permaculture

[rick valley <bamboogrove@cmug.com>]

> These 
>Kentucky hills are only several hundred feet high but at the tops are pretty

>steep.
Can you express the steepness in a percentage or rise/run ratio? There is a
limit to what machines can work on, which is probably steeper than what can
reasonably be maintained as road and connecting drain. And as slope
increases, the ratio of earth moved to water potentially impounded is less
favorable, and spillways are more difficult to build, etc. etc.
Survey lines would need to be cut through the forest; if these are also to
become trails, roads for harvesting... whatever- it's useful work. I don't
recommend having a big machine clear the initial survey line!
Do you have a topo of your site? Even the USGS quad is useful. That could
give anyone with experience, with a few details like soil & bedrock type
added in, enough info to tell you where you ought to investigate first.
Take your time, have fun, do it right the first time.
-Rick

Rick Valley Northern Groves 
PO Box 1236, Philomath, OR 97370 
Mobile-(541)602-1315, hm.& msg. (541)456-4364  Bamboo catalog $3 or at 
<http://www.teleport.com/~dbrooks/bamboo.html>
"Useful Bamboos and other plants‹ Permaculture education‹ Ecological design &
consultation centering on water,landform and horticultural systems"