File:20181206-FS-APACHE-SITGREAVES-LSC-0535 (32267217207).jpg

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS) Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, Lakeside Ranger District Forester Anita Thompson paints new marking on worksite tree to allow it to be cut for needed workspace at the Billy Mountain timber sale in AZ, on Dec 6, 2018.

This is part of the broader Four Forest Restoration Initiative, which is intended to treat more than 2.4 million acres of ponderosa pine forest across northern Arizona.

Current activity includes the use of a feller buncher to cut and then stack trees. A feller buncher then drags the trees to a worksite.  There the tree branches are removed in seconds, and the delimbed tree trunk is cut to the desired length for sale by the contractor to lumber mills. The disposition of treetops and tree logs too big for the mill remain the contractor's responsibility. Post-harvest piling of slash/branches/brush are burned when fuels have cured, and weather conditions allow  The ultimate goal of the timber sale is to improve forest health and reduce the potential for high-intensity wildfires that could threaten lives, property, and natural resources. The Four Forest Restoration Initiative seeks to increase resilience in the fire-adapted ponderosa pine forest by reducing tree stand densities to a more historical level, which eventually reduces the potential for uncharacteristic wildfire. This work also offers greater protection for residents living in and adjacent to the wildland-urban interface, where developments and forested areas merge. 

USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

For more information please see: <a href="http://www.usda.gov" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.usda.gov</a> <a href="http://www.fs.fed.us" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.fs.fed.us</a> <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/asnf" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.fs.usda.gov/asnf</a> @usda