Hauts-de-France - Production or recreation forests
Rare, highly-prized forest massifs
The countryside around the towns of Calais, Dunkerque, Lille and Arras is not renowned for being thickly wooded. Forests are indeed very rare here. The acquisition of a forest in this area should therefore be thought about carefully and any buyer will be in direct competition with their Belgian, British, German and Dutch counterparts!
These forests are few and far between, and very dispersed and fragmented. They are, however, now gaining ground. The high forests in the north of the Hauts-de-France region are still young (no more than 80 years old). Hauts-de-France still has some fine woodland areas worthy of a forest region.
Take, for example, the State-owned forests of Chantilly and Compiègne in the département of Oise, which are outstanding sites, very popular with visitors for whom the forest is ideal for leisure pursuits.
Production or recreation forests
The forest of Chantilly receives no fewer than 6 million visitors a year! Even if the afforestation rate in Hauts-de-France is well below the national average, this is a deciduous forest region with species such as beech, sessile and European oak, hornbeam, ash and aspen commonly grown and exploited.
Poplar wood is used to make boxes for Camembert, crates for fruit and vegetables, and matches. With their oak and beech logging operations, Aisne and Oise are the leading French départements for lumber production from deciduous species; this also includes ash. Half of the wood felled is used by the lumber industry.
The Hauts-de-France forest region therefore has a thriving production sector but is also ideal for hunting. There are some fine hunting grounds that are home to roe deer, wild boar, ducks and woodcocks, much to delight of enthusiasts. Hunting with hounds is also enjoyed in the outstanding areas the region boasts.
Who buys forests in Hauts-de-France?
Several types of buyer are drawn by the acquisition of a forest in Hauts-de-France: big and small game hunters and those who enjoy hunting with hounds, buyers looking for a property investment and those who want to invest in a rare but high-quality production forest.
The Hauts-de-France forest region sits between Germany, Belgium and the Paris region and has the highest prices of all the French regions. The scarce supply pushes prices up!
Economic view
The difference in stands, volume and the quality of trees explains the wide range of sale prices. Only an accurate valuation of the forest plot can give you a real idea of the price of your forest in Hauts-de-France.
Forêt Investissement provides this appraisal as part of a FNAIM exclusive sales mandate.