Fire wood, price, availability and means of processing.

[PS_RalphW]

Because Louise, who manages the site does not like the noise and danger of a chainsaw. The work is done by groups of local conservation volunteers, as a social activity, to preserve traditional methods of wood management, to conserve rare habitat for species of bird, mammals and insects in an otherwise monoculture of modern agriculture. The wood sold is a minor bi-product. Some of it is used for other traditional practices like hurdle making. Louise and partner live a low carbon and relatively sustainable life (with one glaring omission). Such activity is probably only possible in a relatively wealthy area like Cambridge where there is both the academic interest and lack of materialism where people seek out hard, dirty work as entertainment

[vtsnowedin]

Because Louise, who manages the site does not like the noise and danger of a chainsaw. The work is done by groups of local conservation volunteers, as a social activity, to preserve traditional methods of wood management, to conserve rare habitat for species of bird, mammals and insects in an otherwise monoculture of modern agriculture. The wood sold is a minor bi-product. Some of it is used for other traditional practices like hurdle making. Louise and partner live a low carbon and relatively sustainable life (with one glaring omission). Such activity is probably only possible in a relatively wealthy area like Cambridge where there is both the academic interest and lack of materialism where people seek out hard, dirty work as entertainment

Fair enough. Ownership does have it's privileges.

[kenneal - lagger]

On our common, managed by a Wildlife Trust, Conservation Volunteers do a lot of the management work and they, in the main, use hand tools because they haven't done the courses to satisfy the requirements of the insurance companies who cover the liabilities to others and the Health and Safety Executive.

I, and the other commoners who collect wood up there, had to provide evidence that we were covered by our own insurance before we could use chainsaws to cut the wood to which we are entitled on our common. I also have third party insurance for my cattle which graze our own forage on the common in case they damage members of the public who use the commons for various recreational activities.

[vtsnowedin]

Sounds like your insurance industry has you by the short and curlies.
I suppose they have to have something as you don't have to buy health insurance from them.

[mikepepler]

Because Louise, who manages the site does not like the noise and danger of a chainsaw.

I agree on the noise, but not necessarily on the danger. Once the tree is more than a few inches diameter, the main risk of injury is from incompetent felling of the tree. (I'm assuming a chainsaw user is wearing PPE)

For larger trees, you can do cuts with a chainsaw that improve the safety of the felling but would be completely impossible with a hand saw or ax. Of course, people managed in the past, but I guess the risk of being crushed by a tree was a bit higher...