The Minot Forest Committee is laying plans to remove of seven acres of dead red pine trees along Indian Neck Road.

Tuesday, representatives of the committee and forester Philip Benjamin went before the Board of Selectmen to explain their plans and ask for the town's legal assistance in contracting with an outside company to remove the trees.

Benjamin said the pines have been dead for about a year and pose a hazard to motorists and homeowners in the area.

He said staging for the tree removal are will take place opposite the Forestview nursing home. The committee asked that the town pay for a sign at the site explaining why the trees were being removed.

As a result of the clearing for a staging area, a six-car parking lot will be created. Selectmen Chair Walter Cruz noted that he has long asked for such a lot. “We have a forest that we own and maintain, and no one can get to it,” he said.

Benjamin said he supervised a similar operation in the City of New Bedford water supply watershed area where a contractor used a 30-foot boom to remove the trees. The specialized equipment allows the dead wood to be removed without damaging undergrowth. In Minot Forest, there is a healthy undergrowth of white pine and oak saplings that Benjamin said will grow better without the red pine.

Typically the Town would have to pay to remove dead wood. But Benjamin said that, although the wood does not have value as lumber, it can be chipped for use in wood pellets. Thus, the committee can likely find a contractor to do the work in return for the wood.

Minot Forest Committee Chair Angie Dunham told selectmen that the area in question does not contain wetlands. However, Conservation Commission Chair Dave Shep met with committee members and said the work would require a Chapter 142 forestry cutting plan.

Selectmen Michael Schneider asked whether the loss of trees would increase noise in the area. The trees did not have foliage at the lower branches, and so did not provide soundproofing, Benjamin said. The machine used to remove the trees is surprisingly quiet, he added.

Following discussion, selectmen agreed to give the Minot Forest Committee the requested assistance with the project.