Landsberg forestry office: firewood and chestnuts

Created: 09/27/2022, 09:50 am

By: Susanne Greiner

Strong demand for firewood.

The Landsberg forestry office sells its wood from the forest road.

© pv

Landsberg – "The demand for firewood is taking on toilet paper proportions," says Michael Siller, head of the Landsberg forestry office.

“We are totally booked.” Regular customers will first be served with the planned winter felling of 15,000 solid cubic meters – of which around 5,000 solid cubic meters are firewood.

He is currently exploring the wood prices, says Forestry Director Siller.

Of course, the four major regular customers will be supplied with wood.

He will also not re-declare wood that was previously intended for sawmills as firewood, after all, it is also about the CO2 stored in the wood that would be released when it was burned.

Around half of the felling is needed for the four major customers, the rest goes to 250 to 300 small customers.

And he also has to curb their wishes, says Siller.

The office manager is currently sounding out the prices.

He sees an increase of up to 45 percent in the leading range of beech/hardwood.

"The fixed meter price for beech from Waldstraße, i.e. four meters long, will probably be up to 100 euros - compared to 68 euros in recent years." This also applies to spruce, pine or ash.

Fichte sees Siller at around 50 euros per solid meter.

However, the price increase is much more moderate than that of the dealers.

There, up to 180 euros per square meter of oven-ready wood would currently be required – compared to 90 euros a year ago.

Regarding the question of whether it is allowed to collect firewood in the forest, Siller makes a clear statement: "A handcart is OK.

But a trunk full is theft, period.” The forest needs the deadwood, both for insects and as biomass for the soil.

Last but not least, dead wood is needed for the back roads in order to transport the felled wood in a way that protects the soil as much as possible.

What Siller is happy about is that the proportion of beetle wood is a maximum of ten percent - after storm Niklas it was 50. "The current early cold and the rain are very good for us." Nevertheless, some deciduous trees would have shed leaves early in July due to 'drought stress'.

The walnuts are also often dried up this year.

And all tree fruits are particularly early this year: "The trees try to complete all energy-sapping processes as early as possible."

That's why the municipal purchase of chestnuts and acorns starts a week earlier than usual. Anyone who would like to help fill up the forestry office's stores for feeding wild animals can pick up their dried and mold-free 'harvest' on October 19th and 20th from 2 to 4.30 p.m bring to the hospital estate at the campsite.

The Forest Service buys acorns in unlimited quantities at 50 cents per kilo.

Chestnuts are accepted up to 15 kilos per person.

The forestry office pays 20 cents per kilo for this.