Presentation given at the CLA's Woodfuel Conference at Doddington Hall on Wednesday 30 October by Mike Seville, CLA Forestry and Woodlands Adviser.

1. Managing Woods for
Woodfuel – post
Chalara
Mike Seville
Forestry and Woodlands Adviser
Country Land and Business
Association

2. Using wood for heating has
become increasingly popular

3. 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
boilers
Number of biomass boilers supported by RHI in
England and Britain
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
31-Jul- 31-Aug- 30-Sep- 31-Oct- 30- 31-Dec12
12
12
12 Nov-12
12
Many on rural estates; and many more are planned.
England
Britain

4. However we also now have Chalara

5. Woodfuel can provide a valuable market for your
timber

6. An opportunity to manage your woodland and
improve it’s profitability

7. And create woods that are both
beautiful and valuable

8. 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

9. 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.

16. What Are Your Objectives?
•
•
•
•
•
Providing woodfuel for own use
Growing quality timber for profit
Shooting
Some where nice to walk
Wildlife habitat

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. Harvester working in young mixed
woodland

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. Stack it tidily on a hard airy site

24. Chalara – What does it mean for
future woodland management ?

25. •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Better deer management
More diversity of:
Species
Structure
Age class
No more coppicing of ash
No more Ash?
More forward planning