Project Code:	BRL-01-032
Area:	Field Operations
Sponsor:	Blue Ridge Lumber (1981)

The principal aim of this Project was a reduction in stem density within young overstocked lodgepole pine stands having some hardwood and spruce composition.

Project objectives included thinning to a pre-determined density and composition, creating an environment for crop trees to achieve/maintain free-to-grow status, and secure productivity information for the mechanical strip thinning.

During the Spring & Summer of 1999, 22 hectares were mechanically strip thinned and manually tended. The mechanical strip thinning was carried out using a Gyro-Trac GT 18-1 Brushcutter on tracks. Results were mixed with the amount of coarse woody material, number of snags and degree of slope contributing to lower productivity.

Keywords
Density Management
Conifer Release
Blue Ridge Lumber
Brushcutter & Manual
Mechanical Tending
Thinning