How much can you fell without a license?

[Justme]

The others are correct its 5 cubic metres per calender quarter, however it normally applies to timber going to a saw mill. We have recently taken down 5 very large oaks, totally around 15m3 but there was only 5m3 of butts.

 

The 5m3 is the complete tree not just millable or usable timber.

 

You can only sell 2m3 of the 5m3.

 

It is per owner & not per site.

[skyhuck]

The 5m3 is the complete tree not just millable or usable timber.

 

You can only sell 2m3 of the 5m3.

 

It is per owner & not per site.

 

I was told it was a maximum 8m3 of "unsaleable timber".

[Stephen Blair]

Looks like 30 year old Sitka to me.

 

Never had a felling liscence so can't help you there I am afraid

[codlasher]

They look like Sitka but the best way is the 'clutch and curse' test.

Clutch the branch and if you curse they are Sitka! If not they are Spruce:biggrin:

codlasher

[Grass hopper]

That would be a nice day's felling , any one need to do there CS30 /31.

Arbtalk Felling day , BBQ and camp , but it's not mine.

If I win the lotto I will buy a woodland.

[mr_magicfingers]

A little research shows that sitka spruce is used for timber framing and, in Norway, for external cladding. Probably can't use it for the tent platforms but the office frame and cladding might be possible if the trees are suitable size and quality.

[fagus]

Contact your local Forestry Conservancy Office, they will help with felling licence details and no doubt know some history of the site especially if it has received planting grants in the past.

Certainly not Larch +1 for Sitka spruce.

[Stereo]

Unless you have to, I would work within the rules and go without the license. Over a few years, you can fell a hell of a lot of timber and still be within the law. Just takes a bit of planning.

[mr_magicfingers]

That would be a nice day's felling , any one need to do there CS30 /31.

Arbtalk Felling day , BBQ and camp , but it's not mine.

If I win the lotto I will buy a woodland.

 

Nice idea. We could certainly offer that if it's arrangeable. People could camp on the site, reducing accomodation costs etc and I'm sure we could feed a small course comfortably, they usually seem to be limited to about 4 people.

[Spruce Pirate]

Definitely looks like sitka to me (and I've seen a lot of it), and I'd agree 30-40 years old.

 

Someone's already posted a link to the FC website, but, Felling License regs as I remember them: You need a license to fell more than 2m3 of timber if it is for sale. If not for sale then this increases to 5m3. This is per callander quarter, so you can fell 4.9m3 on March 31st and another 4.9m3 on the first of April, but nothing further until July etc.

 

You do not need a license if the trees are in a garden, park, church yard, not sure about orchard trees or if the trees are less than 7cm dbh in a clearfell situation or less than 15cm in a thinning or if the trees are dead, dangerous or blown.

 

On the basis of the pictures I would say you almost definitely need a license, however if you think that there is a possible exemption I would contact your local FC Conservancy Office and get advice from a Woodland Officer. They will be able to tell you for sure and advise you on the best way to apply for a license, there will almost definitely be a condition to re-stock if you are clearfelling. The grants system used to be fairly straight-forward, but its a long time since I had anything to do with it and I'm led to believe that these days its much more complicated, to the point where you will probably have to get proffessional help with it.