Forestry Maintenance
- Thinning
- Timing of Thinnings
- Economics of Thinning
- Clearfelling
- Upfront Payment for Thinnings Standing
- Felling Licence Applications
- Forest Roads
- 10 Year Management Plans
- Aerial Fertiliser Application
Without a proper thinning programme (where appropriate) a forest will not achieve its full production potential and could therefore result in a financial loss to the landowner. Thinning is the removal of part of the crop in order to concentrate future volume growth on fewer and better quality stems and is the most powerful tool the owner possesses to manipulate the development of the plantation and the log size of the final crop.
Thinning will increase overall timber revenue by increasing the volume of sawlog produced. This is due to the fact that larger trees attract significantly higher prices and are less expensive to harvest on a €/m3 basis and yield more valuable end products.
There are a number of things to consider prior to implementing a thinning programme. These include:
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Plantation Inventory - It may be of assistance to complete a full or partial inventory of your plantation in order to establish the best time to commence a thinning programme and to calculate the volume of timber. An inventory will also assist you in planning your thinning programme and may identify poor sections of forestry that will benefit from an application of fertiliser.
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Cutting Inspection Paths - These paths will allow access to your plantation so that a forester can access the plantation to determine if it is ready for thinning.
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Applying for a Road Grant - If your plantation is ready to thin it may be necessary to construct a road or at minimum, a loading area for the timber. A road grant should be applied for at least 2 years in advance of the thinning programme.
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Applying for a Felling Licence - As it is illegal in Ireland to fell trees without an appropriate licence, with a few exceptions, you will need to apply for a felling licence prior to undertaking a thinning programme. There are 2 types of felling licences - a General Felling Licence and a Limited Felling Licence. In almost all cases relating to forestry, a General Felling Licence will be required.
Mid Western Forestry can assist and advise you on all aspects of thinning. Mid Western Forestry also undertake all works associated with thinnings on a consultancy basis including, but not limited to:
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Road grant applications and construction
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Felling licence applications
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Cutting inspection paths
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Full or partial inventory
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Purchase of thinnings standing
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Road and drain repairs after thinning
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Aerial fertiliser of poor sections of plantations
If you would like additional information on thinning or are considering implementing a thinning programme CONTACT US today.
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The timing of first and subsequent thinnings depends on the productivity of the site and 'Yield Class' is used to classify the productivity. Generally speaking - the higher the yield class, the greater the growth rate, the shorter the rotation and an earlier age of first thinning. The timing of first thinning in Ireland is especially important due to our windy climate and wet soils. On these typical sites, if thinning is delayed or not undertaken in time, the possiblity of ever safely thinning the plantation can be lost. Not all sites are suitable for thinning and as a general rule crops on wet exposed sites should not be thinned.
If you think your plantation is approaching first thinning or would like additional information CONTACT US today.
The economics of thinning depend on a combination of yield class, price and site stability. Thinning increases revenue but incurs a risk in terms of wind-throw on unstable sites. As a general rule of thumb:
1. Thinning is more profitable than not thinning for yield class 14 or greater; and
2. Thin early rather than late.
First thinning represents a special case. Many private growers have decided to leave their plantations un-thinned or have postponed thinning due to the fact that, up until recently, the returns from thinning did not cover the costs. Whilst this is understandable, research has shown that it is possible to undertake a first thinning with a loss between €3m3 and €6m3 and still achieve significantly better returns over the rotation rather than leaving the crop un-thinned. Additionally, there would be increased saleability of the thinned plantation should the owner wish to sell the plantation.
Clearfelling occurs at the end of a forest rotation and involves harvesting all of the marketable trees. Generally this will occur after 40 to 50 years for conifers and later for broadleaves. Logically the timing of clearfell should be when you will maximise the financial yield. As per thinning, the timing of clearfell depends mostly on the species and yield class of the trees planted but you should also keep in mind economic factors such as market prices and reducing cost through economies of scale, i.e. by joining with other land owners and harvesting a number of plantations in the area at the one time.
If you would like further details on how Mid Western Forestry can assist you in the clearfell process CONTACT US today.
Upfront Payment for Thinnings Standing
Mid Western Forestry is in the market for purchasing your thinnings and clearfell timber. We can provide you with upfront payment for thinnings standing on a price per tonne. If you are interested in selling your thinnings, please CONTACT US.
The 1946 Forestry Act provides for 2 types of Felling Licences:
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General Felling Licence
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Limited Felling Licence
(78 KB)
A General Felling Licence needs to be applied for normal forest harvesting operations and applications are sent directly to the Forest Service. A Limited Felling Licence is used for the removal of individual trees on a farm or for site development and the application can be made via your local Garda Station. Both types of applications should be accompanied by an inventory map and location map.
Mid Western Forestry can assist you in applying for a felling licence. For further details CONTACT US.
An appropriate road network is essential for all forestry plantations as they can be required for forestry management operations, the extraction of timber and provide fire-fighting access. Forest roads also provide further biodiversity opportunities in the forest by increasing open space and forest edges.
The Forest Road Grant offered by the Forest Service is cost based and offers a once off payment of 80% of eligible costs (up to 25 linear metres of forest road per hectare of forest is permitted) to a maximum of €45/linear metre payable on satisfactory completion of the project. A Road Grant should be applied for at least 2 years before the commencement of thinning.
Forest road construction should be compatible with the Code of Best Forest Practice - Ireland, and the Forest Service Environmental Guidelines and The Forest Road Manual published by COFORD and approval from the Forest Service is required.
Mid Western Forestry Services Ltd can assist you with road applications, road layout and road construction. For further details CONTACT US.
To ensure the successful management of any plantation, it is essential that you undertake regular management plans. Mid Western Forestry are capable of compiling a variety of forest management plans tailored to the different requirements of each forest owner.
The Forest Service require 10 year management plans where the planted area is greater than 10 hectares for conifers or 5 hectares for broadleaves.
The management plans provide essential information to the owner and the Forest Service on the current status of the forestry as well as planning future management operations.
Mid Western Forestry foresters are registered with the Forest Service and will prepare the management plan to the required standard. This always involves our foresters carrying out a site visit and field assessment in order to prepare the required documentation and provide information on all species, areas and plot boundaries.
If your plantation has reached 10 years of age and falls into the aformentioned criteria the payment of your premium will be dependent on the submission of a satisfactory management plan. You should contact Mid Western Forestry when you receive notification of this requirement from the Forest Service.
Difficult sites that are performing poorly or have been flagged by the Forest Service may require aerial fertilisation. Mid Western Forestry can arrange and supervise this operation on your behalf. For further details CONTACT US.