Buying a Woodland

[kookicat]

(I’ve rephrased that title three times and it still sounds wrong!:no::lol:)

There’s almost ten acres of woods going up for sale not too far away from where I live. It’s mostly pine, with some trees ready for harvest.

I’m seriously tempted to put a bid in. However, I really don’t know that much about managing woodland. I don’t need to make money on it- I don’t want to lose money, but I wouldn’t expect a huge profit. It’d be nice to set up my own little conservation area, I think. (And have a place to ride, too!)

Pros, cons?

Thanks!

[Calamber]

Can you have a forester tell you if the trees are marketable, how many, health of the overall timber and approximate value? Woodlands are lovely but only if they are kept up which can be a lot of work. If the trees are marketable, will you replace them? Factor that into your cost picture.

[AmarachAcres]

A friend made an offer based on getting a quote. It came back 10k for 2 acres of fir trees.

Have someone come out and do that for you.

[Alagirl]

Hmm…sounds like a nice chunk of land to own, but not a lot in term of forest.

Have somebody take a look at it for you. I think the average age of harvested pines is close to 80 years (not sure though), so what you put in, your kids and grand kids will be dealing with.

or do you want to be be ‘landed gentry’ and just play with this little stretch, take some pines out, plant something more valuable in terms of habitat etc

[kookicat]

Good idea about getting someone in who knows what they’re looking at.

I own land already (11 acres) and I’m trying to do more on the conservation side of things. I have wildlife corridors on my land (basically, areas that are kinda wild, and good big hedges) but I’d like to start doing more. Ideally, I’d like to replace the pine with native trees.

[gumtree]

In this country which has an abundance of “woodlands” but a fraction compared to what was here 200 years ago after indiscriminate logging. A lot of states restrict how much and what kind of timber can be harvested, especially small tracts. It wouldn’t surprise me if England would be even more so.

[kookicat]

Felling is definitely allowed.

http://johnclegg.s3.amazonaws.com/kirks-rein_1116649019.pdf

[Tom_King]

If it was anywhere near me, I could give you a good idea. My family has been raising timber for centuries. I have no idea about over there. Logging companies around here wouldn’t even look at 10 acres to buy, and not many to harvest.

[allpurpose]

Managing a woodlot can be as labor intensive as you want it to be. You will need to clear deadfall occasionally, possibly do a controlled burn to replenish the forest floor and clear out growing underbrush, make and clear trails, keep hunters and hikers and 4-wheel drivers out of it, monitor for holes and downed and buried wire fences, deal with carcasses of large dead animals like deer etc… On the flip side, the fauna and flora you find within will delight you, as will watching the seasons change. Spring flowers, fall colors, fresh snow on every branch and twig of YOUR woods is priceless!

[Calamber]

In Washington State which is one of the biggest timber areas in the US as you may know, it is actually quite easy to find people to buy small tracts of timber. Believe it or not, Ash is more valuable than Fir. We have only 2.5 acres, we took down 9 very large Douglas Firs and I have sold more than $3,000 worth of it, more than enough to pay for it to be taken down, land cleared and smoothed, and all of it milled, enough left over for a small storage building yet to be built. I was creative in finding my own local labor because there are a lot of people here experienced in the work.

[Alagirl]

[QUOTE=kookicat;8002438]
Good idea about getting someone in who knows what they’re looking at.

I own land already (11 acres) and I’m trying to do more on the conservation side of things. I have wildlife corridors on my land (basically, areas that are kinda wild, and good big hedges) but I’d like to start doing more. Ideally, I’d like to replace the pine with native trees.[/QUOTE]

you might need a couple of exmore ponies to keep the grass down! :winkgrin:

[Pocket_Pony]

[QUOTE=allpurpose;8002565]
Managing a woodlot can be as labor intensive as you want it to be. You will need to clear deadfall occasionally, possibly do a controlled burn to replenish the forest floor and clear out growing underbrush, make and clear trails, keep hunters and hikers and 4-wheel drivers out of it, monitor for holes and downed and buried wire fences, deal with carcasses of large dead animals like deer etc… On the flip side, the fauna and flora you find within will delight you, as will watching the seasons change. Spring flowers, fall colors, fresh snow on every branch and twig of YOUR woods is priceless![/QUOTE]

I love trees and I love having pines around - the sound of the wind through them is amazing. But they are a mess. Is this land adjacent to yours, or somewhere else near you? Are you going to keep up with all the work yourself? How are you going to manage the pine needles and trimming of lower branches and removal of dead trees - can you make your own burn piles and burn the debris, or will someone have to come in and do the work and take it away?

While I think pine trees are lovely to look at, and riding through the pine forests is one of my favorite things to do, buying a woodland wouldn’t be at the top of my list of ways to spend my time and money.

[PlanB]

We have many acres of woods on our land. Upkeep is limited to trimming/removing trees that cross the trail. Anything else that falls/dies/grows in there is just part of the life cycle of the forest. It is beautiful for riding, hiking, picking berries, watching birds, skiing/snowshoeing. Next year we might try tapping some maples. I don’t do any harvesting of trees… I’m just kind of scratching my head about the comments of “mess” “upkeep” and “work”… or that woodlands are lovely only if they are kept up? Nature can do it’s own thing; humans are not required!

[Pocket_Pony]

[QUOTE=PlanB;8003419]
We have many acres of woods on our land. Upkeep is limited to trimming/removing trees that cross the trail. Anything else that falls/dies/grows in there is just part of the life cycle of the forest. It is beautiful for riding, hiking, picking berries, watching birds, skiing/snowshoeing. Next year we might try tapping some maples. I don’t do any harvesting of trees… I’m just kind of scratching my head about the comments of “mess” “upkeep” and “work”… or that woodlands are lovely only if they are kept up? Nature can do it’s own thing; humans are not required![/QUOTE]

I know the OP is in the UK, but I’m in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California. Pine trees and forests that are unkempt are fire hazards. There are crews of guys that come around in the summer and do serious work to maintain the forests to minimize the potential for a serious fire. Of course mother nature can do her own thing. But sometimes when mother nature does her own thing, thousands and thousands and thousands of acres catch on fire, habitats for both human and wildlife are destroyed, and lives are lost.

So, yes, at least from my perspective, pine trees need a lot of work.

[kookicat]

A friend of a friend works for the Woodland Trust. We’re going to meet up over the weekend and take a look.

The woods aren’t adjacent to my property, but they’re a only a short drive away.

[DHCarrotfeeder]

I think being in England, your ownership experience will be vastly different than that of us Americans.

I agree with getting in touch with local people and walking the land. Also don’t underestimate timber value - at least here it’s quite valuable if the species are useful and the trees are established. I have a few stories about pipeline companies buying access to wooded land and offering pennies on the dollar to remove timber. Get an arborist to quote it if the timber value plays any role in the transaction.

[PlanB]

[QUOTE=Pocket Pony;8003454]
I know the OP is in the UK, but I’m in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California. Pine trees and forests that are unkempt are fire hazards. There are crews of guys that come around in the summer and do serious work to maintain the forests to minimize the potential for a serious fire. Of course mother nature can do her own thing. But sometimes when mother nature does her own thing, thousands and thousands and thousands of acres catch on fire, habitats for both human and wildlife are destroyed, and lives are lost.

So, yes, at least from my perspective, pine trees need a lot of work.[/QUOTE]

I can see how that would be a concern in your area. I still think forests need all the dead stuff in there as much as the living stuff, though!

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

Mountain Pine Beetle is killing the forest in our state. I couldn’t believe how bad it has gotten (I live about 5 hours away from the “woodland”).
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/mountain_pine_beetle/images/MPB_July8_03.jpg

[suz]

I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase a ten acre forested moat around my place!

[kookicat]

[QUOTE=suz;8004208]
I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase a ten acre forested moat around my place![/QUOTE]

I’ve love that, too!

[QUOTE=TrotTrotPumpkn;8003782]Mountain Pine Beetle is killing the forest in our state. I couldn’t believe how bad it has gotten (I live about 5 hours away from the “woodland”).
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/mountain_pine_beetle/images/MPB_July8_03.jpg[/QUOTE]

That’s terrible!