Alot of woodlot owners that burn wood cut dead trees for firewood. This I feel is a mistake, they have lots of value for wildlife. I have Pileated woodpeckers nesting in my woods. They always use a dead standing tree for the nest and never the same one from year to year. Instead most woodlots could use a good thinning so I cut living trees with an eye on opening up the woods so that more grasses and forbs can grow in the ground. Makes for better wildlife habitat.
most every thing I burn is standing dead or nearly dead , or severely damaged
I cut a lot of root rot maple , just better to get it down while we had a little holding wood on the stump the top was mostly dead just explodes in pieces when it hits the ground
had some damaged spruce I knew needed to come down but it was leaning at the house I said I just wasn't comfortable taking that down myself and this spring one came down with the strong winds on the house so they took the rest down with the tree company that did the one on the house. I didn't have a lift to get them down right.
also lots of dead ash from near roads and fences it has to come down before it does other damage
leaving the ones that are already far gone for wildlife is fine but if they have good firewood value people want me to take them out they worry about them falling or being snags and being dangerous for the kids to be around.
if it was deep woods trees leaving more dead would be fine but yard trees , near yard trees and anything that will fall on fences , roads or other stuff if it goes the wrong direction. it is an issue.
