There is a mgmt theory where you never thin. Improved loblolly or slash pine on good sites with 500-550 trees/ac at age 15-18 that was site prepped properly at time of planting and has been growing it's bark off is typically running around 100 tons/ac. When the weather cooperates and makes the mills hungry for pulp (if you can time it right and get a good price, which you usually can during those times) you can make a pretty good clip clearcutting the plantation and starting over in about half the time it would take to get a thinning to a sawtimber sized product.

If you got $8, $9, or even in the double digits like pulp stumpage was in south AL a couple of winters ago, you'd be making potentially over $1K per acre in just 15 or so years, and not having to carry a stand more than the time it takes it to become merchantable size.

Just a mgmt theory. It works, but you have to time the markets right and have your plantations at that age when a weather event happens to drive the prices up. Not quite as bad as waiting for the planets to align, but the parameters or events that drive prices way up do not happen every other day.

Macmillan-Bloedel had that plan back in the 60s when they built the mill at Pine Hill and leased a lot of private land to make sure they had a supply of timber. Except they were figuring on a 22 year average back then. It makes sense that the time period is several years shorter now with the genetical improvements to the seedlings.

I don't think that they actually used that management plan very much. By the time the trees they had planted got to that stage, it made more sense to thin them and try to get more at least into chipnsaw class. They never had much of a problem getting a supply of pulpwood anyway, except in bad weather.

PCP: Yeah.. it's probably not a "planned" silvicultural prescription for timber companies, but if a landowner had a some well stocked plantations ready to thin and it rained for a month or so straight and the prices were high and your plantations were pretty good wet weather logging, it probably would make sense to liquidate.

One thing would be good, you wouldn't have to worry about carrying big timber a decade or so through ice storms, beetle attacks, tornadoes, or hurricanes...

You will have better hunting when they are done

And not having to carry bigger timber the extra time will usually save you from some big losses. I have experienced every one of those disasters that you listed. Another big advantage to the short rotation is that you avoid the pine decline which occurs on many of the Alabama soils, and I've lost many trees to it too.

There are many advantages to the short rotation IF your land can be logged when wet. Of course, it's not a good plan for producing turkeys, and not the best for deer either.

I just bought a 100 or so acres that was planted 12 years ago. It was planted with the plan being a possible thin at 15 years and then clear cut at 25 or no thin and clear cut at about 20. My forester said we would just watch the market and make a decision. I replanted 120 acres this year with "mpc?" pines that likely will never be thinned, just clear cut. We shall see how that works out.... PS, my pine timber land can be logged wet.

If it was planted in 2001 its 22 years old and probably has a good bit of canter wood in it. They probably got a good blended price (one price/ton on PPW and canter) and they decided to take it. Growing trees is a long term investment and I am sure somebody put a pencil to it and saw they were getting their money back sooner. Another plus is site prep is usually cheaper because there is probably little undergrowth in an unthinned plantation that age, It is becoming harder and harder to find a good thinning crew here and loggers would MUCH rather clearcut. Also, they probably want to get the whole 900 acres closer in age so it can be managed more as one age rather than two.

I recently sold pine pulpwood for $22/ton

One of the perks of LA

Me too Rebeman,that was what I got on my cut last year. Exactly twice what I had ever got before. Price for everything else was just as good. Cut right at $4,0000/ac overall.

4000.00 an acre is a generational sale. Perfect storm for you and I’m happy for you! I sold some at good price myself but not that kind of $.

We can’t even move it. Price to the landowner is barely breaking $1/ton.

Correct! Thinning in North Alabama is strictly a silvicultural practice if you're lucky enough to even be able to get it thinned. You do it because you have to for optimal tree growth or for wildlife purposes, but not because it's gonna make you any real money.

These South AL guys talking about $22/ton PPW when you'd be lucky to get that for your sawtimber in North AL.

This should be in the turkey forum! You want to see turkey populations crash in AL, this is the way to do it. Deer will be fine but most other wildlife will suffer ..... greatly. I don't disagree that this is becoming more and more common. All the pine plantations in AL going to a 22 year rotation of plant and clearcut. I can't imagine.

We’ve gone to 10x10 planting and will thin only one time vs 2.
Everything we’ve cut in the last 15 years is 10x10. As fast as we can get to CNS prices the better, wait on a good price, then clear.

Wheyrehause is planting there’s in 20’ rows in places I’ve seen. Kind of crazy to me.

Is that to encourage diameter over length ?

t
No idea.

They’ve been using that spacing for decades down here, but not on every tract.
5ft between the trees and 20ft between the rows, which gives you 435 TPA.
Same as what globe is saying, but different layout.
It eliminates the need for a corridor row during 1st thinning and gives the operator more room when making tree selections.

I've seen some of that spacing in Dallas Co. Good for wildlife too - doesn't close canopy quite as fast.