Reforestation: free or low-cost? (homes, landscaping, purchase)

[gcberry]

In the process of building our home, we had to clear quite a bit of land due to 450' driveway and homesite. Once the work is complete, we hope to plant seedlings/trees to replace as many felled trees as possible. Does anyone know if the State of ME or forestry service supply trees/seedlings/saplings for free or at cost to homeowners who wish to replenish their land with trees?

[BrokenTap]

Originally Posted by gcberry

In the process of building our home, we had to clear quite a bit of land due to 450' driveway and homesite. Once the work is complete, we hope to plant seedlings/trees to replace as many felled trees as possible. Does anyone know if the State of ME or forestry service supply trees/seedlings/saplings for free or at cost to homeowners who wish to replenish their land with trees?

Probably not since forest/resident interface can mean danger should a forest fire start, not to mention the forest fire ladder.

You can check with your local County Soil and Water Conservation District though which might have a seedling program where you can purchase seedlings at low cost.

Scott Paper used to have a program where they gave you free high bred hackmatack seedlings, but you had to have 10 acres or more, hire a forester, etc in order to do so,but I think they stopped the program now.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Those days are gone. The state used to have tree nurseries where you could reforest your land with valuable species. Now the environmentalists control the Maine Forest Service and natural reseeding of indigenous (read low profit) species is the preferred result.

You might want to keep your southern exposure open to the sun to save on fuel. We are going to need all the sunlight we can get to minimize costs in the future.

[Maine Writer]

You might be able to pull them from your own land. Starwalker is coming up in the spring to pull saplings just after the frost leaves the ground. If you time it right you can pull them by hand with little damage to the roots.

[reloop]

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

You might be able to pull them from your own land. Starwalker is coming up in the spring to pull saplings just after the frost leaves the ground. If you time it right you can pull them by hand with little damage to the roots.

We did this with some of our trees...if you dig a decent size circle around the sapling (leaving a root ball) you tend to be more successful with them taking root when transplanted. You may also want to purchase some landscaping tape to tape around the bottom of the trunk, and depending on the size of the transplant, you may want to shore them up with a stake.

Deer are quite particular to cedar shrubs, by the way, so if you go that route, be prepared to burlap them in the fall or they'll get munched during the winter.

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by reloop

We did this with some of our trees...if you dig a decent size circle around the sapling (leaving a root ball) you tend to be more successful with them taking root when transplanted.

If they're small enough they'll pull and transplant successfully without having to dig. Picture the size seedlings you'd get from Musser or another supplier.

[boonelsewhere]

This is some thing we were not aware of, when we build our house, we want privatcy our drive way is about 1100 feet from the state road. since we build in the ecovillage community we were limited to the size and how many trees can be clear for drive way and home site.
we had chimney fire 2-3 days ago, the fire dept. response very quick less than 10 minutes thay were at the entrance of our drive way but it took them 10 minutes to get to the house.

Originally Posted by BrokenTap

Probably not since forest/resident interface can mean danger should a forest fire start, not to mention the forest fire ladder.

[forest beekeeper]

boonelsewhere -

This is some thing we were not aware of, when we build our house, we want privatcy our drive way is about 1100 feet from the state road. since we build in the ecovillage community we were limited to the size and how many trees can be clear for drive way and home site.
we had chimney fire 2-3 days ago, the fire dept. response very quick less than 10 minutes thay were at the entrance of our drive way but it took them 10 minutes to get to the house.

When I was plumbing our home. I noticed that the pipe coming from our well is 1 1/2 inch diameter. It carries a LOT of water.

While most interior domestic plumbing is done with 1/2 inch CPVC pipe. The interior of this pipe is much less then 1/2" diameter. So while the well does have the ability to move lots of water, homes today do not have the ability to move much water inside.

I installed exterior faucets at each corner of our home, using 1" pipe. So garden hoses connected there will have a much higher amount of water pressure and flow available to them. To assist if I should ever need to put out fires.

I grew up in California, near areas with annual brush fires. Underground sprinklers are not un-common, and sprinklers on the roof; capable of keeping your entire roof wet and moist, as well as a perimeter of 20 foot [This is only seen in rural homes with their own wells, since lawn watering is illegal during fire season in most towns].

If chimney fires and / or brush fires are a concern for you. I would suggest that you consider a method of providing your own water to cool down your chimney and to prevent embers from igniting your roof.

[boonelsewhere]

thanks forest, i can always count on you. some time the solution is so simple but i just don't think of it. the water spicket and water hose was right there just did not think of using it. i learn to disconnect the water hose from the spicket hard way, the self drain feature of the spicket could not do it job, the water pipe in the wall bursted.

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

If chimney fires and / or brush fires are a concern for you. I would suggest that you consider a method of providing your own water to cool down your chimney and to prevent embers from igniting your roof.

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by boonelsewhere

thanks forest, i can always count on you. some time the solution is so simple but i just don't think of it. the water spicket and water hose was right there just did not think of using it. i learn to disconnect the water hose from the spicket hard way, the self drain feature of the spicket could not do it job, the water pipe in the wall bursted.

When I ran the plumbing in my basement, I included isolation valves and drain plugs. So each winter I isolate that line and drain them. I could turn them each back on easily in a moment if needed though.

You mentioned before about your local Forestry Service having a nursery and offering really cheap bare-root trees.

Do you know if they would have any heart-burn if your next purchase included some trees to bring up to Maine with you?