Took down an ash today

I think this is the biggest tree I have ever taken down. Not huge, but about 18-20" trunk.

Hated to do it, an EAB kill. When I moved here this was a gorgeous mature ash in perfect health. 10/10. I wish I had tried to save it.

The wedge cut went FAST on my electric so I got a little cautious. I put a winch line on it and got my milwaukee pole saw out which I use to put a little distance between me and a tree for back cuts. BTW protip you can run any bar that the M18 saw can run on these. So I have a 14" on there. Anyway got it 90% and walked back to my garage for wedges and when I came back I decided to re-tension the winch line. Soon as I did that the tree just came down.

Not a great hinge as a result of sloppy cuts but it did end up dropping exactly where I was aiming.

This will heat my house for 2 weeks next winter, and I now have a sunny backyard.

 

Also should mention that I took a number of lower limbs off with the pole saw before dropping the tree, just to get some things out of the way and have more clearance.

 

It's been really sad to lose the ash trees, but at least they do make really fine firewood!

 

The USFS is offering grants to treat Ash trees. That’s about a decade too late for ours, but maybe there are some further west they can burn money on.

 

There is hope on the horizon for the Ash. Naturally occurring bug resistant trees have been located and are being planted in regional nurseries as we speak. I’m confident it will make a comeback.

 

Kinda reminds me of the CDC saying in January every year that the flu vaccine developed for the current season is for the wrong strain.

 

A couple years ago i delivered a rick and a little more of ash to a friend. Lamented that was the last ash firewood i will cut and split. We had a few live trees on our timber harvest in 2021. Glad some use was had from them