This is one of the first decisions you will have to make after a burn. Some standing dead trees, called snags, are good for your forest and provide habitat for many woodland birds and animals. But lots of snags can be too much of a good thing. This is when you need to plan a salvage cut, not only to remove these now hazardous trees from your property, but also to recover some of the value of the damaged trees.
Salvage operations are usually not done unless the trees taken out at least pay for the operation. But other reasons to salvage logs are forest health considerations and decreasing future fire risks. Assess the damage, do the math, and make your decision in a timely manner. Most salvage operations should be done as soon as possible (three years maximum) to minimize the value lost.
