Your Plantation

Thinning in DWOS conifer plantation, Ramelton

Subsequent selective thinning in a fertile spruce plantation

Old trees provide shelter to the new ash plantation and help it to blend in with the surrounding landscape

Logs cut-to-length and stacked to dry at the forest road, ready for sales. a plastic log rack cover, is able to provide a high degree of protection against outside elements and leaves the sides open to dry out quickly.

Are you a forest owner?
Do you want to maximise returns from your woodland?
Do you want to learn more about managing your plantation?
Do you want to acquire the skills and knowledge to undertake work in your own plantation?
Do you want to take ownership of your trees on your land?

Managing your Timber Plantation

Pro-active management of your plantation will ensure you maximise returns from your forest investment.

Many forests in Donegal have been established on challenging sites. Returns from forestry can be relatively small particularly where difficult site conditions prevail such as exposure and poor ground conditions. The small average size of plantations makes marketing timber even more difficult.

By organising into a group woodland owners in Donegal can increase the saleability of their produce and bring their plantations into active management increasing the quality of their produce and thus the returns.

The DWOSL is assissting its Members in growing their woodland to its full potential by providing a range of Services, hosting field days and seminars throughout the year.

In addition to other potential membership benefits, such as:

Accessing update information on developments in the forestry sector
Keeping you informed of issues affecting growers in Donegal
Developing markets for produce from your woodlands
Marketing your timber

Services provided by the DWOSL include a detailed map like this which is produced for the DWOSL Woodland Owner on request. It shows the inspection path layout (these were put in by a qualified forest worker from the DWOSL), that an Inventory was done (see small green dots = sample plots with accurate stand data such as the current growth rate and the mean annual increment). Based on the inventory data the woodland is divided into subcompartments for future management operations such as a first thinning.

Following is a link collection of various areas that our members expressed an interest in:

Deer Management
Forest Awards
Horse extraction
Tending and Thinning of Broadleaves - Guidelines by TEAGASC