A lean approach can work, but only if every twig is counted and every cut serves a purpose. We must observe growth patterns, plan harvests in rotation, and use tools that leave the bark intact so the tree can heal. That way we gather what we need and the forest keeps growing, no waste, no excess.

We’ll keep it simple. Each careful cut costs us the time of a ranger and a bit of steel—say a quarter of an hour and a few rations. That’s about five silver a cut. If a tree gives us ten usable branches, the cut cost is fifty silver. A new axe that lasts a season and cuts twice as fast would be thirty silver, so we save twenty. The forest grows back a tree in twenty seasons; if we harvest one every two years, we’re balanced. The break‑even point for tools is when the cost of a new axe is less than the savings from faster cuts—so that’s the rule. If our numbers stay there, the forest and our purse are both in good shape.