The habitat at Pineridge has evolved significantly from 1991 to 2018, as shown in aerial comparisons, with key interventions marked in different colors: blue for the 2007 harvest, orange for the 2014 harvest, and yellow for the 2017 shearing.
The 2007 harvest covered 30 acres and was conducted using conventional logging methods, including full tree skidding to landings. The site featured plenty of leave trees, though at times there were too many. As of 2018, the area was dominated by the 1-3 inch size-class aspen sapling cover type during the stem-exclusion phase. It was expected to remain as decent early successional habitat (ESH) for another 5 years from that time.
In November 2017, a shearing project was completed over 12 acres. The existing stand condition consisted mostly of beaked hazel with some aspen saplings. The contractor employed was Iserv, a subsidiary of Itasca Mantrap, using equipment that included an ASV RT 120 fitted with a forestry mulcher. The entire project took about 3 days to finish, and the longevity of the resulting ESH is unknown. Before-and-after photos illustrate the transformation: from dense brush with some snow cover, to mulched ground immediately post-shearing, and eventually to regenerated green vegetation.
Overall, the projects have improved 54 acres of habitat, benefiting all ESH species.
