Opinion ID: 1724054
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: proper management

Text: The second issue before us is whether Mrs. Kennedy's plan to clear-cut the tract constitutes proper management or prudent administration of the tract. This is clearly an issue to be decided by the trier of fact. After a two day trial in which each party called two forestry expert witnesses, the trial court adopted the expert opinion of Mrs. Kennedy's forester, Mr. Lewis C. Peters, on the proper management of the tract. Mr. Peters noted that the tract consisted of an even aged stand of mature and over mature loblolly pine, whose age was between sixty and seventy-five years. He testified that the life span of loblolly pine trees was between eighty and one hundred years. Mr. Peters stated that thirty acres in the southwest corner of the tract contained trees younger than those found on the remainder of the tract. Mr. Peters noted that undesirable hardwood species were beginning to succeed the pines on the tract, and he opined that because the tract had not been previously managed it would be difficult to rehabilitate. Mr. Peters testified that the most prudent approach would be to harvest the merchantable timber on the majority of the tract, including the hardwoods, and replant the site with genetically superior seedlings. He stated that it would not be prudent to simply cut the larger pines since the smaller trees were the same age. He opined that the smaller trees were so old and suppressed that they would not respond to the removal of the larger trees. Mr. Peters outlined the risks associated with allowing the older pine trees to remain on the tract, noting that the trees were rapidly approaching the end of their life span, that they were vulnerable to insect attack, and that they could attract endangered species, thus preventing their harvest. Mr. Peters recommended that some hardwoods be left along watersheds and streams to prevent erosion and encourage wildlife. With respect to the thirty acre portion of the tract containing the younger trees, Mr. Peters recommended a selective cut of only the larger trees. Obviously, what constitutes proper management of timberland will vary depending on the species, condition, size, location, age, and density of the timber on the tract. The trial court was presented with several expert opinions on the prudent administration of this particular tract, and was well informed about the several available alternatives. The trial court's acceptance of Mr. Peters' recommendations as the most prudent course of management of the property was reasonable, and we find no manifest error in its decision to accept Mr. Peters' expert opinion. It is apparent from the findings of the trial court that prior to the initiation of the usufruct, the 143 acre tract had not been properly managed to provide sustained yields, and that selective thinnings and plantings on the tract would do little to rehabilitate the tract. Because the tract had been neglected for so long from a forestry standpoint, leaving some of the trees standing placed the entire stand of timber at risk of infection, infestation, destruction by the elements, and succession by less desirable species. These risks greatly outweighed any benefits that could accrue by leaving the smaller trees. The trial court reasonably concluded that the most prudent management of the tract called for a clear-cut of the majority of the tract, followed by replanting with genetically improved seedlings. Had this tract been a properly managed tree farm prior to the initiation of Mrs. Kennedy's usufruct, it is unlikely that her plan to clear-cut the tract would be considered prudent. However, we recognize that under certain circumstances, such as those found in the present case, a clear-cut may be warranted. The prudent administrator/proper management standard is a flexible one, and we are unwilling to hold that as a matter of law clear-cutting will never constitute the proper management of timberland. Accordingly, under Article 562, Mrs. Kennedy is entitled to the proceeds of the prudent management plan proposed by her foresters and approved by the trial court. The judgment of the court of appeal, limiting Mrs. Kennedy's timber activities to a selective cutting from the thirty acre stand of younger trees is reversed, and the judgment of the trial court is reinstated. REVERSED. JOHNSON, J., dissents and assigns reasons. VICTORY, J., not on panel. Rule IV, Part 2, Sec. 3.