Forestry & Timber News

FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS February 2018 Issue 85

THE SYCAMORE GAP THE INVESTMENT DIVIDE Forestry and Timber News_Forestry_Chris Pratt_Chainsaw 1_297x210.indd 1 15/01/2018 15:15 CONTENTS

NEWS & COMMENT 51 | WOOD FOR GOOD

Confor is a membership organisation 5 | EDITORIAL 57 | TIMBER TRANSPORT that promotes sustainable forestry and TREES GET POPULAR VOTE BUT GILLIAN CLARK INTRODUCES wood-using businesses. CHALLENGES TO PLANTING A NEW CAMPAIGN FOR THE Confor members receive Forestry and REMAIN TIMBER TRANSPORT SECTOR Timber News for free as part of their 6 | INVESTMENT FORESTRY 60 | SMALL WOODLAND membership. For more information on OWNER membership, visit THE SYCAMORE GAP: A www.confor.org.uk/join-us NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE 61 | PESTICIDES NOTEBOOK Past issues and articles can be accessed 8 | NEWS online at 62 | GROWN IN BRITAIN www.confor.org.uk/news/ftn-magazine WESTMINSTER SPEAKERS REINFORCE PLANTING CALL 63 | LEGAL MATTER Non-member subscriptions: GDPR: THE BIG BAD WOLF? £54 (£59 overseas). MASSIVE PLANTING SCHEME Please contact [email protected] GETS UNDERWAY AT DODDINGTON 65 | MOTOR COMMON COUNTRYSIDE 65 | FORESTRY IN PICTURES VISION TAKES ROOT CONFOR CONTACTS #25YEP – WHAT’S IN IT FOR FEATURES FORESTRY? Stefanie Kaiser Communications and editor FTN SCOTTISH FORESTRY BILL 22 | FOREST MANAGEMENT T: 0131 240 1420 AMENDED E: [email protected] SMALL AND PRETTY MEETS FORESTRY IN WALES A ‘TOP BIG AND STRONG: DO FOREST PRIORITY’ STEREOTYPES STILL EXIST? Caroline Harrison National manager for England WE ASKED OUR MEMBERS M: 07500 927482 34 | FUTURE OF FORESTRY E: [email protected] FUR, FEATHER, FIN AND THE RESILIENCE OF THE FORESTRY: RALPH PETERS ON WELSH FORESTRY INDUSTRY THE FUTURE OF WOODLAND Jamie Farquhar National manager for Scotland AND GAME MANAGEMENT M: 07817 374906 E: [email protected] REGULARS FOREST MANAGEMENT AND DIVERSIFICATION AT EXMOOR 16 | THE FTN GUIDE TO DIGITAL EAMONN WALL’S GUIDE TO Martin Bishop COMMUNICATION National manager for Wales PRUNING BROADLEAVES Rheolwr Genedlaethol i Gymru WE LAUNCH OUR NEW SERIES M: 07876 029482 E: [email protected] WITH ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TWITTER Andrew Heald MICFor Technical Director and Northern Ireland representative 17 | FORESTRY ON TWITTER M: 07771 844653 E: [email protected] HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WORLD OF TREES AND TIMBER 18 | CONFOR MEMBERS Confor head office and editorial office MEET TIM MACK AND MARK 59 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2JG CRICHTON MAITLAND OF ELDERSLIE ESTATES 48 | TIMBER IN CONSTRUCTION 0131 240 1410 JAMES JONES’S INVESTS £7M HOLZBAU_KUNST: THE IN NEW I-JOIST LINE AUSTRIAN COLLECTIVE BRINGS [email protected] NEW DIRECTORS FOR MAELOR TOGETHER THE FORESTRY, CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN www.confor.org.uk 36 | MACHINERY SECTORS TO PROMOTE LOW IMPACT FORWARDERS: MODERN TIMBER BUILDINGS For the latest news of forestry and wood RAB EASTON LOOKS AT sign up to #forestandwood on Twitter MOVING TIMBER FROM FOREST 52 | NURSERY TO ROADSIDE THE IMITATION GAME: ARE ROBOTS GOING TO SOLVE Published by Countrywide Publications, 43 | MARKETS FUTURE WORKFORCE Fountain Way, Reydon, Suffolk IP18 6SZ OAK LOGS HIGHLIGHT OF SHORTAGES IN NURSERIES? on behalf of Confor. HARDWOOD AUCTION ASKS ARAN SENA For advertising, contact Chloe Hine TIMBER AUCTIONS MARKET 58 | STAKEHOLDER 01502 725835 REPORT ENGAGEMENT [email protected] TIMBER MARKET REPORT: HARNESSING THE POWER Printed by Micropress Printers Ltd SHORTAGES PUSH UP PRICES OF MAPS Paul Vidgen Forest Machines Ltd

Forest Keep, Watersplash Lane, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7QP Tel: 01344 873499 Email: [email protected] Web: www.pvfm.co.uk

Sole UK importers and dealers for; AHWI/Prinoth, Naturatec, Bruks Chippers, Trevi Benne Forestry Attachments, UOT Scarifiers & Mounders, King Kong Carbide Tools Dealers for; BerCon Log Splitters, FTG Baltic Trailers and Cranes. EDITORIAL Paul Vidgen Forest Machines Ltd Trees get the popular vote but challenges to planting remain

STUART GOODALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE, CONFOR

lanting trees is set to become even change required to keep the UK on track to more popular. And not just street meet its commitments. trees or trees in schools, but large The low-hanging fruit has been secured P woodlands, even new forests. and the fortuitous developments are unlikely We have climate change to ‘thank’ for that, to be repeated at scale – in fact we’re seeking and the scale of governmental ambition. to rebalance the economy in favour of At Kyoto and then Paris, rich, developed manufacturing. Meeting our targets will be countries (the US Government less so) eye-wateringly painful - no gas, virtually no agreed to shoulder the greatest burden oil, near energy-free houses, all cars using of reducing greenhouse gases in the renewable electricity, emission slashed in atmosphere, especially carbon. farming, etc, etc. Initially everything went well, and Governments are also talking again about emissions dropped across the UK, though Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), though an examination of the figures shows that without any sense of a solution. Nevertheless, much was due to de-industrialisation. In it allows them, on paper, to help fill the agriculture, significant reduction took place widening gap between projected reductions as CAP reform led to sharp falls in live-stock from current policy and what’s required. numbers. The Committee on Climate Change, set up Progress has been made, for example in to advise the UK and devolved governments decarbonising electricity – think wind on progress with targets and to assess farms, but there hasn’t been their future plans, has been touring the UK. enough change in behaviour The conclusion is that the gap is widening or in the ‘infrastructure’ between what’s required and the reductions of industry, energy expected to be delivered by current policies generation or in driving and plans. energy efficiency. Too CCS is unproven and expensive. Tree Forest Keep, Watersplash Lane, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7QP much has occurred planting is very cheap in comparison and Tel: 01344 873499 Email: [email protected] Web: www.pvfm.co.uk through unconnected a well-proven ‘technology’. It also yields a events that would have myriad of other benefits. And then there’s the happened anyway. carbon locked up in our home-grown wood It may still take products – set to be recognised formally in some time to develop a future carbon balances. critical mass, but more I expect that we will have more and more Sole UK importers and and more politicians attention placed on tree planting (and and commentators wood production) in the years to come. dealers for; AHWI/Prinoth, are examining the However, I’m not convinced we yet have Naturatec, Bruks Chippers, underlying trend and the administrative tools and processes to Trevi Benne Forestry looking forward to respond, meaning there’s a danger that as the next step- people come knocking we will (frustratingly) Attachments, UOT see their attention turn elsewhere. Scarifiers & Mounders, That can’t be allowed to happen, and King Kong Carbide Confor will fight to ensure that it does not. Tools Dealers for; BerCon Log Splitters, FTG Baltic Trailers and Cranes. INVESTMENT FORESTRY

The Sycamore Gap A North-South investment divide

Headlines about a new northern forest turn. Mike Tustin of John Clegg and Co said that in England, announced in Defra’s “There is simply more bureaucracy in forestry in England than in Scotland; bureaucracy costs times recent 25-Year Environment Plan, and money and no one is willing to pay for it.” don’t address some of the Jason Sinden added “What we need is greater long-term challenges and risks for certainty, we are happy to work with open areas forestry investors. Andrew Heald and broadleaves but it is the ‘unknowns’ and deal- (Confor) and Jason Sinden (FIM) ing with the personal opinions of regulators which raise an important issue. makes investing unattractive. The grant money is there and local Forestry Commission England staff he south of Scotland and the north of Eng- are generally supportive but it is still a huge risk to land both have good road access, suitable purchase land in England and then try to get permis- soils, a range of mills and timber proces- sion to plant.” Tsors. However, whilst large-scale investors Andy Howard of Doddington thinks that one of are confidently starting new planting schemes in the challenges in England is the number of Gov- Scotland, south of Hadrian’s Wall thing are a little ernment agencies that need to work together to different. The recent announcement of approval for approve an application; Andy said “One of the key Lowther Estate’s ‘Jack’s Wood’ and for Doddington lessons from Doddington was to get FC England, (see FTN December 2017) are hopefully signs of sig- Natural England and the Rural Payments Agency to nificant change in forestry creation in England. all agree with each other, before we started having We need to be able Woodland creation schemes in Scotland this year conversations with them.” to give forestry are heading for 250ha, with an average size of 35ha A single agency approach should work well, but “ for productive schemes. Schemes the size of Dod- in Wales the benefit of a single regulator in NRW has investors a clear dington (268ha net) are significant in Scotland but also failed to deliver significant new planting, due risk assessment certainly wouldn’t attract front page news coverage partly to a complex scoring system which prioritises of the likelihood in the Daily Telegraph. new woodland near towns, which often have high of success, that is It is not just the size of the creation schemes that costs related to public access and are less attractive impossible with the differ it is a question of who is doing the planting. to timber production. The big difference is that large-scale investors are Lack of familiarity with woodland creation and current application currently only operating in Scotland; availability of with modern forestry in general is clearly an issue, process in England. suitable land is crucial but so is the risk and uncer- with many stakeholders assuming that ‘commercial Bruce Richardson, tainty with gaining planting approval. forestry’ means 100% Sitka Spruce. As new schemes Head of Investment Forest managers in Scotland are better able to come forward and as older forests are felled and re- judge which schemes will be successful and which stocked, then (as in Scotland) resistance slowly sof- and Property at Tilhill will be quickly approved. Time is money, and the tens. longer an approval takes, the poorer the rate of re- One of the challenges identified by investment

The investor’s reality The Government’s ambition Quotes from the 25-Year Environment Plan “We would love to invest in new planting schemes in the north of “We will do this [increase nature] by England and the current grant schemes increasing woodland in England in line with are very attractive, but the uncertainty our aspiration of 12% cover by 2060: this of whether we would get approval for would involve planting 180,000ha by the a large-scale commercial project is just end of 2042.” too high.” “Actions we will take: Designing a new Jason Sinden woodland creation grant scheme, involving landowners, farmers and key forestry stakeholders in the process. We want landowners to plant trees on their marginal land, while encouraging agroforestry”.

6 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK and forest managers that I have spoken to is the lack Brexit of course add another layer of complex- of track record in England and Wales. It is difficult ity, particularly around multi-year grant payments to convince an investor that the “numbers stack-up” but also in terms of Defra priorities. The recent an- when so many of the numbers are uncertain. Inves- nouncements of funding for new woodland related tors will always want as much certainly as possible to HS2, the continued Woodland Carbon Funding and to minimise risk. Currently, an investor is far more and the reference to ‘large-scale afforestation’ in likely to invest in new planting in Scotland rather the 25-Year Plan, are all very welcome. However, the than anywhere else, because of the greater certainty long-term support and possible annual payments is in getting approval and simply the time frame from uncertain, and the current renewed interest and con- application to planting. There will always be a need cern around wader decline is likely to have a signifi- for ‘guinea pigs’ like Doddington and Lowther and cant negative impact in parts of England. then hopefully systems will improve; however, being Michael Gove has assured farmers and land man- the guinea pig can be uncomfortable and expensive. agers that he will guarantee support payments to Individuals like Andy Howard of Doddington are 2024. If you started the approval process for a large typical of the people driving new planting in England; scheme this spring it would probably take two to they are passionate and committed, want to plant three years to get approval, so if planting started trees and have the confidence and determination to in 2021 there would only be three years of assured see it through. The larger institutional investors have grant support. It is also worth considering that the Is land a different attitude to risk and are more ‘foot-loose’, lead-in time for a nursery to produce healthy young designation a and so are willing to consider a wide range of loca- trees, is also around four years. A promise from De- barrier to forestry tions; often these locations are in Scotland. fra of a new ‘woodland creation grant scheme’ is investment? very welcome but the forestry sector needs to know Northern Ireland, what it is and how it will work, as soon as possible. England and Wales There is currently enthusiasm, interest and gov- have significant upland ernment support for new planting in England but the areas designated for mechanism to approve and deliver those new wood- “We will encourage larger-scale woodland landscape – either lands is not fit for purpose, this was clearly identified and forest creation, and direct commercial National Parks (shown by the EFRA Committee in January 2016. Until that in yellow) or AONBs investment in new productive planting mechanism is replaced and greatly improved then (shown in orange) . towards Forestry Investment Zones.” we are unlikely to see a significant increase in new Scotland has far fewer, planting. Jack’s Wood at Lowther and Doddington “We want our continuing promotion of large although it does have are great achievements but in total are only about scale woodland creation to give investors National Scenic Areas 500ha, a long way short of the latest England target the confidence to renew and expand wood- 7500ha per year. processing capacity, thereby securing the supply of current wood products and Jason Sinden is Head of Investment at FIM, the stimulating further innovation with new largest investors in commercial forestry in the UK products such as cross-laminated timber with approximately £900m in assets used in construction.” #25YEP - what’s in it for forestry? See p11.

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 7 NEWS

Westminster speakers reinforce planting call

Momentum must be maintained on pro- plant more trees now to ensure a sustain- key recommendation in the initial EFRA ductive planting in England to create a able supply of domestic timber in future.” committee report. long-term sustainable industry and reduce The debate was arranged to address Confor Chief Executive Stuart Goodall, reliance on imports, a Westminster Hall de- the Government’s response to the inquiry who attended the debate, said: “It’s vital the bate on forestry in England heard. by the Environment, Food and Rural Af- profile of forestry and timber is kept high at Chris Davies MP, Chairman of the All- fairs (EFRA) Committee. It featured con- Westminster and that the Government is re- Party Parliamentary Group on Forestry, tributions from nine MPs and a reply by peatedly pressed to act on the big issues, said it was crucial to build on the Lowther the minister responsible for forestry, Dr including planting, managing woodland and and Doddington approvals, highlighting Thérèse Coffey. She confirmed the Gov- using more home-grown wood. the 80,000 UK jobs supported by the for- ernment had “reset the clock” on its 2015- “In the debate, it was heartening to see estry and timber industry, and its £2bn an- 2020 target of planting 11m trees and the every speaker mention the need for more nual economic value to the economy. target would now run from the June 2017 productive planting or use of home-grown Noting that the UK had ‘overtaken’ Ja- election to 2022. She was confident the wood. There is much work to be done, but pan to be the second-largest net importer target would be met and passed. Confor’s central policy requests - more of wood products after China, Mr Davies EFRA committee chairman Neil Parish productive planting, a simpler application said: “This demonstrates why it is so im- MP renewed calls for a “one-stop shop” system, more actively managed woods and portant that this parliament sends a strong for forestry grants and advice, with several the use of more home-grown timber - are signal to the UK Government that we must other speakers repeating this message - a now supported by MPs from all parties.”

Massive planting scheme gets underway at Doddington

Ground preparation works for the largest planting scheme in England in a generation will start later this month. The first of around 650,000 trees are expected to go into the ground in late March at Doddington North Moor, near Wooler, Northumberland, according to project manager Andy Howard. After confirmation the scheme had been approved on 30 November last year, Mr Howard said: “I’m delighted to have secured the go ahead for the project. Well- designed new forests are fantastic assets for local people and wider society, and hopefully starting to plant trees at Dod- dington and the lessons learnt from the application process will encourage others to take that important step.” ALBA TREES Mr Howard acknowledged the “un- stinting positive backing” from Confor planting scheme, near Penrith, Cumbria, ground and 15% managed priority habitat. throughout the process, and praised the was approved. At January’s Westminster Hall debate local community and MP Anne-Marie Lowther will see 213,000 trees planted on forestry in England, Dr Thérèse Coffey, Trevelyan. He added: “I’m also grateful to on a 170ha, with 120ha of productive coni- the minister responsible for forestry, said the Natural England and Forestry Com- fers and most of the remainder productive she was delighted Doddington had finally mission staff at local level who ultimately broadleaves. been approved – and described her visit found a way for us to come together to Doddington, near Wooler, is twice the to Lowther. She said: “I had the pleasure find a solution.” size at 354ha, with 268ha to be planted - of visiting Lowther and planting the first Stuart Goodall, Chief Executive of Con- 42% conifers (the majority sitka), 20% na- of 213,000 trees, a rich mix of broadleaf for, welcomed the “fantastic news”, which tive broadleaves and 13% mixed Scots pine corridors and softwood plantations. It is came soon after the Lowther Estate and native broadleaf. Some 10% is open truly impressive.”

8 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK

NEWS

Common countryside vision takes root

A Command Paper on post-Brexit support spring continues down that path and rec- for the UK’s rural areas must reflect grow- ognizes all parties can benefit from a new ing support for a common approach to way of working - farmers, foresters, local the future of our countryside, according to communities and wider society.” Confor’s Chief Executive Stuart Goodall. Mr Goodall has already stressed the Mr Goodall said he was pleased that importance of a consensual approach in- core elements of Confor’s Common Coun- volving all rural interests, at Confor’s West- tryside Policy (CCP) paper are at the heart minster conference, Towards A Common of the debate on what future support looks Countryside Policy, in late 2017. like – including treating all land uses fairly The event featured senior speakers from and a requirement to show positive envi- organisations in the land use sector - NFU, ronmental outcomes to receive subsidy. CLA, The Woodland Trust, WWF-UK and A ‘shared ambition’ vital to He welcomed Michael Gove’s positive Confor. Minette Batters of the NFU agreed language in his speech to the Oxford Farm- “a shared ambition” was vital to shape a “shape a positive rural future ing Conference (OFC) on post-Brexit sup- positive rural future. Minette Batters, NFU port – and the consensual approach from She joined a debate with Stuart Goodall, different groups to a sustainable future. Mi- Mark Tufnell (CLA), Will Ashley-Cantello nette Batters, Deputy President of the Na- (WWF-UK) and Beccy Speight (Woodland • A positive trade deal after Brexit is fun- tional Farmers Union, has said she sees the Trust) to identify common ground in future damental to a thriving future countryside; chance for enhanced tree planting on farms rural policy and funding structures. • Only productive, prosperous rural busi- – although not on prime agricultural land. A number of key themes emerged nesses can deliver the range of positive Mr Goodall said: “I’m very pleased the throughout the discussion, including: outcomes to make our countryside more debate is moving in the direction outlined • Strong political leadership is needed to sustainable; in our CCP paper, with a clear understand- design future policy fit for all of our coun- • A new system must be based on long- ing that there is the potential to plant more tryside - supported by strong leadership term agreements, or contracts, to move trees and benefit from well-managed for- inside Defra and government agencies. away from the stop-start system of con- ests and woodland as part of a thriving ru- • Strong leadership and guidance is also stant new CAP deals; ral countryside. needed from rural interest groups. Each will • We need to start making progress on “I support Michael Gove’s belief that, have specific interests, but stronger results new policy now, not wait for a perfect so- post-Brexit, we can do things differently, could be delivered by finding areas of com- lution, which risks carrying over the prob- and more sustainably, in rural areas. There mon ground; lems of CAP into a new era. is scope for our land to deliver more for so- • Government reports relevant to future Stuart Goodall said: “It was great to de- ciety and for the environment. Mr Gove’s rural policy such as the 25-Year Environ- bate the future with such a diverse range OFC speech recognised that, with specific ment Plan, Clean Growth Strategy and of organisations - and it was very clear that mention of planting more trees as part of legislation shaping a post-Brtexit future – there is more that unites different rural in- a new direction - away from the Common must be well-aligned. terests than divides us. I am heartened by Agricultural Policy and towards a broader • Future rural funding must follow positive the desire to collaborate to come up with approach. outcomes for the countryside, rather than a future system to suit the whole of our “It is vital the Command Paper in the the input-based system of CAP. countryside.”

AWARDS

Deadline Deadline RFS Excellence in Forestry 31 March Scottish Finest Woods 31 March 2018 2018 “It’s only through ensuring high quality woodland Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards has opened its management and talking about it to a wider world that we will 2018 competition to find the woods and forests contributing help people distinguish between excellence and exploitation most to the health and wealth of communities. There are in forestry,” siad Royal Forestry Society Co-ordinator Rachel seven awards in four categories – Quality Timber, New Native Thomas, launching the Excellence in Forestry 2018 Awards. In Woods, Community Woodlands and the Schools Award – 2018 the awards are being held across the West of England with striking trophies and almost £7,000 of prize money. from Cheshire in the North West to Cornwall in the South Winners are honoured at an annual Awards presentation at West. There are five categories: Resilient Multipurpose (Duke the Royal Highland Show in June. money. Winners are honoured of Cornwall’s Award), Silviculture, Small and Farm Woodland, at an annual Awards presentation at the Royal Highland Show Community Woodland and an Education and Learning Award. in June. www.rfs.org.uk/awards www.sfwa.co.uk

10 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK Theresa May Specific trees, woodlands launches the 25-Year and forestry elements Environment Plan included in #25YEP

Supporting the development of a new Northern Forest. Designing a new woodland creation grant scheme, involving landowners, foresters and farmers. Identifying suitable areas for large scale woodland creation, and promoting Forestry Investment Zones to attract investors. Supporting community forests. Strengthening domestic carbon offset mechanisms to encourage more businesses to offset emissions in a cost- effective way, through planting trees. Increased protection of existing trees #25YEP – what’s and forests. Publishing a Tree Health Resilience Plan in 2018. Developing new public/private in it for forestry? partnership models of investment for research, including plant and tree health. Working with industry to place DEFRA published A Green Future: Our 25-Year biosecurity at the centre of buying Plan to Improve the Environment in January – practices – including encouraging the so what does it mean for forestry businesses? development of a bio-secure supply asks Caroline Harrison chain for woodland creation. Working with industry to support Grown At the heart of #25YEP is the government’s Confor will continue to represent mem- in Britain to increase the amount of promise not just to arrest the decline bers’ interests and work with government home grown timber used in England in of England’s natural resources but to en- on key areas within the plan. construction. hance them: to be the first generation to We have put forward nominations for Protecting and enhancing the Public leave the environment in a better state than the proposed Tree Champion. We will Forest Estate. it found it. work with government to identify Forestry Appointing a national Tree Champion For the forestry and timber sector, the Investment Zones to deliver large-scale to promote trees and forests, help drive plan sits alongside the Clean Growth Strat- planting and business support, learning a step change in tree planting and egy to set a framework for policy for the from the Woodland Enterprise Zone being encourage joined-up thinking on tree foreseeable future and, effectively, replace piloted in North Devon. We will work with issues. the 2013 Forestry and Woodlands Policy government to use more wood in construc- Statement. tion in England and to recognise and meas- Other highlights for The #25YEP plan lacks detail, but it is in- ure timber locked up in construction as a tended to be read as a blueprint setting the vital medium-term carbon sink. businesses to note direction of travel for future government We will continue to input into the devel- Expanding the use of natural flood policy and strategies, along with a new sys- opment of a new grant scheme to support management solutions. tem of governance and a suite of metrics to large-scale productive woodland creation measure and report on performance. To de- and woodland management. Finally, we Designing and delivering a new liver on its ambitions, it will need strong ac- will continue to input into the Tree Health environmental land management tions, and Confor will hold the government Resilience Plan and promote the phasing system. Details have been promised in a to account against its promises. out of firewood imports from abroad, both command paper in Spring 2018. A natural capital approach permeates to reduce the threat to biosecurity and to Embedding an ‘environmental net gain’ the plan, attempting to put together an stimulate woodland management through principle for development, including over-arching mechanism to capture the a market for locally-produced wood fuel. housing and infrastructure. value of natural assets. It is anticipated that The aim is to leave the environment in a Consulting on setting up a new natural capital accounting will play a sig- “better state than we found it” and Confor independent body to hold government nificant role in the metrics that the plan has believes that a vibrant forestry and timber to account and a new set of proposed to measure performance, and will sector is key to realising that, supporting environmental principles to underpin therefore become one of the main tools to government in its move towards clean and policy-making. hold the government to account. green growth.

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 11 NEWS

Scottish Forestry Bill amended

Since it was introduced in May 2017, we have three years, there were conflicting propos- More importantly, the English, Scottish been scrutinising the first draft of the For- als on how it should be revised, withdrawn and Welsh governments are discussing how estry and Land Management (Scotland) Bill. pending further discussion. Confor will UK-wide issues (such as the UK Forestry As of 14 December, this has been replaced press for revision every ten years. Standard, Plant Health, Forest Research) with a significantly amended second draft. Because this bill involves completing should be structured post-devolution, and The Rural Economy and Connectivity the devolution of forestry, the legislation how private and public sectors will relate. Committee (RECC) had the role of amend- must also be approved in Westminster. Confor is closely engaged in these discus- ing the bill. A huge number of amendments This stage is likely to be a formality. sions which will affect the whole UK. were brought forward, 136, demonstrating the importance the Scottish Parliament places on getting forestry legislation right. Of these, 36 were withdrawn, 11 were reject- ed, and 89 accepted. Forestry in Wales a ‘top priority’ Confor met with all the major parties before the debate, and provided detailed writ- In the December issue of FTN issue (p10) (available on our website), which was ten evidence on every amendment, which we reported our meeting with the new widely referred to in the debate. was widely referred to in the discussion. Welsh Environment minister, Hannah Bly- Simon Thomas AM spoke passionately thyn. The minister referred to this meet- about the need to tackle the ‘underwood- What’s new in the bill? ing at the debate on forestry held in the ed’ state of Wales, after visiting a sawmill A key amendment for Confor was that the Welsh Assembly on 13 December, saying had demonstrated to him the real benefits Scottish forestry strategy must address ‘the that ‘improving and expanding the wood- of timber production. In the new year, he production and supply of timber and other lands of Wales would be amongst my top asked a series of parliamentary questions forest products’. Another was that there priorities’. on behalf of Confor, ensuring forestry is should be a post in the Scottish Government The debate was a discussion of the kept high on the government’s agenda. with the title of Chief Forester. This was a Branching Out report, in which the Cli- There is no better way to tell the for- proposal originally made by Confor, to en- mate Change, Environment and Rural estry and timber story than to invite your sure that forestry expertise is protected and Affairs Committee strongly criticised the local representatives to visit your busi- promoted within the new organisation. Welsh government’s record on forestry, nesses. Please don’t hesitate to contact There were also a series of important using evidence provided by Confor. us to help. government amendments adjusting various Less than 10,000ha of new woodland The Welsh government was challenged points in the legislation, including clarifying has been created in Wales in the past 20 on forestry again on 19 December, when that ‘forested land’ does not include land years, and the estimated area of produc- the highly-respected UK Climate Change with no trees on it, and changing the infa- tive conifer has decreased by 18,000ha Committee advised that Wales needs to mous definition ‘felling means intentionally since 2001. create 4,000ha new woodland per year killing a tree’ to ‘felling includes intention- Confor sent all AMs an infographic on to meet its legislated target of an 80% really killing a tree’. the multiple benefits of forestry for Wales duction in carbon emissions by 2050.

What happens next? The revised bill will be discussed by the full parliament, when further amendments may be brought before a final bill is agreed. Some amendments which were withdrawn following discussion will be developed and new wording brought at the next debate. Two key items in this category are: • Content of the forestry strategy: Three amendments on afforestation, native woodland and communities were withdrawn in response to the Cabinet Secretary’s assur- ance that he would work with proposers ‘to capture the intentions of those amendments, and in particular the important objective of increasing the area of native woodland.’ Confor will press for a commit- Confor manager Martin Bishop followed up all this activity by organising a visit ment to afforestation to be included, and for the minister on 18 January to Teifi Timber sawmill. A new Confor member in that any reference to native woodland is west Wales, Teifi Timber is a family business in its seventh generation, which has part of an expansion of forestry overall, and recently invested £2.5m to upgrade its facilities and continue to be an important is not at the expense of productive capacity. employer in a rural area. However, its future relies on having trees to harvest. It • Frequency of revision of the forestry was encouraging to hear the minister reiterate her commitment to ensure that strategy: while it was agreed that there these begin to be planted. should be a report on the strategy every

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M44038 Q1 2018 L200 National Ad FORESTRY AND TIMBER NEWS 297x210 - Towing Capacity.indd 1 18/01/2018 14:49 FiFth AnnuAl FOREST INVESTMENT CONFERENCE May 1-2, 2018 • Convene Conference Center, New York City, US RISI FoReSt InveStment ConFeRenCe May 1-2, 2018 • Convene Conference Center, New York City, USA • www.risi.com/invest RISI and DANA are please to announce this event is heading back to New York City. The global timberland investment landscape, regional comparisons, trends and opportunities.

RISI and DANA have combined forces to bring together the most compelling conference for the financial community and those engaged in tracking companies 2-DAY and assets or who own and manage timberlands. The Investment conference CONFERENCE PROGRAM will broaden its horizons this year focusing The two day conference will take an in-depth look not just on the North American investment at timberland investments around the trends and opportunities, but on globe and how these opportunities the Global forest products and will unfold in the near future. timberland investment market.

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ForestInvest2018_A4.indd 1 10/01/2018 08:55:19 FiFth AnnuAl FOREST INVESTMENT CONFERENCE May 1-2, 2018 • Convene Conference Center, New York City, US RISI FoReSt InveStment ConFeRenCe May 1-2, 2018 • Convene Conference Center, New York City, USA • www.risi.com/invest RISI and DANA are please to announce this event is heading back to New York City. The global timberland investment landscape, regional comparisons, trends and opportunities.

Other 8% Analyst 2016’s Event Attracted over 7% Consultant 4%

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ForestInvest2018_A4.indd 1 10/01/2018 08:55:19 THE FTN GUIDE TO DIGITAL COMMUNICATION Like it or not, understanding digital communication and social media is increasingly essential for modern business promotion and campaigning. In this issue, we introduce FTN’s new series of guidance articles to help our members get the most out of the tools available with a look at Twitter by Hester McQueen (@TheICF) and Confor (@forestsandwood)

All you need to know about Twitter

#1 What is Twitter? #4 How Twitter can help Twitter is an online social media platform for your business individuals to communicate and interact on. Through an active Twitter presence or even Messages are limited to 140 characters and can structured campaigns, your business or brand can include images and videos. You can access it from benefit in multiple ways your computer, smartphone or tablet. • Connect with costumers and build relationships #2 What is a hashtag? • Understand your competitors A hashtag is a word/phrase preceded by a #, used • Market new products or promote events on Twitter to gather tweets on specific topics. You • Create meaningful traffic for your website can search the term or click the hashtag to see other tweets that have used the same hashtag. • Create brand awareness or raise your personal Specially useful to create discussions around an profile as thought leader event or to search for tweets on specific topics. • Build a digital audience • Stay informed on markets, innovation, news or #3 Build relationships on Twitter costumer demand Think of tweets as conversations. You can send a direct tweet to someone if you have something interesting to share: eg @username “this is my #5 Efficient Twitter campaigns message”. Use hashtags and @username to target require planning Twitter users or find relevant Twitter accounts or Posting a series of individual posts on an ad hoc tweets. It is worth following relevant accounts basis is not the most resource-efficient way of as their news will go in your home timeline. Many using Twitter for a marketing campaign, especially individuals/companies will share and comment on for companies with limited resources. There are your content in return if you’re sharing their Twitter many tools that can help you manage your time posts – this is one way to help build a Twitter more efficiently, such as Hootsuite where you can relationship. schedule posts in advance. Planning is essential if you want to run a successful Tipps to get started Twitter campaign and this can take time to do well. The first thing you need to do is to consider the Create your account, define what topic you are interested or pool of content that you already have. You can what people you want to reach. Identify people who actively usually reuse old content. Re-purposing content is tweet in your field of interest or who have a good followership vital in this day and age, but keep in mind that it you want to reach yourself. Filter information by topic hashtags. has to be high-quality and on-brand before you can More in FTN web resources. re-publish it. People to follow: Keep in mind that Twitter posts should be visually appealing and engaging, so don’t make them @AndyHeald: just follow him and you will see all text-based. Fill your Twitter wall with images, facts or even intriguing questions for your Twitter @Benjaminjmiller: machine operator with large followership followers to engage with. @AGTforester: Andy Turnbull - Forester with Bidwells Make sure that you are engaging by being active on social media – pay attention to who likes and @localwoodswork: Partnership working to support and grow comments your posts and reply back. This helps to woodland social enterprise promote and humanise your brand. Watch out for recommended Twitter accounts in our How do you know if your campaign is a success? 2018 FTN issues. Set yourself goals and take a step back and assess your progress compared to your original goals.

16 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK Why I use Twitter Forestry on Twitter @AndyHoward1 Andy Howard, Pennine Biomass Recent highlights from the world of To engage with a wide range trees and timber on social media of people within the industry and perhaps more importantly from the media, Government, An eclectic selection brought to you by @andyheald and @eleanormharris NGOs and general interested public. For me it’s all about trying to get out the message about forestry as it is nowadays, and challenging the pre-conceptions many people have. My tipp for new users... Be interesting. Eloquently stand your ground and maintain your point under discussion without being dismissive or angry, and use pictures or links regularly to make sure your timeline is about your message rather than being about you.

@eleanormharris Eleanor M Harris, Confor Twitter is an important way for me to develop a voice in the sector. The short length forces me to formulate what I want to say without rambling. Unlike face-to- face interaction, I don’t need to worry about my manner, tone or confidence affecting my message, which for a slightly awkward female academic is a bonus. My tipp for new users... Most Twitter users are either mainly ‘readers’ or ‘speakers’. I’m a ‘speaker’, so my three key tips are: • Always be kind, generous and respectful – even if they aren’t. • Write your own tweets and retweet sparingly – or your feed looks like someone else’s. • Use good images.

@forestmachineoj Rab Easton, Forest Machine Magazine I have come to find that Twitter is an excellent format to keep followers updated on current forestry issues and a good place to find the latest information affecting worldwide forestry. My tipp for new users... Keep text factually accurate, interesting – ideally with some humour.

FTN WEB RESOURCES

Read a 2014 FTN article on how to join the forestry and timber community on Twitter, by Stefanie Kaiser and Andrew Heald FTN WEB RESOURCES Links to useful Twitter resources and beginners guides All links to tweets can be found at www.confor.org.uk/ftnweb www.confor.org.uk/ftnweb

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 17 CONFOR MEMBERS

Stirring it up

Tim Mack and Mark im Mack and Mark Crichton Maitland have Crichton Maitland been forestry professionals and close of Elderslie Estates friends for the best part of 40 years and their latest collaboration is breathing new believe that taking T life into the Elderslie Estates woodlands at Houston forestry beyond in near Glasgow. the woodland gate Both Mark and Tim were infected by forestry at is the way forward. Cirencester by the inspirational John Josephi, the much loved and long serving forestry lecturer and protégé of the great Cyril Hart. The enthusiasm they took from those days continues, and the fact that Mark and Tim have remained close friends and shot and stalked together for virtually every year since has only enhanced it. After Cirencester they professionally went their for over 30 years. Chris is only the fourth factor since separate ways. Mark became a land agent in Scot- 1905. “We really value first class advice and continu- land and then Herefordshire, before becoming a full- ity is really important, you need to know where the time forestry consultant in the 1980s, while Tim went bodies are buried” says Mark. to Merrist Wood and became an arboricultural con- The land is rolling lowland hill country, a bit like tractor in the south east of England, then moving to North Devon but with lots more wind and rain. There Kintyre as a forestry contractor. At some stage dur- are three tiers of forestry: Sitka in the upland hills, a ing Mark’s move south and Tim’s move north they conifer–hardwood mix in the middle hills and mostly met in a pub on Hadrian’s Wall and swapped north/ hardwood in the lowlands. south forestry knowledge over several pints of beer. “We know each other so well”, says Mark, “that Advocates of change we hardly need to discuss things. We went on a re- “It’s time that we rethink what we do with our land, ally good boys’ stalking holiday in the far north a and Brexit and the future shape of the forest prod- couple of years ago and hardly spoke for two weeks, ucts market will be a powerful determinant in that other than to say, ‘I agree, take the second stag from process. Forestry has to be taken out of its wood- the right’ or ‘I don’t mind if I do have a drop more’.” land box and properly integrated into the land use Elderslie Estates extend to around 1600ha, a little mix.” over 400 of which are forestry. It is a good example It’s evident that the pair of them like to stir things of a diversified working estate; it doesn’t have a big up. And that’s what the sector needs these days. house or a big shoot or big mountains, but it does They have been pushing the Forestry Commis- Above, Tim Mack in have a respectable portfolio of residential property, sion, politicians and the farming lobby to take for- 12 month Eucalyptus a fair amount of commercial property, farming – estry outside of woodlands into the farms and have glaucesens at Elderslie both let and in hand – and forestry, some woodcock been challenging the sector to use alien species in and, right, Mark shooting and is home to a pack of foxhounds. It has different ways (some of them currently banned or Crichton Maitand been factored by Chris Addison-Scott of Galbraith deemed unrealistic for use in this country).

18 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK sive butt rot in the conifers ruling out NS and SS on some sites after about four rotations. We all know the plant health issues with larch and ash, add the spruce ones and suddenly you have lost four important weapons in your armoury. Mark believes that we need to go back to old fashioned and rather out of date forestry, such as practiced by Cyril Hart. There are lots of species out there that have been all but forgotten but which have a role to play. “Not only do we need to look at alternative conifers, but we also need to look at spruce and other conifer mixtures, using species like western hemlock, noble fir or Pacific silver firAbies ( amabilis). There is an opportunity here to try something quite radical, like a Sitka/A amabilis row mixture and there is certainly scope for selection and shelterwood systems. Tim and I have constant arguments over whether to thin or not to thin. Historically we always got caught out by windblow, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, and we have started thinning again where we can and wait to see if this is another case of hu- bris and will the wind blow it all over. What has made the option possible are good harvesting contractors, markets for thinning products for biomass and Tim’s excellent timber marketing that has meant we can thin at break-even at worst.” Going back to thinning has allowed them to create a more mixed and structurally more resilient forest in the middle hillls, whereas the hardwoods of Mark says that we live in what he calls the ‘post- the lowlands have been their experimenting ground agricultural landscape’. Traditionally, the estate con- to explore a transition towards a semi-natural wood- sisted of small family worked dairy farms, but they land. are all history now. As tenants have retired and the It is a difficult job to move towards a forest with land has come back in hand, the challenge is what multiple canopy layers, but it increases the resilience best to do with it. Maybe we to strong winds. They recognise that the conditions “are on to in Scotland don’t necessarily favour European-style Creating more resilient and something, or silviculture approaches but with commitment and diverse woodlands the right people on the ground it can be done. Current silvicultural options are really becoming maybe we are “For future resilience, we also need to up our game too limited. “What we need are new silvicultural ap- just a couple on forest products”, adds Tim. “With an increasing proaches and more integrated and efficient landuse of dinosaurs cost base resulting from the requirements of long- strategies”, Tim stresses. “With Brexit and the end term forest plans (excellent, but what was wrong with of the current grant harvesting, land owners will be mumbling in our Dedication) and the unfortunate need to duplicate forced to think outside the box.” beards about standards by having to comply with FC requirements At Elderslie, Sitka has been the banker for nearly and FSC certification, not to mention the whole su- a hundred years; high yield class, usually non-thin going back to pervisory and management apparatus, we need a and normally succumbing to windblow every 30-40 the future. greater volume of more valuable product to sell. years. “That has been all well and good, but I have “Maybe we are on to something,” says Tim “or felt for many years that perhaps we could do some- maybe we are just a couple of dinosaurs mumbling thing better. I think we are now on the cusp of doing in our beards about going back to the future. And something better, although we are slightly groping we don’t always agree with each other. Actually, it in the murk still”, says Tim was the third stag from the right, not the second Monocrop rotations are not good for plant health that was shootable.” and we are increasingly seeing issues like progres- www.elderslie.org

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 19 All aspects of woodland management and design Woodland creation, establishment and maintenance Timber harvesting and marketing Arboricultural surveys and assessments

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20 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK CONFOR MEMBERS NEWS

New Confor position on plant health and Brexit

In response to widespread concern from our members, Confor has produced a new briefing on plant health, in the context of our exit from the EU. The briefing covers the risk posed James Jones invests £7m in new I-Joist line by the imports of live plant material and firewood, and pro- As part of a continuing investment pro- “The new line will be one of the most ad- poses a policy framework gramme at its JJI-Joist plant in Forres, vanced in the market place and will allow to mitigate these risks. James Jones & Sons Ltd announced in Jan- us to offer customers specification flexibil- The briefing has been uary that a contract had been placed with ity and product innovation. published on our website, US-based Globe Machine Manufacturing “We anticipate that we will see JJI-Joists a news release has been Co. to supply and install a new high-speed, coming off the new line in Q4 2018” sent out widely and it has automated I-Joist assembly line. The total Tom Bruce-Jones, Joint MD of James been sent to relevant con- project investment will be almost £7m. The Jones & Sons, put the investment in the tacts in the public sector. new investment follows on from the £4.5m context of the overall James Jones busi- Please make use of it, for exam- project to install the new finger-jointing ness, saying: “We will continue to invest in ple sending it to your MP or promoting it line at the Forres site in 2015 our business where we see market growth on social media, to spread awareness of Speaking about the investment, Angus and opportunities, whether it’s in sawn tim- how threats to plant health can be effec- Macfarlane, General Manager of James ber, engineered timber or our pallet and tively tackled. Jones & Sons’ Timber Systems Division packaging operations. In the next five years Picture: green spruce aphid (FC) commented: “The UK housing market is we have committed to a capital expendi- set for a sustained period of growth and, ture programme of £50m across the com- as the UK market leader for timber I-Joists, pany to make sure that we continue our UKWAS update it’s important that we are able to meet the drive to be the most efficient producer of demands of the market and ensure that we the highest quality timber products in the After a review and revision period lasting remain at the forefront of engineered tim- UK.” three years, UKWAS 4 has overcome a ma- ber manufacturing in the UK. www.jamesjones.co.uk jor hurdle and just before Christmas was fully approved by FSC International, with New directors for Maelor no further changes required to the standard. UKWAS 4 has now been passed to Forest Nurseries PEFC International for their endorsement. Originally from a farming background, Mark PEFC consultants have already reviewed O’ Neill (left) – operations director – spent the standard, and UKWAS4 will now be for- 20 years in large scale cropping and project warded to the PEFC membership for a vote. management in the UK, Eastern Europe, the If everything goes to plan, it is hoped that Middle East and North Africa. Richard Par- UKWAS 4 will have full approval later in the sons (centre) – commercial director – gradu- Imam Sayyed (right) – production direc- spring. The final stage of the process will be ated in Business Studies and worked in ad- tor – graduated with a BSc in Forestry from for FSC and PEFC to agree an effective date, vertising and recruitment, before retaining Dapoli, India and then worked as a Forestry which is normally three months after the ap- in forestry, and gaining an MSc in Environ- Research Officer/Forest Manager at Suryo- proval date. A great deal of thanks is owed mental Forestry from Bangor. Before joining dhaya Foundation, India. He completed an to the UKWAS Steering Group, for all their Maelor in 2014, Richard was Head of Plant MSc in Environmental Forestry from Bangor patience and understanding throughout the & Seed Supply at the Forestry Commission. and went on to join Maelor in 2008 very lengthy review and approval process.

NEW MEMBERS UPCOMING EVENTS IN SCOTLAND Agri Forest Ltd Peebleshire Regional meetings Scotland Timber Transport Miss Karen Batten Gwynedd North East: Deeside, 07 March Conference South: Lockerbie, 15 March Inverness, 23 March Miss Sarah Ellis Gwynedd Mid: Blantyre, 22 March Online booking Mr Benjamin Allen Gwynedd Woodland Creation Essential workshops now open Mr Christopher Thompson South East London Lanark: 01 March Dumfries: 08 March Sponsored by Volvo Mr Ormungandr Melchizedek Perthshire Inverness: 13 March Perth: 15 March Pentiddy Woods Cornwall Aberdeen: 20 March

Sidbury Manor Estate Devon All details at www.confor.org.uk/resources/events

FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 21 FOREST MANAGEMENT Small and pretty meets big and strong

Do forest stereotypes still exist? How do they affect the way we manage forests? Should we blur the boundaries between established forest types? Broadleaved = recreation + traditional craft + conservation Conifer = large + monotonous + mass production + income source Do and should forest managers alter these equations? We asked our members.

Design to facilitate meaningful thinning

ventions are essential both in terms of nur- James Brown turing the crop and improving conditions New Woods Forestry Ltd, for the end harvest. The habit of retaining East Anglia mature timber for amenity reasons renders Small, broadleaved forestry plantations non commercial. need not be just for amenity. I have finished a Forest Management BSc My current employer has a large portfo- “ Surely the difference between and am now working with “small-scale, lio of broadleaved and mixed woodlands, broadleaved amenity forestry”. I already in East Anglia. We are able to manage ‘small-scale broadleaved witness forest management companies this client base geographically, holistically forestry’ and ‘large-scale designing small, productive broadleaved and profitably across multiple ownerships. softwood production forests’ is woodland. We are all aware of the right Many small broadleaved woodlands can the very different sites that each tree and right place ethos. Perhaps more become one productive forest, just geo- is suitable for. It is not merely a focus is needed on the specific design and graphically spread. They have to be man- species mixtures. The design needs to fa- aged to which ever silvicultural system that matter of objectives but rather cilitate future thinning that is economic best suits and in response to market forces. of site limitations and suitability. and avoids the premature removal of sec- My time at university gave me a good Esmond Harris ondary species. Clump planting of varying grounding in forestry in the UK. However, yield classes should therefore be avoided there was a focus on upland Sitka growing Woodland owner, Suffolk and new planting or replanting has to be and from my experience I would suggest frequently monitored. that there is a lack of broadleaved manage- For ‘small amenity’ woodlands to be- ment being taught to current forest man- come ‘commercial’, timely thinning inter- agement students.

22 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK Broadleaved forests redesigned for market-orientated harvesting

Malcolm Carrington MSC - Natural Building Materials

The quicker we get back to commercial forestry and coppicing the better. Commer- cial activity brings a discipline that casual, amenity, recreational woodlands lack. Get rid of the subsidies and let the produce de- termine the market and the market deter- mine the produce. Am I mad? It’s an equa- tion, a balance, and over the last 50 years Making a living from small woodlands we have lost that balance. The difference being made up with grants, subsidies, spe- think about who will work in these woods, cial status, etc. Toby Allen where will they live and how will they earn After a diverse career in forestry, I built Sat It With Wood a sustainable wage? The emergence of the a new business repairing and restoring green wood crafts culture could be an ex- historic buildings, but using many of Over the last couple of years I have invest- citing opportunity, people can mix high my earlier skills which became appar- ed considerable time researching ways to value craft items with firewood sales. Like- ent when repairing with wattle and bring more small woodland into manage- wise working in a small woodland is an ideal daub and timber framing. I have now ment, and I’ve spoken to people up and training ground for a start-up business or developed a new building block, to- down the country to hear their opinions. someone wanting to gain experience. But tally sustainable, low carbon, for fast Looking from my window there are lots of the conditions need to be right for them build called BETTABLOK and have a small woodlands, few are managed, and to to be able to afford to continue managing UK patent. me this is a wasted resource. Historically, the woodlands, doing it for the love of it To make BETTABLOK work I need woodland provided for society in different eventually gives way to the practicalities of various timber components. These ways, and as we have changed the way we earning a decent wage. we will produce ourselves but there use and procure wood, the motivation for We like to think of the multiple benefits is a feedback down the line. I need harvesting timber from these woods has of British forestry, and a woodland can have sustainable British produced timber ceased. The main product coming from multiple uses too. Between management and coppice products. To do this prop- these woods will be firewood, and as we all interventions it can be used for many differ- erly, woodlands (broadleaved) need to know the cost of housing in the countryside ent things; a venue for courses or activities, be redesigned so that harvesting can be is higher than someone can earn cutting a glamping enterprise or off-road cycling, carried out without driving over-dressed low value timber. a loading bay can even be rented out as a stumps. This would allow the crops to be The time has come for an honest conver- yard to a local business, and in some cases grown closer, straighter with a denser vol- sation about what we do with these parcels provide a housing solution for local work- ume. The regular coppicing would enhance of woodland, and how they can once again ers. Can innovative thinking make owning a the flora and fauna and bring vigour to our provide for society. It’s also time to have a small woodland financially productive? woodlands. We can produce new strains and develop new techniques because the future is based on sustainability, breathabil- ity and viability. Forestry, woodlands, coppice and now Productive management compatible breathable buildings is my life’s passion. I hope others agree and put our woodlands with natural capital back in their proper perspective, at the heart of our communities, being relevant, qualities are dependent on a continua- healthy and exciting. Graeme McVittie tion of this intervention. And yet there FICFor developed a belief that non-interven- Senior Conservation tion and a reliance on natural process- Officer – Woodlands, es alone would deliver these outcomes. There are certainly some features which Exmoor National Park Authority will benefit from non-intervention re- Most of the 600 ha woodlands managed gimes but there is now clear evidence to by Exmoor National Park Authority on show how managed woods strengthen and around Exmoor owe their very ex- natural and cultural capital better than istence to centuries of productive man- unmanaged woods. agement and in most cases their special See Exmoor case study, p30 >>

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24 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK FOREST MANAGEMENT

>> Semi-natural woodlands can be more productive

Dr. Peter Perry West Cornwall

Many large commercial forests have been managed in recent years to better embrace other functions and continuous cover systems are increasingly popular. It’s also worth remembering that large scale ‘commercial’, conifer or broadleaved, doesn’t necessarily mean visually unattractive – it’s partly a matter of perception. Depending on landscape scale, there are surely limits to how far this blurring can go: If you need to harvest Xm3/ha or Xm3 in total to make a commercial woodland op- Commission Forestry eration viable then it’s very difficult to get Along with the realisation that many of of uniform produce long distances. around this. Conversely, if wildlife conser- our existing semi-natural woodlands are In terms of the future we surely still have vation, visual aesthetics and education are unmanaged has come an increasing appre- a lot to learn especially in the areas of con- your main objectives then the introduction ciation that, although often relatively small, tinuity of forestry policy, woodland scale, of a commercial imperative may well be they can contain individual/pockets high and continued attention to genetics, par- counter-productive and undesirable. value trees. Buoyant woodchip and fire log ticularly in the hardwood sector. Surely in these circumstances the best demands continue to provide useful mar- Whilst a range of tree/woodland benefits way forward is to proceed ‘on all fronts’, ad- kets, greatly improving the economics of can be certainly be gained from small plant- mitting that many different types and com- necessary thinning operations. In addition, ings as we know, it takes scale - large wood- binations of forestry can contribute validly in the many recent refinements/additions to lands – to properly achieve the volumes and what we in the sector know (and the general techniques/equipment for harvesting, ex- timber quality necessary for the commercial public perhaps does not realise) is still a na- traction and small-scale processing allow function. It also, of course, requires continu- tional ‘recovery’ situation, the UK remaining value-adding closer to the woodland, re- ity of forestry policy and determination to one of Europe’s least forested nations. ducing the need to transport large volumes achieve an agreed national plan.

Time for a new approach in Wales

longer than the usual 50 years or so is un- Adrian Farey economic and maximising profit is after all Director, Elwy Working Woods the subtitle of the modern forestry bible; but fortunately for us in Wales, we have It must be 20 years since we cut into our other things to consider. hillside, overlooking the river Elwy, to cre- We think it’s time not only for a new ap- ate space for our sawmill and all the neces- proach but to bring the spotlight to play on sary sheds and workshops that go with it. the softwood industry. It is assumed with- There is a strong economic argument for a out question that because there is a big different, more traditional type of forestry demand for cheap timber then we must and timber industry. supply. However, if we look at agriculture We need a reliable supply of well grown for example, it is generally acknowledged properly thinned and brashed larch, Doug- that the scramble to produce cheap food las fir, Western red cedar, oak, ash and has proved disastrous for the rural econo- Sweet chestnut to name the more obvi- my and catastrophic for the environment. ous species. These could, if appropriate, I’m not saying that softwood forestry has natural qualities of the timber. be either mixed or in small compartments plumbed the same depths but it is follow- Sitka spruce, for example, is a poor per- in the same plantation. We feel that with ing the same path. former in comparison with almost all other ever increasing threat from disease, the It is the case as far as home grown tim- softwoods grown in the UK, in things like mixed woodland provides more resilience ber is concerned, that yield, ease of pro- shear strength, bending strength, com- and crucially though often set aside as ir- cessing, and ability to absorb preservative pressive strength, stiffness and durability, relevant, a woodland that all can enjoy for a treatment are the over-riding criteria when yet somehow, a dip in that magic potion multitude of reasons. it comes to deciding which timbers are Tanalith E makes it suitable for just about It is argued that growing timber for made available for general use and not the anything. >>

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 25 FOREST MANAGEMENT

>> A broad range of forest types Garden at heart which are of sufficient size to facilitate Peter Donnelly 21st-century management procedures. of the forest Retired Forester NDFr, Some of these can be also in locations former APF chairman, Exmoor where access, particularly road access is extremely difficult and costly. Donald McPhillimy Forest/woodland management covers This broad range of forests and Woodland manager so many variations that a classifica- woodlands, coupled with the diver- (community, farm and tion into “broadleaved, amenity versus sity of management objectives does urban woodlands) commercial conifer” is too simplistic. present enormous problems. Even the There would appear, to me to be: various interpretations of ‘conservation’ The Finnish example: • ‘Sporting’ woodlands, where man- will affect any management proposals • Three species dominate - Scots pine, Norway agement facilitates (frequently large- for adjoining, or adjacent, small wood- spruce and silver birch scale commercial) game shooting. lands, whilst the concept of ‘traditional’ • All native woodland • Amenity woodlands, frequently in as employed by many conservation • Soils and climate poorer than Scotland public ownership; where management bodies, as well as many of the small facilitates community recreational use. woodland owners, is yet another peb- • High biodiversity • ‘Conservation’ woodlands, fre- ble in the pool! • Room for hunting, recreation, summer houses quently managed by charitable bodies; and saunas where the management objective is to • Multi billion pound forest industry. perpetuate their perception of ‘conservation’, or ‘traditional’ management A place for both methods. Where’s the • Small woodlands, mainly, but not Peter Topham necessarily broadleaved, occupied by Savills common ground? recreational or hobby owners, where a financial return is of less importance I don’t see why there should be a di- than the pleasure of owning woodland chotomy, there is a place for both. The Simon MacGillivray NDF MICFor and/or practising ‘conservation’ or ‘tra- biggest challenge is getting trees in Chartered Forester, Glasgow ditional management’. the ground and increasing forest area. • Neglected broadleaved wood- High land prices and the threats from Where can we find areas of compatibility lands, where the owner either cannot grey squirrels are the issues I face in between both camps? afford to, or does not wish to, carry out the south West of England. I cannot In central Scotland one estate is planting management. see either of those getting any better circa 8.00ha with broadleaves, primarily oak • Neglected coniferous plantations, in the near future. The UKFS works for and sycamore. I’m sure visions of tubes and probably P50/70; frequently on sites both and any Forest Management Unit maximum spacing are flashing before many and in locations which are now uneco- should be aiming to achieve a selec- people, but the stocking density is nomic to manage using 21st-century tion of woodlands which are both semi 4444/ha and the estate has a long history of techniques and machinery. natural and productive, amenity and growing quality oak so this is a commercial, • Managed estate woodlands, usually commercial. These then provide the small broadleaved woodland! mixed species; where economic man- many multiple benefits of woodlands I am aware of two large new planting agement procedures can be followed. on economic, environmental and so- projects being developed in Scotland and • Commercial coniferous plantations, cial grounds. nearing approval. One has over 500ha net planted area of which approximately 80% is commercial conifer Protect productive feedstock base and 20% native. The other has over 300ha net by doing the bare minimum and sell- planted area of which 55% is commercial conifer Len Yull FICfor ing a property into an overheated and and 45% native. Both of these also comprise Retired forester and former often uninformed market), mitigating large areas of designed open ground. tax liabilities, or developing forests I think the old distinction between native and As a grumpy octogenarian, I am tired which each satisfy the requirements of productive is out-dated. The two are very much of colleagues who are constantly every individual, which is impossible. integrated in modern planting projects. apologising for the plantations we de- The constraints on forest planners There are three basic fundamentals of veloped in the 60/70/80s, on the pro- and managers have reached a stage whatever you plant, good silviculture, good duction from which the current timber akin to requiring a high tech facility access and good management, size really does processing industry depends. In those such as NASA to devote 30% of its ef- not matter. days we were penalised for having too fort to basket weaving! much open space, and were required In my view, a significant degree of to adhere closely to well defined ‘Ob- specialisation is not only possible, but jects of Management’. essential if we are to counter the cur- Today, Objects of Management ap- rent serious erosion of the productive pear to be maximising return on capi- feedstock base being caused by well tal employed (which can be achieved meaning but ill-considered policies.

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28 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK FOREST MANAGEMENT

Fur, feather, fin and forestry

Ralph Peters, Head of managing a large herd of fallow deer to meet sport- Estate Management ing expectations but also controlling them to reduce and Professional, damage to young plantations. Undoubtedly some Bidwells, on the future issues between the two enterprises can be resolved through better communication but this is not always of woodland and game the case without careful and thoughtful manage- management ment. Forestry is not something to turn on and off at a whim so prior planning is always needed. On t is a fact of life that on many mixed rural estates an estate its impact needs to be considered on the in Scotland sporting and forestry enterprises of- whole, not just the woodland area being worked on. Iten experience somewhat strained relations. A serious issue at present for all rural properties Whether the sporting be for deer or winged in Scotland is the reintroduction of Shooting Rates game and the forestry productive or amenity, my by the Scottish Government. Apart from the much- own experiences over the last (nearly) 20 years in publicised errors made in calculating rateable val- estate management have shown it can be difficult to ues, a major bone of contention has arisen as a re- As it becomes reconcile the two. There are many well-known sport- sult of the allocation of standard forestry level rates ing estates delivering exciting stalking and shooting at £5 per hectare whether major productive forestry increasingly“ but where trees are utilised and managed purely for (with little if any sporting value) or amenity/sporting difficult to sport they are seldom, if ever, commercial in nature woodland. For a commercial forestry investor, sport- generate any profit and tend to be managed at cost. Equally, truly coming is often of zero interest. Given the theoretical from sportings, mercial forestry offers little or nothing in the way choice of having or not having deer, the pure invest- estate owners of sporting value and in fact sporting interests may ment decision would clearly be to have none. On a be seen as detrimental to the management of the sporting estate, this is not the case as deer popu- need their other timber. It is hard to make money from sporting en- lations are managed and seen as a sporting asset enterprises such as terprises and this is not becoming any easier with to possibly compliment winged game shooting. In forestry to produce such things as the reintroduction of Shooting Rates. such cases, deer stalking is an important estate en- good levels of Good-quality, well managed production forests on terprise. Mixed estates are more complicated, but income. the other hand can provide sound long-term invest- essentially deer in forestry and grazing on agricul- ment. tural crops are a nuisance - but they may still be a However, ‘sporting’ activities on Scottish estates sporting asset. A mixed estate might have several are a traditional and necessary part of the rural fab- large productive forestry plantations, created as an ric, whether this be for deer management, rural em- investment with no sporting value as well as a series ployment or conservation - often all three. Shoot- of smaller, possibly mixed species or native, woods ing plays a major part in the rural economy and planted for amenity and sporting purposes. These >> frequently helps justify the significant investment made by owners in conservation management. It is at the core of many estates and the knock-on environmental benefits to the property itself and beyond help justify the effort (and expense). However, as it becomes increasingly difficult to generate any profit from sportings so estate owners need their other enterprises such as forestry to produce good levels of income. To do this, productive forests must be properly managed and this is often seen as being to the detriment of the sportings. Clashes between the two are regular occurrenc- es. In recent weeks, I have heard and dealt with three issues. I have been told the story of replanting by an estate forestry department taking place adjacent to a pheasant drive thus disturbing the birds and making the drive unviable on that occasion. A stalking tenant is concerned on another property because recent clear-felling has drastically altered the roe stalking he rents. Thirdly, a gamekeeper needs to plan for a future adjustment to the pheasant shoot under his control but is struggling to do so because of the constraints on changes to forestry that can be made as a result of the estate’s Long-Term For- est Plan. This same keeper has the difficult task of

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 29 FOREST MANAGEMENT

A mixed estate might have several “large productive forestry plantations, created as an investment with no sporting value as well as a series of smallerwoods planted for amenity and sporting purposes.

>> smaller areas can have high sporting but low timber values. We would argue that it is wrong to charge sporting rates on the obviously commercial plantations and by doing so investment in commercial forestry, which plays such a significant part in the Scot- tish rural economy, is likely to suffer. For sporting rates to be applied across all forestry based on all woodland having the same sporting value is clearly wrong and Bidwells is actively working with the forestry industry in Scotland, including ConFor, to seek a review of this. Forest management and The above does not paint a very optimistic picture for sporting and forestry enterprises working well together but, on an estate level when there is diversification at Exmoor good communication and a bit of give and take on by Graeme McVittie FICFor, Senior Conservation both sides, it is certainly possible to have both valu- Officer – Woodlands, Exmoor National Park Authority able timber and viable sporting enterprises. It also occurs to me that the sporting industry could learn Exmoor National Park Authority own Open Access and served with a good something from forestry. and manage 600ha of woodland on network of paths, tracks and rides. It is difficult to look into current rural affairs Exmoor. We are now firmly of the Moor Wood is a long established without encountering articles on the intense pres- view that to sustainably deliver our plantation having formed part of the sure sporting and, in particular, driven grouse es- increasingly complex conservation, estate of Dunster Castle. Existing tates find themselves under at present. Never have access, landscape, natural capital, stands of Douglas fir, Sitka spruce sporting management practices been under such water management etc objectives and Scots pine date from the earlier scrutiny. Undoubtedly grouse shooting plays an im- we must generate and strengthen phases of planting. Some areas were portant part in tourism, income, employment and income streams from timber sales. felled during WW2 for military train- residency in remote areas as well as conservation. ENPA Members have recently ap- ing and timber and not replanted There is, however, a real risk that the industry may proved a Timber Income Strategy until the 1950s. Stands were dam- be perceived in a similar way to the single-minded and we see no contradiction in pur- aged by storms in the early 1990s pursuit of largely monoculture investment commer- suing National Park Purposes and and replanted with broadleaves and cial forestry which was encouraged 30+ years ago. enhancing the special qualities of conifer including larch. By 2010 there The forestry industry recognised this issue and ac- Exmoor’s woodlands through ac- are at least thee distinct phases of cepted it as a problem, resulting in the setting up tive intervention and sustainable plantation. In 2010 stands of p50 and of the UK Forest Standards – putting in place rules wood production. We direct several p90 larch were felled as a preventa- under which forests must be managed to encourage hundred metres of firewood into lo- tive measure against Phytophthora diversity of woodland types. cal markets each year, have recently ramorum. Sporting estates are waking up to this issue and sold a significant volume of quality This pre-emptive larch removal excellent initiatives like Wildlife Estates Scotland and oak to a local timber framing com- released further areas for restock- the good work of the Association of Deer Manage- pany and use our own softwood and ing with coast redwood and west- ment Groups are beginning to address the matter, hardwood for gates, bridges, way- ern red cedar and opened up stands but more still needs to be done by the shooting in- marking and fencing. which begun to regenerate naturally dustry to self-regulate and improve its public image. One example where we demon- with a range of conifer and broad- If not addressed, it may not be long before licensing strate combining access, landscape, leaf species. The result is a diverse of grouse moors will be put in place by the Scottish conservation and timber production mix of broadleaf and conifer with a Government (this is being examined by a govern- is Moor Wood on North Hill above wide age range spanning almost 150 ment-appointed independent group at present and Minehead. Moor Wood at 16ha forms years. In 2016 we formally adopted The National Council of the SNP voted late last year a visible backdrop to Minehead and a CCF plan and intend to supply all to bring in the licensing of grouse moors as policy) one of the few sites that might be ENPA in-house requirements from with, we suspect, inevitable trickle down to all sport- classed as ‘urban fringe’. It is highly this and other woods on North Hill. ing enterprises following thereafter. valued locally and well used being www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk www.bidwells.co.uk

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CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 31 FOREST MANAGEMENT

A guide to pruning broadleaves

Woodland Consultant Eamonn Wall has been planting and pruning broadleaved trees for over 25 years. Here he summarises his advice on how best to prune.

1 Why prune? 2 Be aware of dead From a forestry point of view, the aim of branches growing trees is usually to produce timber It is important to remove the side as the primary objective. When growing branches when they are still alive as this broadleaved trees the aim is usually to allows the tree to cover over the pruning maximise the quality of the timber being wound with bark as soon as possible grown by producing a straight bole whilst minimising the impact of the without any branches and with minimum branch knot in the timber of the tree. If 6m length. Branches create knots, the branches being pruned are dead then therefore reduce the quality of the timber. the knot within the timber will also be A woodland containing pruned trees dead and may downgrade the value of looks so much better and inspiring the timber. It will also compromise the compared to an unpruned wood. It tree’s ability to bark over (or occlude) the keeps woods open and makes them pruning wound. more enticing for visitors. However, 4 Methods and tools when creating tree belts to hide industrial buildings we refrain from pruning as It is certainly easier and quicker to the greater concentration of branches prune off smaller branches than larger enhances the screening benefits of the ones. Smaller pruning wounds also heal wood in this specific situation. much quicker, reducing the possibility of decay or entry of unwanted tree pests or diseases. So it is best to start early. Early, ie formative pruning, is best 3 When to prune? carried out using loppers, which is a fast and easy way to single leading shoots We start pruning in year three or four and and remove small side branches. However, then again in years five or six, and seven if the pruning has been delayed, some and eight. It really depends on how well branches may be too large for the loppers the trees are growing and the species that and a small pruning saw can be used on has been planted. Over time the amount the odd occasion as required. A small of pruning required by the crop reduces. foldable pruning saw is ideal for this work. It is generally considered that, apart There are many variations of loppers from just before coming into leaf and just available, some with telescopic arms. before leaf fall, trees can be pruned all Weight is important if you are going to year round. Cherry should only be pruned be pruning for several hours. There are in July to reduce risk of infection from two types of blades: ‘side by side’ where silver leaf disease. one blade passes by the other, and the Winter is usually considered the best type we prefer, the ‘anvil’ where one time to prune as the trees are leafless blade meets the other. The advantage of and it is easier to spot which branches the anvil arrangement is that you do not need removal. Additionally, the ground get carried away trying to cut through vegetation is down so it is easier to move branches too large which easily happens about the wood, and winter is often a with side by side blades causing the generally nicer time in the woods with few blades to get stuck or bent by a branch. insects to annoy you. As the trees become larger, the branches to be removed obviously get larger too and a point comes when the lopper is being used less and the pruning saw more. When this happens it is best to Above right, oak in need of formative switch to a larger pruning saw which has a pruning and, below, It is important to larger pruning blade (eg 350mm) than the cut the tube so that you can prune the folding saw (eg 150mm). A longer blade branch off near the main stem.

32 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK 6 Pruning intensity

When trees in a woodland are very young, it is hard to know which ones will make it to the final crop. So in order to provide the best crop from which to promote the best ones to grow on, it is important to carry out formative pruning of all the timber trees. Though not all trees will require formative pruning all trees will require side branch pruning, and once this carries on up the tree as high pruning you are starting to invest a lot of time. For this reason we then restrict high pruning to the better trees. We also find that before high pruning creates a 6m branch free bole, thinning has taken place thus removing the poorer stems whilst promoting the better ones. Sometimes good stems will be thinned out to give space to promote other good stems. This of course reduces the number of trees requiring pruning. A well growing mixed broadleaved woodland could well be thinned three times and pruned four or is much quicker to use and can be kept in 5 What species to five times by age 20. a sheath or protective pouch attached to prune? High pruning is usually carried out in your waist belt. lifts, perhaps removing 1m to 2m of side As the pruning proceeds the branches In a mixed stand of trees we usually prune branches from the bole in one go or lift. to be pruned are higher up the tree and a the oak, beech, cherry, sycamore and high or long handled pruner will then be (until recently) the ash. Birch is almost self required, perhaps one with an extendable pruning, as its side branches die off very handle. Pruning with loppers and hand quickly. Alder can be pruned but take a lot saws will reach about 2.5m up the tree, of work to do so. Lime has a more heavily whilst a high pruner will add another 2.5m. branching habit and require much pruning For all pruning it is important to cut the to keep them growing as a single bole. branch off as close as you can get to the Ash dieback is a sad affair and it now bole of the tree without cutting through seems pointless to put effort into pruning the ridge or raised bark that often exists at them if they are going to die. It is such the joint of the branch and the main bole a shame as ash were always one of the of the tree. This is known as the branch faster and straighter growing trees in a bark ridge and is more obvious in some mixed stand, and also one of the easiest to species than others. It is also important prune too. They usually required just one not to leave branch stubs (or small lengths or two prunes to single out twin leaders, of branch) which will decay back into the where the central bud had been damaged main bole downgrading the quality of the or broken causing the two side buds to timber. By pruning close to the main bole form into two leading shoots. We rarely it allows the tree to bark over (occlude) prune rowan or willow. the pruning wound as soon as possible. Pruning of conifers is not so common, Pruning too many branches in one go is apart from the singling of double leaders. also not a good idea as it reduces the leaf cover, slowing the tree’s growth. My top tip for formative pruning is to always look up into the crown as the best thing you can do for a tree is to single twin leading shoots. It is easy for the pruner to remove side branches and forget to look up!

Above left: Pruning saws; the foldable one is handy when using loppers in the early years. Above: Using loppers with Above right, an oak in need of pruning anvil blades and, below, successfully pruned FUTURE OF FORESTRY

The resilience of the 1,000,000 800,000 o.b. standing o.b. Welsh forest industry 3 600,000 FELLING

Robert South tepping back from my day job as a forest 400,000 looks at the future manager based in Wales, with specific responsibilities for harvesting and marketing, of an industry S 200,000 which is to become there is no doubt that the industry is important to m annual volume Average THINNING Wales. It offers an annual value of £528m to our his professional economy (Woodland for Wales Indicators), mainly in 0 home for decades rural areas, 11,000 people in employment and gener- 2015-2016 2017-2021 2027-2031 2037-2041 2047-2051 2057-2061 to come ates 1.4m tonnes of softwood timber per annum, of 2022-2026 2032-2036 2042-2046 2052-2056 which only 52% is from the public estate with the Average annual timber availability for all conifers – thinning and felling Source: Natural Resources Wales remaining 48% from the private sector.

Resilience in the context of change ernments and regulators seem to love, it is over- Addressing resilience is a key priority in our industry, looked in the context of a large plantation, with the Described best as a system’s ability to persist and concept being bent to favour poorer species selec- maintain function during a period of change. Yet tion offering little in the way of a resilient industry government seem less willing to consider and ad- for the future. dress the resilience of the industry itself. What are The ecosystem services provided by large spruce these changes in our system? To name but a few: plantations is larger than most give them credit for, • Changes in the political landscape. such as: • Changes in the rural funding structure, • Provisioning services, including offering a following Brexit. usable product with no waste, energy • The impact of increased regulation. production, employment and financial security. • Climate change affecting species selection, • Regulating services, including carbon and growth rates. sequestration, embedding carbon, nutrient • The risk of a pest or disease affecting cycling, air purification, noise reduction and timber stock. water management. • Changes in local, national and global product • Cultural and supporting services, such as demand. biogeochemical processes essential to life and high biodiversity value around forest edges and Industry threat #1: Timber availability open rides; I think we can all agree that Coed Y As it stands today, we have a little under 30 years – Brenin and Llandegla are beautiful places. one rotation of improved stock spruce - to address this issue; can we solve the puzzle? Well yes. In addition, the UK has not seen any significant We know from experience the effects of policy planting since the post war mass planting, and change, such as the Broadleaf Policy in 1985, or the lack of education of the public leads to them being removal of tax concessions in 1989. These have been scared of change and as a result objecting. As an in- a key driver in the demise of commercial planting, as dustry the marketing of what we do is terrible, if we is why we find ourselves looking at a bleak future. want to achieve something great we need to shout Our ability to influence change within our industry is about it and educate the masses. If we want to limited and dependant on the change we are deal- Let us be the generation that changes the atti- achieve something ing with, changes in product demand is reacted to tudes of the masses and builds a resilient economy “ rather than influenced. Climate change, pests and without subsidy, drives for lower carbon, cleaner air, great we need to shout about it diseases are a global issue that requires global inter- better policies, skilled jobs and a brighter future. vention to solve. At local and governmental level, we and educate the can influence how money is spent and how regula- Robert South, an Msc Forestry student at Forester masses tions are approved and enforced. and Bangor University DL, is a recipient of the Confor Education and Provident Fund. Ecosystem services As part of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act 2016, looking to our future is what we are all sup- CONFOR EDUCATION & PROVIDENT FUND posed to be doing. As planting in Wales currently The Education Fund makes awards to stands, we are miles behind our target, with every applicants for technical and professional planting scheme becoming a challenge to get ap- courses as well as educational trips and proved. And the regulator expecting foresters to activities. For details and to apply see address every concern raised, from any stakeholder, www.confor.org.uk/resources/ however spurious it may be. Yet in the fashionable education-provident-fund term of the day, Ecosystem Services which the gov-

34 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK www.marshalllogging.co.uk

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • June 2017 35 MACHINERY

mall diameter round wood is currently in very high demand and one of the reasons for this is the increase in popularity of do- Smestic and commercial biomass boilers that are used for heating and generating electricity. The small round wood market had seen a severe down- turn in the 1990s and early 2000s with the paper and chipboard industries using increasingly more recycled products. This is great news for the forest industry as thinning, when undertaken properly, mimics the natural selection process that would occur naturally and helps to maintain healthy, resilient forests that are able to lock up carbon from the atmosphere and store it as woody biomass Forest owners and management companies are now able to undertake profitable thinning operations, creating a regular income and vastly increasing the capital value of the final crop. The harvesting of the timber is relatively straight- forward with smaller scale harvesters but greater thought needs to be taken on the equipment for In the first of a the removal of the processed wood from the forest regular series, to roadside. A wheeled or tracked smaller scale low impact forwarder type extraction vehicle is ideal for Rab Easton looks thinning operation; this is a cost effective extraction at moving timber method with a light footprint causing minimal dam- from forest to age to the soil structures and remaining crop. There roadside is a good selection of smaller scale forwarders avail- LOW IMPACT FORWARDERS

able to cope with most conditions but it is worth ground. The farma crane had the extending dipper factoring in the type of sites that you will be mainly boom with 4.2m reach (3.8 with fixed dipper boom) working before deciding on a particular type of ma- and could lift 350kg at full reach. The crane mounted chine; ground conditions (eg flat, steep, rocky), soil winch was handy for accessing out of reach timber. conditions (eg wet, peaty, dry, depth of ploughing), The ROPS, FOPS and OPS cabin was well designed, extraction distances and crop spacing. quiet, and much roomier than expected and had great all round vision Purpose-built Mini 8WD Forwarders These machines are usually around 20hp with The smallest of this type of machine is the eight three-cylinder engines and average around 5 tonne -wheel-drive mini forwarders ranging from 2.5–3 fully loaded. They can be fitted with band tracks to tonne payload. There are a few types of this size ma- further reduce ground pressure and are capable of chine available; the Alstor 833/840 and Kinetic 8x8 speeds up to 25km/hr. Fuel consumption of 2-3m3/ are two of them. I have had the opportunity to spend ltr can be expected and in reasonable conditions time operating the Alstor 833. 2-300m3 per week is achievable. Although only a small machine with a payload of This sized equipment is ideally suited for smaller 2.5 tonnes, this size of machine is extremely versatile sized first and silvicultural thinning (3.7 logs, 3m and useful with an overall width of 1.49m. I was load- chip/bio, pallet wood and fencing are the optimum ing 3.7m logs and 3m chipwood on a wet mature sizes, longer length logs would be detrimental to stand of Norway Spruce with some windblown trees the life of the machine), footpath clearances, smaller throughout. It was able to manoeuvre around the ex- windblown tree clearances, use on parks, golf cours- isting crop with ease without leaving a mark on the es and other sensitive sites, railway line clearance

36 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK Above: Alstor 833 and areas with limited access. Although they have Left: Vimek 610SE great climbing ability, deep ploughing and obstacle Below: Malwa 560F laden ground can cause some problems due to the lower ground clearance. They are easily moved between sites and can be transported on a trailer behind a large or 4WD vehicle; they are relatively inexpensive to run and maintain with a price tag that won’t break the bank.

6WD Midi Forwarders There is again a good selection of models by different machine manufacturers; the ones that I have seen and tried out are the Vimek 610SE and Malwa 560F. The Vimek 610SE is a 5 tonne capacity forwarder that weighs 4.7 tonne when empty. It has a 68hp engine with a choice of Mowi 5.2m or 6.5m reach cranes with 400kg lift at full reach. The rear wheels can be engaged or disengaged and are driven by a cage roll- er drive hydraulically operated between the wheels. It is available in either 1.9 or 2.0m widths which makes it very manoeuvrable in tightly spaced crops and has 400mm ground clearance. It is restricted to 22km/hr so as to comply with Swedish law. The Malwa 560F has a slightly larger capacity of 5.5 tonnes and can be used in conjunction with a purpose built trailer which increases the load to 9 tonnes, ideal for poor access blocks that have to be extracted through fields for timber truck ac- >>

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 37 MACHINERY

>> cess. There is a choice of Cranab cranes with 6.1 or 8m reach and ground clearance is 400mm with an overall width of 1.95. The Malwa has a 75hp three- cylinder engine and can achieve speeds of 20km/hr. Again, rear drive can be engaged or disengaged and it is directly driven through bogies and hubs.

8WD Midi Forwarders I have again had dealings with two types of these, Entracon EF45 and Novotny LVS511, but there are many more makes and models available. The eight- This size machines are capable of working in all Novotny LVS511 wheel drive models have the benefit of slightly more types of thinning and smaller clearfells and are capa- ground clearance due to a higher front differen- ble of handling and carrying 4.9m logs. All models I tial. It is a much smoother ride for the operator on have seen have good all round vision with well laid rougher terrain due to the oscillation of the front bo- out comfortable safety cabs and good access for gies which causes less driver fatigue and can result servicing and repairs in a longer working day. Band tracks can be fitted to both front and rear wheels which can greatly de- Tracked Midi Forwarders crease ground pressure on soft and sensitive sites. I have only seen this type of equipment being dem- The Entracon has four hydraulic motors for driv- onstrated at forestry fairs and as it is specialised ing the wheels at speeds up to 22km/hr, a 5.5 tonne there is not as much choice. capacity, a width of 1.8m and are fitted with a choice One of these is the Swiss Tracked Forwarder, a of cranes giving a reach up to 6.5m. cleverly engineered machine with triple acting rear The Novotny is driven through the bogie axles at bogie tracks and double acting front bogie tracks speeds of up to 18km/hr, 5 tonne capacity, 1.860m for a smoother ride over rougher forestry terrain. wide and have the options of Moheda, Mowi, Cranab It has a 75hp engine with 4.5 tonne load capacity. and Kesla loaders. Some models have the option of The ground clearance is a lot less than the others at rotating cabins. 200mm but due to the reduced weight in the tracks >>

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>> compared to the wheeled models with bogies and hubs keeping it lower improves the stability. The travelling speed of this machine is 14km/hr which is quite a reduction on longer hauling distances but for wet, boggy, peaty thinnings or clearfells these ultra low ground pressure tracked forwarders certainly are the answer. All of the above types of machines have earned their place in today’s forestry and it is down to owners and operator’s preference, budget, type and volume of work as to what fits your requirements. Most of the machines that I have seen are generally well built and fit for the purpose that they were intended. They are well designed with a lot of thought having gone in to servicing and repairs. Some manufacturers have shunned complicated Swiss Tracked Forwarder systems and have opted to fit simpler components February 2018 Issue 9 which are easier for the operators to understand and ISSN 2398-8568 are of help in keeping expensive breakdown time to Rab Easton is the editor of the bi-monthly Forest Machine Magazine. He is a second generation PUSHING a minimum. BOUNDARIES A couple of points worth mentioning is instead logger with over 40 years of hands on

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Oak logs highlight of hardwood auction

essrs Newland Rennie: 30th Annual Hard- LOT LOT wood Timber Auction at Cirencester was 5 41 Magain well attended with lots from most areas of England and the predominant species being oak, which again met a flying trade, the top price of logs breaking the auction record for the third year running. The morning started with a well-received talk given by John Weir on the Climate Change and Woodland Composition. Keith Spencer took the rostrum for the afternoon auction of some 48 lots. Bidding was solid throughout apart from firewood parcels, which made up nearly all of the 10% volume unsold. Trade on oak logs was the day’s highlight. Forest Enterprise again entered the largest number but there was an entry of LOT 11 lots from private growers and estates. 16

Standing sales Just five lots of mixed broadleaf on offer. Top price was £38.13 per m3 for a primarily Beech Stand (27 cum dbh) at Mundford, Thetford (lot 5) purchased by Mendip who also bought a similar lot at Cranwich, Thetford for a similar figure of £38.08 per 3m .

Logs By contrast, in the log section there were some 20 Firewood lots all in very strong demand. This experienced an unenthusiastic response with a The top price was £242.35 per m3 for great logs number of lots failing to sell. However, two lots of from Red Lodge, Wiltshire (lot 16) a well-known beech from Miserden Estate made £28 and £42 per wood for a fine oak. It was purchased by Pontrilas, m3 respectively. which substantially exceeded last year,s record of £233 per m3 for Salcey logs. Softwood Two lots of oak logs from Northampton achieved Seven lots of mature Douglas and European larch SAVE THE DATE £235 and £240 pcm respectively, also purchased by sold well. The standing parcels of DF in Mortimer (51 Next year’s sale is Pontrilas, and a lot from Westacre Estate, Norfolk dbh) made £52 per tonne (lot 41) and in Thetford again scheduled for made £225 per m3 purchased by Bowlby. £50 per m3. They were sold to Woodgate and Som- Thursday 29 November The overall average for oak logs was an outstand- erscale, respectively. 2018. Enquiries to ing figure of about £150 per3 m . New Forest oak Well-presented felled European Larch in Hawks- John Jenkins or Keith made £160 per m3 purchased by Soffee. moor, Staffordshire made £85 per m3, (lot 45) sold Spencer of Newland Other species were in a minority with the New to Capricorn and £80 pcm for Cannock European Rennie, 87 Monnow Street, Monmouth, Forest beech logs achieving £50 per m3 purchased Larch, also sold to the same buyer. Finally, Somer- NP25 3EW. by Soffee. Westacre Estate sweet chestnut made scale purchased Grizedale felled Douglas Fir (2.6m) 01600 712916. £75 per m3 for 2 cum lengths. for £60 per m3.

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CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 43 MARKETS

Availability of supply will be theme for 2018

created over the last 30 years is of little eco- TIMBER nomic value so maybe we are now heading AUCTIONS into a supply trough in the South. Higher MARKET prices will bring some marginal woodlands REPORT back into management but there are now Oliver Combe very few commercial woodlands which are Timber Auctions not in active management. In Wales, the north of England and south Scotland the supply situation should be Supply, supply better but how much productive capacity The steady improvement of the market have we lost to restructuring, habitat res- through the first half of 2017 really esca- toration, PAWS restoration, wind farms and lated in the last three months. Processors access restrictions? with full order books are looking to maxim- Demand is very strong across all sectors, ise throughput in their plants; for this they stocks are very low and there is still latent need raw material. At the same time, there capacity in the harvesting and haulage sec- appears to be less timber being offered to tors, what is missing is the timber to cut. the market right across the UK. There just does not seem to have been Whilst the age structure of the forest es- quite as much timber coming to the mar- tate should mean that future availability of ket as there should have been in the second material increases as you travel north, there half of 2017 but historically when the mar- are other more subtle factors at play which ket has improved the volume has appeared influence supply regionally. pretty quickly. In this instance, the early bird In England, the great storm of 1987 in 2018 will catch the worm! caused huge damage to forests throughout In central and north Scotland where the South of England. Although this was all recently supply has been much stronger restocked, most of it was with broadleaves through 2017 the demand is also very and often there has been limited mainte- strong although there continues to be a nance after planting. Increasing affluence shortage of supply on the east coast and has increased amenity value of woodlands prices continue to move upwards. Standing, roadside and delivered prices and reduced the commercial emphasis in The net result of the increased demand have now passed the peaks of 2008, 2012 management decisions, sporting and con- and constrained supply in the second half and 2015 and are still heading upwards. servation objectives have been increasingly of 2017 has been a noticeable increase in imported. When coupled with ‘habitat res- timber prices. Standing, roadside and deliv- will become the new £40. toration’ and ‘native broadleaved policy’, ered prices have now passed the peaks of Whilst rapidly increasing prices are good the end result is that we have seen many 2008, 2012 and 2015 and are still heading for the grower they do also cause problems highly productive conifer woodlands deco- upwards. Prices are now at levels last seen in the supply chain. The recent news that niferised and are now facing a serious re- in the mid to last 1990’s. James Callender of Falkirk has gone into duction in productivity from woodlands at Whereas £40 per tonne standing used administration with the loss of 89 jobs is a time when demand is increasing. to benchmark price to achieve for a spruce sad news for the industry. In addition, much of the new woodland clearfell it looks like in 2018, £50per tonne Other processors have had their margins

£ per tonne delivered to customers in £ per tonne delivered to customers in Wales, central and south England north England and Scotland Product Lower price Upper price Trend Product Lower price Upper price Trend

Log 18 £67.50 £72.50 Log 18 £67.50 £72.50

Bar 14 £50.00 £60.00 Bar / pallet 14 £50.00 £60.00

SRW £40.00 £50.00 SRW £40.00 £50.00

Fencing £50.00 £55.00 Fencing £50.00 £55.00

H Wood firewood £50.00 £55.00 H Wood firewood £50.00 £55.00

These prices are for guidance purposes only and are based on historic market information. >>

44 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • June 2017 CONFOR.ORG.UK HARDWOODS

Sawlogs Firewood The winter 2017/18 season has been Firewood prices have firmed up in the dominated by the continued strong second half of 2017, helped by domestic demand and prices for oak which are energy prices creeping up and the cold now moving into uncharted territory. snap in November and December. There A Timber Auctions sale of roadside appears to be less stock about than in oak sawlogs in December provided an the last few years and there has been interesting benchmark. Two parcels an increase in calls looking for firewood. realised £7 and £8 per hoppus foot Whilst there has been some natural at roadside, similar parcels on the selection occurring in the firewood same estate marketed in late 2015 had processing sector which has removed achieved £5.25 per hoppus foot which inefficient processors there has also was a good price at the time. So in two been serious investment development of years the price has increased by £2 per some of the more progressive operations hoppus foot or 40%.Other agents report and they have become excellent local similarly strong prices with exceptional markets. In most areas, processor-sized parcels up around the £10 per hoppus firewood is now around £50 to £55 per foot at roadside level. The Ash felling tonne at roadside. season has started and offered prices look similar to or slightly better than last season, there is some interest in beech for export as well as some of the more decorative hardwood species.

and profitability severely squeezed whilst that there will have to be more to ensure they have been fighting hard to restrict raw continuity of supply. material prices they have also been trying 2018 looks like it will get off to a flying to increase their end product prices and are start and despite the uncertainty over Brex- now getting price increases through. The it and the impact of the Trump administra- market has resisted this but recent months tion on the wider world it appears that the have seen a number of modest price in- scene is set for a strong standing timber creases pushed though and the realisation market in 2018.

GLOBAL TRENDS

The global economy continues to grow better alternatives elsewhere, freight rates ply chain and stump- and timber consumption has continued to to Asia and China are frightingly low so it age prices increase increase throughout 2017. Prices in the key is now very easy to send containers of tim- volume availability markets - USA, China and Asia - continue ber to the markets that will pay the best improves and gradually to improve alongside steady increases in prices, if the UK does not compete with the market comes back into balance. This volume requirement. Increasing demand is these prices it will lose the supply. can however, be a lengthy process – not putting new strains on established supply The warning that the Swedish sawmill- only do felling plans have to be approved chains; Asia, as well as the USA, continue ers gave to the market in spring 2017 of and marketed but also the infrastructure to be major pull factors and are drawing reduced supply and increased prices were has to gear up which requires extra men, supplies away from historic markets. This correct and are now having an impact. machines and infrastructure. is creating disruption to supply volumes The improved market conditions have and leading to price increases. now started to filter down to roundwood TIMBER AUCTIONS Exports from Europe and Scandina- prices. In Finland log prices increased by Timber Auctions will be holding via have grown sharply over the last 12 1% in November 2017, in Europe sawlog scheduled online timber tender and months whilst Finland has focused on prices have risen steadily over the last six auction sales throughout 2018, all Asia; Sweden has really grasped the op- months whilst globally saw prices have in- sales will be advertised on portunities available in the USA. creased in most regions during the second www.timberauctions.co.uk Most sawmills now have strong order half of 2017. If you wish to discuss parcels of books both from domestic and export Historically, when demand starts to timber you would like to discuss markets and are in a strong position to im- increase it can take a while for the supply or for further information contact prove their profitability after some tough chain to react to the increased activity lev- Oliver Combe on 07771 958975, [email protected] years. Whilst these mills will not abandon els and increase production which leads to for free independent marketing the UK they will not dump timber on the availability constraints on a rising market. advice UK market or give it away now there are Once increased prices filter down the sup-

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 45 MARKETS

Shortages push prices higher from north to south

TIMBER MARKET Sawlog market bought ahead inventory inadequate, and REPORT Delivered sawlog prices have continued to have entered the market strongly and pric- rise over the last three months. This is in re- es have moved upwards. Harry Stevens sponse to the short bought ahead position With sawmills taking additional time out, Timber Buying of most sawmills. This situation is particu- poor weather, increased consumption and Director, larly acute in south Scotland where saw- low stock, the Christmas holiday was a chal- Tilhill Forestry mills have had to take production out due lenging period for many processors. Some to insufficient material to cut. sites have taken production shuts and there ecent months have seen a period of This price upswing is unusual as previ- have been imports of roundwood and co- increased prices for all products driv- ously sawlog prices have increased after products from Ireland and the Baltics. Ren largely by a shortage of standing sawn prices have increased. However, on timber coming to the market. Prices have this occasion sawlog prices have risen be- Standing market increased in all geographical regions from fore increases in sawn prices. From the growers perspective the last six the south of England to north Scotland. Demand for sawn product is reasonably months has a steady increase in the price Figures indicate that whilst the national strong reflecting a reduction in imported paid for standing timber. This is particu- production forecast shows an increase in material particularly from the Baltics. Sawn larly pronounced in south Scotland north biological availability, actual harvest for fencing and palletwood have not risen in England and Wales, but all areas have seen the last few years rather than increasing in price to the same extent as construction upward movement. line with availability forecasts, has indeed material. As ever quality sells well, particularly reduced. This upward raw material cost, has dra- where there is a high log content, but with This has many causes, certainly it is one matically impacted on sawmills profitabil- strong demand for small roundwood all matter the standing trees being on the hill- ity, and a medium sized sawmill in central parcels are receiving considerable atten- side, and another turning them into loads Scotland has gone in to administration pre- tion. going over the weighbridge. Regulatory sumably at least partly in response to this The market is undoubtedly in an upward hurdles have a delaying effect on forests situation. spike which is unsustainable for processors. being harvested, restructuring of even Businesses are taking a short term position aged forest complexes pulls forward an el- Roundwood market of one where although current processing ement of timber, but largely delays felling For the majority of 2017 the small round- is loss making, the alternative which is tak- coupes from being harvested, the require- wood market was largely in balance, and ing capacity out either short term or long ment to maintain the adjacency criteria, ie prices had dipped as buyers were able to term is even less palatable. At some point neighbouring coups being a limiting factor. refrain from marginal purchasing. The last if the current position prevails they will Anecdotal evidence shows that, for ex- quarter has seen this trend reverse dra- have to take the alternative position of re- ample, where a forest complex may have matically as increased capacity in the panel ducing capacity. been planted over a period of a few years, board and biomass markets has seen de- Now is a good time to sell standing tim- long-term planning will result in the harvest mand increase strongly. ber. being spread over a period of 20 years. Several processors have found their www.tilhill.com

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CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 47 TIMBER IN CONSTRUCTION

n June last year, I reported on the collective of small forest owners (Waldverband) in Vorarl- berg, a small mountainous region in West Aus- tria. Waldverband itself is a member of holz- Ibau_kunst, a network which brings together all sectors with an interest in promoting the use of timber in construction. Vorarlberg receives about 30,000 international visitors a year, mostly architects and students but The Austrian also representatives of forward-thinking municipali- collective ties who are interested in promoting timber build- holzbau_kunst ings in their villages and towns. What attracts them? brings together the forestry, Holistic concept + joining of forces construction and = success The region prides itself of being one of the pioneers design sectors to of the modern timber building scene. promote modern Their concept is simple: with one common goal: to create demand for mod- timber buildings. ern timber buildings. Architecture Stefanie Kaiser • Craft reports. • It takes a visionary Innovation Dr. Matthias Ammann (above), originally a solicitor, • used to manage the carpenters guild in Vorarlberg Ecology • from within the Chamber of Commerce. It was from However, it takes more than just buzzwords and this position, that he started an impressive market- a good concept for market success. How did timber ing cruzade to promote the use of timber in modern houses in Vorarlberg make the step from niche life- buildings – he brought to life the collective holzbau_ style products to preference option for local plan- kunst. A professional “organization / collective man- ners and public contractors? Why do mayors in rural ager”, as he calls himself, he is also involved in stra- villages crave to get their town halls, social housings, tegic planning, marketing and project management school gyms and even waste processing facilities for Timber Construction Europe, Vorarlberg Tourism, built in the latest timber fashion? Timber Construction Austria, among other projects. Vorarlberg´s success in timber housing lies in the He also owns a rare breed of mountain sheep, plays fact that the whole supply chain has come together in a band and claims to have cooking skills. holzbau__kunst

Success factors at a glance • The realisation of everyone in • Pre-existing organisation of the supply chain that they have a subsector in collectives common business interest • A traditional timber building trade • The openness and courage of that could be inspired to use their politicians and planners in small skills in innovative ways municipalities allowed for new A traditional wood culture that could architecture concepts to take root • be recovered using “back to the • The well-known regional pride in roots” marketing Vorarlberg is a big motivator to Passionate people who drive the All pictures courtesy strive for excellence in sustainability • Vorarlberger holtbau_kunst/ campaign Holzbaupreis

48 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK A charming man with a sense of humour that makes every conversation enjoyable, he has used his people skills and management talent to bring the stakeholders of the timber construction supply chain together – one by one and holding their hand whenever support was needed.

From Trees to Timber Homes - how to get everyone to pull in the same direction It all started in the 70ies, when a bunch of innovative architects tried to break with entrenched traditions and experimented with new concepts for building with timber. However, in Vorarlberg, it was the carpenters who presented the first important barrier to this kind of evolution. Carpentry is an old trade, and it was hard to find craftsmen who would be willing to execute the ‘crazy’ ideas those architects suggested. They argued that timber had to be used in very specific ways in construction projects. They were right that at this point; a lot had to be learnt by trial and error. But carpenters were the key people in the supply chain that needed to be brought on board, if modern timber buildings were ever to take off as a trend. In the 80ies, pioneer architects managed to convince the younger and more risk-friendly carpenters to rebel against the ‘establishment’ and carry out their unconventional designs. Matthias had come across examples of modern timber constructions and loved the idea of re- inventing the tradition of building with wood. He presented his vision to the carpenters in a very straight-forward way: if timber buildings become more common, there will be more business for carpenters, and they will become the centerpieces of >>

or The Art of holzbau__kunst Working Together

Actvities • Lobbying • Stand at trade show Messestand (see overleaf) • Annual lobbying event for politicians and architects • Biennial timber award Holzbaupreis • Highly advertised ‘Open House’ events targeted at general public • Advertising in newspapers, Internet, social media, neighbouring countries

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 49 TIMBER IN CONSTRUCTION

From Forest to Home: Annual holzbau_kunst trade show stand Timber construction award winner 2017 Starting with freshly felled fir trees the tour around and through the stand (left) shows the visitor the evolution from tree, to raw sawmill products, to finished components of modern timber houses to neatly fitted windows. Along the circuit, additional >> the value chain. Shortly after the first Holzbaupreis, Matthias and information on the After a lot of brainstorming on the carpenters’ his carpenters were confronted with a new barrier. timber-to-home side, the first wood awards Holzbaupreis ( ) were They realised that something had to be done to process is provided brought into being in 1997. Builders and architects make construction rules / laws more timber-friendly. and emphasised with were invited to submit information and pictures of This was something that had to be addressed at a further sensorial inputs their existing timber buildings. The awards provided National level. He therefore organised a promotional (smell, touch) to the perfect stage for a budding trend, and the col- tour to each of the other regions in Austria, where he deepen the experience. lective holzbau_kunst was founded, initially funded presented the Vorarlberger concept to the carpen- Visit the stand at by carpenter firms through membership fees. ter guilds. Some years later, each region had its own com:bau 08-11 March At the same time, Matthias began to personally Holzbaupreis. 2018, Dornbirn, Austria lobby to bring wood suppliers on board, too. Work- ing downstream, he talked to collectives and individ- Regional resource www.combau. uals in the processing sector, the wholesale sector Promoting the use of timber helps to consolidate messedornbirn.at for construction materials, and further downstream, demand for timber. However, at the moment, the re- the collective of landowners (Waldverband, see FTN gional timber resource doesn’t lack a market; only June 2017). 20% of wood from the region stays there, the rest “It was important to get the whole supply chain is fed into larger National or international markets. committed before launching a powerful marketing holzbau_kunst aims to increasingly focus on lob- campaign”. Matthias stressed that it was crucial to bying for an increased use of regional timber for target different companies or individuals in a way regional timber buildings. In particular, to help the that was relevant to them, but using the main argu- network of small sawmills to survive in the future. ment that more timber building means more business/market for everybody. www.holzbau_kunst.at

Timber structures in Funding sources Vorarlberg In Vorarlberg, you can find a e 3 • Carpenters: 100 000 (Firms pay a membership fee to 610,000m volume of pine, holzbau_kunst, e700-3500 per year) spruce and hardwood that has Timber and construction material wholesale: e80,000 made the region renowned • for its exemplary tradition (Percentage of sales to carpenters who are members of of timber construction. holzbau_kunst) Vorarlberg has been setting • Regional government: e30,000 (from commerce and standards worldwide in the architectural design agriculture budget) and hand-crafted quality of wooden buildings. Their use of wood is characterised by an inspired • Regional forest owner collective: e15,000 – 20,000 innovative creativity. Projects from Vorarlberg (e0.03/m3 of timber sold) are bold: multiple storeys, prefabrication, urban Regional bank sponsorship: e20,000 (bank with focus on housing, industrial buildings are all matters of • course and reveal an impressively wide-ranging rural clients, incl foresters, sawmills, but also carpenters vision of ‘traditional’ timber construction. and other traders) English/German Regional collective of small sawmills: e7000 SBN: 978-3-95553-381-6 • e39.99 plus shipping e • Architects: 350 individual membership fee https://shop.detail.de/eu_e/holzbauten-in- • Plus project sponsorships vorarlberg.html

50 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK Dawn of a new age for timber

Christiane Lellig on the work of Wood for Good, the timber industry’s campaign to promote use of wood in design and construction

or some, it’s the dawn of the timber age. Shortlists for all major archi- Ftecture awards are featuring timber buildings and the awards keep coming. The prestigious Stirling Prize went to Hast- ings Pier, a community-led timber building that showcases the versatility of wood as Hannibal Road Gardens a design and construction material. Wood building solutions are more common than schemes that accommodate a trendy life- many benefits and meets the require- ever; and yet we need to keep talking about style; universities use high quality student ments of a healthy building material. We the opportunity this presents for future accommodation as part of their USP and will continue to push the message out housing – and for the timber sector. more and more downsizers are interested about the various health benefits of wood in ‘Retirement for Rent’. This emerging products. Factory made affordable ‘Build to Rent’ sector requires appealing quality homes high-quality materials that are low-main- More on the Modern Timber The need for more affordable housing is tenance and cost-efficient; a clear case for House in the UK greater than ever and the sustainable solu- timber, from structural solutions to joinery Building on the highly successful launch of tion now makes good economic sense over and decorative surfaces, from homegrown Peter Wilson’s book, ‘The Modern Timber ‘traditional’ build. spruce to tropical merbau. Wood for Good House in the UK,’ we are planning a series The timber industry is central to mod- will engage with key players in this emerg- of exhibitions and presentations showcas- ern methods of construction; speeding ing market and provide the arguments for ing a broad range of structural timber solu- up housing delivery with the develop- using wood. tions and their application in different set- ment of new technical solutions that can tings. increase the quality of homes as well as The Right to Build – their affordability. As offsite construction a call for beautiful design Awarding timber excellence moves into the mainstream, pressure is Since 2016, all local authorities in England Timber excellence should be awarded. mounting to get it right. Whether the solu- have a legal duty to create Right to Build Wood for Good supports the Housing tion is flatpack or volumetric, the wider demand registers for people in their area Design Awards, RIAS awards and the benefits of using timber systems are being who want to commission their own home. Wood Awards, and helps promote indus- recognised both in commercial property Local authorities must also grant planning try awards such as the Structural Timber development as well as in social housing. permission for sufficient ‘shovel ready’ Awards and Offsite Awards. Now is the time to get them built. Together plots to meet the demand within three with partner organisations, we will help years. The timber industry is well posi- Christiane Lellig is Campaign Director, promote quality solutions to architects and tioned to provide the choice and type of Wood for Good. social and affordable housing developers. sustainable housing models this market is Wood for Good is co-owned by Confor Engineered timber will be a key theme for looking for. Wood for Good has teamed up and Swedish Wood; and funded by timber 2018. In a joint project with leading archi- with NaCSBA and the Right to Build Task- businesses and organisations. tects we will help to move the discussion force to deliver a range of regional custom @wood_for_good on from initial interest to lessons learned, build events to advance this market. challenges encountered, and future solu- RESOURCES tions required. Health and wellbeing The focus on health, wellbeing and bio- For more information and to receive New markets for millennials philia is becoming increasingly important. the Wood for Good newsletter, contact [email protected] or and baby boomers This doesn’t come as a surprise, given the 020 7291 5374 A new generation of young professionals statistics of allergies and mental health ill- www.woodforgood.com are looking for attractive private rental nesses. As a natural material, wood offers

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 51 NURSERY

e’ve long been aware of the labour and skills shortage growers are having to deal with. A survey in the or- Wnamentals sector two years ago reported 72% of businesses unable to fill vacancies. And according to the NFU, labour supply problems have worsened since last year’s EU referendum. The combination of fewer people wanting a career in horticulture and our heavy dependence on a migra- tory workforce means labour security is now a significant risk to the industry’s long-term success. One answer is greater levels of automation using robotics – provided we can overcome some of the unique technical challenges the industry presents. Some forms of automation, such as self-driving tractors are more than a pipe-dream, but when it comes to handling the crops themselves, progress in robot- The ic manipulation has been much slower. imitation

When you work with plants, you do so without having to think about the way you manipulate your hand. But it’s the very nature of plant material that makes grasping it with a robotic ‘hand’ so difficult. game The variation in plant ‘architecture’ – length of the stalk, number of leaves, root structure – between different species as well as individuals of the same Are robots going to solve future species, the motion of a plant during handling due to its light weight and flexibility, and the relatively workforce shortages in nurseries? fragile nature of the tissues all contribute to making asks Aran Sena plant material an extremely challenging target for robotics. Robots work best in environments with a high degree of certainty – knowing exactly where to find a machine component or how hard it can press against a surface – but it’s rarely so clear-cut with plants. Thanks to my sponsorship through the AHDB, I am linked to a number of growers who act as industry advisors for my project. These growers help me to see the kinds of tasks involved in horticultural and agricultural production, and to better understand the current limitations to automation. These visits highlighted both the diversity of tasks and the issues growers face in implementing further automation. A common challenge across industries for automation was the complex handling of plant material needed during grading. An example of this was seen at J&A Growers, Above right: the author trains who produce bareroot trees and hedging in War- the robot workforce wickshire, producing approximately 10 million plants Below: te human workforce annually. The trees and hedging are produced in a

52 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK largely mechanised manner up until they must be packed for shipping, at which point there is a bottleneck requiring manual intervention. Each plant sold must be graded, which involves teams of workers grading piles of tree seedlings by stem length and checking for any damage. At first glance, the task looks simple - the worker pulls a stalk from the pile, compares it against a rule and then places it in the appropriate pile, all done without a second thought by the experienced team; however observing the task with the view of automation reveals this task demands advanced visual inspection to pick out one stem from all the others in the pile in front of them, together with a high degree of dexterity to extract that stem from the pile and judge its grade. Already a relatively efficient operation, J&A Growers are interested in automation for their business due to long-term labour security concerns as a matter of ensuring they have the resource to do the job in the future. The barrier to automation for J&A Growers is not >>

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 53 NURSERY

Jamie Dewhurst (J&A Growers) to give demonstrations successfully to such a system. This is a key aspect as the robot is not simply 10m plants graded annually using casual labour performing a record and playback of the observed 14 people do approx 120,000 per day actions, but actively trying to develop a model of Cost is approx £10.70 per 1000 the task to form an understanding of what it should Annual cost of grading labour is approx £110k do. Taking this learning approach allows the robot to perform more robustly when faced with uncer- Turnover of approx £1.1m tain situations (eg if a tray is moved accidentally by a worker, can the robot still perform the task?); how- >> actually the technological capability, as large-scale ever this places more responsibility on the teacher. purpose-built machinery does in fact exist to per- There is therefore a need to be able to identify form this exact grading task, it is instead a question good teachers if we’re going to exploit this type of of economics. The purpose-built systems would pre- robotic learning. I have conducted initial research sent a very large capital expense for the business, with volunteers from J&A Growers to try to better only to be left sitting idle for the majority of the year understand how those who are not robotics experts when not in harvesting season. Additionally, the sys- interact with robot systems. In my project’s next tems must be configured for particular varieties of stage I’ll be further developing my prototype system plants, with any change in product requiring recon- using a commercially available industrial collabora- figuration by specialists. Finally, many of these sys- tive robot – a Rethink Robotics’ Sawyer robot – with tems must still be manually loaded! which I hope to conduct trials next summer at J&A An alternative to a purpose-built system with a Growers, as well as my other industry advisors Ker- fixed set of functions is a general purpose robot that nock Park Plants and Greenyard Flowers. can be readily reprogrammed to new tasks. Tradi- Meanwhile, I’m always interested to see horticul- tionally such general purpose robots required ad- tural and agricultural tasks that could benefit from vanced specialist knowledge of robotics to deploy the kind of approach I’m taking in this project so if as well as extensive safety systems; however a new you struggle with a production bottleneck due to generation of so-called ‘collaborative’ robots could lack of practical automation options, it would be Sorting tree stalks offer some of the solutions to these kinds of opera- great to hear from you. by length tions. Collaborative robots are designed to be inher- ently safe to work alongside people, by limiting their weight and speed and including impact-absorbing springs into their joints. Because they don’t need to work behind safety guards they take up a lot less room. They are also designed so that people without a programing background can quickly and easily set them up to undertake simple tasks and reconfig- ure them later to do a different job. These advances have already brought automation to many low volume, high variety tasks in various industries outside of agriculture. By having robot systems which can be easily reprogrammed by non-experts, this could open the door for a flexible robotic workforce that could seasonally move between growers and industries. While collaborative robots are very effective at re- petitive simple pick-and-place tasks, the complexity of handling plants has so far limited their application in agriculture. One promising approach I am now researching is called ‘Learning from Demonstration’. In this, the grower would show the robot the task they want automated while the robot monitors their actions. These actions might be the grower physically guiding the robot through the motions of what it should do, or it can be a more advanced interaction where the robot observes the grower through its vi- CONTACT sion system and through connected sensors embed- Aran Sena is an AHDB-sponsored PhD student at the ded in a ‘smart glove’ worn by the grower. Robot Learning Laboratory, King’s College London: www.aransena.com Career development for robots Robot Learning Lab homepage: While imitation learning presents a promising mech- https://nms.kcl.ac.uk/rll/ anism for how to go about transferring human skills @KCL_RLL to a robot, an important question that is central to @aransena my research is whether people such as growers who @mhoward3210 have no expertise in robotics or programing are able #growbotics

54 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK Growing Timber in Fine Mesh Shelters

OUR FINE MESH SHELTERS blend in with the landscape, and because of their ventilation, are happy in Loxston Groundcare Ltd are our warmer and changing climate, wind blow resistant, and bird friendly, (they can climb in and out). Trees may the sole UK distributer for grow a little slower, but have stronger stems. Irus mowing machinery MANUFACTURERS of Spiral Guards and The Irus range of remote controlled mowers are designed for mowing WHOLESALERS of Fine Mesh Shelters, and maintenance of precipitous slopes, parks, roadside verges and Plastic Mesh Deer Fencing, railway embankments offering reduced risk of injury to operators. Irus canes, stakes, mulch mats, etc etc and remote control mowers will go where standard walk behind or ride Forestry & Hedge Plants of Native Provenance on mowers cannot go safely being able to run on slopes of up to 50°. ‘The One Stop Forestry Shop’ Radio control ranges of up to 300m ensure that operators are always Large Stocks Ensures Fast Service out of harm’s way. Tel: 01588 650496 We will be able to supply new machinery, attachments and spare parts. Fax: 01588 650631 For our full brochure FARM FORESTRY Co Ltd Eaton Farm, Bishops Castle, To make an enquiry please call us on Shropshire SY9 5HX 01460 242562 or email us [email protected] www.farmforestry.co.uk www.irus-mowers.co.uk

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56 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK TIMBER TRANSPORT

Better, safer timber haulage

hroughout 2018, FTN will host a series of FISA’s Forest Haulage Working Group has just articles by people directly involved in timber revised and reprinted the Forest Haulage Safety Thaulage – with a focus on areas where we Manual and has a very clear message: timber hauli- believe there is room for continued improvement in ers must demonstrate and communicate that they the way we move timber. take their responsibilities seriously. Haulage companies and their drivers and ve- However, this requires a quid pro quo from the hicles are an indispensable link in the UK timber industry. If no-one is focused on quality and good supply chain. With harvests forecast to rise by 25 practice, there is little incentive for improvement. Gillian Clark, per cent in the next decade, the sector will continue Why invest in training, vehicle tracking and tyre CEO UK FISA, to grow. pressure control if this means increased costs and Timber hauliers are a breed apart. Their drivers puts contracts in jeopardy? Why drive at 15mph introduces a often work in remote, challenging terrain on roads or refuse to use unsafe roads if competitors race new campaign not designed for heavy traffic, in conditions far through mud and turn in ditches? for the timber removed from mainstream haulage. They carry a Everyone must be involved in pushing up quality transport sector low-margin raw material in a market where haulage standards – drivers, haulage managers, landown- costs can make or break the viability of a harvest. ers, harvesting managers, timber processors, forest The Timber Transport Forum helped draw up the road managers and local authorities. Road Haulage Roundwood Code of Practice and Timber buyers must recognise quality and safety continues to develop good practice in many areas: when tendering haulage contracts. Landowners • Log loading and security; and harvesting contractors must provide safe, • Finding the most appropriate routes; properly-maintained forest roads and well-present- • Engaging with communities and local ed timber. authorities; Quality timber haulage needs continued invest- • Introducing lower impact lorries, and ment and good management; it can’t be the whip- improving forest road management and ping boy of the supply chain, used to squeeze out maintenance; another 50p per tonne. • Setting out responsibilities for all parties. So, look out for thought-provoking articles about how we ensure future haulage services are Why do we need a campaign? reliable, sustainable and safe. The forest industry relies on significant trust be- We will distribute the tween all links in the supply chain. It needs hauliers articles as a printed bro- FORE ST HAULA to do the job reliably, responsibly and safely - with chure via weighbridges to SAFET GE Pub Y M lished by AN the FISA F UA orest Hau L lage Worki minimal supervision and at a good price. stimulate discussion and ng Group However, an expanding sector with strong com- ideas. Please let us know petition and tight margins creates risks - that the what you think. Happy less scrupulous will cut corners and take chances haulage! with safety. This might mean speeding, convoying or ignor- www.ukfisa.com ing agreed routes and traffic management plans. Some might flout contract conditions, overload TH INK SAFE. www lorries or strap timber on poorly. .ukﬁsa.com S TAY SAFE. A lack of training or preparation might not FTN WEB RESOURCES just impact on costs. It can have dangerous and sometimes devastating consequences, bringing the Download the Forest Haulage Safety forest industry into conflict with communities and Manual www.confor.org.uk regulators.

TAKE THE HIGH ROAD A CAMPAIGN FOR BETTER, SAFER TIMBER HAULAGE

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 57 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

Story Map – harnessing the power of maps

The Strathard Initiative is a good example of how good stakeholder management can bring landscape managers and communities together. Chloe Bellamy and Andrew Rattey of Forest Research talk about their experience of using a new visualisation tool to aid community engagement.

he Strathard Initiative is a collaborative project that is developing and trialling more effective and sustainable water and land Tmanagement decisions in a rural area of How does stakeholder engagement con- western Scotland. It was established by the Scottish tribute to successful land management? Environmental Protection Agency, who had been en- The degree of success of stakeholder engagement couraged by the government to look for opportuni- will have a huge role in determining the overall im- ties to improve joint working between public bodies, pact of any project aiming to improve the way a land managers and communities whilst implement- landscape is managed. The people living, working ing an ‘ecosystems approach’ to land management. and visiting the area should be involved from the Boiled down to its core principles, an ecosystems start, in order to pinpoint the priority issues that the approach must involve everyone with an interest in the project should aim to tackle and to build a shared local natural environment, whilst taking into account understanding of their values and opinions. Story Map the multiple benefits it provides and considering the The process should be iterative to enable stake- resource role of ecosystem functions and condition. Forest holders to feedback ideas at each stage. This is es- Research’s role in the project has been to help collect sential for improving understanding and gaining requirements and analyse the varied information needed to devel- trust, which in turn can enable local people to feed Story Maps are a op the project’s plans and to co-design surveys and into the decision making process. Tapping into lo- feasible means of other approaches to consult with local stakeholders. cal knowledge provides a more nuanced, accurate communication in www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/strathard reflection of the regional context, informing the de- a wide variety of cases. All you need are the fundamental The Strathard Story Map was part of a ingredients: a) a story set of stakeholder engagement activities to tell, b) moderate Local events to high quality • imagery to use and c) A film • accompanying data to • Twitter account @StrathardLand visualise. • Surveys To develop a Story An interactive ‘MapMe’ mapping survey Map you need an • Esri software licence In depth interviews with local people • and ArcGIS online • A Community Partnership Project webpage account. The cost of • Community e-newsletter the software licence • Guided Forest Tours may be prohibitive for • A community mapping workshop some organisations or

58 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK velopment of more bespoke management strategies What do Confor that are most likely to be accepted and effective. members think? Visualisation tools: why use them? In contrast to traditional methods of presentation, Andy Howard, Doddington project such as written reports and PowerPoint slides, using This tool looks brilliant! I found throughout interactive maps and visualisations in the Strathard the Doddington project that engaging with Initiative enabled us to share our work in a format stakeholders as early and informatively as possible that was accessible over the internet, visually engag- produced hugely positive results. ing, and easy to follow. By providing them with information and There are a number of visualisation tools avail- explanations of rational as early as possible able; we used ESRI Story Maps. It allowed us to we were able to engage with them and find a capture and hold people’s attention, by taking the resolution to their concerns in a timely manner. The viewer on a journey that covered all aspects of the use of maps, designs and images in this from an project, from its inception and aspirations, to the early stage was vital, as more often than not these data collection, analysis and map making phases. stakeholders would not be ‘forestry literate’, and The user had control of their experience, choos- hence found having something they could look at ing whether they interact with a map to reveal ad- and relate to much easier to understand. ditional information or not. They could also decide I would envisage a tool like this would therefore how long they spent on each section, which helped be hugely beneficial in combination with public us cater for people with varied interests. We took meetings. It would enable the stakeholders to care to include imagery which connected to the review and understand the proposals in their study area and the people that live there, a decision own time, and hopefully lead to more informed which we felt contributed to the sense of local own- comment and conversations through the ership and involvement in the project. consultation process. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/en Jerry Langford CEnv, Policy Lead Wales The Strathard Story Map These are good examples of opportunity maps We used the Strathard Story Map to provide a re- – illustrating the point that we need different minder of the project aims and to update the local opportunity maps for different purposes.It enables community on our progress and future plans. We opportunity maps to be presented in the context were able to communicate the information we had of the work done to derive them. An issue might be collected and how we had mapped, analysed and good computer and internet access of rural users. interpreted these data to inform the decision making process. The service also allowed local people Andrew Vaughan, Tilhill Forestry to formulate their views and feed into the process in This seems very useful as a tool for making key site their own time and at their own pace. data publicly available for consultation and as a Initial feedback has been positive, with the clear record of progression. It could allow stakeholders to presentation and easy to use layout singled out for get caught up on and monitor progress, potentially individuals. However, praise. By incorporating all stages of the project reducing the need for ongoing stakeholder face to there is a reduced fee we created a comprehensive resource that the local face contact, as projects develop. for charities. community could access at any time with ease. This It probably needs high quality photos and In terms of the time is believed to be one of the main strengths of the map work to set up, and provides a record of site and skills input, once approach for this project. map data and stakeholder views and is useful for the required maps, The link to the Strathard Story Map is publically landscape-wide projects. Cost might be limitation images and text had accessible and we have used it to raise the profile and it would need to be a significant project to been assembled, it of the project and to broadcast our approach and justify. Perhaps this style of output should be a goal took one of our spatial findings more widely. The Story Map also provides for the FCS Public Register. analysts with no prior an easily digestible overview to anyone considering experience of the tool a similar project elsewhere. roughly two days to pull Why not take a look? http://arcg.is/2AbY7dq together the first draft. It was then improved iteratively as feedback Potential applications for interactive maps and came through from visualistion tools in the forestry sector project partners. If you would like to • To illustrate potential future scenarios and consult the find out more about community on forest design plans or operations our use of interactive To advertise a forestry service/company/product mapping or have an • To provide an engaging overview of an event idea of how you can • collaborate with us, • To influence local perceptions of forestry operations please get in touch! • To provide information on forestry-related issues

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 59 SMALL WOODLAND OWNER PROFESSOR JULIAN EVANS OBE FICFor

Myxomatosis woodlands

he late David Fourt, forester and pers in the Journal of Ecology in the 1960s The most obvious question is, ‘Where is scientist with Forest Research and record studies showing the impact of this the patch?’ Usually they will be odd shaped Texpert on forest soils, would of- cessation of rabbit pressure. On light acid areas outside a field boundary – whether a ten remark on or point out ‘myxomatosis soils, seedlings of gorse, bracken, heathers, hedgerow or fence, or on land that got ‘cut woodlands’. There was a large bank of birch and Scots pine began growing and off’ by development such as a road bypass scrub next to the A31 near its junction with on chalky soils hawthorn, buckthorn, hazel, or neglected corner of a housing estate. the M3 which he would highlight as an ex- ash, birch, sallow and sycamore were more Secondly, is the patch small, say less ample. And as one looks round and you be- typical. Many such areas, when not taken than a couple of hectares (five acres) and come alert to what to look for, such woods, into cultivation or development, are now with no signs of being woodland in the usually small in extent, are quite common. woodlands. And on both types of soil it past, principally no large, old tree stumps? Indeed it was David, more than anyone was not long before jays and squirrels start The third question is what species are else who made one really look at a wood- sowing acorns and the occasional oak be- present and how are they arranged? Both land and ask what its history is. How had gan to show. the presence of any exotic – a spruce, fir its present condition arisen? What factors So what to look for if you think you may or larch for example – or signs of planting influenced how the wood had developed? have such a patch of myxomatosis wood- in rows rules out regeneration post-myxo- These questions are crucial for those man- land? matosis. Such woods are typically patchy, aging a small woodland, of whatever com- simply a hotch-potch to our orderly way of plexion, as past history underpins present thinking. decision making. So let’s use the example Similarly, and fourthly, are there any of myxomatosis woodlands as an illustra- large trees present? While much new re- tion. generation after myxomatosis occurred In the mid-1950s the scourge of myx- The scourge of in existing woodland, for an area of open omatosis killed over 99% of the rabbit myxomatosis has ground that ‘scrubbed-up’ there will be no population across many parts of Britain. “ big trees and none over 60 years old. And Overnight as it were, browsing pressure on been a blessing to very often the number of trees will be ex- regeneration and regrowth disappeared biodiversity rather than ceedingly few as dense gorse, patches of and any patch of open land not under the bramble, hazel, or hawthorn will have im- plough or the hoof started to re-vegetate the contrary – an early paired tree regeneration. So if this begins or ‘scrub-up’ to use a disparaging term. Pa- example of ‘re-wilding’ to describe your small woodland, consider it as a gift from myxomatosis – a free good. Such myxomatosis woodlands are even highlighted in interpretative signage eg the National Trust’s West Runton Woods, or explain woodlands on land known to have been open in living memory such as Spar- row Wood between Petts Wood and Orp- ington in Kent which I would pass on the way to school. Much more can be said about the impact of the near extermination of rabbits on our country’s ecology, but one surprise concerns the ground flora, other than the woody shrubs we’ve been discussing. Dog’s Mercury can colonise quickly, prim- roses can appear, and even long lost or- chids ‘return’. All in all the scourge of myxomatosis has been a blessing to biodiversity rather than the contrary – an early example of ‘re-wilding’. What if rabbit numbers plummeted once more, would we again seen a swathe of new woods? Probably not. The explo- sion of all six deer species now resident, but especially the wretched muntjac, has brought a browsing pressure that not only limits natural regeneration but also deci- mates the understory of many woodlands. The loss of nesting sites is one cause of the decline in woodland birds. Deer are very much a mixed blessing.

60 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK PESTICIDES NOTEBOOK COLIN PALMER

Glyphosate – a short term fix

Glyphosate has become a core if French use was banned, there would be high temperature fat frying and hairdress- tool for assisting the successful enough helpful loopholes to facilitate con- ing. Even the IARC, though, didn’t classify establishment of forest transplants tinued use by French farmers and foresters. glyphosate as a “known carcinogen” which Somewhat incredibly there are currently includes alcohol, tobacco, the birth pill and – but we very nearly lost it! some 302 glyphosate products approved diesel engine exhaust. So, where was the for use in UK forests and forest nurseries, Citizens Initiative to ban these dangers to espite the success of the populist and if these are to remain on the UK mar- public health? European Citizens Initiative which ket, then each manufacturer or supplier will The IARC, however, was pretty isolated Ddrew some 1.4 million votes sup- have to submit a renewal application before in its view, as the parent body the World porting a ban on glyphosate and triggering 15 March 2018. Hopefully most will have al- Health Organisation, the U.S. Environmen- a debate in the European parliament, even- ready prepared their dossiers, but inevita- tal Protection Agency, the European Food tually a reasonably acceptable compromise bly there will be some fallout, and therefore Safety Authority, Health Canada and all on the future of glyphosate was reached. a reduced number of products available for the major regulatory bodies consider that After all the deliberation and obfusca- use. “glyphosate is unlikely to be carcinogenic”. tion, on 27 November 2017 the European We understand that Monsanto will be But what will happen in five years’ time? Commission granted glyphosate a five year supporting most of its popular products Well, there will be increased impetus to reprieve, but some 10 years shorter than including Roundup ProActive – but some look at alternative methods of weed con- the usual 15 year renewal period. Glypho- of the more marginal products may not be trol, but all the likely front runners such as sate products will therefore be with us at renewed as, for example, Monsanto has to steam, hot water and organic acids will only least until December 2022. submit over 560 product applications over burn off the top growth, and are unlikely to The favourable outcome was in doubt the 28 EC member states. provide long term vegetation control. until the day of decision, as had Germany Once the EC Central Zone member state Hopefully, in 2022 good science will pre- continued to abstain, then approval would nominated to assess the core dossier has vail over politics - but don’t bank on it... have been refused. Fortunately, it appears completed the evaluation, then each mem- that the failure of the Green Party to en- ber state will grant national approvals. ter a coalition government with Mrs Merkel, These will include the conditions of authori- freed the hand of the German Agriculture sation, which will have to take account of Minister to vote for renewal, this just tip- the Commission’s provisions to ensure that ping the balance to a positive result. home/garden use is safe, and that biodiver- The UK did vote for renewal, despite sity is not harmed. This may cause a little some reportedly very unhelpful remarks of a dilemma for those states who voted MEMBER SERVICES from our Minister for the Environment. Ag- against renewal – Belgium, Greece, France, Pesticides helpline riculture Minister, George Eustace, though, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Luxemburg, Malta has continued to be supportive, and UK and Austria as they HAVE to renew use of Pesticides helpline is a free service support was essential to counter the ad- the product, although they may impose re- operated by Confor’s crop protection verse votes from Italy and France. strictions on its use. adviser Colin Palmer on behalf France continues to fiercely oppose the of Confor members. Colin can be use of glyphosate and President Macron So what was all the fuss about? contacted 8am to 8pm Mondays to has vowed to ban the product in France It was all triggered by the decision by the Fridays on 01531 633500 (leave a within three years – or sooner if alternatives flawed IARC assessment on glyphosate message if necessary) or by email to: are found. This, though, is probably unlike- to categorise it as a ”probable carcino- [email protected] ly, and judging on past experience, even gen”, putting it in the same category as

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CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 61 GROWN IN BRITAIN

clap saw the campaign uti- using native and British- Growing the lising the multiplying effect grown species,” says of social media to reach a campaign CEO Dougal homegrown massive 2.5 million Twitter Driver. “Demonstrating impressions on 12 October, that British timber can be taking the Grown in Brit- the force behind excel- message ain to a wider audience lent design, and demon- than ever before. Two TV strating all the additional easuring success when dealing engagements and radio benefits such as social with an intangible asset such as interviews, including with a special- value returned to commu- Mgoodwill is not easy. Yet Grown in ist digital radio station listened to by job- nities, is exactly the message we’ll continue Britain has attempted to quantify its 2017 bing builders, and over 80 press articles to get across throughout 2018.” success through its first-ever Annual Re- and items, ensured the campaign grew its view, available on the campaign’s website. awareness in every sphere. Working with joiners Its best year to date, the campaign saw 35 Grown in Britain is also looking ahead to new licence-holders come on board and 11 Homegrown timber meets new ways of interfacing with the joinery new supporting partners, importantly in- modern design market through its partnership with the cluding key trade federations in end-user Moving into 2018, Grown in Britain has British Woodworking Federation. The aim markets and their wood-using members. launched its first regular e-newsletter, and for 2018 is to enhance and extend the use is continuing with its series of e-postcards, of British-grown timber by BWF members, Booming on social media which are changing perceptions on the underlining the opportunity it provides to The regular Grown in Britain Tweetchats, uses of British timber. “Architects and de- promote British-made joinery. held monthly, are now netting around signers are used to seeing magnificent www.growninbritain.org 10,500 impressions and almost 90 engage- timber creations made from imported ments on every occasion, whatever the cross-laminated and glulam timber, but the @growninbritain topic. Grown in Britain Week’s Thunder- same and better effects can be achieved See also timber in construction, p46

GiB Hero 2017 The year was crowned with the launch of the Tree Charter poles, made from Grown in Britain-sourced oak, erected across Britain, and by the awarding of the campaign’s annual ‘Hero’ award to Sally Spencer, Contributing Editor at Timber Trades Journal. Sally Spencer has been a keen supporter of the British-grown timber industry, researching and interviewing for the magazine’s regular British timber features and giving the sector a voice in a market dominated by imports. The award was presented on 14 December at a special gathering in London. The Hero trophy was produced from a piece of British Ash, chosen for its special colouring, created by designer-maker and Grown in Sally Spencer, TTJ, receiving her award from GiB’s Dougal Britain licence-holder Alice Blogg. Driver; inset: Alice Blogg making the GiB Hero Trophy

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62 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK LEGAL MATTER

GDPR – the What’s changing

Big Bad Wolf? TRANSPARENCY Organisations must provide more information to individuals at the point of collection to explain in more detail how that data will be used, how long it will be retained and, if it is to be stored Martin Sloan of Brodies Solicitors outside the EEA, where it is to be held and how it is to be safeguarded. answers key questions on the General Separate notices may be required for different groups of individuals. Data Protection Regulation.(GDPR) ACCOUNTABILITY Organisations will have to be able to demonstrate nless you’ve been hibernating for the past to privacy regulators that they are complying with GDPR on an year, you’ll know about (or will at least have ongoing basis. The accountability obligations include a requirement to Uheard of) the General Data Protection Regu- keep detailed records of data processing activities. lation (GDPR). Coming into force from May 2018, GDPR is the CONSENT The requirements for ‘consent’ are tightened so that ‘clear biggest shake-up of data protection law in 20 years. affirmative action’ will be required for consent to be established. The It applies to all EU-based organisations that process days of pre-ticked boxes will finally come to an end. Where possible, personal data (regardless of where the processing look to rely upon a legal basis for processing other than consent (for takes place), as well as non-EU bodies who offer example legitimate interests or the performance of a contract). goods or services to individuals in the EU, or monitor their behaviour. ACCESS AND DATA SUBJECT RIGHTS The rules allowing individuals to access their personal data and to obtain information about how Does it affect the forestry industry? that data is being used are being strengthened and the timescale for Yes. GDPR applies to any organisation that process- responding is being shortened. Where processing is carried out on the es personal data. Personal data is any information basis of consent, it should be easy for individuals to withdraw capable of identifying a living individual. There is no that consent. general exemption for SMEs or charitable bodies. Organisations in the forestry sector are likely to PRIVACY BY DESIGN AND DEFAULT Organisations will be obliged to hold the personal data of employees, contractors ‘hardwire’ privacy considerations into their day-to-day operations and and contractor staff, consultants and third party landowners. Some organisations in the sector may projects through measures such as minimising the amount of data held also collect personal data relating to forest users and activating privacy-friendly settings in and members of the public, and those that lease DATA PROCESSORS Organisations that process data on behalf of sporting rights will also hold personal data on sporting tenants. another organisation will have direct obligations in relation to that processing (including data security). Contracts will need to include a What’s changing? number of mandatory clauses. For organisations that already have a good handle on data protection law, GDPR should be a case of BREACH NOTIFICATIONS There are express statutory obligations to evolution, not revolution. For those organisations notify privacy regulators and affected individuals in the event of a data that have not taken data protection seriously, com- privacy breach where there is risk of harm to individuals. pliance will be more challenging. (See panel, What’s changing) ENFORCEMENT AND SANCTIONS The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) will have increased powers to fine organisations for What should we be doing to prepare? contraventions of data protection law, including for administrative GDPR should not be viewed as the ‘big bad wolf’, breaches. The ICO will also have new rights of access and audit, and but as an opportunity for organisations in every sec- the ability to issue orders to suspend processing. tor to evaluate their approach to data protection and take advantage of the enhanced customer and employee relationship benefits that GDPR compli- FTN WEB RESOURCES ance will bring. MEMBER SERVICES GDPR comes into force on 25 May 2018. There are Find links to: Legal helpline no grandfathering provisions in relation to existing Preparing for GDPR - 12 Steps to take processing activities. This means that processes and now Members can get 30 minutes of free legal advice from procedures, policies, data capture forms and privacy ICO guidance and our associated specialist solicitors Brodies LLP and notices and contracts should all be reviewed and up- helpline for SMEs Atkinson Ritson. This is meant as a first guidance and dated in time for GDPR coming into force. does not constitute a full client-solicitor relationship Brodies GDPR Hub As a first step to prepare, organisations should re- England and Wales: Atkinson Ritson Solicitors, www.confor.org view their existing processing activities by carrying www.atkinsonritson.co.uk Tel: 01228 525221 E: [email protected] out a data mapping exercise to identify what personal data the organisation processes. The organi- Scotland: Brodies Solicitors, www.brodies.com sation should then audit their current practices and Tel: 0131 656 3795 E: [email protected] procedures against the requirements of GDPR.

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64 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 CONFOR.ORG.UK MOTOR

A fine machine from Volvo

Eamonn Wall puts Volvo V90 Cross Country through its paces

arge estate cars have long been the special- ity of Volvo and their first 4x4 version XC70 Lremains a familiar sight on the roads today, despite the popularity of SUVs. Volvo’s own SUVs – the new XC90 and XC60 – have generated much of Volvo sales over the past years and will soon be joined by the smaller XC40. However, Volvo recently replaced the long serving V70 estate car with the larger and sleeker V90, and here we test the V90 Cross Country with its slightly raised suspension (by 65mm) and 4WD. The V90 Cross Country is a large car on the outside, but perhaps not as large on the inside as you would expect. Its interior design very much follows the one first introduced on the new XC90 and has since been rolled out on all new models. It’s a lovely interior which complements the good-looking exterior with its sloping back door, unlike the upright door of all Volvo estates before it. All models come with eight- speed automatic gearboxes combined with two-litre diesel engines, either producing 187bhp (D4) or 235bhp (D5), and automatic 4WD. A petrol version is also available. It is certainly a very comfortable to which a huge range of extras can be car, accelerates briskly (0-60mph in 7.2 added. Volvo offers a Pro upgrade which seconds) and has good brakes. It handles well but combines many extras into a reduced price package of course its ground clearance is not in the same of £3000 and includes many useful options such league as a pick-up or Discovery. My time with the as heated washer nozzles, puddle lights, footwell il- D5 saw an average of 36mpg with a 60-litre fuel lumination, heated windscreen, headlight cleaning Eamonn Wall is a tank. Being a large car, it weighs 1848 tonnes, but system and more. Director and Forestry can tow 2500 tonnes. Yes indeed, the V90 Cross Country is a fine ma- and Arboricultural Prices start at £40,350 for the D4, £44,150 for chine, easy to drive, comfortable to live with, speedy, Consultant with the D5 tested here and £49,700 for the T6 petrol, good looking and practical. Eamonn Wall and Co.

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CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2018 65 In the thick of it Want to see your picture here? Holly trees that are thought to be among the Forestry in Pictures is a new regular feature in FTN. tallest and most ancient in the UK in The Thicks, For every issue, we will select the most impacting a dense, tangled woodland close to the Forestry photograph sent by a reader. If you have a photo FORESTRY IN Commission’s Rendlesham Forest in Suffolk. A path you would like to see published here, please send leads through The Thicks to Staverton Park, an your file to [email protected] before PICTURES awe-inspiring landscape of gnarled, monumental 11 March 2018. Please include your name, brief pollarded oaks, described by Oliver Rackham as a description of yourself and the picture and a credit. place of “Tolkienesque wonder and beauty”. Photos should relate to forestry and timber and be of high-quality (minimum resolution 300dpi). Photo: Simon Tooth Exceptional pictures might be considered for the front cover of a future FTN issue.

By submitting a picture to Forestry in Pictures you give Confor permission to use the file for non-commercial purposes in Forestry and Timber News or the Confor website. Photos will always be credited.

COMING UP In April we will run our usual annual feature on Careers Development and will include a series of articles on Biosecurity. If you would like to suggest an article or news item for these topics, IN APRIL please contact the editor by the end of February. – GET INVOLVED We encourage members to inform us on what is going in their businesses or raise interesting points to be discussed in future editions of Forestry and Timber News. Please do get in touch – we offer member profiles and publish news from our members on dedicated pages. Don’t forget that your opinion counts. If you would like to comment on any of the articles published in this issue, please don’t hesitate to send a letter to the editor. A reminder that additional information and downloads on topics and articles throughout this issue is available online. FTN web resources is accessible from the Confor homepage or directly via www.confor.org.uk/FTNweb Watch out for the mouse icon in this magazine! . C O M

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