13 - Heavy Slash Loads - Click on image to enlarge

Vancouver Island, SW, B.C. near Port McNeill. Very heavy slash loads on decadent Cedar, Hemlock sites with very soft ground. There is water in numerous excavations when constructing larger mounds. The method of harvesting was "Hoe Forwarding". Can you see the man standing to the right of the excavator near the center of the photo? What you can't see is all the spots that we have already made (only 400 per acre was possible with some concurrent piling) and all of the 8 foot diameter stumps that are 4 feet or greater in height. Burning the slash is not well accepted by the public and may not be to our advantage over less productive soils. Suggested cost $0.75 per spot. This was a tough site but newly planted seedlings love the protection offered by the remaining slash surrounding each spot. It also helps keep deer and foraging animals away.