Achieving the best timber return for small woods, large plantations and everything in between.
I undertake all aspects of timber harvesting, from the initial assessment of a CROP to managing the felling work and beyond
After decades of ongoing management costs, it is only right that the woodland owner seeks to obtain the maximum financial return when it is time to harvest the crop.
In the ideal world, the harvesting stage of a forest or woodland's lifecycle is a time when previous expenditure is recouped, cash is generated to cover the cost of replanting the next rotation and a tidy profit is returned to the owner.
As many woodland owners will know, the reality can be quite different: timber sales income can be smaller than projected and costs greater than anticipated.
The situation can be particularly acute when woodlands are small, under-managed, hard to access or suffering from wind damage.
The services that I provide to tree owners and managers aims to remove some of these uncertainties and to ensure that the tree felling programme proceeds in a cost effective and professional manner.
In accordance with these standards of service, I undertake a free initial assessment of the woodland or forest that can be used to identify whether the time is right to harvest the timber. If I think it is, I produce an outline analysis to provide an initial indication of the potential income and costs associated with harvesting the stand. These findings are supplied in a professional manner: timely, in writing and supported with a digital map.
If the woodland owner chooses to proceed beyond the initial appraisal, the crop is usually measured in a systematic manner and the projections of earlier budgets are fine-tuned. Felling permissions are obtained, stakeholders are consulted, the timber is marketed and a cash flow produced that considers the cost of restocking (usually a statutory requirement) as well as the tree cutting aspect itself.
I work with owners and their managers to identify marketing opportunities for the timber and to provide the best return. If the stand is small, windblown, hard to reach or just of poor quality, this could entail finding a specialist market for the timber, obtaining grant support from the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) and appointing independent and specialist contractors with the machinery and experience to get the timber to roadside with the minimum of cost and disruption.
The services I provide are modular and the costs can be fixed, allowing the woodland owner or manager to decide whether to engage me for the full scope of the project or just one or more elements, including:
Measuring and assessing the trees to produce timber production forecasts.
Obtaining the felling licence from Forestry Commission Scotland.
Liaising with local authorities and other parties, including consultation with neighbours if required.
Marketing the timber to achieve the best price.
Obtaining planning permission and installing any infrastructure required to provide access to the woodland and the timber therein.
Appointing contractors.
Managing the harvesting operations with attention to site safety and environmental impacts.
Record keeping and reporting to the owner or manager in respect of timber production, timber sales and the reconciliation of payments received from timber buyers.
I am also able to cost-effectively arrange the collection of timber left-over from previous harvesting works, often moving small amounts of timber to roadside locations at a reasonable cost.
I also purchase timber directly and offer a fair price.
I will also assess non-economic harvesting and thinning works in the same manner as described above, making use of all available opportunities to reduce the financial burden for the owner or manager while delivering the desired outcome.
Please click here to be taken to my contact page, where enquiries may be submitted and telephone numbers and an email address obtained.
Alternatively, click the links below for some further suggestions as to how I might help with the management of your woodland or forest .
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