This Week: The Often Misunderstood Clearcut

Clearcuts have developed a bad name publicly because they’re not as aesthetically and emotionally appealing as a mature forest landscape. And let’s face it, also because the practice of clear cutting has been occasionally misused or misapplied by some land managers in the past.

But there’s far more to this science-based forest management technique than meets the eye. Done responsibly, in a variety of situations, clearcuts can be the best way to regenerate a forest.

It is said that forestry is both a science and an art. The science is understanding the many complex biological, ecological and geographical factors that contribute to a forest ecosystem’s health. The art is knowing which of many responsible forest management techniques is best suited for any particular forest parcel.

Finch foresters will SOMETIMES choose a clearcut to regenerate mature forests made up of tree species that require full sunlight for new growth, such as cherry, ash, aspen, poplar and spruce fir.

If you trace the histories of these forests, you will likely find that they have, over thousands of years, repeatedly been the scene of Mother Nature’s clearcuts — forest fires, wind storms and other natural occurrences that remove all the trees in essentially one fell swoop. The geographical locations and characteristics of these trees make them susceptible to wind and/or fire — and have led to their evolution as sun-loving species. Here in New York’s Adirondack region, for example, we have a species of tree known as “Pitch Pine,” which has pine cones that open and release seeds when temperatures are elevated, such as during a forest fire.

In all of our forest management activities, Finch Paper’s goal is to help forests renew themselves just as Mother Nature would, within the constants and limitations of the natural ecosystem. We don’t try to change forest conditions — or plant different species of trees — to artificially spur the growth of different types of forests; we accept, respect and utilize the types of trees that naturally grow in a system that has evolved over the millennia.

In the case of sun-loving forest types, we mimic Mother’s Nature’s clearcuts, both in size and shape, in order to remove all of the mature, stagnant trees and allow the next generation of forest to take root.

Tags: Harvesting, Sustainable Practices, Video