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Missouri Logging Company's Philosophy Outside the Norm

Gary Grigsby
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KBIA

Pioneer Forest is located deep in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks.

It's the largest private landowner in the state with 143,000 acres spread out over six counties.  For about 60 years Pioneer has cut down trees on its land and sold them.  But its founder, Leo Drey, had something else in mind for the land management company besides making money.  And his philosophy is still in place at Pioneer all these years later.

Late last year two Pioneer Forest managers made their way onto a tract of its land in Shannon County where a logging operation was taking place.  On the heavily wooded work area on logger was using a chain saw to take down a red oak tree while another was using a machine called a skidder to pull about a half dozen cut trees, all chained together, down a muddy road to a loading area.  "What we've got here are some red oak in rough shape that needed to be thinned out and that is what we've done," said Pioneer Forest manager Brandon Kuhn.

Credit Gary Grigsby / KBIA
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KBIA
Logger Lanny May watches a red oak tree fall after he cut it down on Pioneer Forest land in Shannon County late last year.

His boss, Pioneer's Chief Forester Jason Green said that's how they do business.  "We know that if a tree is not healthy today and we know it's not going to live for the next 20-30 years, we are going to mark that tree and harvest it.  We harvest our worst trees and leave our best."

Not exactly what you might expect to hear from a company that's in business to cut down trees.  "We need to be growing the best quality trees that we possibly can," Green said.  "And you can't do that if you're cutting down your best trees all the time."

Green said there is a name for this management method.  "In single tree selection we are looking at every single tree.  We're making a decision to harvest that tree or leave it.  We leave a lot of trees and we mark a lot of trees to be harvested.  But essentially when we're done we still have an intact forest.  It's not a clear cut."

Before Pioneer conducts a logging operation Green said they always look at three things: economics, ecology and esthetics.  "We want our forests to look good," he said.  "And we think that it does when we are done with a harvest."

Credit Gary Grigsby / KBIA
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KBIA
Logger Lanny May cuts down a marked red oak tree during a logging operation on Pioneer Forest land in December.

Green also said that after every logging operation they always have three classes of trees left standing.  "We gotta have small trees, medium sized trees and we gotta have some big trees."

Make no mistake, Pioneer cuts down high quality trees.  But Green said they are also patient.  Take a 12 inch diameter white oak tree for example.  Green said if you let it grow for another 30 years, it becomes a lot more valuable. "You go from a tree that's worth a few dollars to a few hundred dollars." 

Green understands though that not all companies that cut timber can take the same approach they do.  "Your son or daughter goes to college.  You need to pay for it.  You are going to make the most money you can," he said.  "Then you might be cutting the best timber you have."

Green also said he's just glad to be working for a company that's in it for the long haul.  "We expect to be doing this forever, hopefully."