Harvesting

Harvesting

Timber Harvesting – Supervision

“While the market for timber is cyclical and subject to a number of local and international supply and demand forces, Irish timber has sustained strong and stable prices for roundwood”.

Timber harvesting is an essential silvicultural process for most forestry stands and it is essential that the process of thinning and felling is carried out correctly.

Your forest is initially assessed for its suitability for thinning – the decisive factors are access, height, ground conditions, price, and exposure levels.

If it is deemed too late and/ or dangerous to harvest, NewGen will look to other management techniques to ensure the desired results are achieved from your forestry portfolio.

If deemed suitable for harvesting, our team of professional foresters can expertly analyse your plantation and discuss the logistics of the harvesting operation.

We will advise you as to:

  • Expected timber yield.
  • Anticipated price.

We will then negotiate a fee, based on a % of the revenue generated, to manage all aspects of your harvesting operations.

A felling licence is required to facilitate harvesting and very often a forest road will be necessary to facilitate access.

Your local forester will work with you to process these application forms ultimately delivering your forest thinned to a high standard with a view to maximising revenues from your forest.

Newgen Forestry timber harvesting process

Newgen Harvesting Process

NewGen will engage with you the customer to provide, at an agreed fee, all of or a mix of the following services.

Site Inspection

Inspection paths may be essential to carry out a professional assessment for thinning purposes. Assessment will include an assessment of quality, stability, quantity, stocking etc. NewGen can organise a team of experienced, appropriately insured, contractors to cut paths.

Felling License Procurement

It is a legal requirement to secure a felling license before any felling can take place. NewGen will apply for the relevant felling license on your behalf.

Road grant Applications and construction

Once the site inspection is completed and in conjunction with the application for a felling license an application for approval to construct a forest road can also be processed.

Forest road applications need to be processed under the single consent system and the input of an experienced engineer is required.

Forest roads applications also need to go through the Appropriate Assessment process and ecological input and reporting will be required.

Accordingly, there will be initial capital outlay to apply for your road grant, but this outlay will be redeemed during the harvesting operation (except for small harvest sites with sensitive ecology).

Once approval has been obtained from the Forest Service to construct the forest road NewGen will (on your behalf) engage experienced contractors to construct the forest road.

Market Timber

NewGen will market your timber to several reputable contractors and sawmills achieving the best price possible. Timber can be sold standing at a single unit price per tonne or by the following assortments: Pulp Wood, firewood , Pallet wood, Stake & Sawlog.

In conjunction with the site owner NewGen will appoint a suitable contractor – sawmill to complete the harvest.

Draw up a Harvesting Plan with Harvesting Contractor

NewGen will draw up a harvesting plan addressing:

• Any legal requirements or felling license conditions
• Detailing site boundaries, access, thinning regimes, extraction, and haulage routes.
• Detailing any timing/weather constraints like Hen Harrier nesting constrainted settings.

Work with Harvesting Contractor to Provide a Site Hazard and Risk Assessment

As part of the harvest planning process NewGen, in conjunction with the harvesting contractor, will carry out a site hazard and risk assessment. The findings of this assessment will be recorded on the harvest plan potential hazards could include:

• ESB/Gas lines
• Steep banks, rough terrain
• Archaeology or sensitive aquatic features
All operations will be carried out to minimize risk of accident or damage.

Thinning Monitoring/Control

NewGen will conduct regular inspections of your site to ensure that harvesting is being carried out in a professional manner and:

  • That no over thinning is taking place.
  • That urea is being applied to stumps of trees immediately after cutting
  • That brash mats are in place for forwarder to move around site to minimise soil damage.

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Post Thinning Report

NewGen will provide a post thinning report which will outline

  • Any repair work required eg to drains or roads.
  • Timber removal summary and totals.
  • Site report and second thinning recommendation