Felling a Tree

 Forest Preserve workers (actually a company called "Tall Grass") is thinning groves of trees in Bemis Forest Preserve.  All of the stumps (cut very close to the ground) look something like this.  In this photo, I had found (on the forest floor nearby) the tall triangle of wood balanced on the stump on the left and put it back where it belonged.

Here seem to be the steps.

1. long horizontal cut (on the right) They cut through 3/4 of the tree.
2. short horizontal cut (on the left).  BELOW cut #1, they cut 1/4 of the the tree in the opposite direction
3. sharp diagnal cut.  At a very steep angle, they cut down from the "short cut" side starting well above either cut. The angle intersects with cut #2.