Advice sought; Woodland!

[pango]

I was out a couple of weeks ago and came across a gorgeous wee woodland, about 3 or 4 acres, and have spent the past while finding out who owns it and considering just how to approach the farmer.

There's a substantial shelter, a lined and turfed roof standing on 10 sunk telegraph poles and the site is enclosed by a dry stone dyke. My plan is to make my approach by offering to repair and maintain the shelter and the stone walls and tend the woodland in return for the occasional night camping. I'm not sure whether or not to mention bushcraft, as such.

I see there's a thread concerning getting permission but I'd still like some advice on this, as even though access and camping are legal in Scotland I still think it simply good manners to ask permission, rather than have the situation of not knowing when the farmer's going to turn up at midnight, asking what the hang's going on.

But the real problem is that I visited the place yesterday to discover that someone has dropped 2 young 30 cm. oaks with a chainsaw at the end nearest the farm, and they've been left where they fell. My first instinct is to report the incident to the Forestry Commission as illegal felling, but if I do that it's going to look odd with me turning up shortly afterwards.

The point is that if two hardwoods that size are dropped every year for firewood, in ten or fifteen years the woodland may have been damaged beyond repair, and I'd rather try to stop its destruction and forego the camping. There's also the danger of getting blamed for the damage if I'm close at hand.

Any advice will be most welcome.

Cheers.

 

[Toddy]

If a chainsaw was involved, and it was done near to a farmhouse, perhaps the farmer himself did the felling
Oak's brilliant timber as well as being good firewood.

I think you might at least go and say hello and explain that you're looking for access to woodlands and are happy to work in them in recompense.

I have to admit that it rarely works out that woods are quite as uncared for as they might appear, however.

Best of luck with it

cheers,
Toddy

 

[poddle]

Totally agree Toddy, despite what the passing public think, there is normally always a plan in place for all woodland.

It not "just been abandoned"

It's valuable stuff these days,and generally does not any "assistance"

 

[Dave Budd]

if the woodland is privately owned then the owner can fell a certain percentage of teh wood each year for their own purposes without requiring a felling licence (which he may also have, even if only for thinning). So a couple of 1' oaks in a 4 acre woodland is more like trimming the eyebrows and not even a hair cut!

I would speak to the farmer as you planned to originally and if you get permission ask him about the felling then. That way you can look as though you are showing interest and not accusing him of vandalism

 

[robin wood]

if the woodland is privately owned then the owner can fell a certain percentage of teh wood each year for their own purposes without requiring a felling licence (which he may also have, even if only for thinning). So a couple of 1' oaks in a 4 acre woodland is more like trimming the eyebrows and not even a hair cut!

I would speak to the farmer as you planned to originally and if you get permission ask him about the felling then. That way you can look as though you are showing interest and not accusing him of vandalism

Well said, everyone notices when one tree is felled, no one notices when 3,000 trees put on 2mm of girth.

 

[Bushbuddy]

I was out a couple of weeks ago and came across a gorgeous wee woodland, about 3 or 4 acres, and have spent the past while finding out who owns it and considering just how to approach the farmer.

There's a substantial shelter, a lined and turfed roof standing on 10 sunk telegraph poles and the site is enclosed by a dry stone dyke. My plan is to make my approach by offering to repair and maintain the shelter and the stone walls and tend the woodland in return for the occasional night camping. I'm not sure whether or not to mention bushcraft, as such.

I see there's a thread concerning getting permission but I'd still like some advice on this, as even though access and camping are legal in Scotland I still think it simply good manners to ask permission, rather than have the situation of not knowing when the farmer's going to turn up at midnight, asking what the hang's going on.

But the real problem is that I visited the place yesterday to discover that someone has dropped 2 young 30 cm. oaks with a chainsaw at the end nearest the farm, and they've been left where they fell. My first instinct is to report the incident to the Forestry Commission as illegal felling, but if I do that it's going to look odd with me turning up shortly afterwards.

The point is that if two hardwoods that size are dropped every year for firewood, in ten or fifteen years the woodland may have been damaged beyond repair, and I'd rather try to stop its destruction and forego the camping. There's also the danger of getting blamed for the damage if I'm close at hand.

Any advice will be most welcome.

Cheers.

hi pango i had the same problem a month ago i went to the forestry commission and explained to them that i was taking my dog for a walk and on the walk i noticed that some trees had been felled illegally they then asked me to meet them at the site where i had seen them and 1 of there forestry officers turned up an hour or so later and they went to the farmer and issued him with a notice of illegal felling now the farmer and i are working together to prevent it from happening iam now his game keeper and forestry manager