Picked up 6 oak rounds yesterday that had been lying in a ditch along side of a well traveled gravel road for over a month.I kind of figured they were not coming back for it so I brought it home and split and stacked it.Did I do right ?
Private property, or public land? If private property, then you should have asked. Public land, no problem.
A ditch may be considered state or local property if the rounds were close to the road. There could have been some contractors working there to clear trees away from the service lines. One of the workers may have thought to cut some large pieces into rounds with intentions to collect them later. He snoozed, he loozed.
The state did the same here; came along and cut down a pine that was on the right of way in front of the house and left the larger pieces; the rest was grounded up and hauled away. I guess one should ask the property owner out of courtesy even though it is on the right of way and therefore public land and public owned trees. Most states have 30 feet from centre line of state two lane roads; and I think 125 feet of wider highways. Check your state but yes, on the side of the road is on public land and since the state cut the trees down and left them, it is public taking.
If left that long I would have grabbed it to... especially since we dont have oak any where near here.
I think you're ok. A ditch and just few rounds. Whoever bucked them probably didn't know they lost them after thateng the of time. Enjoy the warmth...but it's good you asked.
Part of my frontage, I own both sides of the road, as we own some of the property across the road as well. We also own part of the property the power line runs through, so any tree clearing is mine if I want it. Just remember, if you don't own it, it belongs to someone else. No idea about WV.
Unfortunately there is no "standard" road ditch. Road right of ways can vary a lot in ownership and responsibility of the landscaping. Use as a road is typically given/taken by either easement, where you technically own the property but the governing body can use and maintain it for road and/or utility purposes, or by deed (fee title) where the goverment owns the land outright. The ability to take wood from trimmed/downed trees is subject to the easement or purchase agreement, or state laws and there is no standard way adopted across the nation or even across each state. That being said I still think you're fine and I wouldn't sweat it.
Yes, right of way and ownership is two different things; I was confused on that. The state can cut down the trees along the right of way without my permission but they don't own the land; in fact I think the property line is in the centre of the road where I live.
I don't think you did wrong but personally I would ask the landowner for 2 reasons: 1 is to feel perfectly sure that what I'm doing is ok and 2 is when you ask for 6 rounds the guy may say yeah take that and anything else you find. The more people that know I'll take easy to get wood the better.
in my neck of the woods if something is on the side of the road it's there so somebody takes it. Our farm was filled with junk (some useful but most not). Pretty much anything we put on the road somebody salvaged it no matter what it was. As for wood I would not leave it by the side of the road and expect it to be there a month later. I would have to assume that who ever bucked it isn't planning on getting it.
I used this rule to my advantage some years back. Here in Ohio If it's a county road the have the right of way 20 feet from the center line of the road out. When Hurricane Ike's remnants passed through Ohio, all we had was high winds. I Had a 4 ft catalpa at the end of my driveway that "almost" blew over. Was lifting soil around the base over 1 ft after the storm passed. The only reason it didn't go was because the ground was dry. The first heavy/soaking rain would send it down. Power line on 2 sides, building within reach as well. Had the county come out and the tree was just 6 inches into the right of way on it's edge of the trunk. He said, "Well, it's ours." They sent out a tree company with a boom truck and they pieced it down. They chipped the brush and gave me the wood. Not that it was worth much heat value wise but cut wood at your own place is hard to pass up!
Round here, that is how to get rid of something. Set on the side of the road. The pickers will come along and it is gone. I can't do that at my place because I'm on dead end road. At times, you will see a cardboard "free" sign on stuff. I've seen road crews trimming back trees and leaving the logs on the side and in the ditch. Eventually, someone comes along and it is gone.
The town cut down trees on the road behind the house. They said, have at it! They have to pay to get rid of it. At one time they'd deliver logs and cuts to your house. Just had to put your name on the list. Now, the new highway superintendent doesn't do jack for anyone.
Were I live in Maine, everything is based upon old units of measure. I live on a small road off in the puckerbrush so its right-of-way is a 4 rod road. In that case the town owns everything to 33' from the center of the road. A lot of people do not understand this and get upset when they trim trees or do ditching; here its not mine so they can do what they want.
