Why Damage These Beautiful Trees? Trail Management

This looks like tree abuse! Yet this method is suitable for forest management under the right conditions. By girdling trees, you are killing them. Use this method on purpose when clearing or widening trails or simply when you need dry firewood in the future.

Girdling involves cutting a bark ring around the trunk of a tree. It kills the tree upward, then allows the wood to dry out. It creates a deadfall that you'll remove for building projects like a cabin. Without regrowth above, the girdling branches will be easier to remove.

Most of the trees I cut today were already damaged in some way. They were long and straight trees, ideal for posts and beams for a building. It didn't take long using a hatchet, ax, or bush ax.

You need to know if girdling is suitable for your property.

If done in the wrong season, it creates the risk of forest fires by adding dry tinder. Do this only on trails, cut in the cooler seasons, and cut down dry trees before storm season.

Monitoring your girdling while the tree drys out is vital to avoid beetle damage to wood, storm damage, and overgrowth. You can even cut the trees down in the winter while the ground is frozen if you want the stump to come back as a coppice.

Check out the @Northmen series on Forgotten Ancient Forestry, here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76nTzxNxGCs

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