WOODLOTS
Out in the Open

by Patrick White

Log landings offer opportunities to boost image, wildlife habitat

The type of equipment and the logging system being used will impact the size of the landing required. Cut-to-length logging using a harvester and forwarder can operate with a smaller landing; when processing and/or chipping is to be done on the landing, more room is needed. PHOTO BY PETER SMALLIDGE.

For much of the general public, the only part of logging they see in action is the log landing. Because these transfer points are often located beside a public road, where log trucks can access wood brought out of the forest by skidder or forwarder, they are a highly visible display for everyone driving by. Like it or not, what a landing looks like and how it is managed will go a long way in shaping public opinion on the logging industry in general and the reputation of the particular logger working that job.

“People see log trucks and they see log landings; that’s their impression of logging,” says Peter Smallidge, senior extension associate at Cornell University. “The effort that goes into log landings is important because that helps maintain the good public image of woodlot management.”

This diagram shows the proper construction of a straw bale barrier, for use when there are erosion or water quality concerns surrounding a log landing.

Landing construction, management and restoration is critical, not only from a public perception standpoint, but also in ensuring efficiency and protecting the environment. It all starts preharvest with the selection of a landing side. “The location needs to be logistically feasible; you have to be able to get the log trucks in from one side and the skidders or forwarders in from the other side,” says Smallidge.

Because of the amount of ground disturbance that usually takes place, landings ideally would not be located near streams, he adds. It’s also wise to choose a landing area that’s flat in order to reduce the chance for erosion. For basic logistical reasons, Smallidge says that most landings he sees are set on relatively flat ground. There are also water quality regulations (check with your state environmental department) that may also dictate where a landing can be located. “If the only place you can feasibly put one is on sloping ground or near a stream, the logger should use best management practices such as silt fences or bales of hay staked into the ground in order to prevent water flowing off the landing and draining into a stream.”

Also, if the landing leads directly onto a public road, loggers might need to take steps to prevent dirt and debris from making its way in that direction, as well. “Loggers may need to put down some type of material, such as cobble-size rocks or rubber tire mats, that the log trucks drive over to knock some of the mud off the truck tires before they get out onto a municipal road,” advises Smallidge.

The size of the landing will depend in part on the type of equipment the logger is using. “If they have the type of equipment that will allow them to process through logs quickly, they can have a fairly small landing,” he explains. “If not, or the log trucks are slow in coming, they’ll need a larger landing to store logs.” Smallidge says the typical landings he sees range from about .25 to .5-acre in size.

Eric Johnson with the Northeastern Loggers’ Association points out that the type of harvesting equipment being used on a particular job will impact the size of the landing required: “With cut-to-length jobs, where a logger is using a forwarder and a harvester, you typically have very small landings. You don’t need a lot of room to process and move wood around,” he explains. “If you’re running a chipping operation, it would really be the other extreme. You’d need a lot of room for chippers, vans, skidders, etc., to move around.”

Because they are often located beside public roads, log landings are the most highly visible sign of the logging job to those driving by. PHOTO BY PATRICK WHITE.

It’s a good idea to keep the landing as small as possible in order to minimize disturbance and the possibility of erosion. Still, Johnson says that landings do need to be able to handle the quantity of wood that will be brought out during the harvest, with a little room for storage. “You like to get wood off to the mill or the buyer as soon as possible. You don’t want a lot of wood sitting around on the landing, but inevitably that does happen, so you need some room to store wood,” he says.

As far as site restoration afterwards, Johnson says that most contracts loggers sign with a landowner will specify how a landing should look when the job is done. “Aesthetics are an important part of success if you’re a logger, so most loggers these days make an effort to clean up the landings when they’re done. There shouldn’t be a lot of woody debris laying around. Really, when you’re done it should look like a field, and when you leave the landing, the site should be graded, and water bars should be installed if that’s appropriate.”

Smallidge adds that loggers should be careful to remove any “nonnatural” debris, such as pieces of cable, in the process. He notes that the log landings at Cornell’s forests are typically set on flat ground to help prevent erosion and for simple work-related reasons and, therefore, usually don’t require manual seeding to stabilize the soil after a harvest is complete. “They seed in just fine [on their own]; there’s enough seed mixture around. Some areas, though, do recommend putting in some type of grass to help stabilize the soil. You should talk to your local district for recommendations on an appropriate seed mixture.”

Smallidge points out that restoring landing areas after a harvest is also an opportunity for landowners with specific wildlife habitat objectives. “It’s sort of like a double bonus; you get the logging activity, and then you have a nicely prepared seed bed,” he says. In such cases, he recommends doing a soil test to make sure the soil has adequate fertility and is within the proper pH range to grow the desired grass. Such areas would also require routine mowing, as well as possible applications of fertilizer or lime, to prevent the establishment of unwanted weeds.

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection’s Wildlife Division offers a “forest openings” publication that includes information on how log landings are one option to help improve and promote wildlife habitat. “Landowners or managers can specify that loggers remove rocks and other debris from the log landing, exposing mineral soil. Loggers can prepare the site adequately by back-blading with the skidder before leaving the job site,” notes Judy M. Wilson with the department’s Habitat Management Unit. “The cost of this process can be absorbed in the sale of the logs. Log landings can purposely be made larger to provide greater benefits to wildlife. Once the site has been prepared, it can be planted with a seed mixture chosen based on the management goals for the property or left fallow to resprout to herbaceous growth, briars and seedling or sapling-sized trees.”

Operating neat, environmentally responsible log landings can present the public with a positive image of the forest management industry. Leaving those landings clean and inviting for wildlife can leave lasting benefits long after the logging is done.

Patrick White is a freelance writer and editor who is always on the lookout for interesting and unusual stories. Comment or question? Visit www.farmingforumsite.com and join in the discussions.