Soft felling heavy stems with bat potential .

[andrew t]

I'm working on an a large job felling poplars . There are a couple of trees with bat potential the ecologist asked us to soft fell the large stems . Has anyone got any pictures / videos or any links were I can look at how people do a soft fell .

Any help would be fantastic thanks.

[skyhuck]

Normally means lowering the hollow section or sections, IME.

[Brushcutter]

I'm working on an a large job felling poplars . There are a couple of trees with bat potential the ecologist asked us to soft fell the large stems . Has anyone got any pictures / videos or any links were I can look at how people do a soft fell .

Any help would be fantastic thanks.

 

I'd of thought you'd be best off lowering the sections out.

 

I think it was in Scotland where the FC felled a load of Douglas Fir on some archeology. They tied the at the top and then they went through some blocks and pullys and i'm guessing some porta wraps to slowly lower the whole tree to the ground very slowly. It was in either Forestry Journal or the FCA mag it was a few years ago now though.

[Wood wasp]

Do bats not vacate when a saw starts vibrating up through tree? Time you mouth and toe it that's a lot of of disturbance.

[skyhuck]

Do bats not vacate when a saw starts vibrating up through tree? Time you mouth and toe it that's a lot of of disturbance.

 

Nope.

[Wood wasp]

Where do they go when you start cutting and lowering, are they still inside?

[skyhuck]

Where do they go when you start cutting and lowering, are they still inside?

 

Yes, they remain in the hollow, you leave the section on the ground with the entrance clear. At dusk they will exist and as its no longer standing they will not return to it.

[Wood wasp]

Stubborn wee buggers! Thanks for sharing, never knew that.

[daltontrees]

I'm working on an a large job felling poplars . There are a couple of trees with bat potential the ecologist asked us to soft fell the large stems . Has anyone got any pictures / videos or any links were I can look at how people do a soft fell .

Any help would be fantastic thanks.

 

Natural England guidance in these situations is "Work should be conducted in a sensitive manner, and where reasonably practicable, timber with bat potential should not be directly sawn through. If such timber is removed, it should be left at the base of the tree for at least 48 hours. Where it is impractical to lower potential bat roosts, piles of brash or logs can be used to soften the impact of them hitting the ground."

 

You are in the realm of breaking the bat protection laws here, with hefty fines, so I'd suggest that you get the ecologist to specify what measures are to be taken. I can't see how a poorly defined term like 'soft felling' is enough to instruct you.

[Fredward]

There was a really good video of some guys felling a tree with one or two lines lowering it to the deck, I expected it to snap at the hinge and slide backwards but they put it on the deck as gentle as you like. Can't find it but it was impressive.