I wish you all the best. You're starting off on a better foot than me because I didn't have this site nor did I have the book. But everything worked out. I'm sure all your ideas will all come together. Mike in Bronx, NY

Jeff's Forum Posts: 2
Journal Entries: 7
Average Forum Rating: 3.50
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Logging

Posted to 302 by Jeff in Belfair, WA on 8/14/2008 7:26:49 AM

Logging almost complete...

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Before	Cedar, alder, maple. Not much fir or hemlock. No word yet on any volume of alder peelers. Jury is out on figured maple at this point (probably a pipe dream).
Trees near highway will be logged last. Will need to hire flaggers for traffic control.	This is a huge harvest, not for the faint of heart...not to worry, 2+ acres left unharvested, and we will be replanting in the fall.

Silt Fence

Posted to 302 by Jeff in Belfair, WA on 7/16/2008 2:50:05 PM

350+ feet of silt fence before logging can begin.  We've discovered this is why we had sons!  Terrain did not accommodate power equipment.  Back-breaking work, but we finished.  On to the next step.

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Logging Permit

Posted to 302 by Jeff in Belfair, WA on 7/2/2008 10:48:11 AM

A mere 8 months later, the logging permit (Forest Practices Application) has finally been approved!

Still waiting...

Posted to 302 by Jeff in Belfair, WA on 6/10/2008 12:04:38 PM

Seven months later...

After singing Kumbaya for pileated woodpeckers and preparing an alternative habitat for them, apparently not endangered but a species of concern, we have continued to wait.  (Translated - either cut down 2 woodpecker snags and REPLANT THE DEAD TREES somewhere else, or pay $1500 to a biologist to kill two other trees and make sure they stay dead for 2 years!   I'm NOT kidding. I thought those birds had wings and could fly to any one of the other wood pecker snags on this 6-acre parcel, but apparently not.) 

Public Works appears to be the picture of inefficiency.  It took them 5 months to tell us they didn't like our storm water management plan, and another 1 month to say they like it, but now they need to ask the state about it.  

We've built in Mason County before, but never had to deal with public works.  The Building Department is Great.  The people in Planning are fine.  We've recently learned that other folks have had similar issues with Public Works here as well.

So, here we are, still waiting to log.   Would really like for it to happen this summer.

RogerC's Forum Posts: 31 Interview Answers: 3 Average Forum Rating: 3.33 Send Private Message Randomly Selected Image 6/11/2008	Yikes!  I feel for you.  That is just crazy.  As a lover of birds, I can't help thinking there just has to be a better way to make all parties happy...  land-owners, biologists, and Dryocopus pileatus alike. By the way, that is a beautiful lot!  If you ever get beyond the Public Works, what type of house are you planning?
Jeff's Forum Posts: 2 Journal Entries: 7 Average Forum Rating: 3.50 Send Private Message Image from Jeff's blog 6/11/2008	Struggling between keeping the size down and "having what we want."    We can't even get a complete take on the view because it is so heavily treed.  Definitely a view though.  Because of the slope of the lot, we're going to end up with a basement, but probably won't finish the basement.   Probably will be about 3500-4000 sq ft. at this point.   Looking to build a high-end house on a budget.  Still LOTs of site prep to do though.
RogerC's Forum Posts: 31 Interview Answers: 3 Average Forum Rating: 3.33 Send Private Message Randomly Selected Image 7/17/2008	Your project sounds very similar to mine, which is yet to begin.  I'm planning on around 4000 sq ft with basement, on a hillside 1.25 acres, hoping to do high-end finishes (we'll see how that goes).   All I've done so far is purchase the land.  Very different terrains though...  you'll cutting down trees; I'll be moving saguaros.   It looks like you're making great progress!...  I'll be watching your journal closely.  :)

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Slow Going

Posted to 302 by Jeff in Belfair, WA on 10/31/2007 8:05:50 AM

Summer has come and gone.  We had hoped to be done logging by the end of summer, but the survey took MUCH longer than promised.   That said, the survey is complete, the geotechnical report is done, and the logging permit has been submitted.   Maybe we can hope to have the property logged by spring . . .

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Approach in progress

Posted to 302 by Jeff in Belfair, WA on 6/27/2007

40 feet of culvert, extending 30-40 feet of the future driveway (only another 600 feet to go!)

Haul out 

• 15 loads of organic material (13 of which a guy 1 mile down the road took as clean fill.

Crushed rock 1-1/4

• 7 loads

4x8 rip rap

• 3 loads

Heavy Equipment

• Traded a hardwood floor (prefinished) installation for labor!

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Approach

Posted to 302 by Jeff in Belfair, WA on 6/27/2007

Need a culvert!

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