Reclaiming Pasture or an Access Road in Spokane County

Reclaiming pasture or an access road means cutting back brush that has filled in a field, fence line or old road. In Spokane County, settle whether the mulch will be left in place and whether that suits the use you have in mind, such as grazing or driving, and whether small jobs carry a minimum charge.

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What reclaiming pasture or a road involves

Fields, fence lines and old roads fill in with brush over time. Reclaiming them means cutting that brush back so the ground can be used again, for grazing, for driving or simply to be open. Forestry mulching is one way to do it: a machine grinds the brush where it stands and leaves the chopped material on the ground.

The main question is whether the mulch can stay where it falls. That depends on the use. Material left on the ground suits some uses and not others, so it should be settled before work starts, not after.

When people reclaim pasture or a road

A field has filled in with brush and is no longer usable for grazing.
A fence line is overgrown and hard to reach.
An old road or track has closed in and needs to be driven again.
Acreage has been left alone and has become overgrown.
A landowner wants to open a route across the property.
A small area needs work and the question of a minimum charge comes up.

What the work usually looks like

Define the area. The field, fence line or road to be opened is marked.
Mark features. Fences, gates, culverts and other things to protect are marked.
Cut back. Brush is ground or cut back in the marked area.
Handle the material. The mulch is left in place or moved as the plan says.
Check the use. The result is checked against the intended use, such as grazing or driving.
Walk the result. The finished area is checked against the plan.

How to prepare

Settle these points before work starts:

Mark the area to be opened and its edges.
Mark fences, gates and anything to protect.
Decide the use: grazing, driving or open ground.
Settle whether the mulch will be left in place and whether that suits the use.
Ask whether there is a minimum charge for small jobs.
Ask DNR whether any program applies to your project.
Get the price in writing, per acre or per hour, with 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 whether there is a minimum charge for small jobs.

Pricing basis. Per acre or per hour.
Minimum charge. Small jobs may carry one.
Density of brush. More brush takes more time.
Terrain. Slopes and rock slow work.
Length of road or fence line. Longer runs take more time.
Handling the material. Leaving or moving mulch changes the scope.

Fitting the result to the use

A pasture, a road and a fence line each need something different once the brush is gone. Grazing ground may need the mulch handled one way, a road another. Say what the ground will be used for when the scope is written, and ask whether leaving the mulch in place is fine for that use. A written answer prevents a disagreement after the work is done.

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 does reclaiming pasture involve?

Reclaiming pasture means cutting back brush that has filled in a field or fence line so the ground can be used again. Forestry mulching grinds the brush in place and leaves the chopped material on the ground. Settle whether the mulch will stay and whether that suits the use you have in mind, such as grazing.

Can the mulch be left on the ground?

The U.S. Forest Service says mulching leaves the chopped material on site, usually as mulch. Whether that suits a pasture or a road depends on the use you have in mind, so settle it before work starts. Ask in writing what happens to the mulch and what the finished ground will look like.

Is there a minimum charge for small jobs?

Some companies set a minimum charge for small jobs and some do not. Ask before you agree to a price, and get the answer in writing along with whether the price is per acre or per hour. Per-hour rates and minimum charges for mulching are not given in the sources cited on this site.

How is pasture or road reclamation 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.

Do I need a permit to open an old road?

Possibly. Clearing can involve county grading or clearing rules, and clearing forestland to convert it to another use can involve state forest-practices rules. Requirements depend on the site and the project. Contact Spokane County and Washington DNR before work starts, and settle who handles any permit.

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