Superior growth of oak trees in the Sockum Ridge area south of Washington will bring about a controlled harvest of some trees. The Washington County Conservation Board (WCCB) has voted to move on a “shelter wood harvest” to selectively remove the canopy of taller trees which if left uncut can prevent sunlight from reaching the small oak saplings on the forest floor that need good sunlight to grow and flourish. WCCB Executive Director Zach Rozmus says the harvest is necessary because of a bumper crop of oak tree growth in 2018, “If you took pictures right now of what we have on the forest floor and sent that to portions of Iowa where they’re trying to get oak regeneration, they would be super-jealous of what we have.” Rozmus says officials will assess the area over the next month or so to determine how many trees to harvest and which are the best trees to leave in place. The board will then solicit bids from contractors, which Rozmus says could begin by January, although it’s possible that could be delayed if companies are still tied up with tree cutting and cleanup brought on by the derecho in August.