Managing Woods for

Woodfuel – post

ChalaraMike Seville

Forestry and Woodlands Adviser

Country Land and Business Association

Using wood for heating has

become increasingly popular

By the end of January, since the launch of the RHI 560 boilers, with a

total capacity of 123 megawatts have been installed in England

Number of biomass boilers supported by RHI in

England and Britain

0100200300400500600700800

31-Jul-

12

31-Aug-

12

30-Sep-

12

31-Oct-

12

30-

Nov-12

31-Dec-

12

bo

ilers

England

Britain

Many on rural estates; and many more are planned.

However we also now have Chalara

Woodfuel can provide a valuable market for your

timber

An opportunity to manage your woodland and

improve it’s profitability

And create woods that are both

beautiful and valuable

What Have You Got?Subcompartment Name Area Planting

Year

Species Species details Comments

1a Fir

Plantation

4.00 1900 MB Oak, Ash

1b Fir

Plantation

3.00 1979 MB/MC Oak,Ash SP,EL EL poor

2 Harpley

Belt

3.60 1945 MB Oak, SC Good quality Oak

3a Bunkers

Hill

8.10 1956 MC/MB SP, Be SP80% Be 20%

3b Bunkers

Hill

2.10 1960 MB Be, Ash

What can your woods produce?

• Scots pine YC 10 will produce

approximately 6 tonnes per hectare per

year.

• Ash, sycamore or birch YC 8 will produce

approximately 5 tonnes per hectare per

year.

• Generally you would thin your woods

every five years.

What Are Your Objectives?

• Providing woodfuel for own use

• Growing quality timber for profit

• Shooting

• Some where nice to walk

• Wildlife habitat

Can you supply your needs?

• If you can, great!

• If you can’t then you can buy in round

wood.

• If you have too much then you can sell

some.

• Sometimes it may make sense to come to

an arrangement with your neighbours to

even out supply.

Planning

• Prepare a Management Plan

• Are there any designations?

• Carry out a European Protected Species

Survey

• Get a felling licence.

• Enter an England Woodland Grant

Scheme.

• Take good advice.

Thinning

• Marking the thinning is the most important

job in woodland management.

• The man (or woman) who marks the tree

makes the wood.

• The worst comes first the best remains.

• Never let the buyer or the harvesting

contractor mark the wood.

• Don’t be afraid of big machines.

Harvester working in young mixed

woodland

Costings

• Costs will vary

• Harvesting to roadside should cost

between £18 per tonne for a harvester and

• £28 per tonne for motor manual.

• You will have to pay extra to get the timber

to the drying and chipping site.

Logistics

• Handle the timber as infrequently as possible.

• Every time you move it, it costs you money.

• Cut the right size for the chipper.

• Stack it tidily on hard airy site.

• Keep it clean.

• Be professional; you are producing a high quality fuel.

Stack it tidily on a hard airy site

Chalara – What does it mean for

future woodland management ?

• Better deer management

• More diversity of:

• Species

• Structure

• Age class

• No more coppicing of ash

• No more Ash?

• More forward planning