Clearing overgrown brush, saplings and trail edges and leaving the mulch where it falls.
We use track loaders with forestry mulcher heads to turn brush, saplings and small trees into mulch on the spot. We can mulch hardwood up to 8 inches in diameter. Larger trees are cut first and their stumps are ground separately. In Salem that suits overgrown lot edges, woodland trails and brushy back acreage where hauling debris out is not practical.
Call (603) 438-6492 or use Get a Quote with photos and a rough size of the area. For a quick planning number, try our forestry mulching cost calculator.
Size limit: We can mulch hardwood up to 8 inches in diameter. Larger trees are cut first and the stumps ground separately.
With a river, brooks, ponds and mapped wetlands in town, the mulching line in Salem is set by water as much as by what you want cleared.
Salem's ordinance calls for a 20-foot undisturbed natural buffer out to the edge of lawns and a 100-foot undisturbed buffer around prime wetlands. The Conservation Commission's brochure lists removing trees or vegetation from wetland or buffer areas among the things to avoid, so we keep the mulcher out of those strips.
The Town's own Conservation Commission has been cutting back glossy buckthorn at Bill Valentine Park. Invasive shrubs like this resprout, so we plan a follow-up mulching pass instead of expecting one pass to finish the job.
Salem's Town Forest trails are lettered, and the Commission is planning a bridge over a wetland on Trail F. A private trail needs the same thinking: we route the corridor around wet pockets and mark rocks and stumps in the path before work.
Land within 250 feet of Canobie Lake, Arlington Pond and the other listed waters falls under the state shoreland act. Within 50 feet of the water, vegetation limits are tighter and stumps and roots stay in the ground, so mulching close to the shore is limited.
Mulching leaves roots and soil in place, but buffers still apply.
Town wetland buffers. Salem's Wetlands Conservation Ordinance sets undisturbed buffers around wetlands, and the Planning Board approves buffer impacts. The Conservation Commission's brochure lists removing trees or other vegetation from wetland or buffer areas as a practice to avoid (Salem brochure (opens in a new tab)).
Shoreland. Land within 250 feet of listed waters is protected shoreland, and the 50-foot waterfront buffer keeps stumps and roots in place (RSA 483-B:9 (opens in a new tab)).
State wetlands. Removing or filling material in wetlands and banks needs a state permit (RSA 482-A:3 (opens in a new tab)).
We will flag buffer questions we see on site, but this is not legal advice. Confirm the current ordinance with the Salem Planning Department, because the Town has been reviewing it (Town update (opens in a new tab)).
Sources: Town of Salem Conservation Commission: Wetlands and Shorelands Brochure (rev. March 2024); NH RSA 483-B:9, shoreland minimum standards; NH RSA 482-A:3, Wetlands permits; Town of Salem: Conservation Commission update (wetland ordinance review)
HomeAdvisor (opens in a new tab) lists forestry mulching at about $400 to $1,500 per acre, or $125 to $400 per machine hour, while Angi (opens in a new tab) reports an average near $800 per acre. These are national reference ranges, not our prices. Our forestry mulching cost calculator gives a planning estimate in a minute, and we confirm the number after seeing the site.
Try the forestry mulching cost calculator
Cost references: HomeAdvisor: How Much Does Forestry Mulching Cost; Angi: Forestry Mulching Cost
A few places locals know, and what they mean for outdoor work nearby.
A 375-acre lake on the Salem and Windham line whose shores are mostly lined with houses. It is one of the waters Salem's Conservation Commission lists under the state shoreland act, so tree and brush removal within 250 feet of the water's edge may need a permit.
Get directions to Canobie Lake (opens Google Maps in a new tab)Town-owned conservation land managed by the Salem Conservation Commission, with a lettered trail network that includes a planned bridge over a wetland on Trail F. It shows how quickly dry woods turn to wet ground in this part of the state.
Get directions to Salem Town Forest (opens Google Maps in a new tab)A privately owned archaeological site and attraction of roughly 30 acres, called Mystery Hill until 1982. A 1907 town history described the site as rough boulders and soft pines.
Get directions to America's Stonehenge (opens Google Maps in a new tab)The river that drains Salem along with its tributary Policy Brook, part of the Merrimack River watershed. Salem's Conservation Commission lists it among the waters covered by the state Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act.
Get directions to Spicket River (opens Google Maps in a new tab)Photos from our crew's jobs across New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
We can mulch hardwood up to 8 inches in diameter. Anything larger is cut first and the stump is ground separately. Tell us roughly how many large trees are in the area when you ask for a quote.
Yes, we can mulch them. These shrubs resprout, so plan on a follow-up mulching pass the next season. We do not offer chemical treatment.
No. Salem's ordinance and the state shoreland act limit vegetation removal near wetlands and water. We set the work line back unless you have approval, and we flag anything that looks wet.
It is shredded into mulch and left on the ground, so there is nothing to burn or haul in most cases.
Yes. A mulcher opens the corridor and leaves a soft surface. We route around wet spots and mark rocks and stumps first, and any larger stumps are ground separately.
See every town we cover on our service areas page.
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