Thanks for this clarification (and also the response to a crossword clue from The Telegraph on 25 November!) I now know that I must resist the urge to remove the branches of a large branch that fell on a bridle path. Too bad because it would have been great for our wood stove and good practice! I think the right to collect firewood, etc., was a specific right associated with ownership of various properties, which gave „citizens“ the right to collect wood, train their pigs or whatever, but the fact is that „commoner“ meant no one, as people probably mistakenly imagine. I asked a lady if the fallen branch in her garden was on the way and if I could have it if it was removed for free. She answered YES and the other 20 broken trees at the bottom of the paddock are yours if you want them. So far, I have about. 5 tons caught…….. I asked a wooden carpenter, what do you do with the mixtures….. Getting 2 jumps a week was the answer… NONE….. Allmendeland and community rights, e.g. estovers (right to collect wood) are relatively easy to identify, as they would have to be registered under the Commons Registration Act 1965, the Commons (Rectification of Registers) Act 1989 and now the Commmons Act 2006. Local authorities keep registers, e.g. district councils.
Many mistakes have been made since 1965 – so the latest attempt to rectify things (2006 law) is ongoing. Well, if you do not have permission from the owner of the wood and you do not know a right to collect it that could be related, for example, to your property or your family, then no, you do not take it by right and the owner of the wood could claim that you stole it. But they probably wouldn`t. You are allowed to collect up to 25 pounds plus one piece of petrified wood per day with a maximum of 250 pounds per person per year. Permits or contracts are required for parts over 250 pounds. You cannot exchange, barter or sell the petrified timber you collect without a contract with the BLM. www.blm.gov/programs/energy-and-minerals/miningand-minerals If you want to cut down a live tree, visit a national forest station and get a pruning permit. You can also get Christmas tree pruning permits. At least you can be sure that you are doing it legally. I take a large Sainsbury`s bag when I walk the dog in the woods and fill it with fallen twigs and branches that I can carry and feel so guilty. No one asked anything other than to ask me if I had a wood stove, which I didn`t.
I tell them that a few are for the dog (they are not) and the rest ignite for the open fire. The tree trunks crackle and burn like something from Hogwarts! Bright. So guilty of stealing this item, but will continue until a ranger says nothing more. I tried the Council`s website to see if I could buy a license, but I think there is no (yet!!! department for this and I`m not going to call them to create one! Nothing beats free firewood. I love him! Tidying up I admire your patience and thank you for the helpful information. So, as I understand it, if I find wood that was felled during the clearing of a public bridle road and the wood has been piled up there on the public bridle road (difficult to reach on foot) for the last 8 months, I cannot legally remove it, even in the middle of the night. Nudge, nudge, say no more! Searching for firewood can be a great way to get fuel for your fire without having to pay a dime, it can even be fun, but it`s important to keep in mind that it`s illegal to collect this wood from commissioned forests or private property without the owner`s permission. It is likely that the owner will allow you to collect wood from the ground, he may even ask you to remove dead or dying trees, but the law dictates that you must ask first.
If you are refused for any reason, you can apply for looting permits. Everything in a forest, including fallen branches and logs, is the property of the forest owner. This means that removing logs from wood without consent is considered theft. Make sure you have the consent of the wood owner before removing wood. Are we allowed to collect wood from estuaries and rivers? We have Punt that would suit the job. Much of this wood would be dangerous to other boats anyway and would end up blocking waterways. If you make a small fire outside, you want more small branches and wooden remains (ignition). These are also good for starting a wood fire and are easier to collect in large quantities. Logging without permission is still illegal, everywhere.
Your chances of getting caught are pretty good because law enforcement officers can still hear a chainsaw running. The consequences of felling a living tree depend on the height of the tree and the number of trees felled. But in most cases, it is a prison sentence. I collected firewood from the roadside during the winter. for my canal boat wood stove. I also use a chainsaw if necessary to cut it small enough to fit into my car. If I hadn`t done that… Then someone else would do it! Special forest products are plant materials such as seeds, berries, greens, mushrooms and seedlings.
Firewood, which is used to heat apartments, is also considered a special forest product. In fact, BLM sells between 30,000 and 40,000 cords of firewood each year. Special forest products found on Crown lands can be harvested for recreational, personal or income, such as harvesting and selling poles and fence posts. • You cannot legally remove fallen timber from private forests without obtaining permission from the forest owner. (Again, you also shouldn`t go on someone else`s land to cut and remove wood unless you`ve given the green light beforehand.) Removing fallen timber without the owner`s permission is technically theft, meaning you could technically be convicted of the crime – imagine that! Just be sure to ask first, and if the answer is no, then unfortunately the answer is no! Ask the Council: it is their wood. You probably won`t mind, but you`ll have to ask. After all this discussion, it seems clear that if it`s not yours, it`s not yours. However, what I would like to know is what is the likely penalty if you are prosecuted for illegal firewood removal? I can`t afford central heating oil, so I pick up the fallen wood. Many are rotten and would not burn well, and many are home to fungi of all shapes and sizes, providing food and shelter for a variety of living organisms. Collecting firewood with knowledge and sensitivity is crucial to preserving your ecosystem.
It is a pity that the forest is under such pressure that such a simple task can affect the environment. At Woodland Trust, we leave logs in our forests to provide dead wood for life. Rotten wood is an essential part of forest habitat. It provides habitat for many species that otherwise cannot survive and recycles nutrients into the soil. I have been collecting firewood from forests owned by my local community for many years, contacted them to ask for permission to pick up the felled trees and they passed it on to the green department, which was 12 months ago and is still waiting for a response. So I usually go when it`s quiet and pick up pieces, not massive loads just to spin, I mean, who`s going to tell you anything unless you meet Ranger, which is very unlikely, my attitude is, if you don`t take it, someone else will, I know it`s wrong. But there`s nothing better than sitting next to a roaring fire with wood you`ve picked up yourself. Are you part of a community group? You can apply for a lumber package through our free tree building program for schools and communities. This was a great informative article you shared on this page about the legal right to firewood, as all wood belongs to someone, usually the person who owns the tree it grew on. They cannot legally remove it without their permission. Thank you.
If your goal is to collect dead wood for purposes other than campfires, you will need to obtain a permit or other special permit. Even if your goal is to sell firewood to other campers, a permit is required. You can only collect dead wood if you burn it yourself on your campsite. Exceptions are the collection of protected plants or the collection of campwood in designated areas. You need a permit to collect vertebrate fossils. I think if the wood is already dead and fallen, then everything is fine. I don`t think anyone owns this wood and it helps to keep the landscape clean 🙂 for which country are these laws intended? I am trying to find out if I can cut wood from a fallen tree here in Canada. It is acceptable to collect many items such as firewood, gems and fossils of plants and invertebrates for your personal use and enjoyment in public spaces managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
