Park is keeping the home fires burning

Timber… It seems every cloud does have a silver lining, as storm damaged trees in Pembrey Country Park prove to be a new revenue earner.

Storm damaged and weakened trees in the heavily forested country park are being harvested or felled and sold on as bagged seasoned split logs for wood burning stoves.

They may not be chocolate logs but they have been going out like hot cakes in the run up to the festive season.

Carmarthenshire coastal and parks manager Rory Dickinson said they had hundreds of tonnes of timber that was being converted to cash to help sustain the park.

He said: “Only leaning or dangerous trees, those that have been storm damaged, are being removed. There are a few from a programme of tree thinning that are being harvested too.

“In the past damaged wood has been disposed of or turned into use within the park for fencing or barrier poles.

“But there is so much of it now following last winter’s storms that we are taking advantage of the demand for split seasoned logs and selling it by the bag from £4 to £50.

“We do not deliver but such is the popularity of wood burning stoves and the quantity of our harvested timber, it does not seem to be an issue.

“We are refunding the park admission at the Visitors’ Centre to anyone who comes in to buy logs.

“The operation has also helped serve a training issue in the use of chain saws by rangers and other workers within the park that will be invaluable in the long term operation use of labour resources,” said Mr Dickinson.

Executive board member for leisure Cllr Meryl Gravell said: “The park management has to be commended for this innovative thinking. By helping to keep the home fires burning there is a cash bonus of contributing to the park’s upkeep.”