[Closed] Am I allowed to clear a tree?

If it was quick and easy then I’d just crack on with it.

I suspect that there’s no issue with the principle of removing them, but land owners tend to be twitchy about folk firing up heavy machinery to do it.
Low risk and can be done with a silky, crack on. If it needs anything bigger, I’d think twice.

Same goes I suppose for things like brambles that shoot across parts at face height. Can they be cut legally?

Make sure you do it in a balaclava and keep an eye out for the rozzers, they're trying to crack down on this illegal activity.

Officially - check whether it is a RoW on the OS map, www.streetmap.co.uk goes to OS mapping level, and if it is then the RoW officer at the council will organise it with the landowner. In my area it's surprisingly quick, as long as it's not the day after a storm for example.

If it's not a RoW then who's the landowner - it would be appropriate to check with them (although if it's eg: common land that's harder) - risk is that they might not be happy with clearing a non-RoW for riders / walkers to use.

Unofficially - crack on, even better if you have a high-viz vest and a couple of warning cones, at which point you can do what the hell you like!

You're obliged to if you have the tools/ability to do it safely.

Make sure you wear hi-vis and appropriate safety equipment so you look like you're legit.

What other excuse do you need to crack out the chainsaw, remember your hi viz vest cones and clipboard to make it look official.

If you could get a couple of mates watch you also wearing hi viz that’d make it look like a real official task.

Good Luck

Technically if you decide to grab a saw or other tools and go and clear it, that's against the law. If you happen to be carrying a saw or other appropriate tools when you come across an obstacle then decide to clear it. that's fine. The law is an arse, but at least it's not often enforced.

I usually carry a folding saw in my MNTB back pack and have cleared branches (up to about 3" diameter) which have fallen across a trail). Bigger than that I normally just report to local ROW offices, as above the response is normally pretty quick/

Pocket knife it for additional mtfu credit.

Free firewood for you and your mate's for a year or two. Crack on.

I think @sharkattack has built something to help you clear a tree...

https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/someone-bought-me-a-jigsaw-for-christmas/

Cut it out if it can be done easily. Otherwise, build a sick kicker over it and send it......HARD.

I bought a battery chainsaw for silent trail liberation....

What folding saw do you use @nbt? Often thought I should put one in my pack for such occasions.

I just got a cheap one for £3.99 from Aldi!

Be careful with fallen trees, there is all sorts of tension within the timber. Trees will even stand back up again if weight is removed. How big? what species? Some trees are very brittle/snap too easily with no control others hinge and can be felled safely.

A sizeable tree...

... is diagonal at face height

sounds like there might be quite a bit of weight hanging there - beware as you cut it you will be releasing a lot of potential energy rather suddenly - the potential for injuring yourself if you just attack it with a saw is quite high.

I have one of these;

https://www.fiskars.com/en-us/gardening-and-yard-care/products/saws/power-tooth-sliding-carabiner-saw-10-92586935j

Aye, go fiskars, been through the cheap folding saw roulette, false economic.

As others have said, cutting leaning timber can be dangerous as it suddenly springs free in unexpected directions but normally towards me.

I would drill some holes, insert dynamite and use a remote trigger just to be safe

Just to be clear if you take the WCA dynamite route you will need a few more cones😉

If it's on a footpath / bridleway, report it using FixMyStreet with attached pictures. That'll ensure it gets routed to the correct person.

Just to be clear if you take the WCA dynamite route you will need a few more cones, permits, insurance and ambulance on standby.😉

Ftfy

Finders Keepers. Carry on soldier.

Don't forget to film it when you go down the WCA route

There can be some ’interesting’ tension in wind blown fallen trees. You need to be really careful as it’s easy to cut the wrong bit and release the tension, causing it to move very quickly.
Trimming limbs that are now sticking up into the air is relatively safe, along with any that are not touching the ground but you need to think about the weight you are removing and what that could allow the tree to do; roll or shift suddenly.
Any branches that are loaded against the ground will be under tension and compression; you need to be able to work out which way the load is going and release the tension to avoid sudden ‘spring poling’.
On land that’s not your own, without permission, whatever cutting I was doing would be with a Silky rather than a chainsaw (despite having several petrol and battery ones) as it’s far quieter and as it’s slower it is a bit more controlled. Don’t need so much PPE either although a Silky can give a hell of a bite!

Huffs at doubters and will check my dynamite selection and woodland blockages. There may me an Sre you bored enough video in the News soon

To be honest, I find TNT much easier than dynamite and smells less on the bodies

As others have said, cutting leaning timber can be dangerous as it suddenly springs free in unexpected directions but normally towards me.

I would drill some holes, insert dynamite and use a remote trigger just to be safe

That is absolutely bloody...

WorldClassAccident

... oh, wait, right, I see, as you all were.

As above if it’s a hefty unit then leave it, make the landowners aware if you can, like me they may have been busy doing other more pressing jobs such as snow/road clearance and haven’t managed to get out to check for fallen trees and branches..... it took me 3 days of snow clearance before I had time to check the estate, found one huge branch totally blocking a bridleway which was soon dealt with