BO is considering clearing a trail through some woods on her property. It would be fairly short - a cool out path mainly. How would you go about doing this? There is a narrow path there now but it is a bit rough, narrow, and grows over quickly. The idea would be to widen and perhaps improve the footing. This can be done without removing any large trees, but there are some saplings that would have to be dealt with. Some can be DIY, but suspect some help would be needed. What kind of company would do this kind of work?
what was once an easy task of just removing unwanted brush or vegetation from one’s private property has now become how to do it legally as many town/cities/communities now believe your property rights are theirs. Many communities think your trees are theirs to view.
Here is list of some of the communities in Connecticut that have tree ordinances, I would suspect there are many more
https://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2697&q=582710#TreeCity
There are tree trimming companies that have tree pullers.
Those are an attachment to their skid loader that will go along pulling trees, which would be one way to get rid of those saplings.
Then you have to go along and get the ground bladed back to smooth and without holes, if any where they pulled saplings and may have left a low spot.
You may want to check with those companies.
If they don’t, they may know who would do that for you.
A tree guy or a landscaping company could probably do this for you, but unless the saplings are large, it sounds like an easy weekend project?
Wood chips are abundant and make a nice cushy path.
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You can rent tree pulling skidsters yourself and do it one afternoon:
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Good trail design is a mix of skill and art – which includes considering hydrology patterns, topography, and soils. I’d encourage you to talk to your local extension agent for tips both for the health of your land, the longevity of your trail, and the health of the natural systems which are all connected.
When I was on a volunteer advisory group to the US Forest Service when we were laying trails in the LBJ Grasslands we had to us their guide lines. Just a short sixteen chapter all inclusive guide
https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/htmlp…232816/toc.htm
We worked under their guidance.
But OP is in Connecticut, and state that requires Tree Wardens kind of puts me on edge with touching any bush without consulting local authorities
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Having tried to work with–hell, even FIND–the local extension agency in Connecticut about horse stuff, I’ll just wish you good luck with that. Maybe they’re okay if you have a problem with your rhododendrons, but in my experience the agency is severely understaffed and lacking in any sort of farm function.
I went round and round with this last year or the one before just trying to get some information on pasture management and finally gave up. It’s just not available here.
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Well, that’s a shame. Land grant university, NRCS, and potentially your state natural resource agency (for example, we have private lands biologists, but I don’t know any folks who work for CT) can also be good resources.
I have a farm with 225 ac. in woods. I also have a tractor with a loader, bush hog,electric chainsaw and loppers. While DH was at work I carved miles of trails. No consultation with any steenking extension service. I got a roll of surveyor’s flagging tape, got off the tractor and decided where I wanted to go around trees that I didn’t want to cut down. Climbed back on the tractor and mowed down the 4" and under trees with the bush hog, chainsawed the rest and lopped the overhanging branches. BTW. I was 50 y.o. retired city girl when we got the farm and 5’2" tall and 115 pounds. All it takes equipment and desire.
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Also from CT here. The tree wardens do not have a say on private property, they deal with municipally owned trees primarily on town roads and parks. You may have a tree that they have a say over, but only because it is in the ROW. They actually address a real problem with town accountability about hazard trees on public ROWs.
A large trail system might have to meet wetlands regulations, but only if you built an actual road or use a lot of fill! Not the case here, I think.
As Simkie says the extension agents are useless for ag. questions in CT, nice people though. But useless. I always get a laugh about this board’s constant ‘talk to the extension agent!’ Not in this state.
Anyway, if your land is flat (ish) really a trail is simple. Chainsaw, brush hog, and go cross the hill not straight up and down. And remember horses with riders are taller than you think, but narrower. Think about your grading carefully, before you put it in. Easier to put it in right than fix it. If you grade it, bank it in to the hill and direct water into ditches on the upstream side with frequent controlled water bar crossings, every 200 ft is about max if the grade is significant.
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When you build your trail, be sure it is wide enough to accommodate any equipment you will use to maintain it. A tractor with no implements requires less than a tractor with a bucket and bush hog.
Don’t overthink it. It needs bulk manual labor not planning. If you have an existing trail that works and will not need big trees felled or grading just get to work. Clear anything big by hand (fallen branches/rocks/trash), cut down saplings with loppers or a chain saw then run a mower you don’t like over it low to the ground. Makes sure you make it at least 1.5 times the width of the mower you will use to maintain it. If you can mow it, you can easily freshen it up a few times a year and it will control regrowth. If is narrow so you have to maintain it by hand it will get reclaimed by the forest if you live somewhere fertile. You’ll beat up your mower and blunt mower blades and chainsaw chains running them right to the ground but you can get a lot done in a day.
Thanks for all the tips. Will have to see if it is worthwhile to get trees/stumps pulled or just cut to the ground. It will mostly be a walking trail. It is mostly a gentle slope with one hill. Owner is reluctant to use woodchips due to worrying about black walnut if brought in and concern about them being slippery. It is stony (CT’s best crop!) so it would be nice to have some fill.
If you want something to pull small saplings… I love my Pullerbear to remove saplings up to ~2". Very easy and leaves no root/stump to resprout or get stepped on. (Those small diameter stumps can do a job on hooves and tires.)
We had a guy come out with his bobcat with some sort of mulching attachment. It can get any small tree under 8" in diamter, turns everything to mulch. Perfect for clearing trails.
Think twice about leaving stumps. They will create hazards overtime. Soil erodes around them, they stick up, etc. etc. We have a few here that we cut down into the dirt. We don’t keep horses there.
