Forest Trails/Paths

magalla

Hi,
Any advice out there relating to forest paths/trails?
I planted approx 12 acres 4 years ago and interested in creating pathways for forest walks in the future when mature. I have a few questions:
1. I imagine constructing pathways at this stage would be much easier than doing it later when trees are more mature. Would pathways create a 'rat run' for Deer?
2. Cost per linear metre of pathway?
3. Altough my intention is to keep the pathways private, is there any financial aid available for such things?
Thanks for your help, Martin

corco2000

I think it would be a great amenitie added to your forest. You can do it cheap. I'd imagine. Ask tree surgeons to drop off hardwood chippings to you. Use this and any tree you need to cut down use as borders to contain the path.
If it does end up being a path for deer even better. Lease out shooting rights to paid stakers .

timfromtang

magalla wrote: »

Hi,
Any advice out there relating to forest paths/trails?
I planted approx 12 acres 4 years ago and interested in creating pathways for forest walks in the future when mature. I have a few questions:
1. I imagine constructing pathways at this stage would be much easier than doing it later when trees are more mature. Would pathways create a 'rat run' for Deer?
2. Cost per linear metre of pathway?
3. Altough my intention is to keep the pathways private, is there any financial aid available for such things?
Thanks for your help, Martin

Hi Martin,
Its good to hear that others are doing similar things. We are just replanting 14 acres cleared because of Ash dieback, I've included a circular path through the plantation at roadside, intended to be a "fruit walk". The Forest road will enter our site in this field so parking will be available for walkers. We are planting in rips and not mounding, so I defined the walk with 2 rips each side (3 metres between so that i can fit down with a tractor and topper to maintain the path). The main crop rips are on contour and stop each side of the walk. We are planting each side of the walk with fruit trees and bushes. The walk is about 1 km in length. Initially we've got wild cherry, walnut, spindle and hazel for the edge trees, and planted some raspberry, blackcurrant, red currant, and white currant. We plan to add some more fruit trees and bushes over the next 5 years during the establishment phase of the plantation (a lack of capital prevents me buying a lot of expensive plants straight away).
I'd plan to lay down a membrane and cover with gravel, bark chips, or similar as soon as i can afford it, but hope that simply keeping the grass mown will suffice for the present, its a good fertile dry site on a south facing hillside.

The plantation is 30% ADB (additional broadleaves)(rowan, oaks Quercus robur and rubra, spindle, wild cherry, walnut, beech, hazel, alder, norway maple) and main crop is 30% birch, 40 % sycamore. I had wanted to include spanish chestnut in the main crop but sadly my forester left the planting too late in the season and the plants are not available. I will likely correct this next year and buy and plant 1500 spanish chestnuts at my own expense as I had my heart set on a quality fruiting tree for the final crop.

By doing much of the work ourselves we hope to keep the expense of providing this amenity to a minimum.

As for public access, I would love to allow this but am concerned with liability issues, therefore those local folk who discover the path and ask will be welcome to use it for the moment. I would love some advice on this issue.

tim

Wanderer78

Would the area be suitable for recreational sports such as mountain biking, it's becoming very popular, with a couple of private parks after already opening, may provide an income also?

magalla

timfromtang wrote: »

Hi Martin,
Its good to hear that others are doing similar things. We are just replanting 14 acres cleared because of Ash dieback, I've included a circular path through the plantation at roadside, intended to be a "fruit walk". The Forest road will enter our site in this field so parking will be available for walkers. We are planting in rips and not mounding, so I defined the walk with 2 rips each side (3 metres between so that i can fit down with a tractor and topper to maintain the path). The main crop rips are on contour and stop each side of the walk. We are planting each side of the walk with fruit trees and bushes. The walk is about 1 km in length. Initially we've got wild cherry, walnut, spindle and hazel for the edge trees, and planted some raspberry, blackcurrant, red currant, and white currant. We plan to add some more fruit trees and bushes over the next 5 years during the establishment phase of the plantation (a lack of capital prevents me buying a lot of expensive plants straight away).
I'd plan to lay down a membrane and cover with gravel, bark chips, or similar as soon as i can afford it, but hope that simply keeping the grass mown will suffice for the present, its a good fertile dry site on a south facing hillside.

The plantation is 30% ADB (additional broadleaves)(rowan, oaks Quercus robur and rubra, spindle, wild cherry, walnut, beech, hazel, alder, norway maple) and main crop is 30% birch, 40 % sycamore. I had wanted to include spanish chestnut in the main crop but sadly my forester left the planting too late in the season and the plants are not available. I will likely correct this next year and buy and plant 1500 spanish chestnuts at my own expense as I had my heart set on a quality fruiting tree for the final crop.

By doing much of the work ourselves we hope to keep the expense of providing this amenity to a minimum.

As for public access, I would love to allow this but am concerned with liability issues, therefore those local folk who discover the path and ask will be welcome to use it for the moment. I would love some advice on this issue.

tim

Hi Tim, Many thanks for the Reply, sounds like you're already way ahead of me. If you're happy enough to open the walk to the public, have you considered the Neighbourwood scheme? As a new user o boards, I'm unable to post URLS but just google it & teagasc.
Seems like a lot of paperwork involved but I'd imagine it's more straightforward that it seems.
Ideally id like to set out my paths at the front and back of my house and probably do have the space required for car parking, picnic areas etc but I'm worried as you are about liability issues, illegal dumping etc My biggest problem is that I probably dont have the time to do the work myself (although I'd love to) and a grant aided contractor would take care of that for me. I would like to have a nice picnic areas by the River in the area sterilised by ESB power lines and even a small cabin or two used for glamping/BBQ's. I'll let you know how I get and will send any info I find useful your way.
Kind Regards,
Martin

magalla

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Would the area be suitable for recreational sports such as mountain biking, it's becoming very popular, with a couple of private parks after already opening, may provide an income also?

Hi,
Yeah, I've thought about that as well. Making an income from it wouldnt be my main goal but if it went hand in hand, then I'd gladly take it : )

timfromtang

magalla wrote: »

Hi Tim, Many thanks for the Reply, sounds like you're already way ahead of me. If you're happy enough to open the walk to the public, have you considered the Neighbourwood scheme? As a new user o boards, I'm unable to post URLS but just google it & teagasc.
Seems like a lot of paperwork involved but I'd imagine it's more straightforward that it seems.
Ideally id like to set out my paths at the front and back of my house and probably do have the space required for car parking, picnic areas etc but I'm worried as you are about liability issues, illegal dumping etc My biggest problem is that I probably dont have the time to do the work myself (although I'd love to) and a grant aided contractor would take care of that for me. I would like to have a nice picnic areas by the River in the area sterilised by ESB power lines and even a small cabin or two used for glamping/BBQ's. I'll let you know how I get and will send any info I find useful your way.
Kind Regards,
Martin

Thanks for the suggestion Martin, I had looked at the neighbour wood scheme, but I've rejected it. I am hoping for a somewhat instant gratification from the fruit walk as there should be a yield from the fruit bushes this summer, and to benefit from the goodwill that the walk will generate. My forest operation here is based on adding value to the forest produce, i have a small sawmill (logosol) and produce charcoal for the Irish Artisan Charcoal company (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlmDbAdqaXQ), we also sell a little firewood. with only 100 acres planted and the oldest only 21 years old, I'd not make a living from selling roundwood alone. Last year was the first i attempted to make a living from the forest an we made a dismal 9 grand for the year, i am hoping to do better this year (my wife works part time so we did not starve).
I hope to use the little bit of money I'll get from the 40 acres I am thinning at the moment to build two larger charcoal retorts to address the income shortfall.

tim