It's amazing my OP was over 2 years ago! I've had a kid since then...!
Anyway, I just updated the post to reflect a few changed to chopping and forests in the various patches etc (i.e. health is now .5 per forest rather than .4).
I've looked back through that list of guidelines and I pretty much still stand by them 2 years later after many many games since I first wrote them down. They're common sense now, really, but it's good to put down tried and tested advice for others.