Fallen wood on government(presumably) property.

[Post Tenebras Lux]

I am trying to find any resources that discuss the legality of illegality of taking fallen wood/branches from national sites like fen woodlands.

Around my way there's a ton of fallen birch right now and I really wanted to process some down for a few projects I had planned but didn't want to chance it.

Cheers!

 

[boatman]

See "by hook or by crook" as an ancient right. But wasn't in Magna Carta and apparently the Forestry Commission are discouraging the practice. In a lot of woods one could buy a permit to collect but I believe that these are being phased out.

 

[woodspirits]

if you go down the permission route, chances are some jobsworth will recite the local bye laws chapter and verse and scar you mentally for life! It's not like your clear felling or building a log cabin, just do it! they won't hang you for it anymore

 

[JohnC]

I'm in Scotland, so it may be different.. I have approached the site owner (usually the council or the hospital grounds team office) and they've been ok about taking fallen wood. they stressed I couldn't cut down stuff, which was fair enough, and asked if it was for commercial use (I assumed selling it on) and that was it. I turned up with a chainsaw and the car..

 

[Dave]

See "by hook or by crook" as an ancient right. But wasn't in Magna Carta and apparently the Forestry Commission are discouraging the practice. In a lot of woods one could buy a permit to collect but I believe that these are being phased out.

If this right of the common folk was not in the magna carta, why are there so many headlines, saying it was?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3264458/Forestry-Commission-scraps-Magna-Carta-right-to-collect-woods-from-forests.html

 

[nitram55]

Better to ask for forgiveness than be refused permission.

 

[Goatboy]

Can we all play nicely please people. I don't want to shut another thread. The OP asked a civil question and some civil answers would be nice.

 

[TarHeelBrit]

Just from my uneducated point of view here I don't foresee any problems with a few smallish branches. It's not like you're showing up in a 3 ton dump truck and filling it on a daily basis to sell on for firewood. Also if you do get challenged tell the bloke what you plan to do and pique their interest. Besides isn't the government into recycling? and you're recycling a fallen branch.

(Just as a light hearted aside here so DON'T turn it political)

If the government owns the land and we pay for the government via our taxes...don't we as taxpayers have a share in that piece of land and therefore the right to take a little piece of our property home with us?

 

[mick91]

I think common sense would come into play, if you're removing a couple of trunks and branches not an issue, if you're logging it pretty big issue! I'd say go for it, so long as you aren't causing any major damage what's the harm

 

[hughlle1]

My partner did just this. No one came running up to stop her. As said, this isn't some commercial enterprise. When was the last time someone got told off because their dog came out of the woods with a stick twice the size of it

 

[sandbender]

"...(Just as a light hearted aside here so DON'T turn it political)

If the government owns the land and we pay for the government via our taxes...don't we as taxpayers have a share in that piece of land and therefore the right to take a little piece of our property home with us? ..."

The same logic would allow me to pick up a Land Rover Defender from the local barracks when the need arose....

...hold on, I quite like that idea.

 

[rancid badger]

You can still buy permits for wood collection from the FC in Scotland but apparently not in England, due to "health and safety concerns".

There is a local firewood processor who has a contract/permit to harvest/collect any windblown timber in Chopwell Wood, a mile down the road from me but this guy is literally based on the woodland edge and has had an "arrangement" for the last 6 or 7 years at least.

He regularly tootles into the wood with a tractor and trailor with hiab on the back, unlocks the barriers and scavenges fallen oak, beech, sycamore, chestnut or anything else deciduous. He trims anything less than about 4" diameter and leaves that to rot!

I regularly pick up bits and bobs when walking down there and no one has ever questioned my actions. If they did, I'd tell them where to get off and who to inform as well! That's in my local FC woodland mind you, where I volunteered my services for over 10 years. Elsewhere, I'd think twice and make some inquiries.

 

[dewi]

I've been trying to find an article that was in the national press about a council that tried to prosecute a dog owner because the dog left a park with a stick in it's mouth. Iirc the dog owner simply went to court and said that the dog entered the park with the stick and left the park with the same stick, so the council had no case... but it highlights what some overly keen park wardens are capable of when it comes to fallen wood lying on the ground in public parks.

This thread crosses over with another as well, because what happens if you gather drift wood? Does that have an owner, or can you legally scavenge it under maritime laws?

And what about wood laying on unadopted land? Whilst ownership technically belongs to the Crown, someone would have to complain about you removing fallen branches from the land wouldn't they?

 

[hughlle1]

I've been trying to find an article that was in the national press about a council that tried to prosecute a dog owner because the dog left a park with a stick in it's mouth. Iirc the dog owner simply went to court and said that the dog entered the park with the stick and left the park with the same stick, so the council had no case... but it highlights what some overly keen park wardens are capable of when it comes to fallen wood lying on the ground in public parks.

This thread crosses over with another as well, because what happens if you gather drift wood? Does that have an owner, or can you legally scavenge it under maritime laws?

And what about wood laying on unadopted land? Whilst ownership technically belongs to the Crown, someone would have to complain about you removing fallen branches from the land wouldn't they?

Heck, you could even argue that the wood was left there by another dog and was not the property of the park in question to begin with.

Would be interesting to read that story though. Too many power-mad plonkers around for my liking these days. Many years ago it was bucketing it down with rain while in the middle of hampstead heath, and had a tent on me, so just pitched it for an hour until the worst had passed, and within minutes there was a policeman taking our details and issuing threats adamant that we were camping and not simply taking shelter. Naturally i refused to let him under my shelter while he filled out his forms. If he had actually cared, he'd have found that we were on our way to a pre-booked camp site.

 

[Laurentius]

I expect it depends on the individual you ask, but I don't think they mind if you take a small amount, for your own craft work, it is large scale pillaging and using it for commercial profit they object too.

A long time ago I asked if I could take a few sticks, for making walking sticks and I did not have a problem.

 

[beezer]

i wouldnt be taking a chainsaw into the wood without permission, if you get cort your guna get a good frowning lol. also remember its one thing talking to the workers but the managers will have the final word and you could get a well meaning chap into all sorts of civil service trouble.

i suggest after hours sneaky ninja bow saw action.

 

[Stevie777]

As was mentioned on another thread, just stick on a Hi- Viz vest and no-one will bother you. if you have one a Hard hat with ear defenders cements the deal.

 

[TarHeelBrit]

The same logic would allow me to pick up a Land Rover Defender from the local barracks when the need arose....

...hold on, I quite like that idea.

I was thinking of a Saxon, it would make the trips to Tesco easier.

 

[Adze]

If this right of the common folk was not in the magna carta, why are there so many headlines, saying it was?

Because of journalists, obviously ;-)

 

[Goatboy]

Problem is in high pressure areas if everyone takes a "couple of sticks" then pretty soon there's no blinking trees left. Places like Loch Awe have the Rangers being driven to distraction. Fallen timber is fine, they also sell bags of logs really cheaply and even carry bags to sell in the back of their vehicles to make it easier for folk. But during the summer they pretty much have to contend with some drunken agro fueled half wit sparking up a chainsaw and trying to take down and burn fresh trees at least once a week.
The rules are there to be "interpreted". I certainly didn't mind someone taking a puckle firewood or a stick to carve. But when some crusty turned up with a chainsaw an started felling timber to support his freeman on the land ideas I threw the book at him.
Ask nicely and you'll often get a nice surprise, foresters are human too and generally pretty chilled if you are prepared to show some respect to the land.
Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.