Tips all small woodland owners need to know when clearing up storm-damaged trees

On a scale unlike anything that had been seen for 50 years, four months on the forestry industry is still picking up the pieces and trying to figure out the full extent of the damage. 

The most ferocious of the winter storms to hit so far, Arwen was followed by Malik, Corrie, Dudley and Eunice, which affected the already weakened and vulnerable trees.

READ MORE: Storm Arwen: Confor's initial estimates suggest 20 per cent of Scotland's timber trade damaged by winds

While many in the forestry sector were prepared and are following long-established protocols, for some it was a new experience entirely.

With that in mind, Scottish Forestry and Confor, in consultation with the NFUS and Scottish Land and Estates, have this week produced their top ten tips for clearing and selling storm-damaged trees. 

Here they are in full: 

1. Your safety first: working with windblown timber is very dangerous – do not tackle it yourself. Get help from professionals.
2. Visitor safety: landowners must ensure the safety of people working on or visiting their land. Make sure to use clear signs to let visitors know where it is unsafe to go.
3. Professional advice and help: use experienced professionals to clear windthrown trees, whatever the severity or size of area involved. They can also provide you with advice about how and where to sell your timber.
4. Plan ahead: take time to get advice and plan. Spruce trees that are attached to the root plate in the soil are unlikely to degrade for many months and the timber can still be of use two years later.
5. Felling Permissions: a Felling Permission is needed for windthrown trees in Scotland. Do not harvest trees until you have applied for and secured the relevant permissions. Scottish Forestry has local teams who can provide advice and guidance relating to Felling Permissions.
6. Wildlife: licences are required for work which might disturb badgers in Scotland or other protected woodland species in Scotland.
7. Priority trees: if you have Scots pine and many snapped trees, make them your priority as they degrade quicker. You need to get them to sawmills quicker than other trees or it may affect the price you get in return.
8. When to harvest: do not harvest your trees until you have a buyer for them. Once cut they will degrade more quickly. Different markets prefer different size and quality of logs, and any woodland will produce timber that can be used for different purposes. A professional forester can help you to sell your timberPartners across the industry are working to clear up damage caused by recent storms
9. Plan extraction of timber: you need to plan out the access to the woodland in order to allow the harvesting and extraction of the timber. Is there enough loading space? Can timber lorries turn? Where will they access the public road and is the road strong enough to take a fully laden truck?
10. Replanting: once harvested, the woodland will need to be restocked. Good design can reduce the risk of windblow in the future. Take time to consider your objectives for the future of the woodland.