Tink:
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I assume your buddies are not tree-huggers?... So if you insist, you
will probably want to restrict yourself to cutting down one of your own
trees on your own acreage up there. ...
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Hmmm... good point....

In my municipality, where most people live on a slope, with "potential"
view property, everyone is a tree-hugger when it comes to trees above
their lot, and a logger as far as trees on the downhill side are
concerned. Here, you cannot cut trees (even on your own lot) without
prior consultation with the city arborist and then city permission
(which is damned hard to get!).

We've had way too many instances in the past of trees disappearing in
some kind of "cut and run" operation as people seek to create views
where none existed before. Fines can run as high as $20,000 per tree
(cheap in the minds of developers if it creates $250,000 worth of
view).

So, Tink, maybe I'll try reeds (not that any grow here).

frtzw906