“Logging” – Stages of a Harvest
Contents
Forest Management Plan
Project Plan
Prescription & Design
Field Layout & Preparation
Forest Regulation Compliance
Contract Award
Contract Administration
Road & Landings
Timber Falling & Bucking
Yarding/Skidding
Log Processing
Log Sort, Deck, Load
Log Trucking
Log Scaling
Slash Piling
Clean-Up
Harvesting timber and other forest management activities in Oregon forestlands are
commonly referred to as “logging.” Logging is the profession of cutting trees, moving
them from stump to the road, in-forest manufacturing trees into logs & chip products,
and then transporting the log products to timber mills far from the forestland.
There are 16 different stages of a logging harvest operation.
Loggers—also known as forest operators or contractors—conduct the varied and complex
timber harvest operations in compliance with Oregon’s high forest protection standards.
Loggers prepare & clean-up harvest sites, manufacture trees into numerous log products,
then finally sort and haul the logs to various markets. Loggers also build & maintain
forest roads, prevent erosion, conduct various habitat improvements, and clean-up
harvest “slash”(tree limbs, tops, excess broken/rotten wood & shrubs).
Loggers are called “contractors” because most forestry operations are conducted
on a contract basis by small private forestry businesses, which are specialized
in skilled the forest operation trades. Logging contractors manage fleets of specialized
logging machinery, heavy trucks, and employ skilled crews ranging from just a few
to over 100 employees. These forestry crews on the job tend the forest, harvest
the timber, protect forests from wildfire & pests, and assure the environment is
maintained. Their work varies seasonally with the changing weather, it varies geographically
with changing project locations, and it varies by the methods and systems demanded
by a particular project design and prescription.
Following are the 16 different stages typically in an Oregon logging harvest operation:
- Forest Management Plan—
A written long-term
plan developed by the forest landowner, which orchestrates desired future conditions
for forest resources, forestry treatments, standards, and timber management. Includes
integrated forest resource objectives and forest regulatory considerations.
- Project Plan—
A short-term plan
developed by the forest landowner and forestry professionals, which directs the
current proposed forestry treatments, along with the project’s standards, and timber
management objectives. Forest management plan provides guidance to create project
plan.
- Prescription & Design—
This is the detailed
written project treatment plans, maps, locations, that identify harvest methods,
prescriptions, tree marking guides, logging harvest systems, road designs, protected
resources, and so forth. This project prescription is prepared by the forest landowner
and forestry professionals. Prescription & designs follow the project plan. Legal
easements, boundary survey, property use agreements, and/or rights-of-ways may be
necessary.
- Field Layout & Preparation—
The
on-the-ground designation of planned project plan prescriptions and designs. Work
includes locating and marking boundaries, protected resources (such as streams,
wetlands, habitat, wildlife trees), roads, landings, and treatment subdivisions.
Also tree marking, timber cruise, road staking, road design, appraisal, mapping,
and contract preparation.
- Forest Regulation Compliance—
Forest
operations must adhere to strict forestry regulations that govern how natural resources
(water, habitat, air, soil) are protected during forest harvest projects in Oregon.
Detailed written project treatment plans, maps, and locations, are prepared by the
forest landowner and forestry professionals (and often with the harvest contractor).
For each project, this written documentation includes formal Notification, Written
Plans, maps, and burning permit applications submitted to the Oregon Dept. of Forestry.
- Contract Award—
The forest landowner
or timber purchaser seeks bids form perspective harvest contractors. Contract terms
& rates are negotiated, or bid, and the landowner or purchaser select contractor(s)
to complete the forest management project work. The contractor and landowner/purchaser
both sign a written contract that describes the agreed upon contracted services,
schedules, rates, scaling, maps, plans, specifications, destinations, designs, and
other detailed terms. Most harvest-related contracts average between a 12-month
to three-year length to complete the specified services. .
- Contract Administration—
Working under a
written contract to complete a forest management project demands ongoing communication
and monitoring among parties to the contract and regulating State agencies—contractor,
landowner, purchasers, sub-contractors, Oregon Dept. of Forestry foresters, Oregon
Dept. of Transportation, and so forth. Possible milestones include a pre-work meeting,
incremental unit reviews, road completion, and post-work close-out.
- Road & Landings—
Prior to beginning
harvest, the contractor completes planned road construction, reconstruction, and
maintenance during operations. “Landings” are the constructed work areas located
on forest roads, where logging concentrates skidding, processing, decking, and loading
logs onto trucks. Road improvements include necessary planned landing construction.
Forest road contracting is a complicated process that demands purpose-built heavy
equipment and highly-skilled professionals in heavy construction, forestry, logging,
and engineering.
- Timber Falling & Bucking—
Contractor
falls trees, and usually conducts some preliminary tree processing at the stump,
which might include topping, delimbing, “bunching” (arranging trees/logs into piles),
and “bucking” (processing/cutting the tree into merchantable logs). Trees must be
directionally-felled to protect resources and optimize production. Timber security
& accountability is assured at this stage by cutting only the trees clearly designated
for harvest. Falling and bucking begin to manufacture log products from trees, which
is a complicated process that demands purpose-built heavy equipment, saws, and highly-skilled
logging professionals.
- Yarding/Skidding—
Contractor moves
trees and/or logs from the stump to a planned roadside landing location—often lifting
whole trees clear from the ground (or partially-lift) to protect resources and optimize
production. “Yarding” lifts trees with cable suspension systems often on slopes;
while “skidding” utilizes ground-based machines to pull or lift trees on gentler
terrain. Yarding/skidding trees is a complicated process that demands purpose-built
heavy equipment, specialized rigging, saws, and highly-skilled logging professionals.
- Log Processing—
This is the final
manufacture of each tree into the optimal mix of desired log products. “Processing”
which might include topping, delimbing, “bunching” (arranging trees/logs into piles),
and “bucking” (processing/cutting the tree into merchantable logs). The contractor
may complete processing either at the stump, or more commonly at the roadside “landing”
area. Processing is typically done partially at the stump, and then completed at
the landing. Optimal manufacture log products from trees is a complicated process
that demands purpose-built heavy equipment, computer optimizing systems, saws, and
highly-skilled logging professionals.
- Log Sort, Deck, Load—
In addition to log
processing done at this location, a contractor works at roadside landings to complete
the grading & sorting of logs into like batches of log grades. After sorting, logs
are piled “decked” into stacks to await subsequent loading of logs onto log trucks.
A harvest operation may produce up to 12 different sorts of log types/grades, which
must be handled separately. Typically each truck load is a batch of logs targeted
for a single timber mill destination. Each mill usually only purchases a limited
number of grades; and the mill may specify that each load contain a single grade.
“Landings” are the roadside work areas, where logging activities are concentrated.
Log security & accountability is assured at this stage by issuing a unique load
ticket, brand , and identification for each load of logs. Log sorting, decking &
loading is a complicated process that demands purpose-built heavy equipment and
highly-skilled logging professionals.
- Log Trucking—
The contractor transports
each truck-load of logs from the harvest area, via private forest roads and public
highways. The trucks are often routed to a specific timber mill; although sometimes
the destination is a log sales yard, a railroad reload yard, or an export yard.
Log truck drivers typically must negotiate their 80,000 lb. loaded truck on winding,
steep, slippery single-lane forest roads. Because forest roads are challenging the
empty log truck carries its trailer piggy-back from the mill to the forest landing.
There the log loader lifts the trailer into place behind the truck for loading.
Additionally, there is a fair volume of Oregon log transport by rail, barge, tow,
and longshore shipping. Log trucking is a complicated process that demands purpose-built
18-wheel freight trucks, and highly-skilled professional log truck drivers with
a Commercial Driver’s License.
- Log Scaling—
After each truck-load
of logs arrives at the timber mill, or a secure log yard, the logs are off-loaded
by large log loading machines, and measured by an independent private timber measuring
organization. This measuring of log volume is called “scaling,” and conducted according
to contracted terms. Scaling is commonly a volume-grade-defect measurement calculated
for each log by a certified scaling professional. For low-value logs, scaling may
be simply measured by log-load weight or load tally, using predetermined conversion
ratios. Accurate and ethical scaling is important because payment among timber parties
(logger, timber owner, landowner, purchaser, mill) is determined by daily scaling
reports that tally each truck load. Log scaling is a technical process that demands
purpose-built heavy equipment and highly-skilled log scaling professionals.
- Slash Piling—
After timber harvest
is completed, the logging contractor often is responsible for clearing and relocating
the logging “slash”(tree limbs, tops, excess broken/rotten wood & shrubs), and placing
the debris in appropriate piles. Slash piling reduces future wildfire hazards and
also begins the planned site preparation task necessary to create favorable site
conditions to establish new young tree seedlings in the harvested area. This re-arrangement
of slash is a complicated process that demands purpose-built heavy equipment, saws,
and highly-skilled logging professionals.
- Clean-Up—
Often the last task
for the logging contractor to finish before the forest harvest operation is completed
is the site clean-up. Forest harvest contracts may include an array of maintenance
items necessary to prepare for subsequent reforestation, to prevent erosion and
stream sedimentation, or to assure properly functioning forest road drainage. After
timber harvest is completed, the logging contractor may be responsible for the following:
re-shaping/blading roads, landings & ditches; removing garbage & waste materials;
grass seedling ditches & landings; replacing worn road rock surfacing; mulching
exposed soils near drainage; clearing roads & drainage of slash; placing rock rip-rap;
installing added road cross-drains; blocking a road; and other actions. This clean-up
re is a thorough process that demands purpose-built heavy equipment, saws, and highly-skilled
logging professionals.
Once a harvest ends, there are other specialized forest contract companies that
prepare harvested sites and plant new tree seedlings according to Oregon Forest
Practices Act (OFPA) reforestation requirements, so that the forest will regenerate
successfully. There are contractors that complete site preparation, harvest slash
piling, prescribed burning work, and/or reduction of unwanted competing vegetation,
which is needed to prepare a harvested site for tree regeneration. Other companies
have crews that work to protect tree seedlings from animal damage, cut to thin overcrowded
small trees, and fight forest fires to prevent resource losses.