We're planting to FS specs because we're in the FIP program. Our local
SWCD supervisors all signed up, because all of us had dead timber, and
wanted to see if this program could/should be recommended to cooperators
and area landowners. The FS guys seems to finally be getting on step,
figuring out how to administer this program. It's been a shakey start.

I used to work around Mexican crews who were pruning wine grapes and
apple trees. Those guys are flat incredible. I've done a lot of large home
apple orchards, and there's *no way* I could ever approach the speed
and accuracy of their work.

We groomed our little woodlot with a brush rake on a farm tractor and
with the root rake on our old stringblade D-7 before planting. It helped a
lot to gather the slash into burn piles, so we had pretty clear planting areas.
(The guys had tremendous burn piles lit, while they logged with a big
excavator. Stacked the trees & slash as they went.)

Gee, just hearing the term "high lead" makes me tired these days.

Jan

FIP were discontinued or renamed might be the better word to FPP at
least way down here in Dixie. Is your FIP a 50% cost share? That is
the way ours used to work with a max on $60/acre for site prep and $40
/acre for seedling planting. Did yall jujst write the bill to yourself
to get all the cost share available. That is the way I do it when I do
the work myself. We have a Federal program down here called a WHIP and
it pays 75% of planting cost. It s awesome. Our establishment of trees
under those programs were under $40/acre out of pocket. There is
really some good programs out there to help individuals plant their
land