BRITISH

COLUMBIA
D e p a r t m e i ( t

o f

FOREST

L a n d *

a n d

SERVICE

Forests

W h e n mD
T arking
andN
'S
O
stands for
cutting

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BRITISH C O LUM BIA FOREST SERVICE PUBLICATIO N B .47
First Edition, 1958— 2,000

Illustrations by
J. Pickford

PREFACE

B r i t i s h C o lu m b ia is e n d e a v o u r in g to
p l a c e h e r f o r e s t s on a s u s t a i n e d - y i e l d b a s i s .
T h is m e a n s the f o r e s t s m u s t be m a n a g e d r a ­
t h e r than m i n e d . T o m a n a g e a f o r e s t , it is
n e c e s s a r y to p la n the h a r v e s t s o that the land
w ill con tin u e t o p r o d u c e . A c o m m o n tech n iq u e
e m p l o y e d in m a n a g in g B . C . f o r e s t s is to
m a r k the t r e e s to be cu t, o r the t r e e s to be le f t .
M a r k in g t r e e s is an e x a c t in g and d e ­
m a n d in g t a s k , c o m b in in g p h y s i c a l and m e n t a l
s k i l l s . T h e im p o r t a n t f a c t o r to c o n s i d e r is
not the a c tu a l m a r k in g but the r e a s o n s f o r the
m a r k in g .
In this b o o k le t , an attem p t has b e e n
m a d e t o p o r t r a y s o m e o f the c o m m o n m i s t a k e s
w h ich o c c u r in m a r k i n g . It is h o p e d that by
p r e s e n t in g t h e s e p o in t s in a h u m o r o u s v e in ,
th e y w ill be m o r e e a s i l y r e c o g n i z e d and m o r e
r e a d i l y a v o id e d .

M A N A G E M E N T DIVISION,

M a r c h , 1958.
V icto ria , B. C.

DO

Leave trees, the
rem oval of which
would cause
excessive dam age.

DON’T
M ark trees which
would be difficult
to rem ove w ithout
excessive dam age.

DO
Leave isolated
trees.

DON’T
M ark individual,
isolated trees.
If there is oniy one
tree in the vicinity,
ieave it.

IT IS N O T W O R T H A N O P E R A T O R ' S W H I L E T O L O G IT

DO DON’T

M ark both forks of
a "school m arm .’’

M ark one fork of a
"school m arm .”

IT W I L L

ONLY

MYSTIFY

THE O P E R A T O R .

roo^ DONT
Choose w ell-form ed
thrifty stems
representative of
the best elements
in the stand.

Concentrate on a ny
single species.

DO

W atch carefully the
percentage being
m arked and try to
achieve a balance
betw een w ha t is
desirabie
economically and
silviculturally.

DON’T
M ark more than
4 0 percent unless
otherwise
instructed. W ith the
ro ad -clea rin g, this
wiii become
5 0 percent.

THE R E M O V A L O F A L A RGE R
JEOPA RD IZ E THE S T AND .

PERCENTAGE

WI LL

DO
Give p rio rity of
m arking to the
large, o ver-m ature
stems and those
with scars, broken
tops, "school
marms,” sweep, etc.

DON’T
M ark the smaller
diameters and
don’t m ark the
th rifty, w ell-form ed
stems. (These are
required for the
n e x t cut.)

DO

T ry to rem ove trees
w ith crowns raised
above the general
canopy level.

DON’T
Leave
"superdom inants.”

DO
M ark heavily in
draw s, swamps, or
other places w ith
poor drainage.

DON’T
M ark single trees
in draw s, swamps,
o r other places
with poor drainage.
(This will o nly lead
to b lo w -d o w n .)

DO
M ark trees
dam aged in
road-building
adjacent to
skid-roads.

DON’T
Leave damaged
trees immediately
adjacent to
skid-roads.

DO

Leave w ind-breaks
o r m ark v e ry lightly
in areas adjacent
to clear-cut draws
o r swamps.

DON’T
Commence m arking
im m ediately after
cleaning out a
d ra w , swam p, or
poorly drained
a re a. (It m ay
encourage
progressive
b lo w -d o w n .)

DO

Place the
butt-m arks as
low as possible,
pre fe rab ly
betw een the
root-collar w here
It cannot be
sluffed off.

DON’T
Place the
butt-m arks high up
on the bole.

THIS WILL E N C O U R A G E WA S TE A N D THE MARKS MA Y
SLUFF OFF.

Leave boundary
trees.

DON’T
M ark boundary
trees.

d o t DON’T

Lay out strips
paraiiei to the
contour in steep
to po g ra p hy.

Lay out strips
against the contour.

DON’T
Make strips w ider
than three times
the average
maximum height of
the stand on ievel
ground, and five
times average
maximum height
on slopes.

DO

T ry to la y out strips
so that th e y are at
right angles to the
prevailing winds.

DON’T
Lay out strips
paraiiel to the
prevailing winds.

DON’T

DO

Round off the
corners.
I

Leave sharp corners
or unnatural
shapes. (Th e y
will suffer wind
dam age.)

DON’T
Lay out cut-strips
so that th e y are in,
o r ciose to, draws.
(Th e y m ay be
subject to
b io w -d o w n .)

|

DON’T
Locate
"le ave-strip s”
across skid or
haul roads.

DO
M ark butt-m arks
on all line-trees.

DON’T
Forget to m ark
butt-m arks on
all line trees.
(O therw ise there
will be no check.)

DON’T

DO

M ark the best trees I
with V i to ya-erow n,
straight boies,
and good form .

POOR

1

I

M ark "w o if” trees
o r misshapen,
deform ed stems.

PARENTS

PROGENY.

SELDOM

PRODUCE

THE

I

BEST
^

DO

T ry to m ark
seed-trees on the
w ell-d ra in e d ,
higher ground.

DON’T
M ark seed-trees
located in draws
or depressions.

DON’T
M ark trees with
high root systems.

DO

M ark seed-trees,
well a w a y from
skid-roads and
landings.

DON’T
M ark seed-trees
im mediately
adjacent to skid
roads or landings.

DON’T
M ark a seed-tree
if there is
possibility it m ay
be dam aged by
"stripping”
b y leaners.

DO

Locate seed-blocks
on w ell-dra in ed
ground.

DON’T
Locate seed-blocks
in draw s, swamps,
or p oorly drained
areas. (Th e y m ay
blow d o w n .)

DO

Change the shape
of a seed-block to
fit the to po gra p hy.

DON’T
Stick to a rigid
shape or pattern
of seed-biock in
roiiing or steep
to po gra p hy.
(It m ay encourage
w ind dam age.)

DO
Locate seed-blocks
on ground not
required fo r roads
o r iandings.

DON’T
Locate seed-biocks
across probabie
extraction routes.
(Th e y wili oniy be
cut— and then
w h a t? )
Locate a seed-biock
within on e-ha if
chain of a n y skid
o r haui road or
ianding. (Biocks wiil
be vuinerabie if
so exposed to
excessive dam age.)

DOTDON’T

M ark the blocks so
that the marks face
the logging.

M ark the blocks so
that the marks are
obscured or at
right angles to
logging.

O T H E R W I S E THEY

MAY

G E T C U T I N TRESPASS.