Information - Woodland Owners/Woodland Management

The aim of Woodfuel East is to encourage the management of 15,000 hectares of existing woodland in the region to produce 110,000 tonnes of green wood for woodfuel.
There is around 140,000 hectares (343,000 acres) of woodland in the East of England, covering just over 7% of the land area. It is estimated that 50-70,000 hectares are unmanaged or undermanaged, with at least 200,000 tonnes of timber unutilised every year!

There is no untouched “wildwood” in the region; all of our woodland has been created or heavily modified by man. Since the Neolithic period woodlands have been felled for agriculture or housing, and although the area of woodland has increased by 25% since 1980, our woodlands tend to be small and fragmented.
Although every wood is different, and each needs to be assessed on its own merits, generally speaking all regional woodland would benefit from active management. The benefits of management of existing woodland for woodfuel include:

• Timber harvested brings a welcome diversified income stream to woodland owners. The region is far from many traditional processing facilities and world timber prices have been low for many years.
• The harvesting and processing of woodfuel will provide much needed rural employment. We estimate the project will create 120 full time regional jobs by 2013.
• Removal of poorer quality trees for woodfuel, through thinning or coppicing, improves the quality of the remaining crop which in turn opens opportunities for other markets such as sustainable construction
• Thinning and coppicing increase the light available on the woodland floor, which causes a growth in grasses, herbs and scrubs. Insects, birds and mammals use this habitat so that measurable increases in biodiversity become apparent.
• The replacement of fossils fuels will save 90,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per annum, equivalent to 12,500 homes supplied with energy.