Coming Up With A Plan

It has been an on-going conversation for nearly a year now. The situation with clean up and timber thinning at the top of the hill is a job that is just too much work for us to do by ourselves and we now have the task set up to be done by our local log hauler and his crew.
The crew showed up with their own ATV (all terrain vehicle) during the recent dry spell and we made a caravan of two to go up the hill.
The dogs were beyond excited to have two Gator-like vehicles to follow and/or lead up the hill. It was a very good day for them to show off and get some good exercise at the same time.
Once on top, we walked the 5 acres that had the most damage since that is the area that needs to be completed first. Routes for skid roads were tagged and spots for the multiple decks needed during the logging operation picked out.
Our forester was contacted to make sure that the official logging permit (NOAP) that we filled out earlier in the year would apply even with a third party doing the actual logging on the premises. Several mills will be contacted next since there will need to be contracts for oversized timber, saw logs, export logs and pulp/chip loads.
The start date of the actual logging will still be a month or two away because the logs will need to be taken to the mill by fording the river and the permit limits the crossings so as not to disturb the natural habitat while ensuring safe travels for the equipment. This will give Mike time to “punch in a new road” with the bulldozer for access to the top of the hill without using the steep and precarious route that we have been using that clings to the canyon sidehill.