Any examples of Pitch pine/ Pinus rigida?

[AK47]

I am looking to pick up a few Pitch Pines on the Cape. I was wondering who / where do I inquire permit from in MA, as far as digging a few pines, say on the beach.
There are a lot of beaches by Truro, which have some amazing Pitch Pines, nice curvy trunks, etc. But I would love to get some sort of permission. I am also curious if there is a limit on how many pines you can dig up / season, although I am only interested in one or two.

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

I am not sure about permits in MA, but just a warning about collecting trees out of straight sand. Young trees with rootballs that are relatively close to the trunk are fine to collect out of sand, but over time they send out long, thick roots far away from where you want them. Sometimes you can get lucky if it’s under some stone, but otherwise you have to trench one year, and then collect one to two years later.

I have had three out of four die for this reason. One was a real beauty!

 

[RJG2]

I am not sure about permits in MA, but just a warning about collecting trees out of straight sand. Young trees with rootballs that are relatively close to the trunk are fine to collect out of sand, but over time they send out long, thick roots far away from where you want them. Sometimes you can get lucky if it’s under some stone, but otherwise you have to trench one year, and then collect one to two years later.

I have had three out of four die for this reason. One was a real beauty!

Seconded.

I got permission to dig one from the fence line of an old graveyard - thinking the soil would be decent enough to prevent long running roots.

Nope. Mostly sand when I got in there. 99% sure it didn't make it and will go on the burn pile this spring.

 

[AK47]

I am looking to pick up a few Pitch Pines on the Cape. I was wondering who / where do I inquire permit from in MA, as far as digging a few pines, say on the beach.
There are a lot of beaches by Truro, which have some amazing Pitch Pines, nice curvy trunks, etc. But I would love to get some sort of permission. I am also curious if there is a limit on how many pines you can dig up / season, although I am only interested in one or two.

I saw online a few other states in US, where you simply go online, register, pay some small fee and have an option to get 5 trees/ that season. All other extra trees would be extra money. I am simply curious how this works in MA. Obviously I can ask a land owner, if it's private land, but how does our state government deals with it, specially if it's state park, etc. Is there any decent articles about this/or older discussions of this on this site? Maybe there a list somewhere of where you cannot dig out a tree in MA?

 

[hinmo24t]

I saw online a few other states in US, where you simply go online, register, pay some small fee and have an option to get 5 trees/ that season. All other extra trees would be extra money. I am simply curious how this works in MA. Obviously I can ask a land owner, if it's private land, but how does our state government deals with it, specially if it's state park, etc. Is there any decent articles about this/or older discussions of this on this site? Maybe there a list somewhere of where you cannot dig out a tree in MA?

they probably wont know and if they do, will tell you you cant do it


good luck

 

[AK47]

they probably wont know and if they do, will tell you you cant do it


good luck

In other words, you saying that asking is not worth it, as people not going to know the rules. In this case, where can I learn the actual rules, what can and cannot be taken out in MA and where? Then I can print those rules and actually carry them with me, in case someone asks what am I doing in the woods with a saw and shovel.

 

[Shogun610]

In other words, you saying that asking is not worth it, as people not going to know the rules. In this case, where can I learn the actual rules, what can and cannot be taken out in MA and where? Then I can print those rules and actually carry them with me, in case someone asks what am I doing in the woods with a saw and shovel.

Have you collected before? What’s your experience with Pitch Pine? Don’t mean to come off as gate keepy… but just to verify you indeed intend to collect ethically and know pitch pine as a species…

 

[AK47]

Have you collected before? What’s your experience with Pitch Pine? Don’t mean to come off as gate keepy… but just to verify you indeed intend to collect ethically and know pitch pine as a species…

I would love to learn the rules, and specifically interested in Cape Cod and MA. Not certain what you mean here by intend to collect ethically, but yes, I do have experience with Pitch Pines, collecting trees, growing trees and have a degree in Plant and Soil Sciences, if that helps somehow. I simply looking for an advise from people who collected previously in MA - to know the rules an regulations. So far all I found online was very vague. I would also love to join a group in MA, who actually go out and collect trees in a wild and hoping to hear from the members of those groups.

 

[hinmo24t]

In other words, you saying that asking is not worth it, as people not going to know the rules. In this case, where can I learn the actual rules, what can and cannot be taken out in MA and where? Then I can print those rules and actually carry them with me, in case someone asks what am I doing in the woods with a saw and shovel.

yep

 

[HoneyHornet]

Anything I’ve ever looked up and tried to follow through on is a joke….called forestry offices and cited the permit from the online source for ^collection not for resale and under terms of not endangering a given species in given area ,as in don’t take ALL of something^

they are always like …ugh collection permit? Never heard of it… then I cite it by number since there is no chance of confusion that way and really cuts to the chase,, but oh wait it’s still a mystery…… they said it would have to be as per each state park or whatever and to deal with said parks office….not a general collection permit….and I said well it doesn’t have to be state park isn’t there a general something something… and “I have no idea” comes back……… maybe other states have an idea but the garden state does not

My advice regarding what you said about walking around with shovel and saw, is get yourself an army rucksack and either folding GI shovel or one with a shorter handle not some 5 foot one… and a folding saw, and pack ur bag up so it doesn’t look so strange, maybe throw few contractor bags in your pack, I even have loppers with slightly shorter handles and mini pick axe,and literally have a Yamadori bag in my trunk at all times, just looks like someone hiking with an army bag on

 

[Coolpf]

Literally just called some office yesterday about permit FS-2400-1.. I too want to dig up some pitch pines without having to feel sketched out.. I ended up finding a great pine on the side of the road, called the land owner and was granted permission. But I have dug trees from near the rail road and abandoned properties. Another favorite is by the Power lines. I always look weird popping out of the woods with a tree...... (this is my first post ever )

 

[thatbonsaiguydb]

Anything I’ve ever looked up and tried to follow through on is a joke….called forestry offices and cited the permit from the online source for ^collection not for resale and under terms of not endangering a given species in given area ,as in don’t take ALL of something^

they are always like …ugh collection permit? Never heard of it… then I cite it by number since there is no chance of confusion that way and really cuts to the chase,, but oh wait it’s still a mystery…… they said it would have to be as per each state park or whatever and to deal with said parks office….not a general collection permit….and I said well it doesn’t have to be state park isn’t there a general something something… and “I have no idea” comes back……… maybe other states have an idea but the garden state does not

So true. I've ran into the same thing here in RI. No one knows anything. One guy told me to send a letter explaining exactly what you are trying to do. Huh, what the hell? I left it alone. I was just trying to get permission to collect off the side of the highway.

 

[Diggumsmack2]

I am not sure about permits in MA, but just a warning about collecting trees out of straight sand. Young trees with rootballs that are relatively close to the trunk are fine to collect out of sand, but over time they send out long, thick roots far away from where you want them. Sometimes you can get lucky if it’s under some stone, but otherwise you have to trench one year, and then collect one to two years later.

I have had three out of four die for this reason. One was a real beauty!

I can absolutely verify this. The company I work for does road work, mainly work with water mains and the smaller water services to individual houses & businesses. This past summer, working on a 1-¼"(31.75mm) copper water service in the middle of a three lane road, 5ft.(1.52m) down in sandy soil. We discovered a root from an old long gone pine tree running parallel to the copper. No other roots or vegetation under the road, nothing! Just this one 1-3/4"(44.5mm) root. Running straight as an arrow or in this case, straight as a copper pipe.

This is not uncommon but it's not common either, if that makes sense. As some roots are attracted to the condensation given off by the cold water constantly running through the pipe in the dry sandy conditions.

It was strange to find this large root so deep, under a road that's been there way over 100 years.




I saved a piece, because.... reasons.