Cords per acre per year, and sustainable harvesting practices.

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Hope everyone has a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving!
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
Status
Not open for further replies.
I live in Barker - small village about 15 miles NE of Lockport. About 5 miles south of Lake Ontario.
 
So 1/2 cord per acre per year? I don't quite understand how that calculates out. If I burn 4 cords per year I'd need 8 acres for one year. Or does that mean 8 acres would be sufficient to sustain my wood burning habit?
 
So 1/2 cord per acre per year? I don't quite understand how that calculates out. If I burn 4 cords per year I'd need 8 acres for one year. Or does that mean 8 acres would be sufficient to sustain my wood burning habit?

The latter. With 8 acres you can harvest 4 cords each year for as long as you want. It essentially means that on one acre you will have 1/2 cord of wood growth per year. If you regularly cut more than that you will end up without trees at some point.
 
I don't calculate, just cut and burn. But for 20 years I burned five to six cord off of the 4.5 acres of trees on this 5.409 acre place and for the last six years three cord a year and it ain't looking any different in those woods than the day we moved in.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Shawn Curry
I don't calculate, just cut and burn. But for 20 years I burned five to six cord off of the 4.5 acres of trees on this 5.409 acre place and for the last six years three cord a year and it ain't looking any different in those woods than the day we moved in.

Sounds like you know a thing or three about the sustainable harvesting topic. Care to share? Do you plant new trees and what's your strategy etc? Are you following a plan?
 
Nope. Just cut'em and burn'em. If the deer didn't mow down the saplings the place would be a jungle.

Between wind blowing down 90 footers and the ones that croak and die there is always sufficient wood.
 
Well I guess with 14 acres of mature forest I probably have nothing to worry about :cool:. I just spotted a bunch more fallen and broken black locust in a part of my woods I don't get to as often - it's across a town ditch and I don't have a trail over there.

Think ill still have the DEC guy stop by - just to show off a little bit ;lol
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.