This timber harvest included 54+/- acres of mixed hardwoods and white pine in Franklin County, Virginia, just north of Rocky Mount. About two-thirds of the acreage was destined for subdivision, so the harvest design on that portion of the tract was geared primarily towards removing the highest value trees without damaging the attractiveness of the woodlands- and thereby retaining all the real estate value. Depending on the tract, you can sometimes cut only 50% of the trees but generate 75% of the total timber value. “Real Estate Cuts” don’t always coincide with sound forestry practices, but in this case we were able to leave a healthy mix of desirable species like oak, poplar, maple, and hickory- while clearing new home sites and improving access to the property.
The acreage being retained by the landowner was selectively harvested in a manner that would allow another cutting to occur in approximately twenty years. Oak and poplar crop trees were selected and released from competition, and most of the undesirable trees were removed along with the mature overstory trees that were blocking sunlight and hindering regeneration.
