Woodland Restocking

Restocking is the practice of planting the next rotation following the clear-felling of a timber crop.

This can be carried out on the same footprint as the felled timber, or, on an alternative site of equivalent size to that felled.

The species composition and design of the restocked woodland will be agreed before felling takes place and will be detailed in the felling permission. In most situations the same area is used that was felled, it is important to manage the clearfell site to reflect this as time and money can be saved. With the biomass market continuing to grow there is now a market for brash (branches and tops of harvested trees) which can be recovered from the site and help reduce cost and difficulty of restocking. Removal of brash creates more accessible planting positions and, on larger sites, can also generate income, there is also a saving on the cost of ground preparation as the site is less challenging to negotiate.