Does anyone know what the rules/common practices are with downed trees near the side of roads? I noticed a few trees that I would love to harvest next to the side of the road with pink ribbon around it. I'm not trying to get cited for anything so I thought I would ask!!! Thank you FHC!!!
Great question, I often wonder myself there are patches of woods around me with trees cut what look like by Twp just laying there on side of the road or trees that have fallen!!
Every place is different and it can depend on who is doing the cutting. My town is don't touch. ANything. Next town over if the town is doing the cutting and piling it on the street side of the sidewalk it's up for grabs. If it is on the homeowner side of the sidewalk it is spoken for. Contractors it is best to ask. Out in rural land where a landowner might not even know there's cutting going on might be up for grabs. It's usually best to ask when you can.
It depends on the laws of your state and county. For example here in Kentucky a tree service was contracted by the state Transportation Cabinet to remove dead ash and oak along a 5 mile section of highway. The minute they cranked up a saw I spoke with the crew leader about the wood. He said that the wood belonged to the land owner on which the roadway right of way passed. He said the owner had no use for the wood so they were going to take it to the dump where it would cost them something like $150. Per load to dump. I said I'm closer than the dump and I don't charge. He said show the driver where you want the wood and we will drop when we fill the truck. I was given 5 loads of huge ash and red oak. Everything else was chipped, which was a shame because what they chipped would have been easier to process than that huge stuff. Generally, the wood belongs to the land owner so it's always best to ask, 9 times out of 10 you'll be rewarded for asking.
Just knock on the door. If they aren't home, leave a note. I've done that before and have gotten a few calls in return
Good points. I usually have done things with the "it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission" mindset. However, this sounds like an ask first situation because the last thing I want is an angry neighbor or a citation or both.
Yes, you can remember that the road is a right of way and not ownership. Sometimes we have to remind our road commission of that! So the land owner still owns that wood. Ask before you take.
Exactly. Always ask the landowner. Good point about the right of way as well. You never know, that landowner may be looking for someone to clean up a real honey-hole that you can't even see from the roadway. The worst that can happen is they say no. No harm, no foul in that case. It is far better than the deputy sheriff showing up with the owner while you are working it. No good can come of that.
Yeah, technically we own to the center of the street here, but the town and services have exclusive right of way for 8 to 10 feet. We get to cut the lawn, shovel the snow on the sidewalk and pay taxes on the strip we can't modify much at all.
Each place is different and you should check the local government to be sure. The county road I live on, the county owns the right of way.
