How active woodland management is boosting estate revenues

Landowners and farmers are successfully opening up new revenue streams and accessing valuable government support by bringing woodland on their holdings into active management.

Woodlands of any scale and quality are potential revenue generating assets and can achieve good returns.

Timber prices across most markets are buoyant and grant aid support for woodland creation and addressing pests and diseases has never been so advantageous.

Strutt & Parker’s Forestry department had a busy 2023 assisting estates to realise the potential of their woodland assets – particularly ones in the southeast of England where historically there has been a higher proportion of unmanaged woodland. Examples of the team’s work include:

• £150,000 was generated from timber sales on an estate in East Sussex. This produced standing sales of ash for the firewood market and the thinning of mixed commercial conifer was sold for sawlog and chip.
• Secured £95,000 of funding through the Tree Health Restoration Grant to eradicate rhododendron within a woodland.
• Secured a contract on behalf of an estate for the sale of low grade and low value diseased Sweet Chestnut coppice. The contract was with a nearby business with a large demand for woodchip to heat their buildings and brought in £32,000 in revenue to the landowner.
• Successfully offered parcels of standing timber to the market and procured contracts for the delivery of the harvesting work.
• Secured funding for the writing of five UK Forest Standard compliant Woodland Management Plans and 10-year felling licences.
• Secured funding for a number of England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) planting schemes.
• Carried out 13 woodland creation appraisals on behalf of landowners. 

If you feel you would like to do more with your woodland, please do contact Julian Williams for further information.