Whole Tree Biomass Recovery (Blea Moor, The Yorkshire Dales National Park - Phase 2)

Treeclear UK was commissioned to deliver Phase 2 of the Blea Moor project within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. 

Following the success of Phase 1 (low ground pressure mulching of a former forestry plantation), Phase 2 focused on whole tree biomass recovery. 

Client: The Yorkshire Dales National Park

Location: Blea Moor

Size: 1.7 Hectares

Status: Former Forestry Plantation

About The Site / Project

The site covered 1.7 hectares of Sitka spruce plantation situated on deep, soft peat, requiring a sensitive and carefully managed approach to prevent damage to this protected moorland habitat.

Key Objective: To fell a designated block of Sitka spruce located within an area of soft peat and extract the timber to an established hardstanding. Operations will be undertaken using low ground pressure machinery, with careful planning of extraction routes and working methods, in order to minimise disturbance and prevent unnecessary damage to the peat layer.

Check out the FOUR key stages of phase two below...

A combination of hand felling and mechanised felling was identified as the most suitable approach for working within this sensitive moorland terrain. 

A 15-tonne forestry-spec low ground pressure excavator, fitted with a 400 mm capacity tree shear, was used to fell the Sitka spruce in a controlled and systematic manner. 

In addition, a 9-tonne low ground pressure excavator equipped with a timber grab was employed to construct a log mat track across the peat, providing a stable extraction route to minimise ground disturbance during timber removal.

The trees were felled in a strategic manner and placed into orderly racks, ensuring they were ready for efficient collection and extraction by the forwarder.

Using a lightweight John Deere 810e forwarder, we were able to access the felled area via the log mat track constructed across the boggy peat. 

Both timber and brash were collected and transported by the forwarder across the moorland to a designated stockpile area adjacent to the stone track, ensuring efficient extraction while minimising ground disturbance.

On completion of the timber extraction the brash mats were removed, and the log track remained in-situ enabling full access across the site for the gamekeeper.

All timber and brash recovered from the site was subsequently chipped into walking floor wagons and transported off-site as part of a biomass recovery project.

This project demonstrates how sensitive peatland forestry operations can be completed efficiently while protecting valuable habitats and supporting renewable energy objectives.

Why Choose Treeclear UK?

Treeclear UK specialises in peatland restoration and reinstatement projects across the UK, working in partnership with wildlife trusts, landowners, and within designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). 

Our restoration work includes a wide range of techniques such as mulching, deep trench bunding, water flow management, river channel creation, and dam construction, all designed to protect and enhance sensitive habitats. 

Qualifications and member organisations we are proud to be a part of include;-

• Construction Skills Certificate Scheme (CSCS)
• City & Guilds NPTC qualified including (FMOC) 
• Members Forest Industry Safety Accord (FISA)