March 2012 - A fresh tree wound on a yellow birch tree along the Mt Tecumseh Trail in New Hampshire. This wound is the result of man not properly removing a painted trail marker (blaze) from the tree. The blaze was painted on the tree in 2011, and then improperly removed from the tree in the spring of 2012. The bark, where the blaze was, was cut and peeled away creating a tree wound.

From Forest Service: When blazes are removed from trees it is generally done with a wire brush...
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March 2012 - A fresh tree wound on a yellow birch tree along the Mt Tecumseh Trail in New Hampshire. This wound is the result of man not properly removing a painted trail marker (blaze) from the tree. The blaze was painted on the tree in 2011, and then improperly removed from the tree in the spring of 2012. The bark, where the blaze was, was cut and peeled away creating a tree wound.

From Forest Service: When blazes are removed from trees it is generally done with a wire brush though many of the brushes carried by our field staff have a paint scraper integrated into the same tool. The bark is usually not cut intentionally or peeled off. The one exception might be if the blaze were on a mature paper birch. We discourage the use of birches for blazing but in some places they're the only option.

Blaze removal is most likely done by USFS field staff (trail crews or backcountry rangers) or the partner organization responsible for the maintenance of the trail. Occasionally it may be done by trail adopters or other authorized volunteers. Anyone not under a formal agreement with the USFS is not authorized to remove blazes.
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