Best use for treed land near Houlton (Woodland: homes, buy)

[bobbybloom]

Hi Everybody:

So in a sort of oversized impulse buy I recently purchased a 50 acre plot near Houlton. I had been wanting to own some land for a while and it seemed like a good enough deal so I jumped on it.

Apart from a driveway from the street to a potential homesite on the lot, it's pretty much undeveloped from what I know (Yes, I bought it sight unseen apart from a few photos. Please feel free to heap any criticisms on as you see fit).

It's in the Tree Growth Program so the taxes are low for the time being. The lumber was harvested a few years ago so it will be awhile before there is anything worth cutting for lumber.

I'm wondering what you might do if this was in your hands:

1. Keep it for appreciation, let the trees grow.
2. Plan on harvesting lumber in a few years when the trees have matured.
3. Take part of it out of the TGP and make improvements to the land.

I live and work out in the Southwest and will probably only be able to spend 2-3 weeks on the property per year for the foreseeable future. I appreciate any and all suggestions. I have some disposable income to invest in improvements to the property, but certainly not enough to build a 4BR/3BA Cabin.

[beltrams]

I'd walk it with a consulting forester and see what's growing on it right now, how the previous harvest/cut impacted what's regrown, if any thinning or other management could be done to it along with talking to somebody about what your future plans and goals are for the woodland.

Here's an information page from the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine (http://www.swoam.org/links.shtml - broken link) that may be of value.

I'd also suggest joining SWOAM as they have a neat newsletter that will give you a lot to think about regarding your property.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Your very first priority is to find out the date of when your tree growth plan expires. Pray that it is not April 12, 2012.

Your next priority is to walk the land and find your corners. Hang flagging. Record the locations of each corner with a good GPS.

There is some good info in the SWOAM literature. However, beware. One of their goals is to get as much land as possible into conservation easements. This contaminates your land's title and will limit what your heirs can do with the land they will own.

Congratulations. I always recommend that a new owner of Maine's forest buy a top quality trimmer like a Fiskars anvil lopper. Thy are worth every penny. Lop off offending low branches as you walk your trails.You don't need to a "build a 4BR/3BA Cabin". You can have a nice post and beam building and use it for whatever you want. It can begin as storage and grow to be a fine home.

Distinctive Timber Building Kits Inc.

If you take a couple of acres out of tree growth, don't do it on the road. Do it 300 feet back or more from the road. That way you don't pay high road frontage taxes. Most people want a little seclusion anyway.

[bobbybloom]

Excellent information. Thanks for the suggestions!

[maineguy8888]

NMLM knows what he's talking about. If you lived up here you could use it for a woodlot.

[Submariner]

All good advice given

Within the context of 'Tree growth' you do have a few options. Best to speak with a forester, and see what your options area.

[bobbybloom]

Since I'm nowhere near the property and likely won't be for several months, I thought I'd do some Satellite map imaging to see if I could get a look. In the image below, my property is pretty much everything that's not that nice neat looking farm field.

My question is, do any of you want to venture a guess what that brown black stuff that covers large spans of my lot is? Do I have lots of dead trees? Did I have a forest fire on there at some point?

Or are those some variety of rocks which are local to Aroostook County?

I agree I need to have a forester walk the property (can anybody recommend a good one that works in the vicinity of Houlton?) to really get a good idea, but in the mean time, I can't help but be curious.

[Zymer]

My question is, do any of you want to venture a guess what that brown black stuff that covers large spans of my lot is?

Looks like water in low spots to me.

[bobbybloom]

Thanks Zymer! I was wondering if that might be the case. The property line with the farm is a brook from what I understand.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Beavers have dammed the brook and those trees are dead. Nothing you can do about it. In winter you can go out on the ice and cut the trees. Dead wood is good firewood. The land on the left side of the photo was nicely wooded with hardwood when the photo was taken. Judging by the width of the road and the building, the wooded area is only 20 to 25 acres. Post a photo showing a larger footprint.

I do this for a living. I have a commercial pilot's license and have been interpreting aerial photos since I did that in the Mekong delta some 41 years ago.