Thinning is an excellent silvicultural practice to maintain and/or promote vigorous growth of your timber by reducing the stocking level. Maintaining a healthy stocking level helps to maintain a healthy growth rate. This not only increases the future volume and value of the stand, but it also maintains/improves stand health. A healthy, vigorously growing stand is much more resilient to risks. We help the landowner establish the proper guidelines for thinning and monitor the operation to ensure compliance with the guidelines.

Knowing when to thin and which guidelines to set depends on the stand characteristics and landowner objectives. In some scenarios, not thinning at all is the best option. In other scenarios, thinning the same stand on more than one occasion is the best option.

When thinning, we obtain the best price possible, but timing thinnings based on market conditions is not as important as timing thinnings based on the stand characteristics. If the stocking level is already too high, waiting a year or two to receive a higher price may actually be costing the landowner more by reducing the growth rate of the residual trees. Thinning at the proper time ensures the landowner will have the healthy, vigorously growing stand that will meet their objectives for the future of that stand.

Select cuts are not as common in this area, but are similar to thinning. Select cuts are focused more on hardwood managment, often with wildlife being the primary focus.