Economics of Coppicing

[Sleeches]

Morning all

 

I have a patch of woodland which includes around 10 acres of sweet chestnut which is all well overdue for coppicing, having last been touched over 10 years ago. We bought it with the house a couple of years ago and don't have the time to do anything large scale myself so am looking into getting it done by a pro, but am struggling with the financials, i.e. who pays whom for what.

 

My starting point is to get someone in to coppice it properly on a rotation, and they can keep any wood they cut but leave a few cubes of chopped firewood for me.

 

Does this sound right or are there better or more accepted cost models for coppicing?

 

thanks

 

 

Mike

[Minotaur]

Whereabouts are youMike?

[Sleeches]

Whereabouts are youMike?

 

Buxted, East Sussex. I have someone lined up who I think will do a great job but I don't want to give the stuff away.....

[coppiceer]

Try asking your question on the Small Woodland Owners Group forum. They are pretty much focused on the South-East and someone may be able to offer you the advice you need.

 

SWOG Forum

[Ty Unnos]

Sounds like a fair deal to me. In days gone by coppice workers used to pay the land owner for the right to cut the coppice but that was when there was a market for coppice products. These days the economics are reversed with woodland owners having to pay people to cut the coppice.

 

If you get well managed, on rotation coppice and free firewood and your worker gets the chance to make a wage then I think that is fair.

 

Before you start I would come up with a proper spec for the work: stumps cut low, how much layering you want done, what to do with brash etc.

 

You also need to come up with a plan to manage deer, rabbits and squirrels. By the time you realise they have wrecked your coppice it will be too late!

[john k]

Try asking your question on the Small Woodland Owners Group forum. They are pretty much focused on the South-East and someone may be able to offer you the advice you need.

 

SWOG Forum

 

Or you might be better off contacting the Surrey and Sussex Coppice Group who may be able to give you and idea of the going rate (if there is such a thing).

[Sleeches]

Thanks all for the replies - very useful. All I want is a fair deal for both so that it's a productive long term relationship.

 

We will need to protect against the deer but we have stalkers working the land so hopefully that will also help.

 

Cheers