Harvest of trees planned
By COBY LaRUE
Staff
A plan to harvest selected trees at the Alleghany County Fairgrounds was presented to the Board of Commissioners last month and work is slated to begin by early February.
The sale of the timber is expected to raise between $10,000 and $15,000.
The trees that would be harvested cover roughly 25 acres on the right side of the fairgrounds property, which would be accessed via the road that goes to the new water tank installed by the town and the Boy Scout building. The section, on the northwestern edge of the property toward Bledsoe Creek Road, that is being harvested is not visible from the U.S. 21 area and does not include the ridgeline area.
More specifically, if standing at the parade grounds and facing the mountainside, Evans said the area behind the grandstand wouldn't be harvested. The area being harvested would be to the right of the fairgrounds if one were facing the property from U.S. 21.
In addition, the work may also lead to more trails being constructed through the fairgrounds property, said David Evans, Alleghany's recreation director. This could lead to further recreational opportunities, such as expanded bow shoots, birding, hiking and organized mountain bike events.
Layout of trails would require funds, Evans said, funds that aren't available without finding additional revenue sources.
The funds raised through harvesting the timber would be used to help fund maintenance and needed improvements at the fairgrounds complex, he added.
The purpose of the harvest is for timber stand improvement through selective harvest of the trees. Forester David Isner has agreed to provide his services at half his normal rate to help with the plan implementation. In all, he would be paid 5 percent of the amount paid to the fairgrounds, versus his normal rate of 10 to 15 percent. The harvest would allow younger trees to develop into marketable trees in the future. Isner works with the Fairgrounds board and was formerly employed by the Alleghany Cooperative Extension Service office.
He now operates his business, Highland Hobbies LLC, which he has owned for about the past 10 years.
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