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Forest road construction and maintenance

Forest roads provide crucial access to and within a forest. They assist inspection and management, provide and facilitate forest fire protection, permit economic and efficient timber harvesting and provide recreational opportunities within a forest.

A well planned forest road can also enhance biodiversity in the open spaces between the road and the trees.

For forest owners approaching first thinning, the availability of a forest road suitable for the loading and haulage of logs by timber lorries is crucial.

As the loading of timber is illegal on public roads, even small plantations will require some road construction to provide timber loading areas. This may involve the construction of a new harvest road or the upgrading of an existing road to harvest road standard.

COFORD has published a Forest Road Manual which outlines the guidelines for the design and construction and maintenance of forest roads.

Please note that all forest road construction projects (whether availing of grant aid or not) must obtain prior written approval from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Planning

It is important to plan the best possible access for the extraction and loading of timber before a forest road is developed. A road should be given an adequate period of time (1 or 2 years) to settle before any harvesting operations commences.

The standard tree clearance width for the construction of a forest road is 15 metres.

Forest road works licences

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) acts as the single consent authority for applications for forest road works licences, where

  • the forest road provides access to a public road (other than a national road) or
  • there is material widening of an existing entrance.

This means that applicants will no longer require planning permission from the local authority for such developments as part of the forest road works licensing process.

Please note: forest road projects that provide access to a national road, planning permission from the relevant Roads Authority will still be required.

Design

Proper design will ensure that a long-lasting harvesting road is produced. Impediments such as rock outcrop, aquatic zones and man-made obstacles -for instance ESB wires and gas pipelines- will influence the route of the road. Design methods will depend on the soil type present.

Roadside drains and a degree of camber on the road will improve the overall drainage and the control of run-off water and therefore reduce erosion.

A bellmouth entrance may be the only requirement on some smaller roadside sites while additional roads and turning areas may be necessary on larger sites.

Construction

Construction works should be carried out by competent and experienced contractors. Where possible, road construction should be carried out in the spring and summer to minimize site disturbance. The availability of roading material e.g. stone or gravel on farm will reduce costs. If a road is constructed well in advance of use and allowed to settle, there is less risk of deterioration.

Maintenance

All forest roads will experience wear and tear during harvesting operations. It is important to repair them as quickly as possible.

Main elements to repair and maintenance:

Drainage. The condition of the soil beneath the road will largely determine the strength of the road. Effective drainage in the vicinity of the road by having a clear drain is imperative to ensure that the water table is as low as possible. The cleaning and/or re-profiling of roadside drains must be carried out during dry weather to minimize potential environmental impacts from erosion and sedimentation. During reforestation it is important that ground preparation operations do not interfere with the existing roadside drainage.

Surface. Road carriageways are usually the most expensive element of forest road construction and therefore good maintenance of the surface is very important. The most common repair and maintenance issues on road carriageways are:

  • Potholes. Heavy potholing does result in an increased and unacceptable risk to the safety of the user and potential damage to vehicles.
  • Camber. An adequate camber ensures that rainfall quickly drains from the road surface into a roadside drain.
  • Vegetation. Through lack of use, a forest road is likely to become overgrown and in time this can undermine its usage through erosion and loss of strength.
  • Pavement thickness. The original constructed road pavement thickness must be preserved otherwise excessive rutting will occur with potentially serious collapse requiring a total and expensive reconstruction.

See also

Relevant publication