Timber Stand Improvement

Most forestland in our service region has been either clear-cut or high graded at least once in the past. Often this has happened multiple times. Given that fact, every forest in the Southern Appalachians can benefit from the culling and thinning work that is Timber Stand Improvement or TSI. TSI can take on many forms and prescriptions. The Mountain Works approach to TSI is holistic and often integrated into our for-hire horse logging work. It is also a highly recommended supplemental service to landowners who sell us their timber. Trees that are diseased, over stocked, inferior in form, positioned poorly on the site or represent an overabundance of a low value species are cut. Merchantable material is skidded to a landing with low impact methods including horse-power.

Non-merchantable material is lopped to waist height to decay in the forest and build soil. Material not worth felling is girdled to create wildlife snags and den trees. Other than access, TSI is the single best investment a land owner can make in their woodland. Growing the best tress you can on the acreage you have requires thoughtful thinning.

Rates: $125 per acre, plus merchantable material

• Merchantable TSI material transfers to Mountain Works
• Merchantable TSI material (pulpwood/firewood/mushroom wood) may be retained by the client at the rate of $25 per estimated ton
• 20 ton hydraulic wood splitter with woodsman available for firewood processing at $20 per hour
• Mushroom log propagation available at $20 per log plus additional materials; access to power on site required
• Merchantability of TSI material is determined by Mountain Works