# Cutting down a walnut tree



## Georgia (Jul 14, 2011)

Hi,
My name is Georgia and I live in Denver. I received a letter from the city that i have to cut down my Walnut tree because there is a disease going aruound. Mine appear to be healty. I actually have 2 very large Walnut trees, both of them are taller then my 2 story house. I was hoping they could have an "after life". Do you think somone would remove them in trade for being able to keep all the wood?
Georgia


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## mikeswoods (May 18, 2009)

Hi Georgia---You might want to post this in the 'forestry and milling' section--Very few folks look into the intros section.

By the way---welcome----

Here is a post from forestry and milling that might be enlightening--Highly Valuable Black Walnut Tree - Woodworking Talk - Woodworkers Forum

Sadly most cutters don't want yard trees--to much steel embedded in the trees.--Mike---


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## renovatio (Jul 4, 2011)

Georgia said:


> Do you think somone would remove them in trade for being able to keep all the wood?
> Georgia


Only if they are highly valuable. :shifty:


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

Welcome....good luck....do ya'll have county extension/forrestry agents?BW


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

I moved this thread to the milling section:

Firstly I find it odd the city can force you to cut down a tree on your own property at your own expense. Here, and other places I am familiar with, if a tree needs removed for health-safety-easement...it's the municipalities responsibility, and they take care of it/hire it done. If you are asking this removal question to save yourself the expense of the task (and removing a yard tree is not often cheap) I would respond to the letter saying you don't feel it's your burden to remove the tree, if they want it gone...they come fell it at no expense to you and leave the trunk of your tree on your property. (hey, it's worth a shot-try all avenues). Once safely felled and the limbs removed/hauled off someone local would most likely come drag the trunk away in hopes to have it milled and use the lumber.

Now if you have a couple yard trees you are wanting gone and are wanting to give them away for ''free'' to someone who is willing to fell them...You were aleady given a link for further reading, here are a couple more http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f26/black-walnut-tree-offer-5803/ and this one I will quote something from as not to have to type it all out again. http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/black-walnut-tree-backyard-5456/


Daren said:


> You may get offers to remove it for free...but make sure that person is experienced and INSURED. Here is what I have heard of. Inexperienced tree feller dropping a tree on a house. Was he insured to do residential tree removal, no. That "free" removal cost the homeowner several thousand dollars (they tried to take the guy to court, racked up some legal fees but got no return)
> Here is a better story. Guy gets hurt in your yard removing a tree...sues YOU and gets a check from your homeowners insurance.


While I do like your thinking on not letting a tree go to waste, it's not always (hardly ever) worth it to someone to fell a yard tree-clean up the mess for just the ''free'' log ( in a yard most likely they have metal in them). But you may get lucky if you run an ad in your local craigslist, c-list is free and a lot of people check it...Just think hard about the advice I quoted above...Don't let some uninsured/inexperienced yahoo come in and do more property damage than a professional removal would cost you...Or like in the quote fall out of your tree and sue you into a hole. I have heard these stories far too many times not to pass them along.

Good luck. 



.


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## Georgia (Jul 14, 2011)

The city is saying I need to cut them because they are becoming diseasd in the area-it hit Boulder and is now heading to Denver. 

ok, I'm not getting it still. I hear what your saying about there not being money in it for me to seel my two black walnut trees. That has never been my intent. I hate the fact that I would have to cut them down and would like to see that something beautiful can me made of them. I realize that your equipement etc. is expensive but then I would think you would want to use it. I would think the trees are useful-they are a lot bigger then the ones in the photos by Daren.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

.

http://denver.craigslist.org/

Or here are a few mills in your area/state, from a list I keep on my website, it's just a phone call to see of they are interested.

Colorado Tree & Shrubbery Specialists 
Kiln Drying | Custom Sawing Wheat Ridge, CO 
80033 

Urban Lumber Inc. 
Custom Sawing Denver, CO 
80210 

Palisade Tree Service 
Logging | Custom Sawing Berthoud, CO 
80513 

Poudre Valley Portable Sawmill 
Custom Sawing Fort Collins, CO 
80525 

Timberline Custom Sawmilling 
Custom Sawing Canon City, CO 
81212 

SwissMan LLC
Simon Gnehm
(970) 764-7161
102 Perro Place, Durango, CO 81301

Greenleaf Forestry and Wood Products, Inc.
Contact: Len Lankford
1500 Rosita Road
Westcliffe, CO 81252
(719) 783-4250


Custom Log Crafting
David Roberts
(970) 240-3770
61450 Monroe Road
Montrose, CO.

Old Time Lumber303-494-7447
11218 Highway 93, Boulder, CO

T C Woods303-666-8989 
9776 Arapahoe Rd, Lafayette, CO

My states DNR (Dept. of Natural Resources) keeps a list of sawmills...maybe yours does too and you can contact them and find out. http://dnr.state.co.us/Pages/DNRDefault.aspx

I took some of the leg work out of it for you, don't know what else to do or tell you. Most of us who have mills or have chimed in on your questions are 100's if not 1000+ miles away and advice is all we can give. 

I personally sawmill only yard trees (I'm an urban logger) and have for nearly a decade. So yes I do find some value in a possibly (probably) nail infested log. I have sawed 1000's of them and supplied myself and many others with much beautiful lumber...But having said that I have never and will never go to the effort of felling a yard tree for the log. I don't wish to carry the insurance required. And what if I show up on a job, spend a 1/2 days labor...and the ''perfect'' looking tree from the outside is completely hollow (not uncommon on large walnut) ? I get my logs from trees already down, ones removed by tree services-municipalities-cemetery caretakers-excavation contractors-builders-landowners who removed their own trees...

Again, good luck. Make some calls and let us know how things work out.


.


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## Georgia (Jul 14, 2011)

Thank you so much for all the info!


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## Allen Tomaszek (Dec 11, 2010)

Daren said:


> Firstly I find it odd the city can force you to cut down a tree on your own property at your own expense.
> .


Depends on where you live Darren. Here in Milwaukee the city can (and does) require property owners within the city limits to remove a tree at their own expense if it's deemed a safety hazard.


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## Kirk Allen (Nov 7, 2006)

Allen Tomaszek said:


> Depends on where you live Darren. Here in Milwaukee the city can (and does) require property owners within the city limits to remove a tree at their own expense if it's deemed a safety hazard.


Define safety hazard. A diseased tree is hardley a safety hazard to people. 

When will we throw this type of dictatorship back in thier faces and tell them NO! 

When I lived in the Suburbs they tried to tell me I couldnt mill in my driveway or yard. I pushed back and told them to mind thier own business. If you dont have a court order and Im not violating any ordinance then leave me alone! Never heard back from them!


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## cornskier (Oct 19, 2010)

Black Walnut for years has been one of the most prized woods for a gun stock. You might let some of the gun clubs in your area know that you have them and will let them go. That is if your area has any gun clubs or shooting sports. In Denver??


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