The timber harvest created open land, but open land and usable pasture are not the same thing.
Once the trees were removed, the practical restoration questions became visible. The remaining ground contained stumps, roots, branches, slash, exposed soil, and uneven terrain.
The next decision was not whether the land needed additional work. It was how much additional work would provide the best long-term value.
Conditions and Measurements
Approximately 50 acres harvested across the property
Timber proceeds would help offset costs to come.
Active harvesting documented with photographs and video
Selected trees and mature forests areas are retained
Observations
Large quantities of woody material remained after harvesting
Stumps and roots created major obstacles
Logging traffic disturbed some soil and access areas
The land was not immediately usable as conventional pasture
In fact, what was once a beautiful mature pine forest was now an open ugly wasteland!
Actions Taken
In keeping with our mission statement, what could we do next to maximize our learnings about how to convert a forest to a pasture.
Next Step
We decided to try two different restoration paths. One traditional smooth pasture, and one where stumps were retained and soil disturbance was minimized.