Managing Woods for Woodfuel – post Chalara Mike Seville Forestry and Woodlands Adviser Country Land and Business Association
Jun 29, 2015
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