Page 13 - Tree Line - North Carolina Forestry Association - Second Quarter 2020

forest management is still practiced,” he said. “There are a variety of forest types on the estate, including native hard- woods and planted white pine stands. The annual forestry work is conducted through the assistance of a consulting forester, which is currently Blair Bishop of Bishop Forestry and Land, PLLC, and a contract logger, Ron Fox Logging LLC.” (Note: Blair Bishop serves on the NCFA’s Board of Directors.)
“There are no forestry-specific
staff at The Biltmore Company,”
Horn said. “The Forestry Program
is a responsibility of the Director
of Grounds Operations, although
some assistance is also provided by
the Field and Trail Crew, which is especially important in post-harvest renovation, logging road renovation and regeneration activities. ... The forestland on the estate is divided into multiple units or tracts (16 total) ranging from 80 to 300 acres in size, with each tract having its own specific management plan. Harvesting occurs each year
with re-entry into the stand every 15 years, with the primary focus of The Biltmore Company’s forest management efforts being sustainable forest growth along with profitable timber harvests. However, aesthetic appeal is also a key part of the forest management strategy.”
The Forestry Program at the Biltmore Estate is a self-supporting program, with costs for all management practices paid from the annual harvests.
Curt Horn, Director of Grounds Operations at the Biltmore Estate, oversees The Biltmore Company’s Forestry Program.
This includes follow-up practices like thinnings, tree plantings and invasive plant control. The annual timber harvest usually begins in January and concludes in April. Harvesting timber during this timeframe is intentional, because this is the time of year when guest visitation is at its lowest.
Sharing Forest-Management Practices with Guests
The Biltmore Company, in an effort to share its forest management practices with guests, offers a Farm and Forest Tour. On this 90-minute tour, guests visit multiple locations on the estate to view forested tracts in various stages of management, from just harvested
to 10-15 years of growth since the previous harvest. Forestland that is
in or along a main guest-use area is managed as a landscape, with a buffer zone between access roads and harvest areas. This allows aesthetic viewing and forest management to be conducted simultaneously. Trees in these landscape zones are managed by The Biltmore Company’s Horticulture Department, which includes a team of arborists.
Annual timber harvests on the estate range in volumes of 255,000 to 1.2 million board feet. Following a timber
cruise of a forested tract, the consulting forester will prepare the harvest plan for review by Biltmore staff. Upon approval, the forest unit (tract) is previewed by multiple sawmills and log buyers prior to a timber sale. Each timber buyer or mill usually has preferred tree species from the harvest. Some of the tree species from last year’s timber harvest included white oak, yellow poplar, white pine, black walnut, red oak, red maple and yellow pine. A unique aspect of
the annual timber harvest is that The Biltmore Company sells logs at a landing, not stumpage. The consulting forester and contract logger use the single-tree selection method for the majority of timber harvests. However, some harvests are conducted with a species and size range parameter provided to the logger.
The Biltmore Company ensures that all regulations are followed in its forest management efforts and during timber harvests. This includes monitoring Stream Management Zones (SMZs), utilizing Best Management Practices (BMPs) and Forest Practice Guidelines (FPGs), and protecting sensitive areas, including cultural or ecological locations such as cemeteries, old home sites, etc.
As a landowner, there are numerous challenges that come with forest
This drone photograph, provided by The Biltmore Company’s forestry consultant Bishop Forestry and Land, PLLC, shows current timber harvesting operations on the Biltmore Estate.
ncforestry.org / SECOND QUARTER 2020 11
CONTRIBUTED BY BISHOP FORESTRY AND LAND, PLLC
CONTRIBUTED BY MR. CURT HORN OF THE BILTMORE COMPANY