TreeSurgery.com

There are several reasons to invest in woodland.

Recreation

(See Tree Climbing and Tree Recreation).

Timber Production

There are grants available for planting trees and hedgerows. If one grows Willow or Hazel which is a very fast growing timber, a tree surgeon can harvest the wood by coppicing for logs or charcoal.

Fuel Wood Pellets / Chips

• Charcoal making
• Logs
• Bio Fuel
• Wood can be milled and used for furniture making and wood turning
• Wood - particularly silver birch and oak can be used for Shitake mushroom production in log piles

Investment

• Woodland is totally free of Inheritance tax as long as you have owned it more than two years.
• The land can have capital appreciation
• The value of the timber and sale of the timber is free of capital gains tax (although if the land were to appreciate in value it is liable for capital gains tax) 
• Commercially managed woodland is completely free of income and corporation tax
  

Logs and Firewood

With electricity and fuel prices rising, the number of people using logs and firewood for traditional fires and wood burning stoves is increasing.  These days, fires are often used in conjunction with central heating so their cosmetic value eclipses their real function. Tree surgeons will often sell on firewood or logs, which is a good way of recycling felled trees while earning extra income.

Different types of wood burning stove or fire will require differing qualities and types of wood. For example, it is not advisable to put wood that spits into an open fire. Some people like slow burning hard woods for their fire and others have no preference.

When buying firewood, it is advisable to get well seasoned logs. A good sign of well seasoned firewood is when there are small cracks at the ends.

Well seasoned log will burn well without hissing or spitting. Hardwood logs such as oak and ash tend to burn slowly and give a good heat since they are made of denser wood. Softwoods generally burn faster meaning that you use up more wood quickly.