How to cut down a tree When a tree just has to come down, make
sure you and your equipment are up to the task Ever noticed how
cottage ownership brings both sides of nature into sharper
focus? Chipmunks are cute, until they nest in your attic. The
smell of decomposing leaves on the forest floor is soul-
enriching, until powder-post beetles kick-start the same
composting process in your sleeping porch. And Old Man Pine is a
friendly giant until he threatens to bash your cottage to
smithereens. Realities like these are why all cottagers
eventually learn the truth about trees. As beautiful as they
are, sometimes they’ve got to go. Though cutting down a
perfectly healthy tree may seem like a sacrilege to some, when
it comes to building protection and personal safety, sometimes
cottagers have to make the sacrifice. But before you head to the
shed for your chainsaw, be sure to ask yourself if a given tree
really needs to be cut down. Then figure out how, or even if,
you can do it yourself. Making the cut The first s