The Day-to-Day Reality of Clear-Fell Pine Logging
The end of 2019 and beginning of 2020 saw us here at Caretaker Farm in Ashton Road, Whangateau, New Zealand sitting on the frontline of the neighboring pine logging. We have had the amazing, almost unique experience of watching first hand virtually at the front door of our property the clear felling of the pine trees that for the past 30 years plus graced the hill opposite to our front gate. Everyday, for over three months except for 10 days over Christmas, we heard the high screaming sound of the chain saw and then the death crash of the 30-40 year pine trees as they fall onto the ground. The trees had to be felled as they were starting to fall on their own blocking the river that flows along the base of the steep hill slope. The felling exercise in such large numbers on my doorstep however, for me was something that I have never experienced before. We have seen the worker on the digger machine walk it up the steep bank on the other side of the river and use the digger ...