Windblow in forestry... what best to do?

Jack180570

After Wednesday's storm I have varying degrees of windblow in a couple of plantations... I'm wondering what is the best plan of action now, also has anyone any experience of dealing with windows and the cost of harvesting. ..

periodictable

Depends on how old they are. If harvesting is still a couple of years off, and the blow minor, leave the trees intact.

fergus1001

There is a harvesting penalty on top of the actual cost of harvesting could be something like 6-8 euro a cubic meter

Moocifer

I've heard the felling section are dealing with licences for storm damage as a priority. Best thing to do is contact them directly and they'll advise

blue5000

Slightly off the subject but what is the best way to get wind blows out of forestry?

gozunda

blue5000 wrote: »

Slightly off the subject but what is the best way to get wind blows out of forestry?

First I would say wait if possible for better weather

However if access is a problem or trees are still young and are not yet fully thinned then this could be a solution

http://www.ifwshow.ie/IFWShow2013/Horse.html

CJhaughey

You can get quad towed log arches if you have any kind of access.
If you are any way handy you can build one yourself pretty easily.

periodictable

From the Forest Service

Guidance for Forest Owners with Windblow
3 March 2014
The recent storms have caused damage in many Irish forests particularly in the south of the
country. While initial estimates put the area damaged at less than 1% of the total forest
area, locally the damage has been severe, with significant volumes of roundwood impacted.
To deal with this windblown timber it is important that timber growers are aware of the
various steps to take in assessing and planning the harvest of this timber.
Stakeholders in the forestry sector have come together under the chairmanship of the
Minister of State for Forestry, Tom Hayes TD, to co-ordinate a response to this storm
damage. This Windblow Taskforce is currently endeavouring to:
1. Estimate the area, volume and extent of the damage nationally,
2. Make recommendations to address the many issues that will arise in relation to the
windblow event,
3. Make recommendations for the orderly removal of windblown timber from
damaged forests.
For forest owners who have experienced windblow the most important advice is not to rush
into decisions but to make a step-by-step plan to minimise risk and maximise the salvage
value of your plantation. Most forests, despite being blown, can have considerable timber
value. The following steps will assist forest owners in planning and harvesting:
1. Think Safety first, a windblown forest is a dangerous place. Only qualified and
insured people should be permitted access. All parties have legal obligations when
carrying out forestry operations under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1989:
http://www.hsa.ie/eng/Publications_and_Forms/Publications/Agriculture_and_F
orestry/Code%20of%20Practice%20Forestry%202009-.pdf
2. If your plantation is insured for windblow, contact your insurance company
immediately. Inform them that your plantation is damaged. The insurance company
will assign an assessor to assess the damage.
3. Get independent advice from a Teagasc Forestry Adviser (For a one-to-one free
advisory session in a Teagasc office, find the local adviser in your County at
http://www.teagasc.ie/forestry/advice/index.asp ) or from a qualified forestry
professional who will meet you on-the-ground, and also other qualified professionals
such as insurance advisors, taxation experts, etc. A qualified forester can assist you
in the various steps outlined below. See the Forest Service website for a list of
Registered Foresters:
http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/forestry/forestservicegeneralinf
ormation/RegisterofForestersandForestryCompanies250214.pdf
4. Assess the area, timber volume and likely value of the windblow in your forest. In
addition assess the adjacent area that has not blown. Taking account of factors such
as age, area and risk of windblow, a decision will need to be made whether or not it
is best to retain the adjoining area and to allow it to grow on to normal clearfell age,
or to harvest this area together with the area that has suffered windblow. Most
plantations are unlikely to be entirely blown. Where a forest is partially windblown,
it is important that a forestry professional assesses the remaining standing trees for
stability. Where the forester deems that such trees are unstable, these should be
included in the felling licence application.
5. Apply for a Felling Licence from Forest Service to fell/harvest the windblown timber
and potentially any adjacent trees that may be at risk of windblow after the
felling/removal of the windblown trees. Mark your application ‘Storm Damage’ to
allow it to be prioritised by the Forest Service. If there is an existing licence for the
land, please specify the licence number in your new felling licence application. The
existing licence has to be cancelled before a new licence can issue as the same land
cannot have two licences. Please ensure that the felling licence is signed by the land
owner and where clearfelling is proposed, that details of the species being replanted
are provided. See the Forest Service website for further information:
http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/forestservice/treefelling/treefelling/
6. Consider access to the forest and specifically the windblown area and if necessary
apply for a roading grant from the Forest Service, DAFM. Applications should be
submitted before the end of March 2014 and can be made through a forester on the
approved list.
7. Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989 there is an obligation on
landowners to gather information about site hazards and to produce a site risk
assessment together with a site hazards map.
8. Market the windblown timber and get professional advice on current prices. Joining
with a group of forest owners to sell timber will provide you with scale and
efficiency. It may also reduce costs thereby maximising salvage value. Larger timber
lots are more attractive to buyers.
9. Have a strong Timber Sales Contract in place to protect the interests of all parties
and to ensure compliance with environmental requirements, Felling Licence, Health
and Safety, indemnity, insurance, agreed harvesting procedures, timber prices,
duration of contract, arbitration provisions, relevant maps and schedules and other
requirements. A forestry professional should be able to provide you with such a
contract or the Template Master Tree Sales Agreement produced by the Irish Timber
Growers Association should be consulted.
10. Control the movement of timber from your site using a strong Timber Sales Dispatch
System for security and accountability in timber sales. Again a forestry professional
will provide this or see the ITGA Model Timber Sales Dispatch System:
http://www.itga.ie/docs/MTSSApril2010.pdf
11. Supervision and monitoring of the sale and harvesting operations will ensure you
are complying with best practice and the provisions of the Felling Licence.
12. Close off the sale and record keeping – This is important for accounting and tax,
Health and Safety, various environmental and other obligations. Make sure all
timber is accounted for, paid for and that proper records are maintained.
13. Replanting plan – Plan your harvest in conjunction with subsequent replanting, which is a legal obligation after felling. A badly planned and implemented harvesting operation will potentially increase the replanting cost, ground damage and the ability of your forest to recover quickly.
The Windblow Taskforce is chaired by Minister Tom Hayes and is made up of the following:
Irish Forest and Forest Products Association (IFFPA)
Irish Timber Growers Association (ITGA)
Coillte
Irish Farmers Association (IFA)
Forest Service, DAFM

TomOnBoard

CJhaughey wrote: »

You can get quad towed log arches if you have any kind of access.
If you are any way handy you can build one yourself pretty easily.

A Log Arch for $9.50.. Surely not... Suspect this is plans alone....

TomOnBoard

periodictable wrote: »

From the Forest Service

Guidance for Forest Owners with Windblow
3 March 2014

Nah! i'm not going to repeat the stuff already done.. Periodictable has done that, and well done!

Just wondering about the reality of how the establishment is with us or against us on this one. (I know in their hearts they're with us) but.... Well, experience informs us- Hope presents our bones for picking!!

Oldtree

I would hope a similar approach to the ash dieback replant would happen for such a severe case of windthrow.

Oldtree

http://www.merrionstreet.ie/index.ph...forest-owners/
http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/forestservice/windblow/

from IT today

Storm Darwin (12th February) blew down up to 7.5 million trees

Estimated that between 5,000 and 7,000 hectares of forest were blown down, mostly in Munster.
It represented less than 1 per cent of the forest area and approximately 1 per cent of the forest volume
Affected trees were “mainly recently thinned Sitka spruce but we also have reports for lodgepole pine and broadleaf forests that suffered windblow.
Sawmills had ample capacity to process the fallen trees over the next eight to 10 months.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/envir...inds-1.1712533

hiluxstihl

hi, im setting up to go on hire with a big quad and arch, pm if interested thank you!

locky76

hiluxstihl wrote: »

hi, im setting up to go on hire with a big quad and arch, pm if interested thank you!

Whereabouts hiluxstihl?
What sort of money?
Is it per hour or per m3?

hiluxstihl

well im based in westmeath, but would travel for work, would be charging per hour, ive pulled ash and pine first thinnings. what size timber have you down?

TomOnBoard

hiluxstihl wrote: »

well im based in westmeath, but would travel for work, would be charging per hour, ive pulled ash and pine first thinnings. what size timber have you down?

How much per hour?

hiluxstihl

what size timber? ground conditions? accessability?

TomOnBoard

Would a rate per hour not be constant, regardless of the type of ground, size of timber etc? The only reason I was interested enough to ask is that I thought an hourly rate would be the best way to have a handle on cost. If you prefer not to post in the open, can you advise by PM?

fergus1001

TomOnBoard wrote: »

Would a rate per hour not be constant, regardless of the type of ground, size of timber etc? The only reason I was interested enough to ask is that I thought an hourly rate would be the best way to have a handle on cost. If you prefer not to post in the open, can you advise by PM?

not an expert in this area but lads that i know that work at this get there rate at a per metre cubed rate

periodictable

Teagasc advisory meetings in Kilkenny and Kerry

http://www.teagasc.ie/forestry/events/windblow_demos_april2014.asp