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 costs while a woodland steadily grows and matures, it is only right that the 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's 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 less than anticipated and the cost of providing adequate extraction facilities, let alone subsequent restocking, demoralising.
What's worse, the situation can be even more acute when woodlands are small, under-managed, hard to access or are suffering from windthrow.
While I cannot magically redress these physical and financial constraints, I aim to remove - or at least quantify - any grey areas and uncertainties by the services that I provide, while ensuring that tree felling programme proceeds in a cost effective and professional manner.
In accordance with these standards of service, I offer to undertake a free initial assessment of the woodland or forest in order to identify whether the time is right to harvest the timber. If I think that it is, I will produce an outline analysis to provide an initial indication of the potential income and costs associated with harvesting the stand, together with a written estimate of my charges for taking matters further.
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 this initial appraisal, the crop is usually measured in a systematic manner and the projections of earlier budgets are fine-tuned and extrapolated to include the cost of the restocking work that must follow in the next three to five years.
After that, should the woodland owner wish to proceed, I obtain permission to fell the trees, consult with neighbours and stakeholders, market the timber and manage all aspects of the felling work that follows.
I work with timber merchants and independent sawmill operators to identify marketing opportunities for timber and to provide the best return to the woodland owner. If the stand is small, windblown, hard to reach or just poor quality, this could entail finding a specialist market or seeking grant support for costs from the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP). I have good connections with independent and specialist felling and extraction contractors who have both the machinery and experience to get the timber to roadside with minimum disruption and maximum efficiency.
I am happy to manage the whole project or just deal with some elements, according to the customer's requirements.
In this regard, some of the areas that I can help include:
Measuring the woodland or forest and providing 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 and firewood 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 my telephone numbers and email address can be obtained.
Alternatively, use the links below to discover a few of the other ways in which I can help with managing your woodland or forest.
If you cannot find what you are looking for, feel free to use contact form here to send me a question or arrange for a no obligation consultation.