Forestry Mulching in Spokane County: What It Is and How It Works

Forestry mulching, also called mastication, grinds brush and small trees in place with a machine that has a rotating cutting head and leaves the shredded material on the ground as mulch. In Spokane County, settle what the treated area will look like, what happens to the mulch, and how the price is set.

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What forestry mulching is

Forestry mulching, also called mastication, uses a machine with a rotating cutting head to grind brush and small trees where they stand and leave the chopped material on the ground as mulch. The U.S. Forest Service describes mulchers as machines that cut and chop or grind vegetation into particles that are usually left on site as mulch.

It is one of several clearing methods. Which one fits depends on the land, the goal and what is growing there. Mulching leaves the material on the ground instead of piling or hauling it, which changes what the site looks like afterward and what has to be done with the leftovers.

The Forest Service equipment catalog says the primary purpose of mulching is to lower the vertical height of fuels and shift fuel volume into smaller size classes. A Colorado Forest Restoration Institute guide for Colorado's Front Range, a different region from Spokane County, adds that mulching does not reduce the total amount of material on a site but reconfigures it, usually from the tree canopy to the surface.

When people look into forestry mulching

Dense brush and small trees stand near a home.
A building lot has to be cleared before a pad, drive or well can go in.
Pasture, access roads or fence lines have filled in with brush.
Overgrown acreage needs to be brought back into use.
A landowner is comparing clearing methods and wants to know how mulching differs.
A landowner is asking about funding or programs for fuels work.

What forestry mulching usually looks like

Walk the land. The area, the vegetation and the goal are reviewed together.
Define the treated area. The edges of the job, the trees to keep and how far it runs from buildings are settled.
Locate hazards. Rocks, fences, wells and utilities in the area are marked.
Mulch. A machine with a rotating cutting head grinds brush and small trees in place.
Leave or move the material. The chopped material is usually left on site as mulch, as the Forest Service describes.
Walk the result. The treated area is checked against the plan.

How to prepare

Settle these points before work starts:

Know your acreage and mark the boundaries.
Mark trees, fences, wells and other things to keep or avoid.
Decide what the treated area should look like and how far from buildings it should go.
Decide what happens to the mulch.
Ask who decides the plan.
Ask Spokane County and Washington DNR whether any rules apply.
Get the price in writing, saying whether it is per acre or per hour and what is included.

What affects the cost

Prices vary with the land, the equipment and the work. A Forest Service research bulletin says mastication costs vary widely with the equipment, the terrain, site conditions and operator skill. Ask for a written price that says whether it is per acre or per hour and what is included.

Pricing basis. Per acre or per hour.
Equipment. The machine used changes the cost.
Terrain. Slopes, rock and wet ground slow work.
Site conditions. Density of brush and size of trees change the time needed.
Operator skill. The Forest Service bulletin names it as a factor.
Minimum charges. Whether small jobs carry a minimum.

Mulching compared with other clearing

Mulching leaves the cut material on the ground, so it differs from methods that pile, haul or burn it. That is the main thing to settle: what the site should look like afterward. If the goal is a building lot, the material may need to go. If the goal is thinning, leaving it as mulch may suit. Agree on the end condition in writing before work starts.

Local rules, programs and sources

Clearing rules. Under Washington's Forest Practices Act, clearing forestland that is being converted to another use is a Class IV forest practice, which needs an application approved by DNR unless a local government regulates it instead (RCW 76.09.050). Spokane County may also have clearing or grading rules. Contact DNR and Spokane County before work starts.

Funding. Washington DNR's financial assistance program for wildfire resilience and forest health says non-federal owners of forestland who own less than 5,000 forested acres can be eligible. DNR offers free consultations with a forester and shares the cost of qualifying treatments up to a predetermined amount. DNR does not do the work. The program page does not name forestry mulching, so ask DNR whether your project qualifies. For Spokane County, contact DNR's Northeast Region at ne_loa@dnr.wa.gov.

Fire season. DNR's Industrial Fire Precaution Levels are a fire-season activity closure system that applies to woods workers and other industrial forest users on unimproved private and state forestland DNR protects. Levels change, and DNR posts a daily map. Settle how the levels will be handled and whether your land is covered.

Registration. In Washington, search the company on the Department of Labor & Industries “Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business” page. Clearing and tree work are contractor specialties at L&I, but which one covers mulching isn't spelled out, so confirm which specialty the company is registered under.

Reasons to trust this page

Most rules on this page name their public source, such as a Washington statute or a DNR page.
Cost factors are explained in plain terms, and the only price figure is a general range from a third-party directory, with no quote behind it.
The email address is shown at the top of every page, and the Privacy page says what a quote request collects.

Common questions

What is forestry mulching?

Forestry mulching, also called mastication, grinds brush and small trees in place with a machine that has a rotating cutting head and leaves the shredded material on the ground. The U.S. Forest Service says the material is usually left on site as mulch. It is one of several clearing methods, and which one fits depends on the land and goals.

How is forestry mulching priced?

Prices vary with the land, the equipment and the work. A Forest Service research bulletin says mastication costs vary widely with the equipment, the terrain, site conditions and operator skill. Get a written price that says whether it is per acre or per hour and what is included, so quotes for the same land can be compared fairly.

Does mulching remove the material?

Not by itself. A Colorado Forest Restoration Institute guide for Colorado's Front Range, a different region from Spokane County, says mulching does not reduce the total amount of material on a site but reconfigures it, usually from the tree canopy to the surface. Settle what happens to the mulch before work starts.

Does Washington DNR help pay for forestry mulching?

DNR has a financial-assistance program open to non-federal owners of forestland who own less than 5,000 forested acres, with free consultations and cost-sharing up to a set amount. The page does not name forestry mulching, so ask DNR whether yours qualifies. Contact ne_loa@dnr.wa.gov for the Northeast Region.

Can mulching happen during fire season?

It depends on the day and the zone. DNR's Industrial Fire Precaution Levels are a fire-season activity closure system for woods workers and other industrial forest users on forestland DNR protects, and levels change. DNR posts a daily map. Check the map for your land and settle how the levels will be handled.

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