They're cutting down the woods

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...behind my house. I woke up at about 7 and I could hear equipment at work in the woods behind my house. I"ve lived here for 14 years and there has always been hundreds of acres of woods behind the neighborhood where I live. With the way land is selling in this area (approx. 35 miles north of Houston) I wondered how they have gone untouched for this long.

I understand that the land belongs to private individuals who can do with it what they choose; it's just sad that the trees are being razed, no doubt to be replaced by a mobile home park or apartments (those are the two most popular types of developments being built out here). It's always been a nice buffer zone, having all those trees back there. I wonder what all the poor animals go?

One more reason to get the heck out of Dodge a.s.a.p.

-- Hannah Maria Holly (hannahholly@hotmail.com), October 25, 2000

Answers

It is so sad to see how much land is being cut over. I was recently in Virginia looking for land, and was horrified to see hundreds and hundreds of acres in the mountains totally cut over. The beauty of the area, the gorgeous mountains, is gone. I understand the need for some of the timber, but I think we have gotten out of control. It is time this country looks at preservation - they are so many other building methods. And how many mobile home parks and new houses do we need?! As I am looking for land I realized I need to get more acres than what I need - so I can have a buffer zone. I want my land to always have the beauty of nature - trees, animals, etc. I feel for you!... - Julia

-- Julia in Tally (tofubiscuit@excite.com), October 25, 2000.

Yes, I agree it is very sad, but people do have to live somewhere, we all hope it's just not next to us!!! When you buy property you expect to live on for a long time you have to take in to consideration what might change around the outside of your property lines, and decide if you'll be able to live with it. Otherwise, maybe do not buy it. We are very blessed, we purchased 104 acres of half woods, half pasture, old dairy farm, we own both sides of our little dirt road ( no neighboors to look at) and the old farm house and barns sit in the middle of it, we cannot see anyone else from the buildings in any direction. Our nearest neighboor is a 1/4 mile away. Was this just by chance? Not a bit! I looked at property for 3 years, drove hundreds of miles over 3 states before we bought here. And it was worth it. But I agree, it is sad to see the forest go. It is something that will just get worse, not better. Hope things will be better in the future. Annie in SE OH.

-- Annie Miller (annie@1st.net), October 25, 2000.

Hi Hannah we are just a little north of you in Cleveland. When husband dragged me kicking and screaming to Pasadena from San Diego, we used to think going north on 45 into Conroe was such a big deal, trip to the country and all! Now there is no woods, Woodlands Mall to Conroe is all developed now! In just 18 years. What we have found in our area is that the land taxes are being raised to squeeze out the large land owner. So then most cut the trees down for capital because it is more than the exemption given for having the trees. In fact if you purchase property carefully, you can pay for it in logging, and also in iron ore. Problem is that most folks don't then comeback and spread back the top soil and plant, the land goes back up for sale and is left looking like an atomic bomb went off! Which in some cases is less of an eye sore than the some of our neighbors are :) With all the flooding problems in Porter, New Caney, and Splendora, folks in that area are going to be in for a shocker this spring! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), October 25, 2000.

New Caney is where I live, about three miles west of 59. Moved out here in 86, and it was always pretty quiet--up until the last four years or so. Apartments, trailer parks--all high density housing, and all the problems that comes with it. My house escaped the terrible flood of Oct. 94. Our neighborhood didn't have any water standing, but only about 1/4 mile down 1485 the mailboxes were underwater, so, yes, I know what you mean--all these folks are going to get a big surprise the next time we have a flood like we used to get in spring. Weather patterns are supposed to return to normal by next spring, so they may be in for it.

My little house is a fixer-upper that is just about fixed up, and I'm about ready to move to north TX as soon as I can. As Anne in Ohio wrote about buying land with possible neighbors in mind, I chose 15 acres in a place--can't even call it a small town because there's only, like, 6 or 7 houses and a cemetary there---that I don't believe is going to build up any time in the near future. And if it does, maybe that 15 acres will be enough of a buffer zone to keep me sane.

-- Hannah Maria Holly (hannahholly@hotmail.com), October 25, 2000.


Vicki--something I forgot to mention--you were talking about the Woodlands Mall and all that springing up between the Woodlands and Conroe----I used to work at a research lab in the Woodlands from '91-- '94, and probably 60-70% of the businesses/apartments/etc that are there now were not there back then. All of that has sprung up in the last 6 or 7 years. Unreal!

-- Hannah Maria Holly (hannahholly@hotmail.com), October 25, 2000.


Hi,

I can totally symptatize with you. We are in a situation here where the owner of the woods in front of our farm sold it off to a logging company. i happened to come home from work early tonight and saw the survey company. We had a nice discussion about the property boundries and made sure we were fine there so we didn't have any property disputes. i am still trying to get ahold of the owner of the logging company. I am not pleased about this but what can i do? I look at it this way.... the man sold it, he is now enjoying blood money from destroying the environment near by and he could care less. Now if this was apoor person i would understand but noooo.... this amn was offerred a lot of money a few yrs back from us and declined to sell........ Maybe he died and its his kin,,, don't know, but still; I love the area we live in and I will misss the trees and tree lined road. so I have made arrangements to purchase this mees from the logging company through our attorney.. the deal is they don't have to restore the land after, (its a new law in VA that after they log they have to replant) and we will do it if he will sell it to us for a cheap price. thart way it takes their responsibility away and puts it on us and the goatie girls:) But after 5 yrs our mess is growing back fine. Good luck.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), October 25, 2000.


Hannah, where are you moving to in N. Tx, I live in N.E. Tx?

-- Carol Waldrop (cwaldrop@peoplescom.net), October 25, 2000.

In our county the largest land owner is a large lumber co. Can you say clear cut? I can sympathize!....Kirk....P.S. Way to go Bernice!!

-- Kirk Davis (kirkay@yahoo.com), October 25, 2000.

Carol--my land is located in a little bitty place called Brad, which is about 30 --35 miles west of Mineral Wells, off I-180. I'm not sure how many miles it is west of Ft. Worth, but it takes about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours to drive there from Ft. Worth. It's rocky and covered in cedar and mesquite and the soil is mostly some kind of black clay stuff, but it's fairly quiet and the air doesn't stink and I just fell in love with it. I can't wait to get moved--the sooner the better. Unfortunately, I have to build some sort of house there, as it's just raw land right now. Approximately where do you live in NE TX?

-- Hannah Maria Holly (hannahholly@hotmail.com), October 26, 2000.

Has anyone else noticed that developers name places for what used to be there before they cut destroyed it? For example a subdividion might be called Maple Hill because there were maples everywhere until the developer came. Now there might be 2 or 3 maples. I think developers should put "Used to be" in front of thr names. for example, Used to be Maple Hill, Used to be Oak Valley, Used to be Woodlands.

Every time I see surveyors in the woods I get a sick feeling in my stomach.I know it is only a matter of time before they are destroyed. Many times I cry the rest of the way to where ever I am going. I for one will never build a new house on virgin land. If I did I'd be no better than the developers whose job I despise.

-- debra in ks (solid-dkn@msn.com), October 26, 2000.



I have timber company land on two sides of my property. They finally clearcut everything this summer. Thank goodness...they finally got rid of all those big old hardwoods, (I'm being facetious) and planted pines in rows--they used a D-9 cat with a giant plow to make three foot tall rows, they'll sink down to two foot tall rows. With this nefarious process, they can plant pines where previuosly only hardwoods would grow.

If that weren't bad enough, a developers built a private lake next to my land. Thank goodness I planned on neighbors one day, and built in an area out of sight from potential neighbors. The Taxman cometh...my land next to the developer I figure's worth 500/acre, he's selling lots for 25-30K/acre.

I don't blame you Hannah, I'd be gettin the h*** out of dodge too.

-- Phil Briggs (phillipbriggs@thenett.com), October 26, 2000.


I used to have a beautiful apartment in Seattle that was surrounded by trees on all sides. I was at the 3rd story level so it was really like a treehouse. One day 2 guys with chainsaws came and began butchering the trees -- said the landlady had sent them. Her rationale was that the trees might someday fall on a utility line and she would be liable, and so it was better to cut them down before there was any problem. She would not listen to my pleas, and I got so angry and suggested she ought to maybe get a pre-emptive hysterectomy because, you know, there might be problems later on...

When I talked to the chainsaw duo, asking them did they know how many years it takes for trees to get to 75 feet tall?, one said, "Are you a member of the Sierra Club?" I said, "What?" "Are you a member of the Sierra Club?" "What does that mean?" I asked. "Just tell me," he pressed, "do you belong to the Sierra Club?" "What does that mean?" I asked again. His buddy, not the brightest chap but at least earnest, piped up, "Well, people in the Sierra Club are into saving the environment and they don't like to see any trees cut down." The original smartass guy said derisively, "You ARE a member of the Sierra Club."

I could see no point in even talking to such idiots, so I gave up and thought a better use for their chainsaws would be to cut out their prostates (you know, they'll probably cause you trouble later on...)

And from that day I began to look for my own patch of forest, and it took a year, but I found it and every day I get up and think, "I live in paradise!" I'm sorry to hear about your trees.

-- snoozy (allen@oz.net), October 29, 2000.


i live in the "industrial forest belt" aka Oregon's COast Range. my land was cut long ago, and the land behind me 12 years ago. it's been replanted, but it's owned by International Paper so i know it's be raped, er...logged again. my hope is that the efforts to save our NW salmon will place all the land in the siuslaw valley off limits to clear-cuts. selective thinning i understand and support. clearcuts are a disaster. my neighbor across the river is an old tree planter, now he runs a cone-gathering outfit supplying the nurseries. he has 93 acres and selectively thins and replants. it's a lovely view out the window. i'd love to buy the paper company land (27 nearly vertical acres!) that's behind us for the water rights, solar access and to protect the trees and critters. but lest you think it's paradise, i have a rail line in my back yard 50 feet from my kitchen window. one train a day & i like trains, and think rail is the most efficiant way to transport things, but i didn't realize about the chemical sprays they use on their right-of-way. carmax and 2,4,D. i haven't suffered ill effects yet, but this is nasty shit, and in retrospect i may have not bought the property if i had known. stupid oversight. when you think about the perfect "place" think of all the possible worst case scenarios and see how you would handle them, bad neighbors, toxics, sprawl, flight paths, new roads. talk to your county planning dept and see if there's some new hiway bypass looming in the planning stages....never assume those lovely trees will always be there. sad but true!

-- juno redleaf (gofish@presys.com), October 31, 2000.

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