Facilitating a Dialogue About Diameter-Limit Cutting

Faculty of Forest and Natural Resources Management, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY(894) recounted the harvest of only the largest and best trees. In fact, diameter-limit cutting was recommended at the time as a means of preserving growing stock (Cary 907, Murphy 97). With no markets for anything but high-value trees, large trees were selectively removed under the guise of selection silviculture. See Pinchot (905) or Westveld (949) for examples.Some foresters raised concerns about diameter-limit cutting as early as the 900s. Murphy (97) reported that diameter-limit cutting was common in the spruce regions, but warned that failure to improve the smaller size classes or retain thrifty trees of large sizes would prevent sufficient yield to make cuts periodically. Later research led Blum and Filip (963) and Roach (974) to question the sustainability of structure and growth in diameter-limit cut stands. Seymour et al. (986) expressed concern about “short-sighted, financially motivated cutting,” and encouraged wider application of silviculture. More recently, Kenefic et al. (2005) and Nyland (2005) concluded that repeated diameter-limit cutting reduced stand quality, value and long-term yields. Alternative silvicultural treatments were suggested (Kenefic and Nyland 2005).Diameter-limit cutting is an integral part of our forest history in the Northeast, resulting in millions of acres of cutover lands. Many second-growth stands now contain poor quality stems, less valuable species, and variable stocking and crown cover as a result of past harvesting practices (Nyland 992). At the dawn of the 2st century, Irland (999) concluded that cutting in the Northeast generally was depleting stand quality and value far more than improving it.Partial cuts focusing on extracting value continue to be widespread (Seymour 2005). Long-standing use of diameter-limit cutting has been little mitigated by findings from research about the benefits of silviculture. The short-term financial benefits of cutting only the