Marking Boundaries: Essential and Educational
As we head into beautiful fall weather, what better time to walk your boundary lines? It may not be the most exciting element of woodlot management, but it’s one of the most essential. I encourage folks to think of it as one of the first steps. After all, marking your boundary lines protects your interests and goes a long way toward avoiding disputes with your neighbors.
Maine forest rangers investigate hundreds of complaints annually over boundary line issues. It’s a big problem, but in most cases, preventable. If for no other reason, you’ll want to ensure that all the hard work you do to manage trees is actually on your land!
So what is a boundary line? The law defines it as a “line demarcated by monuments, signs, markings, pins, reference points or other markers that denotes a change in ownership between abutting properties. These established property line markers must have been placed upon mutual agreement of the abutting landowners, based on historical physical evidence of a pre-existing boundary line or by a licensed professional surveyor.”
Once a line is surveyed, it shouldn’t have to be done again as long as the line is maintained. Keep in mind that only a licensed surveyor can establish a property line if there’s no on-the-ground evidence. And, if you have your line surveyed, most surveys do not include marking the line. Most surveyors will flag the line for a fee, and it’s well worth it. A forester can help you locate and re-mark known evidence of a line, as well as help with deed research and determining if a survey is needed.
Line trees are those that the actual boundary intersects. Other trees, not quite on the line, but marked, act as “witness” trees. For the most part, any trees marked for the boundary, witness or line trees, can be reduced in value if they’re blazed or have signs nailed to them. And by law, line trees may only be cut with permission of the abutting landowner.
How many times have I heard, “I thought I could cut every other line tree?” If you and your neighbor follow that practice, there will be no line left! Cutting line trees should represent an agreement between neighbors. I always recommend that if you want to re-mark your line, especially if it hasn’t been done in awhile, or there have been ownership changes, call the neighbors and invite them to join you. It might not always be practical, but consider it. The absolute best way to mark a line is accurately.
As far as physically marking trees, place marks close enough so you can see from one to the next. It’s common to see lines with just flagging, but that’s a temporary measure only. Some use plastic signs, but painting and blazing line trees is the way to go. The marks are hard to vandalize, and should be long- lasting. Use high -quality paint; there are forestry supply places offering specialized paint.
Marks should be four to six feet above ground, and paint or blaze the trees that are right on the line on each side. Use one mark where you envision the line going through the tree, and one on the other side where you envision the line coming out of the tree (See diagram.) For trees that are near but not on the line, mark only the side facing the line (See photo.) When I used to paint boundary lines, I was always told not to paint any trees further than an arm’s length while holding out a hatchet – six to eight feet.
If you just paint the boundary trees, this won’t cause damage, but also won’t last as long. If you blaze, remember that the wound is a possible infection site. A blaze removes a four- to six-inch rectangular section down to the wood, and will remain visible for many years. The duration depends on the size and health of the tree and the size and depth of the blaze. A healthy tree can grow new bark over a blaze in 10 to 15 years, but evidence of the blaze will remain on the bark a long time. It’s best not to re-blaze old marks; keep them for reference and create a new blaze above or below.
Corner posts should be of permanent materials – iron rods or pipes. Surveyors used to use old gun barrels. A surveyor pin is something I love to see, too. Wood posts are OK, but select a durable species. Piling rocks and painting rocks around the pipe or pin helps identify the point. Painting a few witness trees to reference the corner is also a good idea. If you’re trained, marking GPS points is a great idea, and also a great way to practice your skills.
For some woodlots, this may seem a daunting task. My response: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! Treat it like a good excuse to get out and walk with the family. Grab an hour a weekend and pretty soon you’ll be on your way. It’s a great way to show the next generation where boundaries are, looking at old evidence, such as rock walls, fences, and corner stakes. You can get a real history lesson about your woodlot just by figuring out the lines. Seek advice if you’re not sure of the line. The Maine Forest Service website has links to surveyors and foresters.