1. Does the timber in your woods have any serious commercial value? If so, perhaps you should first affect to maximize that while removing trees in/near the pond area.

2.. If not, or after that effort has been taken care of, I'd consult your potential pond excavators as to their preference. Our excavator found it much easier to push over entire trees with a trackhoe than if they were just stumps.

"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever."
-S. M. Stirling
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