Thanks. My family has property at about 10,500 feet in Colorado. Lodgepoles, bristlecones and silver barked pines. Of course a lot of Aspen.
The National Forest Service land above us looks scary populated with trees. If I were going to thin up there (and of course I would never do that), I would not know how to start because none of the trees would fall over when cut they are so tightly packed.
The pine beetles found us a few years ago, although they haven’t wiped us out the way they have across the hill in Breckenridge.
Hire someone to do it. But, in your case, I would single out the healthiest trees to leave stand and then cut. Space the leave trees out to about 50 to 60 feet apart. So if you draw a square, you’d have a tree on each corner about 60 feet apart. Thats called a seed tree cut and works well with spruce, fir and some pines. The leave trees will most likely get blown down-thats not the point. The point is to hope they stay up long enough to drop their seeds to create a healthier forest in the future. Those that are now healthy might be more resistant.
The Aspen should be clearcut. Oh you can leave those under 4 inches in Diameter alright, but cut the rest.
Problem is...I understand there isnt much of a market out there. So as to that point..its kind of futile.