[at-l] Trail Maintenance: Blazing

[RoksnRoots@aol.com (RoksnRoots@aol.com)]

In a message dated 3/7/02 7:29:28 AM Eastern Standard Time, kahley@ptd.net 
writes:


> Just a thought.....there was an article someplace and backed up by a couple 
> thrus
> who made the notation that blazed trees die first.  It could be something 
> in the
> paint or it could be overly anal blazing that scraps bark and allows easy 
> egress
> to fungus, bugs and insects which kill the tree.  Just a thought.
> 

    ***   And a good thought too. In fact, one that I used to promote when I 
advised my fellow maintainers to paint more neatly over the rough bark in 
order not to harm the tree. After observing scraped trees vs unscraped for 
many years I decided that as long as you don't scrape through the inner bark 
you were OK. I haven't seen any trees that I could determine died directly 
from blazing. Coincidentally, I've seen many unblazed trees die next to the 
trail that I suspect were affected by treadway disturbance and damage to 
their roots. Hard call, for now I don't think a carefully scraped trunk will 
be more susceptible to disease or insects...


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