  I hope others can add to the potential vendors from their experience or information

    +++++

    Here are some links for tire chains. They vary in price, but all have worked well.  One set wasn't sized well, it was too wide, & I had to narrow the width by re-working some chain links.

    http://www.whitemountainchain.com/app/inventoryapp/trygg_atv/invent...
    http://www.tirechainsrequired.com/shopping/shopdisplaycategories.as...

    What other vendors offer diamond pattern ATV tire chains?

    1

    Jan 9, 2012

    • up

      John McNerney

      Within the document "Small Scale Logging (select) Internet Resources" noted above, the link #3 to " Review of small scale equipment in US and Canada, Univ. Minnesota. http://www.forestry.umn.edu/publications/staffpapers/Staffpaper143.pdf" does not work. I'd love to see a current link, if the document still exists.

      1

      Jan 10, 2012

      • up

        John McNerney

        Peter -

        Any chance you are considering doing another round of the Small Scale Logging workshops? 

        I'm still doing a lot of work in my own woods (just complete the last of three sections of Crop & Mast Tree Release under an EQIP grant on my property), but would love a chance to pick up more tips on working safely and efficiently with smaller scale equipment such as compact tractors or ATVs/UTVs as well as hear/see how other landowners who are not equipped with larger scale logging equipment are getting things done.

        I'm guessing that there are a lot of landowners out there in the same boat: we've been through the Game of Logging classes, and are able to get trees down on the ground safely, but would love to improve our methods and skills at getting the logs out of the woods while being "light on the land".

        John

        yesterday