Brush Piles

When removing invasive plant species, one of the first questions that comes up is: what do we do with the removed plant material ?

The answer is that we create brush piles. If you just distribute the cut material, you make it harder to see what might be left to remove, as well as making returns trips to the area harder. Brush piles create beneficial habitat for small animals, as the invasive thickets which they were living in are removed.

Quoting item 4 in the LSC Trail Maintenance Guide: Cut slash resulting from cutting and pruning to six foot lengths, or less, and stack with stems aligned in the same direction and butts facing away from the trail. Limit stacks to a height of four feet. In this manner the stack will settle well and be esthetically pleasing. These stacks provide shelter for small animals, and will eventually decay back into the soil. Stacks may be placed fairly close to the trail, but sites should be chosen which are reasonably clear to begin with, so that living plants and trees are not damaged, and some concern for appearance should also be a part of the choice. Place stacks as far apart as possible, consistent with the amount of material in the stack and the difficulty of hauling the slash. For subsequent clearing of trails of deadwood, these same stacks can be used where feasible.

Brush Pile Location

The first concern when removing invasive plant species should be: Where are the Brush Piles ? Locations should be found which are relatively clear of invasive plant species, and cleared before use. Otherwise the brush pile will protect the invasives from removal. Brush piles should not be in a waterway, or in an area which is mowed to preserve it as a meadow.

Ideally, brush piles are not adjacent to trails.