Stump Grinding on Hold

I got a call from Bryan today, confirming what I suspected. He is going to postpone work until the property dries a bit more. After getting the dozer stuck, the got the skid steer and the excavator stuck also trying to extract the dozer. He had to bring in another excavator to finally get all this equipment unstuck. I could hear in his voice that this had him beat down. So we agreed to suspend work until the property dries up, I just hope it dries up enough to start work as we head in to the rainy season.

Progress of Stump Grinding Work

So I got an email from Bryan’s wife, Amy, informing me that work has started on the Fifty Acre Woods, sounds like a field trip to see the progress is needed. When I show up I am excited by the equipment that has been moved in. In order for the work to progress with the current over growth, Bryan was going to clear some brush with a bull dozer and compact the brush piles and start burning them while grinding stumps. As I arrive on site I see an excavator, two skid steers and a stuck bull dozer. I do see where grinding has begun, but apparently he started on the low side of the property where the ground is soft and got the dozer stuck. This does not look good.

(work has begun)

(the skid steer doing the grinding)

(not sure why the excavator)

(stuck dozer, reason for excavator)

Bayou City Lumber

Today was a fun trip, a visit to Bayou City Lumber to start buying fence posts. Instead of buying the corner posts, line posts and h-braces all at one time (which would be a huge expense) I thought I would start buying corner post components one month at a time and build up my stock pile. Today I bought components to build one corner post section; (3) 6in X 7ft treated posts and (2) 4in x 6ft treated h-braces. Storing all this in the garage with the 80+ t-posts and (6) rolls of barbed wired should get interesting. I need to start building fence.

Once I get the perimeter cleared and buy some line posts and intermediate h-bracing I should have the necessary components to start building a thousand foot section of fence, or one side of my property.

Forest Thinning Evaluation

The start of the year is bringing hope. I got a letter in the mail a month ago from the Texas A&M Forestry Service regarding grants available for prescribed burning and thinning for property owners to help control Pine Beatles and preventative for forest fires. The prescribed burning grant I just didn’t have time to get things in place for submittal before the deadline, however, the thinning grant I have time and initially seems I might be eligible.

After submitting the required paperwork, I’m meeting with Jason Calvet with the forestry service so he can evaluate my property and see if I qualify. Even if I don’t qualify, I have learned a lot going through this process and talking to several individuals with the forestry service about managing my land. Regardless of the outcome of the grant review, I now know that I should hire a forestry consultant to get a thinning to help out with the over growth and health of my timber.

In order to be eligible for the thinning grant, a landowner must have marketable timber (I do) and must have an estimate basal area of 120 or greater (I had areas greater than 120), which is the density of trees in an area. After meeting with Jason, it was encouraging as I met the qualifications for the grant.