As promised, an update on the dead and dying trees and my interactions with the State of OR.
Robin B. is the local representative for the OR St. Dept. of Forestry and the person whose stamp of approval is required for any commercial logging. A property owner is allowed to cut down any trees on his/her property for their personal use (firewood, unless you want to make your own timbers for building a chicken coop). When I learned that a couple of months ago from a neighbor who's done some logging work I contacted Robin to come take a look. That's because he also told me that even that basic rule can get complicated when any natural water is involved, like the creek that bisects our rectangular three acre lot.
"Can I have the six very big and very dead fir trees (3 on each side of the creek) cut down? 'cause they'd make great firewood." (They're each way too big for me to tackle.)
She said that wouldn't be a problem, so I contacted Dan, the supervisor for a pretty big logging job being done at the top, west end of that private road. It took over a month to get an answer, but his lead cutter looked at the job and said he wasn't interested in doing it. He did, however, point out why those trees were dead; they'd been attacked by the Engraver Beetle. (See an earlier post for a pictorial on that nasty and destructive critter.) He then proceeded to show me the early stages of infestation on almost every fir tree between MoHo and the creek (again, an earlier post documents his findings).
Yesterday Robin came back, this time with Jennifer. She's with the OR Dept. of Wildlife, and her word is LAW on what can and can't be done next to a waterway. Jennifer can say "no" to anything that impacts a waterway, including cutting down dead trees next to a waterway. So yeah, I was a little anxious about her visit.
Robin and Jennifer were here for about 45 minutes and the latter is as nice and helpful as the former has shown herself to be. Neither are environmentalist crusaders, or bureaucrats, or eager to exert their authority. Both are reasonable, friendly, eager to help a pretty clueless homeowner understand how things work, and help him navigate the system.
Thank you, ladies.
Bottom line: all the trees on our side of the creek are big enough to pose a threat to structures (MoHo) if they fell down, and since all are either infected or susceptible to infection from the dying trees nearby I am free to have them removed by a commercial operator. That is, I can sell the timber to a logging company who will harvest them. Any trees that fall into the creek cannot be yarded out (I asked, and that term is logging-speak for dragged), but must be lifted out.
Jennifer also has no problem with me having the dead fir trees on the other side of the creek cut down for firewood.
Given what could have happened, this was a BEST case outcome. I'm free to do whatever I think needs to be done.
I called two loggers recommended to me by both Robin and by neighbors and one of them called back last night. He'll come early next week to look at what I've got and decide if he wants to do the work when he's down the road doing a job next month. I hope the other one calls back today.
Will there be enough good, un-infested trees to make it worth his while to bring his equipment in? Will there be enough to at least cover the costs for removing the dead, worthless and dangerous trees so I have no out-of-pocket expense?
Someone knows.
Updates to follow, including what the state entomologist says when she's here on the 22nd. Her visit is so she can see the situation and keep track of what's going on in our area, and also make any suggestions she may have about containing this infestation before it spreads to the big fir trees on the other side of MoHo.
Not what we expected when we moved to Baker Rd., but we'll cope.
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