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a big year<br />
his skid loader and splitter on the smaller<br />
trees and trimmed the brush on his<br />
beloved trail system, which he re-opened<br />
in December.<br />
“I’ve put in well over 200 hours<br />
already, and the loggers had over 200<br />
hours,” Springsteen said. “It’s a lifetime<br />
commitment now. I’ll be pulling trees out<br />
of there for the rest of my life.”<br />
On May 8, Boy Scouts from Troop 66<br />
in Monticello helped plant 1,500 trees on<br />
Springsteen’s property, including 700 red<br />
oak, 500 swamp oak and 300 walnut.<br />
Piper’s stepson Blake Barkley has been<br />
kept busy by the derecho, too. Barkley<br />
owns Complete Land Management, and<br />
his work includes forestry mulching and<br />
invasive species removal, especially in<br />
the hard-hit Cedar Rapids area.<br />
Forestry mulching can help remove<br />
smaller, damaged timber, making it easier<br />
to remove larger pieces without damaging<br />
remaining trees. Dragging logging equipment<br />
through timber can damage living<br />
oaks by harming their bark, leaving them<br />
susceptible to oak wilt.<br />
Act now, manage for future<br />
While there’s still time to harvest<br />
derecho-damaged timber, the window is<br />
closing for both economic and ecological<br />
benefit. Downed trees start to lose their<br />
value, even as salvage.<br />
“In two to three years you won’t get<br />
anything for them,” Bruggeman said.<br />
When assessing the damage, be careful.<br />
Watch out for “widowmakers,” and look<br />
down just as much as you look up.<br />
Bridges warns landowners to be careful<br />
in dangerous situations with storm-damaged<br />
trees.<br />
“Even for people who’ve been doing it<br />
for years, it’s dangerous work,” he said.<br />
“A busted-up tree is better than a busted-up<br />
person.”<br />
Those looking to buy young trees can<br />
also check out 40 native species of <strong>Iowa</strong><br />
trees and shrubs at Nursery.<strong>Iowa</strong>DNR.<br />
gov. The nursery re-opened for orders<br />
Sept. 1.<br />
Widner of the National Wild Turkey<br />
Federation hopes that active management<br />
will better prepare forest landowners for<br />
Ben Bruggeman,<br />
Fourth-generation<br />
logger, Monticello, IA<br />
the next disaster.<br />
“<strong>Farmer</strong>s have<br />
this stand of trees,<br />
and they can either<br />
let nature take its<br />
course or productively<br />
manage the<br />
forest,” he said.<br />
“We can mimic<br />
these natural<br />
disturbances so<br />
that when disaster<br />
comes through, we<br />
can be prepared to<br />
withstand it.”<br />
Bruggeman said<br />
he worked with one landowner whose<br />
land has been in the family for more<br />
than 100 years. “His grandfather planted<br />
trees,” Bruggeman said. “The storm came<br />
through and destroyed the whole woods.”<br />
Now, that landowner has a vision for<br />
the next 100 years.<br />
“We came, got it cleaned up and<br />
replanted,” Bruggeman said. “When they<br />
see it cleaned up and young trees starting<br />
to grow, it’s a glimmer of hope.” n<br />
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