Processing trees on private land

I was told to come to you guys after posting similar question elsewhere. I'm in a position where we have 1100 trees are so on our land. This is just about two acres our house is on. The trees are mostly pine and planted about 40 years ago as shelter from the wind. They ALL need to come down for various reasons. It's mostly pine and not good quality. Fit only for burning tbh.

I've been thinning them out a bit over the last year, but it's really time I get stuck into them. My parents are both long-term unwell and though the rest of the family also want to sort it, I'm really the only one with the time to do it as it looks like my work schedule will be severly affected by COVID for the short to long term. I want to do this myself and don't want to bring someone in to do it. I'd rather spend the money on equipment tbh.

So, the question is, what do you think would be best way to approach the felling in terms of machinery. Very few of these trees are over the 350mm. I have a decent chainsaw and all the safety gear and some useful hand tools, like cants etc. so it's really the heavier stuff I'm thinking of. We're not farmers, so I was considering setting up a commercial company and registering for vat, I'd also need the commercial vehicle insurance. But then again, maybe I only need a log splitter and chipper. However, then I realised, I'll have to clear all the roots etc after, so maybe I should get a small tractor, maybe an MF35 or similar? Obvioulsy, I'd love a unimog or similar, but I can get carried away with these things?

Any ideas? I'm not sure how well, the land can be recovered either way. It's already not the best quality in the areas not planted on, so maybe some native woodland would work (it's only 2-3 acres so not really grant worthy).

Large bottle small glass

That is some task for hardship, and something you could end up spending a lot of money on for little benefit at the other end.

By pine I don't know what you mean, but if planted properly they may have a commercial value. You need to find that out.

If Biomass prices are high, you might make a few quid just selling it to a contractor who will come in any cut, chip and remove everything from site.

There used to be a user @$kilkenny I think we used to do that kind of work, might be able to help if you messaged him.

You will have enough to be doing with stumps and general clean up

Thanks, I appreciate the feedback. However, I've made the decision to do it myself and understand how much is involved in it, for my sins. It's not really something I intend on doing for profit and I've had a few people sniffing around to buy the wood. Which has immediately put me off tbh. I'm really just looking for a cost effective way to go about it. I understand I'll have to put money into the project, I just want to not overspend. Y'know?

Donald Trump

You'll need a felling licence I think. And with that felling licence comes an obligation to replant. There are some exceptions such as the trees being close to the house etc.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118429380#Comment_118429380

Thanks, but under the exemptions regarding distance from a building built before the planting of the trees, I won't.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118429347#Comment_118429347

Couple of things come to mind. If the trees were planted as a shelter belt, there must have been good reason for that? Leaving just a few to serve as such may not work either as they'll have grown with the shelter of each other, so remove a lot and the remaining will be knocked about by first big gale. You see this in Coillte plantations all the time. Secondly, what are you going to do will all this timber? Take a long time to burn it and it won't keep forever.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118431704#Comment_118431704

Hi,and thanks, yes, you're right, very much the case and have taken it into consideration. As for moving it on, we have four households to heat and will wait until we have everything cut before deciding. I already know some of it is too rotten in its standing to burn.

As I said in my original post, I'm more looking for suggestions as how best to go machinery-wise. I appreciate the feedback. I'll go with the plan I have. Thanks.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118431837#Comment_118431837

Well I dunno re latter, I cut a bit of timber every year for our household. Stack as lengths for drying and then later process and to the shed. All I know is that it's work all the way, lots of handling. Nothing wrong with a bit of graft, keeps you fit if nothing else. Would I do a lot of it and for the benefit of others? I might be inclined if I were you to rope in the other family members who will benefit to help with the handling and processing, once you've cut them down. More hands, lighter work etc. No pain, no gain :)

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118431612#Comment_118431612

Fair enough. But technically you still have to inform them and let them decide whether it is exempt before you go mad cutting them down. https://assets.gov.ie/96783/dd685e5f-1628-4a24-87ab-888d1e3a7845.pdf

It is important to note that, while some trees are exempted from the need to obtain a tree felling licence, the Forest Service must be notified that felling is to take place and it will decide if the trees in question are exempted. These scenarios in the Forestry Act 2014 are identified by the use of the text “in the opinion of the Minister”.

Although it is a little ambiguous in the case of a tree being within 10m of a road whether you can just fire ahead or not

accidental forester

Anyway you look at it, that's a serious bit of work. I take about 40 to 50 stems a year out of our forestry for our own firewood use and another 10 to 15 for planking. Almost all is wind-thrown so a bit more work than clean felling at the edge of a patch. I use a Lennartsfors Iron Horse with a Kellfri crane/trailer. It's a good combination for getting down the rows without damage, something you probably won't need to worry about if clear felling from the edge. A small to medium sized tractor and crane/trailer would move the logs to your landing point fairly painlessly. If you're determined to make firewood, a firewood processor would speed it all up (you'd have the tractor PTO to drive it).

We heat our old, drafty farmhouse with the above mentioned amount of firewood (some is given to friends and relatives). 1100 stems will keep you and your relations warm for some time. If it's Sitka or lodgepole, you want to get it split fairly soon after cutting. If the logs go damp in stacks they'll never dry. In this climate, a fungus forms that inhibits drying. You'll need a dry space to store the split timber.

Talk to your accountant before making a move on VAT registration. You could end up in a situation where you would have to charge VAT on any firewood sold. Also it could have implications on any future sale of the land; you might have to charge VAT on that sale.

Removing the stumps is very disruptive from a soil disturbance and runoff standpoint. You might decide to pull them closer to house where you want some future flexibility and just replant between them in the further reaches. The stumps will rot down over time.

Getting a registered forester to have a look would be money well spent. They can assess the value, you might be surprised as to what your sitting on. They can give you a couple of options of how to proceed and certainly answer the question about felling licenses.

Good luck and keep us posted on how you get on.

divillybit

@accidental forester , I see in your previous post about Sitka or lodgepole going damp in stacks they'll never dry as a fungus forms that inhibits drying.

There a large amount of thus type of timber stacked near me, I was thinking of buying an artic load of it and cutting the lenghts myself and split the timber. But after reading your post I'm not so sure this timber would be much good for burning. Would it take a long time to dry out?

accidental forester

divillybit, Since that last post I've read up a bit more and it's actually a bacteria that forms around the fibers and impedes the movement of moisture. To answer you question; never. No amount of proper handling (short of possibly a long time in a kiln, not sure about that) will turn it into anything usable. I've watched my next door neighbour and father-in-law each struggle with their lorry loads of dozy logs. In the case of the f-i-l, he had asked for "seasoned" logs. They certainly weren't fresh cut, bark crumbling off, too heavy for apparent length of time it had been cut, etc. He managed to get through the pile in his central heating boiler but the output was very poor. The cut logs never had that nice ringing sound when you banged two pieces together, just a dull thud. In the case of the neighbour, He complained to me about the poor heat output from his boiler stove. You could see the timber in his log pile was going dozy, bark falling off. He ended up having the last the of logs hauled away.

I suppose the question is; has the timber you're looking at been infected? It's hard to tell. (I'm assuming these aren't fresh cut logs.) I generally avoid anything that has a majority of its bark sliding off. Lift the ends of a couple of logs; if it's been down for a while, it should be getting considerably lighter. If they are heavy (and damp), I'd walk away.

The only sure approach is to buy from a reputable haulier that is pulling logs from a freshly cut site. Get it cut into rounds and split straight away and stored under some sort of cover.

divillybit

Thanks @accidental forester, really informative post. It looks like the piles of timber I pass by are of poor quality for making firewood. I think all they would be good for is woodchip for bedding if they are no good for burning.

Im based in Roscommon, and don't know any hauliers. On a freshly cut site though would the smaller diameter lengths suitable for firewood just be left with the brash by the harvester?

accidental forester

At the moment, everything coming out of plantations is in high demand. Sawmills and panel plants are paying top money for all material from sawlogs on down. If you can find someone that is thinning in your area, that material should be suitable at least for personal use. A call to the nearest sawmill might turn up a contact that can point you towards a current cutting and the contractor doing it. Good luck with your search.