The following is an update provided to the PLPA by Geoff Peck regarding the logging of Peck Family lands near the North Shore Road.
The Peck family held our monthly business meetings today [Sunday, February 9] and discussed your request for an update. Our only project of interest or impact to property owners is our developing plan to harvest timber on plots near North Shore Road. You will recall that the planned harvest is required as part of our commitment with NYS DEC, a cut we have delayed as long as possible but must now complete.
Working with our forestry management team, we developed a two-stage harvest plan. Phase one will stretch from the end of the North Shore Road to the NE side of Beaver Bay Creek, and phase two will stretch from the SW side of Beaver Bay Creek to the SW end of the parcel. We planned to cut as soon as the ground was frozen this winter but found that lot markings behind off-shore lot owners were unreliable. We decided to have the lines surveyed for everyone’s protection. A survey crew has been working for several weeks now, and we ask that residents please do not tamper with any markings.
Once the survey work is complete, we will evaluate whether conditions allow cutting to begin. When cutting begins, access to the entire site (phase one area or phase two area) will be strictly prohibited. This is a requirement under OSHA regulation. Logging sites can be hazardous as branches hang, the ground is disturbed, logs are piled, etc.
Due to the sensitive nature of these plots and our desire to protect aesthetics to the best degree possible, we are requiring loggers to remove all tops and branches from the woods. That material will be chipped and trucked away. Also, a significant buffer will be established from the roadside and behind homes. Once we have a firm plan, we will update property owners by communicating our expected timeline, landing sites, and expected hours of operation with you.