The view from up on the hill is getting better all the time. You can now look out across the valley and see the White Mountains in the distance. Fortunately you can’t see them from the house because New Hampshire has what’s known as a “view tax” which increases the value of your property for purposes of property tax. No sales tax and no income tax here in New Hampshire but the property taxes can be rather steep. There are also numerous fees and other taxes to make up. To encourage people to hold on to large tracts of forest and farm land we have a program known as “current use” which reduces the tax valuation of the land. When you do a cut like we’re doing, the state will assess a “yield tax” on the wood we actually sell which seems better then paying for it while it grows. Took a long walk around the cut today.
It’s tough to catch the Hot Saw out in the open, but I think you can see how easily it can nip off a couple full size trees and lay then down. Every time the pitch of the saw changes another tree is cut. There is a lot of wood already on the ground and a lot more still to be cut. The skidders and processing equipment are going to be moved on site early next week. Until they get here there’s wood in bunches all over the hill. the picture below shows the main skid trail going up to the top of the property.
