Tree Cutting

You're requested during February not to enter the Paradise Hill portion of our tree farm (though selective cutting may be observed from the large field on your right as you drive up that road). Many

know that our land, and trails I built there (maintained by the Bethel Inn Nordic Center) welcome a rich variety of animals including any humans on foot, skis or snowshoes, anytime when it's safe to be there. But Since 1945 Bethel has had likely the greatest proportion of professional foresters and certified Tree Farmers of any town in this beautiful county. (I'd name them but fear I'd omit one.) That they have enabled growth of the finest trees (which lesser folks cut first) has enabled the Bethel area also to have the greatest concentration of woodworking plants and sawmills in a very large area. Many dedicated workers and remarkable farm families like the Carters and Hastings have for a hundred years now been joined by a great collection of intelligent, talented folks, so that Bethel is as blessed as it's biblical name. This month we'll be doing a selective harvest, aimed primarily at restoring views to the north and west for ten home-owners.

I was honored many years ago when Ralph Hall chose me as custodian and future owner of 20 acres between house lots on Paradise and Bethel Inn's 14th Fairway, a hillside parcel extending from the Vachon estate to the Tibbetts estate. Ralph had planted Norway Spruce in his fields (in a band from 150 feet west of the road to a stone wall 500 feet back) but never harvested them, and they came to block the Hall's view, plus that of seven other houses and five house lots he still owned. My friend Wyn Haskell and I spent happy days clearing around the stonewall and hundreds of poplar trees which had begun to fill in the lower field. In 1990 I had a chipper come in to clear out most of the then 20-feet-high spruce, but left all on a Vachon lot (95 Paradise) and most on my still-available lot at 135 Paradise Road.

As we undertake to restore much of the lost views, I've invited all 10 abuttors to flag trees they'd like retained on their land or ours, and have myself spent three days marking trees behind the stonewall which would look good standing as profile trees against the skyline. (It was Fred Burke who recommended leaving such to give a greater feeling of depth to a landscape view.) While we've marked many fine white pines to save (which had been pruned to grow select-grade boards), many of those may have to be sacrificed for the view, leaving primarily white birch, Norway (red) pine, maple for color, and those conical spruce, of which we've saved the best.

If Donald Roakes' team (like Bethel's superb equivalent logger, Don Bennett) can achieve it, we may enable some on the Hill for the first time in over 30 years see two white steeples on Church Street and the Gould cupola but I doubt we'll be that lucky. It's hard to keep Mother Nature down! (Just hink if you didn't like grass or white pine, how difficult it would be to liminate them!). Whatever we're able to restore cannot possibly be as pectacular as what my Brother Bob achieved from ledges at the top of the Hill, in part because we'll also be trying to limit wind, another difficult balance. (“Chadbourne Tree Farms” is Bob's, not mine. Ads by “tchad” (also d.b.a “landme”) are neither Bob's nor mine.) facebook.com/ted.chadbourne.

Also not to be taken for granted in this fine newspaper, whose writing and photography are a continuing treat. We'll be lucky if we don't have the editor and some good writers called away to a more major league. Same goes for Pastor Rickerman of the Congregational Church.

If you missed Colista Morgan's column, don't miss Richard Grover's “Mason” column now as his tales reach into historic skies. Thanks also to Jewel Clark for sharing with us the wonderful "Celladore" journals of Beckie (Carter) Bailey (Bethel's first college girl?). Thank you all for making Bethel the wonderful place it is! Ted.Chadbourne

Cumberland