More than two dozen timberland owners, loggers, foresters, and others in the New Hampshire forest products industry gathered on Jon Martin’s beautiful woodlot in Bridgewater, N.H., to learn about using tractors and other equipment in woodlot management. The “Farm Tractors in Forestry” landowner class, held on Saturday, Oct. 28, also featured a demonstration of proper tree-felling technique using the open-notch method, as well as a demonstration of a portable sawmill.
The landowner class, one of a series of such classes the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association (NHTOA) presents over the year, is designed to educate and inform timberland owners and others about the advantages of managing woodlots and how best to conduct such management. In addition to Jon Martin, a local forester, Saturday’s instructors included Stephen Snow and NHTOA Program Director Steve Gaines. Grafton County extension forester Jim Frohn was also on hand to answer questions about developing forest management plans.
By the end of the four-hour class, attendees went home with a truckload of practical knowledge and useful tips, including the proper personal protective equipment to wear in the woods, how to properly de-limb a felled tree with a chainsaw, how to properly winch logs out of the forest, how to choose which trees to fell to improve a timber stand, and how to properly outfit a farm tractor for work in the woods. Year in and year out, the Farm Tractors in Forestry landowner class is one of the most popular public education events presented by the NHTOA. Watch the NHTOA website or Facebook page for announcements about upcoming classes.