Putnam Woods Tour

Nearly 20 people gathered at the Putnam Woods Tree Farm in Pittston, 3 years after a major timber harvest. The tour, hosted by the Ireland and Mathews family (descendants of Albert Putnam who bought the lot in 1901), was co-sponsored by the Maine Tree Farm Program, the Maine Woodland Owners' Two Rivers Chapter, and the Viles Arboretum. Woodlot owners from as far away as Falmouth and Ellsworth, as well as from Pittston, were there.

Larry Ireland, the family's “agent,” recapped  the ownership history and timber management activities, including an extensive harvest in spring/summer of 2022. Steve Grady, of Grady & Sons Logging in Whitefield, explained the modern logging equipment (tracked feller-buncher, grapple skidder, yard crane and chipper) and techniques (pre-bunching cut stems in well-spaced main trails, whole tree yarding, bumper stumps) used for the cut. He also spoke about the 1450' gravel woods road he built in conjunction with the harvest operation, which now provides year-round access for log trucks, recreation and potential forest fire response. Andy Shultz, a consulting forester from Augusta, was also on hand. In 2020 Andy wrote a forest management and harvesting plan for the lot, to meet the Tree Growth Tax Law and the American Tree Farm Standards. Andy also marked the trees to be cut during the harvest, and worked closely with both landowners and loggers to achieve the family's goals for their woods.

The 110 acre parcel runs 2500-3000 feet deep from the Old Town Farm Road, the nearest public way, much of which is not maintained by the town. Several wet areas and a perennial stream stand between the roadside and the far ends of the lot. The long yarding distance and need for near-perfect ground conditions had been a major barrier to past management. Connecting the usable part of the public road with a central woodyard located to optimize the skid trail network was a key to success, as was constructing a properly sized crossing over the perennial stream. In addition, over 6200 feet of recreational trail was established, also by Grady & Sons, using an excavator with a mulching head. Income from the harvest more than off-set the costs of the road, crossing, and trails.

Lauren Kircheis, the Land Manager of the Viles Arboretum in Augusta, and a wildlife biologist by training, used her ears and a pair of good binoculars to identify at least 16 species of birds in less than an hour, including oven birds, great crested flycatchers, black-throated blue warblers, and, most strikingly, scarlet tanagers. She pointed out a mating pair of tanagers to the group; the electric tangerine coloring of the male really stood out against the fresh green foliage of the surrounding trees. Tanagers and black-throated blue warblers generally prefer a closed canopy overstory; oven birds need a  relatively undisturbed forest floor for their nests. The fact that these birds are in abundance 3 years after a heavy equipment logging operation attests to both the resilience of a well-managed forest AND the skill of the operators in limiting impacts.

After yielding approximately 22 cord equivalents per acre, the remaining stand density ranges from 50 to 70 square feet of basal area, with a higher percentage of potential sawlog quality stems than before the cut. Canopy gaps of less than or equal to 0.2 acre will foster new seedling regeneration and release established pine and hardwood regeneration. Future timber crop trees have been released at the crown level on 2 or three sides. Wildlife crop trees (cavity trees, standing snags) have been retained in the mix. Nearly all white ash trees meeting sawlog specifications were cut, and a fair amount of pole-sized ash were retained in the hopes they will reach sawlog size before the emerald ash borer insect arrives. Larry Ireland, along with other family members, including his son Troy (representing the fourth generation of ownership,) will now spend more time enjoying the woods and keeping an eye out for damage from insects, disease, wind and weather, while keeping the road clear from fallen branches and trees. In 2030, the forest management plan will be updated, and sometime subsequent to that, another partial harvest will continue the story of stewarding the Putnam Woods Tree Farm.