Beware of Forest Clearing: 7 Reasons Why People Fail at it
Forest clearing is a critical part of any landscape design project. Clearing forested areas creates space for new growth and opportunities for land development. However, clearing land can be complex and, when done incorrectly, may lead to extensive damage to your property. Here are some common mistakes that occur when attempting to clear land.
Key takeaways 
- Poor planning can lead to erroneous results. Ensure you understand your land clearing requirements before beginning.
- If you don’t have the right tools, you can quickly get in over your head.
- Resorting to one land clearing method without researching any others may cause problems.
- Not understanding your legal obligations before clearing may land you in trouble.
- Taking on a land clearing project without the necessary expertise can lead to significant problems.
- You may damage valued vegetation if you don’t approach a clearing job correctly.
- When building your home, it’s easy to underestimate how much cleared space you’ll need.
1. Lack of planning for forest clearing
Land clearing is about more than just hiring a bulldozer and pushing over trees haphazardly. A land clearing project must be planned and executed with a purpose. What are you going to do with the vegetation once it’s cleared? How are you going to deal with inclines and other tricky topographical features? How will you protect your land from damage leading to long-term land degradation? These are just a few of the questions that need answers.
Here’s how our team handles those issues:
- You don’t need to worry about removing vegetation when forestry mulching. By shredding vegetation on the spot, you turn debris into nutrient rich mulch;
- Our compact track loader is equipped to handle challenging terrain and poor conditions. We can work on steep inclines and in densely vegetated areas without sacrificing safety or efficiency;
- Forestry mulching protects against soil damage by shredding stumps instead of uprooting them. We can maintain the soil’s integrity by keeping root systems in place.
Without proper planning, you’ll likely end up with poorly cleared land that will cost more money to fix than a well-orchestrated project would have cost in the first place.
If you want to know more about forest clearing, check out this blog.
2. Don’t have the right tools
Forestry clearing can be intensive, depending on how heavily forested your property is. Cutting down trees and uprooting stumps requires expensive heavy machinery. Thinking you can do the same job with a chainsaw is misguided and will waste considerable time.
It would be best if you had the equipment to deal with the vegetation density you’re clearing. For example, using a forestry mulching service will allow you to remove trees quickly and eliminate the need to haul vegetation offsite.
If you would like to learn more or have any questions regarding the right land clearing tools or machines, contact East Coast Mulching.
3. Don’t know which clearing method is best
The most common form of land clearing, clearing and grubbing, can incur high costs and leave you with piles of brush to burn or haul away and churned soil that could lead to erosion and poor soil fertility. Different land clearing methods are available to property developers, and each has advantages and disadvantages. Often, a landowner will opt for one land clearing method without understanding its impact on their property.
Researching other methods like forestry mulching will save you time and money while providing more sustainable clearing. There are many things to consider when deciding on a land clearing method. How big is your property? How will a particular method affect your land value? What is your budget?
Forestry mulching services can handle large areas, even if vegetation is dense. Since forestry mulching protects soil fertility and prevents erosion, it promotes positive land value. Also, as mulching requires less equipment and human resources, providers like East Coast Mulching can keep costs down.
Check out this blog to understand what’s the best land clearing method for you.
4. Haven’t met the legal requirements
Don’t think you can use your land any way you wish. All levels of government have legislation protecting the environment from potentially damaging land development. Legislation generally centres on identifying protected flora and preventing its destruction. There is also specific legislation for protecting koala habitats.
Unless you have an exemption, you may need to have your land surveyed before clearing. Particular clearing work is covered by a general exemption, including:
- Establishing a fire management line;
- Creating a firebreak to protect infrastructure;
- Reducing fuel loads;
- Maintaining infrastructure;
- Removing immediate threats to people or buildings.
Any protected vegetation found on your property will require a permit before removal. Failure to secure a license when necessary may land you a hefty fine.
Check with your local council to determine your responsibilities.
If you would like to learn more or have any questions regarding the land clearing requirements, contact East Coast Mulching.
5. Taking on more than you can manage through DIY
As we’ve already mentioned, land clearing can be intensive. These difficulties may lead you to waste significant time and money trying to complete the clearing. You may even abandon the project entirely. When you have a large area to clear and thick vegetation, you can quickly get in over your head.
When taking on forest clearing, you must be honest about how much you can do and what should go to a professional forestry clearing service. Consider your options carefully when you believe you have the capacity and a budget. How much experience do you have with heavy machinery? How much time do you have to dedicate to the task?
If you want to go the DIY route, East Coast Mulching has top-of-the-range forestry mulchers for dry hire. Our Cat 259D3 is comfortable, safe and easy to operate. Contact us for a quote.
6. Accidentally damaging valued trees
Landowners often want to preserve particular property elements for aesthetic or personal reasons. However, without the proper knowledge or experience, you can easily damage trunks or root systems, resulting in that beloved tree or precious native plant dying.
Methods like clearing and grubbing pose an inherent risk to your property. Uprooting trees and scraping undergrowth from the ground harms the soil and may cause long-term, even permanent damage. This damage can have a knock-on effect that leads to wanted vegetation being destroyed.
An experienced forestry mulching service like East Coast Mulching can offer targeted clearing. Targeted clearing maintains valued vegetation while removing surrounding unwanted plants and trees. Our service works with the environment and will ensure your landscaping accords with your needs.
7. Not clearing enough forestry land
When preparing land for homebuilding, you must ensure a safe building room. Many people underestimate how much clearing is necessary for their purposes. Building a home requires room to store materials and accommodate workers and machinery. This oversight can risk delaying your construction project as you clear more land.
Forestry mulching is a straightforward process that can be done efficiently, even on rugged terrain. East Coast Mulching can correctly prepare your property to accommodate all the necessary infrastructure. We don’t have to worry about disposing of leftover debris and can clear extra land as needed.
You can read a more comprehensive guide on land clearing here.
Contact us for your forestry clearing needs
There are many pitfalls property owners can fall into when clearing land. A professional service can assist you in completing your project safely and effectively.
East Coast Mulching prides itself on creating solutions for our clients to help avoid potential problems. Call us today for a free quote on your forest clearing project.
Contact us for your forestry clearing needs
There are many pitfalls property owners can fall into when clearing land. A professional service can assist you in completing your project safely and effectively.
East Coast Mulching prides itself on creating solutions for our clients to help avoid potential problems. Call us today for a free quote on your forest clearing project.
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