Into the Woods?

[Di Rolph]

We have found a wonderful property we are considering buying.  It has a pleasant ‘park’ type garden around the house, but also has several hectares of what seems to be impenetrable woodland.   Friends say to just forget the woodland and don’t worry about it.

 

Can anyone advise us if there are responsibilities involved in owning woodland?     For instance would we be obliged to fence all the land and is it necessary to make clearings for say a fire engine?

 

Advice would be most welcome.  Thanks

 

Di

[Val_2]

Your notaire would be able to advise you about woodland. There are rules and regs here and you could also try at the mairie. If I was buying near a lot of woodland I would want to create a good firebreak between that and my home especially if it is in a very dry region, you only have to watch the current news to see far and devastating a fire can travel.

[Feuillant]

I agree with the previous posting, but add a few comments.

We have about 5 hectares of woods, pretty impenetrable, but we have found that the local wood cutter will clear the growth we don't want, leaving the good old healthy trees, cut the wood into suitable lengths for our fires, and bring it up to the house, all for free!  We in return provide him with 2/3rds of the wood for his business.  It could have been less if we hadn't needed it cut or brought to the house.

So far, we have seen no signs of the woodcutter's wicked second wife, or of her step-children leaving a trail of baguettes as they wander disconsolately in the forest - but we have seen many more butterflies and some resurgence of woodland plants in the little clearings he has made...

With the price of other fuels, you can't lose!