Forestry & Timber News

FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS August 2020 Issue 100

BIODIVERSITY, FORESTRY AND WOOD & MACHINERY/APF HIGH PERFORMANCE, TOTAL ACCESS TREE STUMP GRINDERS

3 Spread the cost of new machines 3 From portable to tracked 3 UK dealer network

01189 404 739 WWW.PREDATOR-MFG.COM CONTENTS

51 | OBITUARY SANDY BROWNLIE Confor is a membership organisation that promotes sustainable forestry and 52 | FINANCE wood-using businesses. Confor mem- MAKING USE OF THE BOUNCE bers receive Forestry and Timber News BACK LOAN SCHEME for free as part of their membership. For 53 | TIMBER TRANSPORT more information on membership, visit www.confor.org.uk/join-us CPD FOR HAULIERS

Past issues and articles can be accessed 55 | PESTICIDES NOTEBOOK online at BRACKEN CONTROL AND ASULOX www.confor.org.uk/news/ftn-magazine Non-member subscriptions: 57 | COMPLIANCE & REGULATION £60 (£65 overseas). SUSTAINABLE DRAINAGE Please contact [email protected] NEWS & COMMENT SCHEMES AND FORESTRY

5 | EDITORIAL 58 | PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

6 | BIODIVERSITY, FORESTRY THE TREE CHARTER

CONFOR CONTACTS AND WOOD 59 | SMALL WOODLAND OWNERN Stuart Goodall CONFOR’S LATEST REPORT Chief Executive WOODS AND WILDLIFE [email protected] T: 131 240 1416 8 | CONFOR 66 | FORESTRY IN PICTURES CONFOR BUSINESS PLAN: Andy Leitch SIX-MONTH REVIEW Deputy Chief Executive FEATURES [email protected] GOOD GOVERNANCE Mob - 07881510171 13 | ENGLAND TREE STRATEGY 30 | MACHINERY CHAINSHOT – WHAT IS THE RISK? Stefanie Kaiser CONFOR CALLS FOR COHERENT Communications and editor FTN WAY FORWARD APF DIARY SUMMER 2020 T: 0131 240 1420 E: [email protected] CONTRACTORS, TEST YOUR 14 | NEWS KNOWLEDGE UPDATE ON INDUSTRY SUPPORT Dr Eleanor Harris FUEL WOOD DEMO WEEKS Policy Researcher POST COVID-19 EASY WAY TO NET LOGS T: 0131 240 1417 NEW CHIEF FORESTER FOR E: [email protected] ARBORIST FINDS WAY THROUGH SCOTLAND LOCKDOWN WITH HUSQVARNA Caroline Ayre 61 |WOODLANDS FOR CLIMATE & BATTERY POWER National manager for England M: 07500 927482 NATURE: A RESPONSE E: [email protected] 44 TREE BREEDING IMPROVING BRITISH TIMBER Jamie Farquhar REGULARS QUALITY BY TREE BREEDING National manager for Scotland M: 07817 374906 16 | MEMBER PROFILE CREATING BROADLEAVES 2.0 E: [email protected] MULTI-PURPOSE FORESTRY – WITH A TWIST Anthony Geddes National manager for Wales T: 074 94079305 39 | COMMUNICATING FORESTRY E: [email protected] & WOOD WOOD CO2TS LESS Confor head office and editorial office 59 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2JG 20 | MARKETS FOREST MARKET REPORT 0131 240 1410 TIMBER AUCTIONS MARKET REPORT [email protected] 25 | PLANT HEALTH www.confor.org.uk A FORESTER’S PERSPECTIVE IN DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY For the latest news of forestry and wood PLANT HEALTHY CERTIFICATION sign up to #forestandwood on Twitter COVER STORY SCHEME SALUTES ITS PIONEERS The tiny Firecrest Published by Countrywide Publications, ( ), Fountain Way, Reydon, Suffolk IP18 6SZ 41 | FOREST MANAGEMENT Regulus ignicapilla one of the smallest birds on behalf of Confor. THE PRACTICALITIES OF of the UK, can be found For advertising, contact Laura Munnings WOODLAND CARBON in coniferous forests.

01502 725866 Image chosen for illus- [email protected] 50 | FOREST DESIGN trative purposes only. Printed by Micropress Printers Ltd THE CREATION OF SNOWDEN ©Shutterstock CLOSE

EDITORIAL

Chill winds

STUART GOODALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE, CONFOR

s I write this, lockdown keep growing. While the former is continues to ease and reporting decent growth with the although there are local latter it’s anyone’s guess whether Aflare-ups, new cases are the worsening pandemic will see the at pre-lockdown levels and the ‘R economy hit again, and will Trump number’ remains below 1. There gamble on economy or action on is news of a vaccination, though health ahead of the November questions remain whether enough of election? the population will volunteer to take In this issue of FTN we report on a fast-tracked medical treatment to our 2020 business plan. Progress keep the virus in check. has been affected by Covid-19, but There certainly won’t be any then it’s our job to respond quickly vaccination for the economy from to events and refocus resources in the chill winds that are set to blow, support of Members. and the possibility of a second wave As we resume ‘normal business’ this winter is a fearful thought, both I’m pleased to say that we’ve for the health of the population and recruited an excellent Chair which of the economy. we’ll confirm imminently and we’ll On a positive note, elements of continue to strengthen the Confor the timber market are performing team following Andy Leitch’s arrival strongly. Sawmills across the UK mid-lockdown. have reported very strong markets In the coming months we’ll for fencing and Olly Combe’s market resume member meetings, either report highlights that imports of online or through a blend of online carcassing material have been less and in person events where that is than expected, providing some requested and is safe. respite to UK mills. I know that as well as information Balanced against that is and the knowledge that Confor is an early decline in biomass fighting your corner, many Members markets, impacted by low appreciate the opportunity to oil prices, and continued network and I want that to continue weakness for some board as best we can. material. This has been a difficult time for With so much beetle- so many of us – both personally and damaged timber in central professionally. As always, we seek Europe, we need the Chinese to be there for you so please never and US economies to hesitate to get in touch. BIODIVERSITY

Biodiversity, Forestry and Wood Confor’s latest report highlights that UK wood production done right benefits biodiversity in all types of forest, and protects global forests.

nclosed with this edition of FTN is Confor’s new report on Biodiversity, Forestry and Wood. The Key messages importance of forests in the UK as biodiversity 1 Forests planted in the UK for Ehabitat has been rising up the political agenda. wood production have significant This report seeks to explore how the forestry industry, biodiversity value through wood production, also sustains and improves places for nature. 2 Wood production can help improve The report answers three key questions: the condition of native woodlands 1 How do forests that are created and managed for 3 Home-grown wood is important for wood production, mainly conifer forests, support biodiversity? biodiversity beyond the local forest 2 What role can wood production play in increasing 4 We already possess the knowledge, the habitat value of broadleaf woodlands? tools and frameworks to deliver wood 3 In a global context, how will wood production in the production and biodiversity benefits UK help reduce global threats to biodiversity by supplying a low-carbon resource and taking pressure simultaneously off valuable natural forests around the world? 5 Further research is needed!

Why is this report important for our sector? The benefits of forestry in the context of climate change The report is aimed primarily at policymakers, who have been increasingly highlighted in the general media. are making key decisions about planting targets, wood However, there is always a backlash to sudden, positive use, environmental support, woodland approval pro- media attention; in the case of forestry, environmen- cesses, which will shape our forests for decades and tal organisations have argued that commercial forests centuries to come. will exacerbate the nature emergency, and that native woodland should be planted instead. We went beyond research – we listened Confor has never denied the value of native wood- Environmental NGOs have not only received the report lands as habitats for wildlife; however, it was important but some of them have been actively involved in its to come up with evidence that productive forests can creation. This engagement will be especially important also deliver for biodiversity, and that managing native or for our future relationship with environmental lobbying broadleaved forests for timber can have a positive effect groups. on wildlife habitats. Eleanor M Harris, the author of the report, has not We realised that there was no comprehensive study only gathered the most relevant evidence to show that to provide an evidence-based argument that would hold commercial conifer forests can indeed represent valu- up in discussions with opponents of productive forestry. able habitats for wildlife. She has done so in constant dialogue with researchers and environmentalists, taking on board all the comments and constructive criticisms she has received. The resulting document offers a resounding dem- The report is a tool to communicate to onstration that biodiversity, forestry and wood can go together, and is a great tool to communicate what the “policy-makers and beyond what you, our forestry and timber sector is doing well to policy makers members, are doing for biodiversity. and the wider public.

6 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK Managing a forest for timber? Six simple measures to boost biodiversity in your forest

1 Put up bird boxes. Many UK forests, native or commercial, are simply too young to have veteran trees, so hole nesting opportunities are limted. Boxes for birds that usually nest in them, such as barn owl or pied flycatcher, can enable these often threatened species to re-colonise forest habitat. Invite local wildlife group and school children to do the work for you!

Identify future veterans and old-growth areas. 2 If you are going above-and-beyond one UKWAS requirement, make it this. We don’t have nearly enough old trees in our forests and woodlands, but you can change that for the future.

Deadwood is dead good. Stumps, fallen trees and 3 standing deadwood are one of the richest habitats for fungi, invertebrates, mosses and other wildlife which Will Anderson Will underpin the food chain. Make best use of your harvest – but be strategic about what you leave behind as well, it’s not waste, it’s wildlife wealth.

4 Bring in recorders. If your forest is doing great things for wildlife but no-one knows it, no-one will follow your good practice or support your management. Get the local wildlife group or other interested groups to run a recording project in your wood or new woodland creation project and demonstrate the value of what you’re doing.

Thin and coppice. Bringing an old coppice 5 back into management, or thinning a young spruce plantation, are both great for wildlife by bringing light down to the forest floor, creating deadwood and diversifying the woodland structure. Even if you are ‘only’ producing firewood, it’s firewood with a local conservation story that can sell at a premium.

Manage non-woodland habitats. Grassland, 6 heathland, peatland and wetland habitats are all part of the forest ecosystem and add to ecological diversity ‘ecosystem services’. Consider improving non-woodland habitats by a programme of ditch blocking on drained peatlands. Eleanor Harris

Why is this report important for our members?

The Confor report is a tool to are creating a productive woodland on biodiversity, and how you and your communicate to policy makers and bare land or whether you are managing business contribute to it. beyond what you, our members, are an existing woodland. You will feel proud Whether you get challenged in a doing for biodiversity. after reading it! stakeholder conversation, have to You know you’re doing a great job – Communication ‘ammunition’ – be defend your position in a pub chat or but did you know just how much? prepared when challenged. simply want to talk to dog walkers or This report can give you detailed insight The report gives you the communication local communities – you’ll be glad to into the biodiversity benefits of the work tools and arguments to explain why know the facts and background story. you are doing every day, whether you productive forestry can deliver for

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 7

CONFOR

Confor business plan: six-month review

Working with the Board, Confor’s business plan is designed to Stuart Goodall target resources to deliver the best possible benefit to Members. CEO Confor For 2020 the following priorities were identified: • Securing future wood supply Changing attitudes towards our industry he first half of the year has been • dominated by the disruption caused • Growing and promoting markets for timber Tby Coronavirus/Covid-19. Confor Aiding the economic development of the industry acted quickly to establish a Covid-19 on- • line hub and provide regular information • Better industry statistical information to Members. Signposting key information Skills training and providing letters of comfort - working • to support those businesses that continued • Plant health operating. Now that ‘lockdown’ is easing we’re working to position the industry in a ‘Green Recovery’. materials and illustrate how using wood Our lobbying work across the UK

The widespread positive feedback we can help reduce CO2 in the atmosphere and In England, the Minister Zac Goldsmith has received from Members has been a real contribute to slowing climate change. accepted my challenge to take personal boost for the Confor team, and I’d like to This report and campaign are very time- leadership of delivering 30,000 hectares of thank the many people who got in touch. ly, as governments across the UK seek to new planting a year by 2020, and he clear- promote economic growth that helps make ly recognised the scale of the task when Confor continues to campaign a step change towards meeting carbon tar- he called for a ‘colossal endeavour’ when and inform gets and promoting nature. he spoke to our All Party Group at West- While some parts of the business plan have minster. At that meeting he also spoke been delayed or disrupted by the Covid-19 A new Chair for Confor of his desire to see the UK produce more crisis, most of it has carried on. Notably, we We have recruited a new Chair and an an- wood, helping to reduce our impact on have launched a Biodiversity, Forestry and nouncement on that will be made immi- fragile forests overseas, and using more Wood report which should transform un- nently. I’m personally very excited as I be- wood in construction, recognising its car- derstanding of the benefits of productive lieve the new Chair will add a great deal bon benefits. forestry and producing wood, and with our to our work promoting the sector. I’m also In Scotland, forestry minister Fergus partners in Wood for Good we launched the pleased to note that the Chair is keen to get Ewing remains a strong supporter of the

Wood Co2ts Less campaign. This campaign to know more of the membership personal- industry. In the last year, Scotland man- is industry-wide and its aim is to promote ly – though that is more likely to be virtually aged to plant nearly 11,000 ha in the face of the use of all wood products as low carbon than in person for the foreseeable future. poor weather and then lockdown at the tail end of the planting season. Encouragingly, over 9000 hectares have already been approved for planting in 2020/21 and 7000 ha more are in progress, meaning there is a good prospect of continuing to grow towards the Government’s 15,000 hectare a year target from 2024/25. The governing SNP have also pledged to increase planting to 18,000 hectares a year by 2030. This year has also seen record funding of £8m for timber transport projects. In Wales, Confor pressure helped secure £10m Welsh Government funding, £8m for Glastir Woodland Creation and £2m for restoration - up from less than £4m last year. We also secured significant change in the administration of applications to simplify the process and we have helped to set up the Welsh Forest Industry Partnership, supported by the environment, housing Minister Zac Goldsmith Continued on p10 CONFOR

Continued from p9 Changing perceptions What’s next in 2020 and circular economy portfolios in Welsh I am still acutely aware that negative per- Looking ahead to the remainder of the Government, creating a strategic cross- ceptions and misconceptions about the year, the Board will present plans to further platform partnership for sectoral growth sector undermine efforts to increase plant- strengthen Governance in Confor, better between public and private sectors. ing, manage more woodland sustainably representing the range and geography of I was very pleased to welcome Northern and bring more wood to market. As well Members and providing more opportunity Ireland’s target of planting 9000 hectares as the ‘Biodiversity report’, Confor has ar- for Member representatives to feed into by 2030 and our local chair, James Hamil- ranged for Forestry Commission England Confor’s work. We will continue to combine ton Stubber and I met with Minister Edwin (FCE) to work more closely with Wood pressure on governments to deliver on their Poots to discuss how this can be achieved. for Good and Wood Knowledge Wales planting targets with practical solutions for The Minister wants to take a personal lead to promote the carbon benefits of wood how they can be achieved. Green Recovery and will chair a newly established Affores- products in construction and we will work planning is a major opportunity to promote tation Forum. with FCE to set up a similar group to the what the sector can deliver from tree plant- Scottish Industry Leadership construction ing to greater use of home-grown wood. Skills development working group. And the England Tree Strategy is a huge Skills is likely to be a key area for the Green opportunity to drive our agenda of pro- Recovery and Confor chairs the Scottish In- Tree health moting the industry in England. Across the dustry Skills Group which is currently work- Plant health, squirrels and deer remain key rest of the UK we will also begin prepara- ing closely with Skills Development Scot- issues and I’m pleased to say that we con- tion for the devolved elections in May 2021. land to develop and publish a refreshed tinue to participate actively in Tree Health 2020 has been a challenging year for industry skills action plan for 2021-23. The Action Groups, the UK Squirrel Accord, the everyone, but I believe it has also shone a English Forestry Skills Forum has its own Deer Initiative Partnership and other fora. clear light on the importance of a strong action plan and is also represented on the New legislation has been introduced that sector body and the individual benefits Scottish based group to ensure they ex- sets stringent import restrictions for Xy- that Members receive from being part of it. ploit opportunities for collaboration and lella, Plane tree wilt, Emerald ash borer and Confor’s work on behalf of Members has sharing of best practice. Welsh Focus on Elms yellows, and we are working to ensure helped the sector achieve new levels of vis- Forestry First funding was used to hold plant health support is included into the ibility with many new opportunities which a webinar to support contractors in un- proposed Environmental Land Manage- we are eager to secure – your continuing derstanding finance and financial support ment scheme in England, designed to fol- support is vital if we are to take advantage through Covid-19. low on from the CAP. of these.

Good governance

Company secretary and UKWAS. In addition, we have a sub- Members, identifying the priority issues Roland Stiven explains how sidiary company - the APF Exhibition Ltd of concern to the industry, and helping Confor as a membership - and Wood for Good Ltd, which is a joint to set and monitor the business plan. The organisation is looking venture with Swedish Wood. Advisory Board would be nominated or to review its governance The Confor Board is always mindful of elected by Members and facilitate a more structure to ensure how important it is that a membership representative involvement of Members resources spent deliver for organisation spends members’ money on than is the case with the current Board. members’ priorities. members’ priorities and it is vital the com- The Advisory Board would also ap- pany performs both transparently and well. point the Directors of the Company who, ood governance is vital for any After reviewing current practice, the alongside the Chair and CEO, would form membership body and Confor Board is proposing a move towards a new the Management Board, aiming for a suit- Ghad begun reviewing how Mem- structure. There would be a small Manage- able range of skills and experience. bers are engaged in the work of the or- ment Board of eight Directors responsible We are finalising a new set of Articles ganisation, prior to the merger with UKF- for good governance and ensuring Confor of Association along these lines which will PA when it was agreed a formal review of meets its statutory obligations. The Direc- be presented for member approval at the the Board of Directors would take place tors will be responsible for managing our AGM in late September. In a normal year within a period of two years. finances, for corporate planning and risk we would be holding our AGM at the APF Confor has grown in recent years, and assessment, employing a Chief Executive show with food and wine. This year, we’re not just in membership. Turnover is now and providing board-level support for the planning a virtual AGM and will be arrang- over £1.3m per year and we have a dozen employment and management of staff. ing appropriate voting procedures. More staff members active throughout the UK. Alongside this would be a wider Ad- details will be forthcoming. While a virtual Alongside services to Members, Confor visory Board of Member representatives AGM will undoubtedly be less fun, expe- also supports the sector at large, bringing from across the countries and the supply rience suggests that it may also result in in grant and other funding to help deliver chain. It would act as a high-level forum higher attendance than usual which can projects with sector partners such as FISA establishing good communication with only be beneficial for good governance.

10 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK

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12 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK ENGLAND TREE STRATEGY

Confor calls for coherent way forward

he England Tree Strategy must link grown timber and said this could reduce ment and use of home-grown wood. The up planting, management and wood the amount of unmanaged woodland in three are totally inter-linked.” Tuse effectively to map a coherent England (around 40%), when answering a Mr Goodall continued: “We want to ex- way forward for the forestry and timber in- question from Lord Carrington, a vice-chair pand native woodland - we want to expand dustry, Confor’s CEO has stressed. of the APPG. all types of woodland and see more wildlife, Stuart Goodall made the comments at Stuart Goodall, Confor CEO, said: “This but also more jobs and growth in fragile ru- an online meeting of the All Party Parlia- Strategy comes at a really important time, ral areas. 95% of what we produce in the mentary Group (APPG) on Forestry and with planning for a green recovery under UK is softwood - we cannot just think about Tree Planting – held shortly after the 12- way, and the opportunity to show the eco- producing more hardwoods. We need to week consultation on the Tree Strategy was nomic and environmental importance of increase the sustainable use of softwoods launched. trees and wood. It makes welcome refer- as well if we are to make a real impact on The deadline for responses is 11th Sep- ence to more planting, woodland manage- domestic production.” tember and Forestry Minister Lord Gold- smith encouraged ”everyone to give their views to design a tree strategy that delivers the maximum benefits for our environment for generations to come.” Confor will publish a formal response before the deadline and members should make their voices heard too (see panel). The Tree Strategy consultation document reaffirms the Government’s target of 30,000ha of new woodland annually across the UK by 2025 - against current planting of just under 13,500ha a year. “It will require massive collaboration and a sense of shared ownership - not just from the forestry sector, but businesses, local communities, farmers and landowners; all will have to join us in this colossal endeavour,” Lord Goldsmith said. Part of this meant showing woodland creation was a “viable financial option” to farmers and landowners, he added. This meant we would need “more private investment to ramp up to the kind of place we need to get to and give support to the private sector to make land available for planting”. Lord Goldsmith stressed that tree planting need not be delayed by the creation of the new ELM (Environmental Land Manage- ment) scheme. “People will not lose out if they go early,” he made clear. He said although this was an England Tree Strategy, devolved administrations would play a crucial role – including meeting targets. Scotland is currently planting 80 per cent of all new woods in the UK HOW TO RESPOND and Plaid Cymru MP Ben Lake, Chair of The England Tree Strategy asks for views on: the APPG on Forestry and Tree Planting, summarised the latest planting figures as: • how to expand, protect and improve our public and private trees and woodlands; “Could do better, but Scotland top of the • the increased role that trees and woodlands can play in supporting the economy; class”. Mr Lake reiterated the willingness of • how best to further connect people to nature; politicians across the UK to support new • the most effective way in which trees and woodlands can be created and managed planting. to help combat climate change. The UK also needed far more home- grown timber, Lord Goldsmith told the The consultation ends on 11 September. Respond here: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/ APPG, highlighting that we currently import forestry/england-tree-strategy/ 80% of timber for wood products – second If members would like to make suggestions for the formal Confor response, please only to China in net imports. He stressed call 0131 240 1410 or contact your National Manager. the need to stimulate markets for home-

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 13 NEWS

Update on industry support post Covid-19

Budget lift for Scottish Forestry Grant Scheme – and opens up to supplying nurseries in England and Wales

The Forestry Grant Scheme offers comed, but not exclusively, from financial support for the creation of • Forest Tree nurseries supplying new woodland and the sustainable trees into Scotland management of existing woodland. • Farm businesses wishing to diver- Within the scheme’s eight cate- sify into forestry gories, there are a range of support For the first time tree nurseries options covering planting, wood- in England and Wales which supply land protection, harvesting and trees to Scotland will also be able to more. apply for the funding. Scottish Government recently In addition, there has also been announced an update to their Har- a further £1m added to the wood- vesting and Processing category land creation budget of the For- of the Forestry Grant Scheme. The estry Grant Scheme, sourced from Wales Forest Industry budget for 2020 has been increased the Agricultural Transformation to £2 million in a joint initiative be- Programme – whilst this will be tar- Recovery Scheme tween the Scottish, Welsh and UK geted at farm and croft woodland, it Welsh government are considering a similar fund,and Governments, which will provide will ease the pressure on the overall on 22nd July, the Minster Lesley Griffiths announced the additional funding to help farm and grant pot. creation of a new Forest Recovery Support Scheme for forestry businesses increase capac- Find out more about the Forestry Wales. Further details and the launch of the scheme are ity, diversify and become more resil- Grant Scheme here: expected in mid-August. Confor is currently consulting ient in their recovery from Covid-19. https://forestry.gov.scot/support- with Welsh government on behalf of members on the Applications are particularly wel- regulations/forestry-grants focus areas of this recovery scheme. New Chief Forester for Scotland

Dr Helen McKay OBE has been appointed pointed to this role. She has been a real as the new Chief Forester for Scotland. advocate of promoting professionalism In her new role, she will provide tech- throughout our sector and I look forward nical and professional advice on forestry to working with her to showcase forestry matters to Scottish Government Ministers. as a modern profession to those seeking a A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered green career.” Foresters, Dr McKay has worked for For- Awarded an OBE in for her services to est Research since 1988, with a seven-year forest science and forestry, Dr McKay holds spell in the Forestry Commission’s Corpo- a BSc in Ecological Science and PhD from rate and Forestry Support and a short se- Edinburgh University and is also a member condment to the then Forestry Commission of the Institute of Chartered Environmen- Scotland. She currently provides scientific talists. and strategic leadership to the Centre for Dr McKay draws on her family connec- Sustainable Forestry and Climate Change tion with forestry in Scotland. Her mater- in Forest Research. nal grandfather, Neil Hamilton, worked for In addition to providing technical ad- the Forestry Commission after the WW1 vice to Ministers, the role of Chief Forester in Glenachulish and her paternal grandfa- includes acting as Head of Profession for ther, Archibald MacGilp, was the factor who public sector foresters and promoting pro- helped to plant the mixed forest at Quinish, fessional standards in the wider sector. Brexit. On the other hand, such challenges Mull. Delighted with her appointment, Dr Mc- can bring the sector together to further The position of Chief Forester for Scot- Kay added: strengthen the forestry profession and land is a requirement of the Forestry and “I am looking forward immensely to demonstrate its value to Scotland.” Land Management (Scotland) Act 2018. Dr working as Chief Forester for Scotland. Shireen Chambers MBE FICFor, Execu- McKay will take up her appointment on 1st Times are undoubtedly challenging be- tive Director of The Institute of Chartered August this year and will spend approxi- cause of Covid-19 in addition to climate Foresters said: mately 1.5 days a week carrying out her du- change, pests and diseases as well as “I’m delighted that Helen has been ap- ties as Chief Forester.

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CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 15 MEMBER PROFILE

A high-flying engineer and rally-aficionado makes his woodland deliver for economy, environment and – motorsport. Stef Kaiser reports Multi-purpose forestry – with a twist

ooking at Richard Ceen’s biogra- Moving into forestry phy, one would surely describe In 2012, a Swedish multinational bought the him as a successful engineer and marine technology group he had founded Lentrepreneur with decades of top- and it became time to invest in different level international business experience. assets. Richard saw this as a golden op- However, Richard’s heart beats for rally cars portunity to turn his passions into his next – and woodlands. Becoming later in life a business venture. woodland owner-manager has allowed him As well as the sea, Richard has always to engineer the perfect venue for both mo- felt an affinity for the forest. He recalls how torsport and the sustainable production of in the late 60s his family had renovated a a raw material – timber. house on a windswept smallholding just Hailing from a family with a long tradi- out of town. He spent his first winter holi- tion in engineering in North Wales and day from University planting half the 3.5 brought up in Holyhead port-town, it was acres with Jap larch and Scots pines for no surprise that Richard was drawn to a ca- his mother. Forests have since played a big reer in electronic and marine engineering. part of Richard’s life – as the ideal venue for been introduced by them to Tim Kirk, de- Experience gained from the mid-70s was rallying, cycling and orienteering first, and cided to invest a proportion of the proceeds applied by him in developing commercial as a family woodland business, Coedwig of the company sale in forest plantations. energy-saving systems for ship propulsion Pencelyn more recently. To a driver and former orienteer, forests and liquid natural gas safety worldwide. From around 2008, he had been closely were not only an investment asset, but an But life was not all work – Richard has al- following the UK private forestry sector opportunity to construct a unique con- ways been the outdoors type – he has spent through John Clegg’s sales and, having cept of multi-purpose forestry. For Rich- time travelling, orienteering, sailing, cycling ard, purchasing woodland would see his and even Scuba diving whenever possible. forestry venture exceed expectations in At Bangor University, pre-eminent in both both growth in land asset value and crop Forestry and Electronics, he chanced on yield. Bwlch y Mynydd (61ha) near Mold, what became a lifelong passion for rallying. Gorsedd Bran (106ha) at Brenig and Nant y Since then he has competed on and off as a Ffrith (98ha) Bwlchgwyn all within 30 miles driver or co-driver for 47 years. of each other were acquired between 2012 “I drove a Landrover at Bangor but was and 2016. unaware of stage rallying. Three Agri and Forestry student friends persuaded me to A hands-on woodland owner take them to watch the 1970 RAC Rally from the start passing through Penmachno forest. The Being an absentee forest owner was out impression of works Escorts and Datsun of question for Richard. Keen to re-use his 240Zs sliding and bellowing between the problem-solving skills, he was looking for- firs had me hooked and soon, I’d begged ward to actively managing the estate him- and bought enough parts to build a rally self, professionally advised by John Fergu- Hillman Imp. Practising and driving on son of Tilhill Forestry who had managed probably ‘illegal’ 12-car rallies, sometimes one of the estate’s forests for a previous on Forestry Commission forest roads at owner. night was then, err…the norm.” Gorsedd Bran forest was a Sitka spruce

16 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK compacted regularly using an ex-Forestry Scotland Volvo motor grader bought from Huntly contractor Jim Currie in 2014. Special stage rallying originated in rural areas and is of cultural significance in Wales. With a focus on environmental sustainability, there is no shortage of interest in the “rallying forest” from local schools to volunteer marshals at the motorsport ses- sions. In the other plantations, different activities are being explored from sustainable moss collection, wood milling to local yoga and forest mindfulness groups. And a local trials bike rider, in co-operation with some hitherto ‘illegal off-road bikers’ is developing a track to provide a local two-wheel motorsport resource which should self- police what had been a previous nuisance.

Future-proofing the business Pencelyn’s principal business activity is of course, return on timber sales. Continu- ous cover with additional handling is less profitable than the periodic clear-fell. Crea- tion and necessary maintenance of road infrastructure by itself is an extra cost but income from alternative use does significantly offset this. Richard learnt from his engineering career that robust long-term relationships with suppliers, clients and partners are key for business success. As he moves towards closed canopy forestry, he will be felling smaller quantities of timber. He is now interested in establishing working relationships with local buyers and in finding intermediate routes to market smaller batches of timber. block planted mid 70s on a upland peat rally test track. Local contacts of buyers interested in moor that contains two disused slate quar- So, with an outfit of used construction volumes from a few tonnes to a few thou- ries within its boundaries. machinery and two operators, Richard up- sand are encouraged to contact Richard at Richard quickly realised that in the even- graded 4.5 miles of existing tracks using [email protected]. aged block, all trees would reach matu- 20,000 tonnes of raw and crushed slate rity together and while clear felling would waste from the TWO on-site quarry tips. yield a short-term return, his goal was to By improving and extending the forests’ CONFOR WELCOMES maintain the forest as an asset and habi- road network, Richard created a win-win tat beyond timber production. Following situation for forest and motorsport. And NEW MEMBERS a management concept to restructure the the ready access has recently allowed ac- plot towards continuous cover, he initially cumulated windblow to be monetised. Belfast City Sawmills, Northern Ireland clear-felled a 19ha compartment which was But at the same time, having built a test Dunearn Logs, Fife increasingly suffering wind-blow through track that suited Richards needs, it became Forest2Furniture, Nottinghamshire poor drainage in wet peat. sought after by everyone from World Rally Timber prices in 2017/18 were attractive Championship (WRC) teams to clubmen. GSI, Midlothian and the clear-fell income funded the forest Top names including Elfyn Evans, who led Isis Forestry Limited, Leicestershire and road machinery outfit and infrastruc- the WRC earlier this year have used the R Shearer Consultancy Ltd, East Lothian ture development. roads for practice, car set-ups and stream- ing video productions; one featuring Elfyn Robertson Agri Forest, Aberdeen Forest roads for both forestry and Downhill MTB World champion Gee Steve Lloyd Timber, Ceredigion operations and motorsport Atherton, followed by another with TV Chef Elizabeth Dauncey, West Midlands As he had purchased a forest intended for James Martin in a Mille Miglia inspired rally Benjamin MacLeod-Needs, Herefordshire intensive harvesting, the hard road network F-type Jaguar. on the estate was limited and needed to be To maintain the tracks in good condi- Rachel Walker, Roxburghshire extended to allow for lower-impact extraction and minimise the environmental im- Samuel W Wilkinson, West Yorkshire tion. A secondary objective became the pact, use for rallying is restricted to 10-12 Simon Jacyna, Moray build of a Forest Engineering specification days per year. Surfaces are graded and

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18 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK COMMUNICATING FORESTRY & WOOD

Wood CO2ts less The timber industry tackling climate change

e are facing a growing climate The forestry and timber industry contribute to reducing CO in three ways crisis. The Intergovernmental 2 Panel on Climate Change states Trees capture harmful CO from our atmosphere and store it as carbon W 1 2 that the “continued emission of greenhouse gases will cause further warming and long- 2 Sustainable forest management with timely harvesting and restocking leads to continued capture of CO lasting changes in all components of the 2 climate system, increasing the likelihood of 3 Using timber instead of more CO2-intensive materials means carbon is stored severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts for at least the lifetime of the building, and often longer when we use reclaimed for people and ecosystems.” In response to wood for ‘second life’ products the growing threat climate change presents, the UK Government has set targets to reach zero carbon emissions by 2050. This will Led by Wood for Good and developed to promote this message across the supply need to be achieved through a combination in collaboration with Confor and Swedish chain. The campaign’s promotion of wood

of both capturing CO2 from our atmosphere Wood, the campaign aims to publicise the as a low-carbon and sustainable choice is and reducing the amount of greenhouse environmental and sustainable benefits of inclusive of the entire supply chain, whether gas emissions in the first place. wood, making it a first-choice building prod- it is trees planted, wood products used in It will not be feasible for every industry uct for legislators, planners, local authori- construction, or pallets used in packaging. to reduce or offset their carbon emissions. ties, developers, architects and contractors. We are calling on those in the industry However, the forest and wood-based indus- The campaign and its message have already to join Wood for Good and its supporters tries are in prime position to both capture been adopted by other industry bodies, the in our promotion of timber as a low-carbon

and store CO2 now and in the longer-term. Timber Trade Federation (TTF) and the product. With the UK accelerating towards Clearly, for the UK to reach net-zero, we Structural Timber Association (STA). a green recovery post-lockdown, and a re-

must prioritise and promote increased tree Wood CO2ts less launched to the timber newed focus on ensuring we work towards planting and greater use of wood products. industry on 13th July, and a further promo- a carbon neutral society, now is the time The facts highlighted in the panel above tional launch is scheduled for September for the industry to be shouting about how

form the core message of Wood CO2ts less, 2020, targeting a wider external audience. Wood CO2ts less. a new campaign to promote the key role Our message is simple: if we want to reach

timber has to play in reducing CO2 emissions zero CO2 emissions, prioritise wood. For more information about the campaign, and slowing climate change. To achieve this, we must work together visit www.woodforgood.com/co2

Wood CO2ts less marketing resources available to Confor members Wood for Good is governed by a board and takes direction from a committee of stakeholders. Its activity levels rely on the level of supporter contributions it receives. Its members are drawn from across the public and private sector, from organisations working within forest and land management through to timber merchants and trade associations representing the sector.

For the Wood CO2ts less campaign, we have created a ready-to-use set of informative and engaging marketing resources. These are all available to Wood for Good supporters through an online members’ area. This allows them to use the assets to promote the sustainability message of timber for their organisation, as well as stay up-to-date and connected with the campaign. As part of its commitment to promoting the increased use of wood products, Confor’s investment

in the Wood CO2ts less campaign means that Confor’s members can access this members’ area for a reduced fee. To discuss how to get involved and pricing, please contact Sarah Virgo, Campaign Manager for Wood for Good at sarah.virgo@ woodforgood.com

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 19 MARKETS

Forestry in the time of Covid

FOREST MARKET at price of over £20,000 per stocked hec- In the south of Scotland there is a steady REPORT tare. flow of small farms and parts of larger ones During the last two months there have being brought into afforestation. Much of Fenning Welstead been other sales that reinforce the strength this changes hands off-market bringing John Clegg & Co of the demand for productive conifer plan- back memories of the old Schedule-D days tations. More on this to follow next time. We of the 1970s and 80s. Prices vary widely believe that part of this is due to a desire to depending on whether buildings or houses ou might think that with four secure assets that meet requirements for are included and on the status of forestry months of lockdown not much has Natural Capital or ESG obligations. approvals. If a whole farm is acquired this Ybeen happening in the woods. How Last December I mentioned Ewich For- presents opportunity for subsequent deal- wrong you would be. est, marketed through Bidwells, which ing with neighbours to adjust boundaries At the start of Covid there were a num- went to a closing date in November. Cri- and the potential sale of the farmhouse ber of effects. The Royal Institute of Char- anlarich represents a meeting point of the with a few acres. tered Surveyors (RICS) introduced a ‘ma- road north from Glasgow and the road This is the positive result of the strong terial uncertainty’ wording to Red Book coming west from Edinburgh/Stirling. Add confidence that has been engendered in Valuations. This concerned some investors in the railway station and the popular West Scotland by the fulsome ministerial sup- sufficiently to withdraw from bidding. Oth- Highland Way and there must be some po- port for forest expansion. Confor has done ers were understandably reluctant to pro- tential to consider developing this forest an excellent job in focusing minds and the ceed with purchases when they would have to cater for that traffic. The crops are now Scottish government has responded with to crystallise stock market losses in order forty years old and with a balanced mix of clear, sustained support for their policies. to free up the cash. That still left consider- spruce, larch and pine all seems set for a With that in place the market is rising to the able buying power in the market. Despite period of activity. This was an intriguing of- opportunities this offers. If such a climate the practical difficulties of making inspec- fer and the resulting sale at around £18,000 could be created in England life would get tions it was encouraging that forestry was per hectare shows that several people saw really interesting. seen by the Government as an essential the opportunity. Following the Covid pan- activity and we were encouraged to keep demic the potential boost to the staycation England and Wales going. We must thank Stuart, the team at market makes this look like a perspicacious Moving to the south the majority of sales Confor and the Scottish minister for their acquisition. appear to have been in Wales, with a hand- encouragement and support in this regard. Further expansion of forestry requires ful in Devon. We have recorded a total land. The sale of Spittal Hill in Glenshee (be- of 560ha sold with a mean sale price of Scotland and northern England low) offered 366ha of spectacular hillside £11,000/ha. All properties have sold just As we entered lockdown, Whiteburn (right) with an approved planting scheme cover- over the guide price with the exceptions of had just been launched onto the market. ing 157ha of mixed spruce, Scots pine and a small property in Carmarthenshire signifi- Forming part of the extensive Kidland For- native broadleaves. This created healthy cantly below and a large property in North est in Northumberland and offering a range interest. There is good demand for plant- Wales above. Two properties of note: of crop ages together with a cottage it was ing opportunities and having an approved 1. A second rotation spruce plantation in attracting good interest. Some prospective scheme in place removes uncertainty. This North Wales extending to 134ha launched purchasers withdrew as a result of the fac- sold at approaching £8000 per hectare onto market in early March just as the pan- tors mentioned above but many stayed on of approved planting. This should develop demic was ramping up. With a guide price course and a competitive closing date was into a very attractive forest with adjoining of £1.3m an offer was accepted circa 15% held on 9th April. The sale has completed open hill and in a spectacular setting. over guide price. However, with Covid as a reasoning the buyer significantly reduced their offer at the last minute. The purchaser refused to accept this and put the property back on the market which was quickly under offer with no loss. 2. A 28-year-old, predominantly Sitka (with larch and some Douglas) plantation in mid-Wales was taken to a closing date and an offer accepted. Nearing comple- tion, there was a possible report of Phy- tophthora ramorum in the larch, which was intimately mixed with a significant area of Sitka spruce. The purchaser was concerned by the loss of value due to prema- ture thinning or clearfelling felling required by the anticipated SPHN and wished to devalue their offer substantially. However, further investigations revealed that a stem injection of the larch would be acceptable.

20 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK This would comply with plant health regu- ha) sold in Surrey late last year for a simi- the lockdown. John Clegg approached the lations; chemically thin the Sitka spruce lar price, showing that acre for acre pretty underbidder, who was delighted to get a crop and allow it to remain for full rotation broadleaved woodlands can hold their own second opportunity, and the sale complet- age. The purchaser saw the wisdom and against the most “commercial” of proper- ed quickly at the original price. revised their offer by a marginal amount to ties, albeit with a very different clientele. In summary, we have seen forestry val- reflect the costs. It pays to fully consider In terms of COVID 19 impact, the broad- ues continue to appreciate through the first all options. leaved sales were not immune. Two sales six months of 2020. The Covid event has In the interest of a more diverse picture, came close to falling through in March at a had an effect in removing some prospec- it might be of interest to add that the high- late stage of conveyancing. A small reduc- tive purchasers from the market but has est values per hectare have been achieved, tion (3%) in price to accommodate the per- strengthened the resolve of others to se- as previously, from small broadleaved ceived risk of the purchaser settled the first cure woodland assets. Overall the message woodlands in the south of England. Riland – a 34.7ha leasehold wood in Somerset, still is positive. Much depends now on how the plantation (5.18 ha), a pretty beech wood substantially above guide. In the second wider economy recovers and with it the de- in Devon complete with stream, achieved case, a 12.6 hectare wood in Devon, the mand/price for timber. a sale price in excess of £20,000 per hec- vendor withdrew citing the need to redi- tare. This mirrors Long Piece wood (5.82 rect cash to support his businesses though www.johnclegg.co.uk

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 21 MARKETS

Global markets show early signs of recovery

TIMBER AUCTIONS edented glut of good quality spruce sawn MARKET REPORT wood hitting the market, and whilst initially this was pushed into the least demand- Oliver Combe ing markets there are major investments Timber Auctions going on in processing plants to increase both sawing, drying and planning capacity Global scene so the material can be targeted at higher Covid-19 continues to cause huge uncer- value markets. tainty in global markets, however, we are In the short term this will be a threat now seeing signs of recovery. China’s econ- to the UK producers as it will restrict their omy has bounced back into 3.2% growth in ability to increase prices much above cur- Q2 after record slump to -6.8% last quar- rent levels where the USA and China are spring 2020 due to a combination of lower ter. This is highly significant as it means more attractive than the UK and so the bulk prices and uncertainty over the market. China avoids a recession ( two consecutive of the volume is heading there giving the In Scotland, Forestry and Land Scotland quarters of negative growth) and points to- UK processors a welcome opportunity to have stopped direct production during the wards a V shaped recovery which is a sharp increase their market share again. lockdown period fall followed by a sharp recovery. Longer term it appears there will be less Harvesting and haulage infrastructure In America there has been a steady in- spruce grown in Europe, especially in the has reduced over the last 18 months as the crease in timber prices since mid-March lower lying and drier regions of Germany demand slowed down. with £8m3 price increases in the first week and the Czech Republic where there are At the same time, increased demand for of July. This is coming at a time when the huge volumes growing below 600m (805m second-hand harvesting machinery from market normally slows down for the sum- m3 in Germany and 700m m3 in Czech). Central Europe for clearing beetle dam- mer holiday season. The shift to growing species more suited aged timber has led to older machines be- The strength of the American market to a warmer drier climate has begun with ing exported and not always replaced so and the improvements in China have also increases in planting of Doulas fir, Oak and this has also reduced the overall harvesting had positive impacts on European and fir species as well as changes in silvicultural capacity in the UK Scandinavian producers as they have in- practices to try and make the forests more A modest upturn in demand has now creased their exports to these markets resilient. In places where Norway spruce put the supply chain under pressure and it during quarter 2 of 2020 which has in turn can still be grown, managers are looking may take several months for the supply of diverted timber away from the UK market. at different provenances, smaller coupes, logs to increase in line with demand. This has been an unexpected but very more intensive thinning regimes and short- The merchants and processors appear welcome development for the UK produc- er rotations of around 50 years as opposed to have reasonable stocks of timber bought ers as the threat of European beetle timber to the traditional 80 to 100 years. ahead it is just proving difficult to suddenly continuing to drive the market down has Could this be the beginning of an oppor- increase output of sawlogs only! been very real for the last 18 months. tunity for the UK to become a reserve of In the past, shortage of supply has lead Over the last five years, central Euro- spruce timber? to price increases although currently, the pean forests have been battling with the processors are very wary about increasing accumulation of 250m m3 of mainly beetle UK softwood sawlogs round wood prices whilst the spectre of damaged spruce so far and potentially an- Prices for sawlogs have stabilised in the massive supplies of cheap wood in Central other 500m in the next 10 years. Germany’s first half of 2020 and have even shown Europe hangs over their heads. Most seem annual cut is forecast to reach 60 to 65m in very modest and cautious price increases to be looking for increased domestic mar- 2020 after a record cut of 70m m3 in 2019 towards the end of Q2 as demand has im- ket share with stable log prices to try and against a five year average of 54m 3m . proved during June and July. restore their profitability after a difficult On a positive note, little damaged tim- 2019 and torrid start to 2020. ber remains in the Germany’s forest due Sawlogs delivered to a massive harvesting effort, the cutting Spruce £65-75t Small round wood volume is falling and the cooler summers of Redwood £70t (La, Df, Pine) 2020 seems to be repeating the pattern 2019 and 2020 have reduced the number of 2019 where strong prices in the winter of life cycles for bark beetles. With most mills now back up to full pro- fell back throughout the summer as sup- In the Czech Republic the situation is cessing capacity there are now some short- plies increased, demand fell and markets more serious with a forecast cut of 50m term concerns over availability of sawlogs, reached saturation point. m3 this year against a planned cut of 30m especially spruce. There appear to be a In 2020, we seem to have hit saturation m3. Whilst 75m m3 of damaged timber has number of factors influencing this; point in the markets very early in summer been harvested so far there is forecast to Machines have moved into lower produc- with most of the smaller markets now full of be another 200m m3 to be cut over the tion jobs and need to complete these jobs, timber and the gates closed for deliveries. next five years. There has been less timber offered to The key factor in 2020 will be what im- These volumes have lead to an unprec- the market by the private sector during pact the low oil prices we are seeing cur-

22 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK quality mixed conifer clear fells and thin- It should be noted that due to the re- ning with a high biomass content and own- quirement for export material to be loaded ers are reluctant to accept prices of £20 to into containers the material often needs to £25 per tonne standing for clear fell parcels be double handled which can cost £10 to and are prepared to not sell and wait for the £15m3 and needs to be factored into the net market to improve. roadside price. It will be interesting to see if this leads to a shortage of small round wood in the final Firewood quarter of the year. Firewood supply has steadily increased on The Covid outbreak has significantly re- the back of diseased ash felling at the same duced leisure income for many rural land- time as biomass demand has fallen due to owners and it will be interesting to see if cheap fossil fuels (oil and gas). This has they look to their woodland to raise income lead to a build up of stock in some areas and possibly carry out harvesting work in and falling prices. woodlands normally reserved for shooting. In the south of England, low grade This may create some welcome additional firewood is now grouped together with volume from the private sector during the hardwood chip wood and is around £40t normally lean winter months. at roadside although this price should in- Felling of trees attacked by bark beetle in crease in the winter when demand increas- the Czech Republic Hardwood saw logs es and supply reduces. The oak market was gone right off the boil As you move north, the prices have re- rently have on biomass prices over the next in 2020 as Covid uncertainty has hit both mained much stronger due to better de- six months. supply and demand at a time when most mand and less supply and firewood prices From a high of £50 to £55 per tonne buyers have good stock levels either in their remain around the £50 to £55t at roadside roadside during the winter prices fell back yards or in the forest. As there has been mark with ash demanding a slight premium. to £35 to £45 per tonne at roadside de- more stock available in the midlands and pending on local availability as markets be- southwest, recently the buyers here have Summary came swamped with wood. There are now pulled right back whereas over on the east The timber market has proved surprisingly signs that stocks are reducing in some ar- coast, where the supply has been tighter, resilient and it appears the market has bot- eas and over the last four to six weeks there there is still demand but at a price level. tomed out and is beginning a slow recov- has been a stabilising of prices and in some On a more positive note, there is lit- ery, sawlog demand is strong and looks set areas increases. tle or no material coming in from Europe to continue into autumn but there is now so hopefully once domestic demand picks an oversupply of small round wood and en- Timber availability up demand for sawlogs should follow fairly ergy wood which is unlikely to change until After the steady decline in prices of the or- quickly. bio fuel demand increases in the autumn. der of 25% during 2019 prices have stabi- The GB pound is hovering around the lised during early 2020 however, volumes 1.10 to 1.12 rate against the Euro which offered to the market appear to have been makes imported material expensive and reduced and currently there are signs of should favour home grown material. TIMBER AUCTIONS raw material availability tightening and The weak pound has benefited the - ex prices starting to increase. port market and demand for export grade If you wish to discuss parcels of timber you would like to market, Good quality sawlog-rich clear fell par- ash and beech is currently strong. please contact Oliver Combe on cels are still fetching £40 to £45 per tonne 07771 958975, oliver.combe@ standing and more mixed clear fell parcels Export grade (roadside less any handling costs) timberauctions.co.uk for free 3 £30 to £40 per tonne standing. Ash £70 -90m independent marketing advice. There is still uncertainty over poorer Beech £70-80m3

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24 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK PLANT HEALTH

A forester’s perspective in Dumfries & Galloway

Dan Haslam, Scottish Woodlands, Castle Douglas

lant health is undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges Pwe face in the forest industry due to the UK’s commercial forest resource consisting primarily of the single species, Ye ‘Olde Faithful, Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis). Of course, the logical strategy is to diversify as much as possible, conse- quently increasing resilience...

Diversifying conifer forests and pest resilience In the majority of our commercial forests in Dumfries and Galloway (D&G), diversification means planting the closest possible species related to Sitka - Norway spruce (Pi- mixed conifer obligation we resort Norway spruce cea abies). Larch (Larix spp) was to planting monocultures of Norway previously the popular choice for its spruce (often on unsuitable sites) landscape and biodiversity attrib- adjacent to our monocultures of utes, its reasonable yield and good Pines are the prime host Sitka spruce; is this really increasing timber qualities. However, with Phy- of our most popular pine our forests’ resilience? In Decem- tophthora ramorum having swept “ ber 2018 there was an outbreak of weevil which have certainly the region, infecting our much-loved the Larger eight-toothed European larch, foresters are hardly left with a been flouting the rules spruce bark beetle (Ips typogra- plethora of species to choose from. during lockdown phus) in Kent, a beetle that has Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) decimated its prime host Norway was often a natural choice in the menziesii) does produce great tim- spruce, all over Europe (also known region as it will withstand severe ber (if of a suitable provenance), to infect Sitka, firs, pines and larch). exposure, dry out peat soils and is however, it is very site-specific and Although Ips is a secondary pest, far more tolerant of heather com- like all firs it is often first choice on preferring to infect stressed or dead petition than Sitka. However, the the menu for any browsing pests. trees, it is known to spread the blue importance of pines has diminished Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) stain fungus (Endoconidiophora considerably due to the slow growth has potential too but again, it is very polonica), both working in tandem rates and the more recent spread site-specific, preferring to establish which greatly increases its threat. of the fungus Dothistroma needle under the canopy as opposed to the Furthermore, the Great spruce bark blight (D septosporum and D pini), relative exposure of a new woodland beetle (Dendroctonus micans) has which has suppressed growth rates creation/restock site. Additionally, also developed cravings for spruce and therefore reduced interest in es- Western hemlock (Tsuga hetero- in Britain, with first attacks dating tablishing the conifer. Furthermore, phylla) establishes best with shelter back to 1973, but only discovered pines are also the prime host of our but it is very prone to butt rot (Het- here in south Scotland in 2003. One most popular pine weevil (Hylobius erobasidion annosum) so foresters female beetle can colonise a single abietis) which have certainly been tend to avoid it, influenced as well tree, lay up to 300 eggs and live for flouting the rules during lockdown. by its characteristic of prolific natu- as long as 18 months. Fortunately Most true firs Abies( spp) have a ral regeneration that poses more of however, there is a successful bio- poor reputation due to their timber a constraint than an opportunity. So logical pest control system available quality and are generally costly to what can we do? to keep D micans in check. establish. Douglas fir Pseudotsuga ( In order to fulfill our UKFS 10% Continued on p26

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 25 PLANT HEALTH

Continued from p25 jority of sites unless and until higher an exposed peaty gley? Unlikely. Yet even with some successful quality land becomes available for Perhaps it would be quicker and pest control, and diverse genet- afforestation. So, we are torn be- more cost effective to selectively ics within our Sitka (see Forestart’s tween choosing the correct species breed Pyhtophthora resistant larch article – Forestry & Timber News, for the site and choosing a species so we can start planting that again? February 2020), are we simply pro- that is commercially viable, leaving Whichever potential solution they viding a stressed vulnerable host for all fingers pointing to the one and pursue, the industry can’t expect these little critters? Live adult Ips only, Sitka spruce, and with the ma- much progress on the government’s have occasionally been trapped in jority of the sawmilling sector dedi- limited budget. The private sector the UK during routine monitoring cated to white wood it is difficult to already supports the Conifer Breed- at sawmills and at ports that handle justify a major shift away from what ing Coop and more help may be re- imported wood. In addition, Charles the market demands. quired to address this issue. Beaumont (Trees Please – Forestry & The Scottish Forestry Grant Whatever future challenges plant Timber News, April 2020) confirmed Scheme (FGS) has tried to facilitate health and climate change bring to that larger trees for the landscaping additional diversity with the Re- our industry, we must be flexible so industry are still imported from the structuring & Regeneration Wood- we can adapt and work with the en- continent. If the coronavirus pan- land Improvement Grant, and with vironment, ie flexibility within fund- demic has taught us anything about some success, but in the majority ing mechanisms (FGS), perhaps the ‘known unknown’ (as David of cases in D&G it’s still far more even embracing new management Richardson (Forestart) put it), it’s economically viable to plant Sitka systems so we can better utilise the not ‘if’, but when it happens. provided we don’t see the ‘known alternative species available but ul- unknown’. Alternatively, the Conifer timately, Sitka spruce is very well Diversification in productive Breeding Coop is also trying to ad- suited to the majority of D&G. So, D&G conifer forests dress this issue, but what is needed all we can do is continue to do what The scope for diversifying commer- in D&G is to change the species site we know works, plant the good stuff cial conifers in D&G is essentially requirements, while still being com- and protect it from its known pests slim. Few other conifers are suitable mercially viable – as an example, can and diseases! or commercially viable for the ma- you breed a Douglas fir to grow on www.scottishwoodlands.co.uk

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CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 27 Vacancy: Treeline Forestry Limited Forester based in South Scotland Treeline Forestry Limited is a dynamic company with an expanding portfolio offering a bespoke service to our clients across Scotland. We are looking for an individual with the experience and motivation to contribute positively The site to the team and enhance and build on our reputation. clearance The ideal candidate will possess an ability to perform to a high standard, without compromise and be able to and biomass demonstrate good communication skills to ensure high specialists quality engagement with current and future clients. A sound knowledge of the Scottish Forestry Grant Scheme, UKWAS and digital mapping will be advantageous. The successful individual will be encouraged and supported to develop rapidly with a view to building their portfolio as the company secures a greater market share and continues to expand. A competitive salary commensurate with experience will be offered to the new recruit. Please send your CV to [email protected].

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28 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK PLANT HEALTH

Plant Healthy certification scheme salutes its pioneers

ack in April this year, Charles Beau- untary standards. The long-term aim is for mont of Trees Please Nurseries groups of certified suppliers and traders to Biosecurity in numbers: Bwrote about Plant Health and the work together to improve plant biosecurity Figures, estimated values and costs recent launch of the new Plant Healthy across entire supply chains. relating to bioscurity and plant health Certification Scheme. Since then, due to Last month, Grown in Britain held a Plant COVID-19, the operational landscape of Healthy webinar to introduce the scheme nursery businesses in the UK has under- in more detail to tree nurseries. It looked at gone radical change. Unfortunately, in the the drivers behind the development of the world of plant pests and disease it remains scheme and the need to raise the bar for very much business as usual. The parallels biosecurity. The current regime of inspec- with human epidemiology are clear, often tions and plant passports is vital for the in- with similar biosecurity principles applying dustry but has still left us dealing with Ash to people and plants. die back, Oak processionary moth and a The development of certification host of other pests and diseases that cost schemes for best biosecurity practice in our country economically and environmen- the plant trade was proposed in Protecting tally. In addition, the news that the EU will Plant Health: A Plant Biosecurity Strategy not uphold our enhanced regulatory meas- for Great Britain, April 2014. Since then, ures for Xylella and plane wilt means that many dedicated people from a range of our personal responsibility for implement- organisations and businesses have con- ing these measures via a voluntary scheme tributed to the development of the Plant like Plant Healthy becomes increasingly Health Management Standard and the important. Ed Birchall, APHA’s Principal Plant Healthy Certification Scheme. In ad- Plant Health & Seeds Inspector, expressed dition, with 2020 being the International his hope, “that all sectors involved with Year of Plant Health, Defra has placed great plants, moving plants, trees and timber will emphasis on the need for increased bios- take up the opportunity that Plant Healthy ecurity in the plant supply chain. Both the offers them, to look at their practices of trade and the government’s desire for more what they buy and from where, to raise homegrown plant material is an emerging plant health bio-security to protect their aspiration to assist in avoiding further pest business and the environment”. introductions. So how is Plant Healthy going to help businesses reduce the risks from pests and diseases? If we dig a little deeper behind the scenes, we find that the scheme is made up of 23 requirements that apply to the whole supply chain, from seeds or Planting stock needs to cuttings, to trees being managed in the we need to maintain high standards of bi- be“ biosecure and from a landscape. Some requirements are statu- osecurity in the supply chain. This is why tory, some internal such as the company’s we have supported the development of known origin plant health policy, company structure and the Plant Healthy certification scheme, who is responsible for each element of launched in February 2020, and the under- Despite the challenges of Covid-19 the the plant health cycle. Other requirements pinning Plant Health Management Stand- Plant Healthy Certification Scheme is being cover how plant health is disseminated to ard“ (Rt. Hon Lord Zac Goldsmith). adopted by a growing number of engaged employees and how the company keeps up Planting stock needs to be biosecure and innovative nurseries, some of whom to date with regulations. Essentially Plant and from a known origin and with the cer- have worked with the certification bodies Healthy certification revolves around an tification mark awarded to businesses that to develop remote auditing techniques. ongoing pest risk analysis which aims to meet a high level of biosecurity, this will All applicants that join in the first year will ensure an appropriate level of protection give buyers and specifiers extra confidence become part of the ‘Pioneer Group’ and for each individual business. when choosing their suppliers. will help to ‘bed in’ this new scheme. Dur- Key for the forestry sector is the impact ing this pioneer phase, the Plant Healthy that Plant healthy will have on the supply website will keep an up-to-date list of all chain and the benefits of the assurances business that have applied to either of the that certification will bring to those looking Certification Bodies to become certified. to purchase trees and seed from a range of If you are interested in joining the Pioneer This will enable businesses to demonstrate producers. The recent English Tree Strat- Group, or simply want to find out more to specifiers and purchasers1 of plants, egy consultation stated that, “To minimise about Plant Healthy then contact Alistair their commitment to adopting robust vol- the risk of future plant health outbreaks, Yeomans via www.planthealthy.org.uk

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • 29 MACHINERY

The protective windscreen will not Chainshot necessarily protect you

In most of these accidents the chainshot has passed straight – what is through the windscreen. A new test standard (ISO21876) is currently being written and this is likely to result in the requirement the risk? for protective screens to be at least twice as thick as they Chainshot has been the cause of a number of fatal currently are. accidents around the world and a recent near fatal accident in the UK. Chainshot is the ejected pieces of Above: Chainshot involved in a a saw chain following a chain break which travel at near fatal accident that became ballistic speeds (700 mph). Chainshot has as much Below: Chainshot embedded in embedded in the injured party kinetic energy as a bullet fired from a rifle. or having passed through the having passed through the FISA would like to thank members of the FISA Plant & protective screen protective screen. Equipment Working Group for their input to this article.

Your responsibilities – reduce the risk of chainshot

Manufacturers/Suppliers/Importers/Distributors Operators

Manufacturers of new (and new to new-machinery.htm and the free Don’t cut with the front or rear risk zones pointing the European market) machinery guidance leaflets INDG270 and towards the cab must design, construct and supply INDG271 (available free @ Know the risks to you and those around you and how safe products (legal duty is set out www.hse.gov.uk) to protect against them (min 70m danger zones) by Section 6 of the Health & Safety Knowlege of relevants Standards: at Work etc Act 1974 (HASAWA) Understand the difference between a chain catcher BS EN ISO11850 2011 (amended (‘cotton reel’ and chainshot protective device) and Supply of Machinery (Safety) 2016) Machinery for Forestry: Regulations 2008 (SMSR)). General Safety Requirements Be aware of wear limits and how to check them: This will require competent Section 4.3.2.3. and chain test 0.6mm for sprockets and the least of 2mm or 50% of knowledge to ensure machines Standard (ISO 11837) the thickness of the chainshot protective device comply with the Machinery Raise awareness of the risk from Know and check/correct chain tension/ Directive 2006/42/EC. In particular chainshot via manufacturer’s guide bar force machines must be designed safety information (as required Know and check chain speed and built to meet the relevant by Section 6 HASAWA & SMSRs) Know and check the use of essential health and safety and by providing information on correct lubrication requirements listed in Annex 1 of retrofitting chainshot protective this Directive. See www.hse.gov. device to older harvester heads uk/work-requirement-machinery/

30 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK How you can reduce the risk

Chain breaks which can generate chainshot can be minimised by good maintenance of the following:

Check the chain tension – avoid the chain being too loose

Regular chain maintenance. Repairs using proper tools (not just a hammer) eg: chain breaker/rivet driver and rivet spinner

Avoid damaged sprocket, bar and/or chain (as Chainshot protective little as 0.6mm for many manufacturers. Follow device closely fitted around drive sprocket the ‘Rule of thumb’ replace a sprocket every 10 chains or use Oregon wear marked sprocket)

Ensure chain and bar lubrication is working Chainshot Excessive chain speed – new chainsaws can protective device (guard) must not drive chains faster than their design and become worn harvesters can be adjusted to push chain to beyond the least excessive limits. Check you’re running at the of 2mm wear (or recommended speeds! 50% of material thickness) The Standards (outlined below) require a chain- (specified in ISO 11837) shot protective device or guard to be fitted to harvester heads to prevent chainshot being generated (reduce whiplash of broken chain) or deflect it. There Saw box type of chainshot Absorptive finger type chainshot protective device protective device are several types integrated into the head or saw box by manufacturers, and you can often retro-fit to Thanks to Oregon and manufacturers – John Deere/Logset/Logmax/Komatsu & Konrad older machines – speak to your dealer. – for illustrative details.

Avoid all too common sprocket wear (far left and centre) Consider the use of Oregon wear indicator sprockets (right)

Operators Owners including Buyers FWM/Contract Manager Buy new machinery that is CE as part of the Technical File. Check contractor’s machinery is compliant and marked and lists compliance with www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment- well maintained (protective screen damage? already listed relevant Standards. machinery/refurbished-modified- chainshot protectice device in place? worn A conformity assessment (to CE machinery.htm and www.hse.gov. sprockets? are good indicators) mark the machine) may be required uk/work-equipment-machinery/ Check that chainsaw safety zones have been in the following circumstances: conformity.htm identified and are adhered to (at least 70m as • Where an existing machine has Ensure that safety information specified by the specific manufacturer) been significantly modified as is provided to operators on the Don’t specify thinning or other work that requires it may be considered as a new importance of chainshot protective the harvester operator to cut in line with cab due machine devices being maintained in to space restrictions • Where an existing non CE-marked place and not overly worn, drive machine is brought into Europe sprockets wear parameters and • Manufacturing your own how to check and the other control Latest news on workplace fatalities: machines. measures already listed. https://press.hse.gov.uk/2020/07/20/figures- Information generated and Replacement of screens when reveal-that-numbers-of-people-killed-have-fallen- obtained during the conformity damaged by chainshot (check for yet-agriculture-continues-to-have-the-highest- assessment procedure must be ‘melt’ marks) and other causes. retained by the Responsible Person rates-of-worker-fatal-injury/

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32 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK MACHINERY APF 2021 APF Diary summer 2020

Ian Millward APF secretary

espite the postponement of this years show until September next Dyear work is still going on towards APF 2021 on 23-25th September 2021. We want to keep the momentum going towards APF 2021 and use the extra year to plan new events and features for you to enjoy. Since our announcement to postpone until next year we have had nothing but support and encouragement from both exhibitors and visitors. Everyone appreci- ated the situation and the early decision to postpone meant that exhibitors did not commit to costs for ordering stock, equip- place to come, look at and buy new kit and and suggestions We want the show to re- ment, haulage, marquees etc. money they meet old friends but we would also like to flect what you want to see. would have subsequently lost. As I write offer more to our visitors and make it not We are hoping our partnership with the this article mass gatherings are still banned a just a great day out but also an oppor- Royal Forestry Society and their Young For- so the ultimate decision to proceed or not tunity to add a day on to the visit and use ester programme will see a lot of young- is entirely out of our hands whatever pre- the extra time to update their skills and sters visiting the event and encourage them cautions we had put in place. knowledge and get refresher training. We to consider a career in the forestry or arbo- The Prime Minister has declared he are always keen promote education, train- riculture industry. wants everything back to normal by Christ- ing and skills competence and the APF You will also be able to gain further mas. A sentiment I am sure we would all Demo offers a great location for this. To knowledge and skills updating at the For- agree with, but that decision may well be this end we are talking to Lantra and NPTC est Worker and Tree Worker zones where a determined by events outside even Boris’ City and Guilds to see if we can hold short wide range of topics will be covered. control. We just have to keep our fingers one-day training and refresher courses on crossed. a range of skills and host these courses at Great prizes to win on social media the event. Courses will not be restricted Thank you to everyone who continues to New Fencing Village at APF 2021 to such things as chainsaws, brushcutters, follow us on social media and enter our One of the new plans for APF 2021 is a pesticides etc but also rarer greenwood competitions. Our last competition reached Fencing Village, a show within a show, if skills such as hay rake making, charcoal over 17000 people and our Sunday Carvery you like. Fencing obviously has close links burning, willow weaving etc. Keep tuned post featuring one chainsaw carver a week with forestry with the need for rabbit and and visit the website as we put more flesh has been very popular. We hope to follow deer fencing, and the fencing industry has on these bones. If you have any ideas on from this with profiles of Greenwood not got a show of its own. We are seeking about a course we can stage or would like craft workers and their skills. Watch out to work with all the players in the fencing to offer to run a course please get in touch. for some fantastic competitions and prizes industry from small to large, whether they If you have ever thought of becoming in the coming weeks featuring Husqvarna, are machinery, equipment, wire or timber a Lantra instructor or a NPTC assessor we Air-Seal, F R Jones, Brampton Valley Train- manufacturers and gather them together also hope to have technical verification ing and Komatsu with prizes as varied as in one area. Not only will they be able to demo’s so you can see what level of skill is a battery powered chainsaw, money off demonstrate their products in action on required and talk to them about the whole vouchers, air seal products for your tyres their stands but also have the opportunity process. and a chainsaw maintenance and crosscut- to stage demonstrations in an arena at the We are talking to our colleagues at Con- ting course! heart of the village and showcase the latest for and the Forestry Commission about equipment and techniques available. We hosting events highlighting industry de- are also hoping that this can include short velopments, plant health, grant schemes, APF 2021 courses on particular fencing skills that technical developments in the industry We remain open for bookings from visitors can book and attend. The Fencing etc. In the past we have done this within a exhibitors for APF 2021. Booking forms Village will also be the location for the UK seminar type format. However, we appreci- and maps are on the exhibitor section Open Fencing Championship to be held on ate that this format may not be the best of the website and better still if you Friday 24th September 2021 sponsored by method of passing on information at an book now there is nothing to pay until McVeigh Parker. outside event when your time at an event January 2021. is limited. We are looking at shorter, bite [email protected] Learn something new at the APF sized and more practical formats. Again, www.apfexhibition.co.uk The APF show has always been a great we welcome any and all constructive ideas

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 33 Collins Farming & Forestry Services Ltd

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34 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK MACHINERY APF 2021 Contractors, test your knowledge! The Forest Worker Zone (FWZ) is one of the THE FOREST WORKER ZONE QUIZ 2020 highlights at both the 1. On a standard hydraulic system, which 12. Dense shrub cover, 5 – 10m tall APF and the Confor motor would give the most speed, and is excellent habitat for dormouse. Woodland Show. We’ll which the most torque, 200cc or 400cc? Which five species are associated with have to wait for it until 2. On a standard hydraulic cylinder, will the dormouse abundance? next year, but for now, rod go fastest going in or out? 13. Which quiet woodland bat Toby Allen of Say it with 3. Explain your answer for question two. sounds like a Geiger counter when it echolocates? Wood offers to test your 4. What do the numbers on the head of a 14. In the new forestry apprenticeship knowledge with a short bolt refer to? scheme, what are the two pathways 5. What species of bird lives in the nest in quiz on topics related to available to students? the picture? the FWZ workshops. 15. How many pages does FISA guide 6. Without seeing the bird, how can you tell 806, Welfare, contain? orking in the woods is a if a raptor nest is active? 16. How many pages does 603, complex job. The con- 7. If a machine costs £50,000, you expect Mechanical harvesting, contain? Wtracting sector is often to keep it for five years, then sell it for undervalued, but when the skills £30,000, averaging 300 hours per year. 17. From August 2020, an employer needed to carry out the practical What is the cost per hour, to the nearest incentive payment is available. How tasks of growing and harvesting 50p to own the machine? much is the payment for taking on a 16 trees are considered, it’s a career -24 year old apprentice? 8. If the operator is paid £100 for an eight- with many facets. A good contractor hour day for the above machine, averaging has to draw together different areas 30 ton per day, what is the total cost per of knowledge to plan and execute ton? tasks safely and effectively. They need a grounding in project man- 9. Assuming 20% downtime, what is the agement, managing risk, mechan- cost per ton? ics, hydraulics, electrics, comput- 10. What is the difference between the ers, ecology, botany, business and slewing mechanisms of Ponsse Ergo and communication skills, be up-to-date John Deere 1070 harvester cranes? with the latest innovations, plus (of 11. The fruits of the small and large leaved course) the expertise to carry out limes are both covered in fine hair like whatever job they have been paid to structures (tomentum). What are the do. There are too many skills to list distinguishing colours? here, but you get the point. The For- est Workers Zone was set up to give Now to test your chainsaw knowledge with some tricky tests set by our top chainsaw trainer, us the opportunity to develop and David Rossney from ESUS forestry. Get your thinking caps on! hone these skills while having fun 18. What is the most common depth gauge setting for most makes of professional at the APF and Confor Woodland chainsaw chain? Show. The aim is to bring together 19. Match the chains below into pairs with similar cutting and fitting characteristics. experts in the different aspects of our job, to give free advice and train- Stihl 63RMC3 36RSK 23 RS Pro ing at shows. We can’t do it this year, Oregon 73 LPX 95 TXL 21 LPX so we thought it would be a good opportunity to test your knowledge Huqvarna X cut C 85 S 93 G SP 33 G with a quiz, with questions provided Rotatech B2 SFT C3 SFT B1 SFT by some of our experts due to attend this years APF. If you can get to 20. Match the chain pairs to the correct saw and bars listed. the end without looking online, buy MS442, standard bar yourself a drink. Hopefully our quiz stretches your 562 XP, standard bar knowledge a little. We look forward 560 XP, standard bar to seeing you at the APF next year. If anyone has any suggestions for the MS 261, Light 04 bar Forest Worker Zone, or would like 550 XP, Speedcut bar to get involved please get in touch, [email protected] MS 231, Picco bar 21. What is the current record of the ‘Chainsaw Hold Out’ competition, using a Stihl 361 fitted See p47 for quiz answers with 15” bar. Is it 60 , 120, or 180 seconds?

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 35 • Wood chippers • Wood chipper combinations • Stumpgrinders •Woodgrapples, cutters & saws

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36 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK MACHINERY

Fuelwood demo weeks in September and October

Following the cancellation of the Accessories on display will also APF show in September, Fuelwood include: timber grapples; new tim- will be hosting a demonstration ber decks and racks for processing week at their newly refurbished site firewood; dust extraction systems in Warwick, from 21-26 September with optional cyclone collection; 2020. Fuelwood Scotland will also processor mounted, free standing be hosting Demonstration Open and bulk loading log cleaning sys- Days at their premises in West Lin- tems; and much much more.... ton, near Edinburgh on 9 and 10 Oc- With Valtra, Fendt, Predator, Cat- tober 2020. erpillar and Kubota machinery also Easy way to net logs These free events will enable all on working display, these events visitors: discussions with the team; promise to be the most comprehen- John Wilson recently took a side step at Jas P Wilson to see full working demonstrations sive working displays of forestry and to allow him to develop a new and affordable mecha- and have hands on experience firewood machinery available in the nised log bagging system. The potential profitability themselves, of Fuelwood’s entire UK during 2020! on retail sales of logs in nets is enormous especially range of machinery including: The Warwickshire event will be if you consider much of it is softwood which is nor- • Heizohack chippers open from 9am-5pm on all days with mally cheaper to buy and easier to process. • Plaisance mulchers the exception of late night opening The Eazipak consists of a storage hopper which • FTG Moheda and Avesta Vagnen until 8pm on Tuesday 22 and Friday after loading delivers logs over a cleaning screen to timber trailers and cranes 25. The Scottish event will be open a bagging table where one, two or three operators • Mecanil grapple saws from 10am to 5pm on both days. call manually fill. The delivery feed speed is instantly • Exac-One tree shears All those interested in attending adjustable which allows the operator/s to work within • Blacks’ cone splitters are asked to either register their inter- their comfort zone and for long periods using the • Lucas Mill sawmills est. Venues are Beausale, Warwick- minimum of effort. Output depends on a number of • AMR saws and log splitters shire, CV35 7AF, and at Fuelwood factors but rwo operators should easily manage 500 • Japa and Fuelwood firewood Scotland, West Linton, EH467HL. 60x45 nets in four hours. processors and kindling machines. [email protected] As it is powered by single phase electric motor it is quiet enough that operators can hold a normal conversation while working. The hopper can also be left loaded to utilise any free staff time at the push of a button. The company has built 15 of these machines since last October which have been sold to customers as far apart as Inverness and Exmoor. The main comment from buyers has been they obviously expected to increase production but were not prepared for the increase in staff morale and motivation. For further details contact John Wilson on 07730581291 or [email protected] Videos of the machines working can be seen at www.multi-log.co.uk

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38 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK MACHINERY

Arborist finds way through lockdown with Husqvarna battery power

unning a successful arborist business, Arbor- Venture Tree Care, Josephine Hedger, outdoor Renthusiast, Husqvarna H-Team ambassador and multiple World Tree Climbing Champion, faced one of her biggest challenges yet, navigating her business through a global pandemic. Establishing her own business in 2005, there were many obstacles Jo knew she could expect, but a global pandemic was not one of them. With eight members of staff and a busy working schedule ahead, Jo and the team quickly adjusted procedures to follow government guidance, reducing large rigging and removal jobs to adhere to social distancing measures. With quieter roads and an increase in people working from home, efforts to reduce noise pollution was of great importance, and Jo turned to her Husqvarna battery products in an effort to reduce disturbance to her customers and their neighbours. Jo explains: “As lockdown began and the nice weather made an appearance, more and more people began spending time in their gardens, and jobs that needed doing became apparent. Our workload began increasing If it wasn’t for battery power, we’d but thought of disturbing residents became a concern. have had to be a lot more selective in “With more people than ever staying at home, there “ where we were able to work was the worry of disrupting those working from home and home schooling their children. I was also very con- scious of the fact that we wouldn’t know if we would be pleasure of being involved with from their initial design working near NHS workers who had worked a night shift through to their launch. With such a high cutting per- and were trying to sleep during the day. The thought formance and power, along with the other benefits that of starting up noisy petrol machines and disturbing the battery offers, I never had to consider switching to the peace for everyone was too uncomfortable, so we knew petrol equivalents.” using battery power was the right choice for us.” Delivering power and performance for full-time, With a range of professional battery-powered hand- heavy-duty and professional use, Husqvarna 500 Se- held equipment, Husqvarna allows arborists to continue ries battery products have been developed with long, their work, without the worry of fumes and noise pol- demanding workdays in mind. Durable and robust to lution. Lightweight and designed for comfort and ease withstand heavy, professional usage, and provide a pow- of use on long shifts, the tools are quiet enough to use er output that matches, and even exceeds, their petrol anywhere, at any time. equivalents. Gaining feedback from her customers, Jo was re- “If it wasn’t for battery power, we’d have had to be a lieved to find out minimal disruption was made from lot more selective in where we were able to work. With her work. Jo explains: “Many of our customers were many customers living in tight knit residential areas, unaware of battery products being available in a profes- we’d have had no choice but to be reduce the number of sional capacity and were extremely impressed about the hours we worked in order to limit disruption. Thanks to little noise they produced. They were amazed that we the benefits of Husqvarna battery products we’ve been were able to carry out such large jobs with minimal dis- able to keep our customers happy and continue busi- turbance. Initially, I was nervous about how we would be ness in this new ‘norm’.” perceived, but thanks to being so quiet, it actually made www.husqvarna.com/uk/products/battery/ APF us more noticeable, in a great way! “We’ve been loyal Husqvarna battery users since Though things may be a little different for a while, we 2021 2013, and throughout lockdown our love for these ma- are looking forward to continuing our work and taking chines has only increased further. The battery hedge part in activities next year such as attending the APF exhibition in cutters, leaf blowers and chainsaws have been such 2021, where lots of exciting events will be taking place including the a big help over the last few months, in particular, the Husqvarna World 25m Pole Climbing Championship. new T540i XP and 540i XP chainsaws which I had the

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 39 forestry equipment now in stock

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40 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK FOREST MANAGEMENT

The practicalities of woodland carbon

part of this vison. The Tilhill Forest Alex MacKinnon, Tilhill Pending Issuance Units (PIUs) manager has registered the new = pre-sequestered carbon veryone seems to be talking woodland with the WCC and the about it at the moment, but owners plan to sell woodland car- PIUs are a pending issuance of the carbon, aka Ewhat does planting a wood- bon units for the carbon the trees before it has been sequestered. Essentially, this is a land look like practically? sequester. This will provide a valu- way of selling the carbon before it has actually been The Woodland Carbon Code able source of income to help fund absorbed by the trees and giving the woodland (WCC) held its first reverse auction existing and future investment in the owner a lower but quicker return. over January and February. Could project. The income could come in the Woodland Carbon Guarantee two ways, Pending Issuance Units Woodland Carbon Units (WCUs) have done just as it intended and (PIUs) or Woodland Carbon Units = actually sequestered ton of carbon stimulated the carbon market to (WCUs). WCUs represent one tonne of carbon that has create a reliable and valuable source In this particular case study, a to- actually been sequestered by the trees. Every 10 of additional funding for woodland tal of 123,000 trees have been plant- years the WCC projects are verified, this is where the creation? ed with 32 different species. The PIUs are verified to have actually been accumulated Such funding may be exactly trees were planted in an intimate and can then be sold as WCUs. what is required to push many strug- mix to avoid homogenous groups gling planting projects over the line. of the same species. Capital funding benefit biodiversity greatly but also Doing so would edge us ever closer for the planting was received from mean a proportion of carbon is se- to the monumental planting targets the Welsh government via their questered quicker by the fast-grow- that have been set, but as time pass- Glastir Woodland creation scheme. ing conifer species and proportion- es the reality of reaching, or dare Species include Sessile oak, Pe- ally more slowly by the broadleaves. I say it, superseding, the targets, dunculate oak, Wild cherry, Birch, Naturally, the conifer species will be seems less and less likely. Rowan, Alder, Small leaved lime, more suitable to the sawmilling in- Tilhill has carried out a number of Aspen, Hawthorn, Grey willow, Goat dustry to be transformed into wood woodland creation projects focusing willow, Beech, Field maple, Sweet products for the construction and on carbon sequestration. chestnut, Hazel, Dogwood, Horn- landscaping sectors. These products One such project was a property beam, Viburnum, Spindle and Crab create a second life for the carbon situated on the eastern edge of the apple. While the array of conifers within the trees. Products such as Cambrian mountains in mid-Wales. includes Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, construction timber can lock away The site takes up 47.68HA and is a Scots pine, Lodgepole pine, Norway the carbon for decades further and, pleasant mix of broadleaved and co- spruce, Coast redwood, Western red if sustainably recycled after that, nifer planting. cedar and Noble fir. decades more. The WCC has been an important The wide variety of species will Continued overleaf

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 41 FOREST MANAGEMENT

Continued from previous page pected events or differences in es- Other slower growing trees such timations used when calculating the as broadleaves will sequester car- carbon that will be sequestered by bon more slowly, and as such will be the trees. suitable for a whole different range Whilst financial details of this of products. Not all of the trees will project are not publicly available, be harvested, many will stay on at the table below gives an indication the site and continue to draw down of what values could be achieved in carbon for many years to come. similar projects. The WCC calculator tells us that The potential WCU values in the the planted trees are expected to table are totals and could only be draw down and store 20,760 tons of sold once they have been verified.

CO2 (tco2). After the buffer has been Naturally, this will be a smaller pro- removed, the total tons of saleable portion at the first verification (Year carbon is 16,608t. A buffer helps 10) and grow over time throughout to account for any changes, unex- the project’s lifetime.

Location Size Number CO2 Principle species Potential planting Potential PIU Potential WCU (Ha) of Trees sequestered employed grants (Yr 1) value (Yr 1 to 5) value (Yr 10 to 40)

Cumbria 7 10,080 2,206 Mixed Broadleaves £29,030 £16,545 £55,150

Cumbria 34 44,880 18,891 Mixed Broadleaves £129,254 £141,683 £472,275

Invernesshire 50 105,838 13,597 Birch and Conifers £211,676 £101,978 £339,925

Aberdeenshire 13 20,624 2,158 Conifers £41,248 £16,185 £53,950

FSC Pesticides UKWAS review announced Policy update – extension to and call for stakeholder input The beginning of a formal process to a full revision is necessary. A deci- transition period review and, if thought necessary, re- sion on whether to continue to a Recognising the impacts of the vise the UKWAS certification stand- revision phase will be made towards Covid-19 pandemic on the work ard was announced 1st July 2020 the end of this year. If so, the work- of Forest Management certifi- by the UKWAS steering group. The ing group will take forward the revi- cate holders, FSC has extended current 4th edition of the UK Wood- sion with the objective of a new UK- the deadline for complying with land Assurance Standard, known as WAS 5 version of the standard being ESRA requirements for these UKWAS 4, has been in effect since in effect from 1st April 2023. chemicals from 1 August to 31 1st April 2018 and in accordance Standard-users and stakeholders December 2020. with the UKWAS procedures, it is re- from across the UK forestry com- You only need to comply with viewed on a five-yearly basis. munity and beyond are now asked the ESRA requirements for new- An independent multi-stakehold- to help us by submitting their initial Views of users ly listed HHPs (eg glyphosate), er working group chaired by Peter thoughts and recommendations to and stakehold- those HHPs that did not require Wilson will take forward the initial the working group by the end of Au- ers are now a derogation under the previous review phase to determine whether gust to [email protected]. being sought. regime (eg acetamiprid), and non-HHP chemicals from the end of the transition period, although we recommend that you start to implement the requirements sooner. www.fsc-uk.org

See also Bracken control and Asulox, Pesticides Notebook p60

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CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 43 TREE BREEDING

Improving British timber quality by tree breeding

Gustavo Lopez, Paul versity, it is now recognised that the McLean and Helen McKay, wood quality of Sitka spruce grown Forest Research in Britain is limited by wood stiffness rather than wood density. Wood round 60% of the soft- stiffness is the main limiting factor wood grown in Great affecting the grading of the timber Britain goes to sawmills and usually determines that British Ato produce sawn wood- Sitka spruce is graded at C16. Alone based forest products, including tim- the other two properties affecting ber for use in construction. Construc- the grading of the wood, strength tion grade timber offers the best and wood density, would be suffi- economic returns to the supply chain cient for Sitka spruce timber to be and is an important consideration for graded as at least C18. An improve- the forestry sector due to its long- ment in the stiffness of Sitka spruce term storage of carbon. It is hardly would therefore be a major boost to surprising therefore that growing the quality of domestic timber and construction grade timber is a key bring positive impacts for the whole objective for many forest managers. supply chain. Improving wood stiff- Sitka spruce is the most promi- ness in Sitka spruce has therefore nent timber species in the British become the most interesting aim for Isles and currently in the region of tree breeding. 665,000ha of planted Sitka spruce forests are managed for this pur- Assessing stiffness in an stiffness in an extensive collection Selected trees pose. Because of the relative im- extensive collection of Sitka of 25 provenances of Sitka spruce for stiffness portance of the species to timber spruce provenances covering most of the natural range were grafted production, a Sitka spruce breed- At the beginning of 2019, Forest of the species in the Pacific West into root stock ing programme at Forest Research Research undertook a preliminary Coast of the North America (Figure by Forest has existed for over 50 years. This investigation of the variability in 1). This experiment was originally Research at breeding programme has focused North Research on individuals derived from seed Figure 1 Station. originally collected in Haida Gwaii © Forest Research (formerly the Queen Charlotte Is- lands) in British Columbia. The aim of the programme has been to improve growth, stem form, branching and wood density in Sitka spruce. It is a testament to the success of the programme that at least 95% of the Sitka spruce seedlings planted in Great Britain now come from genetically improved parent material. Based on over 20 years of research carried out by Forest Re- search and Edinburgh Napier Uni-

44 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK Figure 2

Resonance assessment used to estimate the stiffness of the first three 3.1m long logs from each felled tree in the Farigaig trial. © Forest Research

made possible thanks to interna- form and branching, were felled there were significant differences tional funding and the participation and a nondestructive test was used between some provenances, with of IUFRO (The International Union to estimate the stiffness of the first the top provenances appearing to of Forest Research Organizations). three 3.1m long logs from each felled be closer to a C20 grading and the The experiment was established in tree. Log volumes were also meas- poorer provenances close to a C16 1974 at Farigaig near Foyers, south- ured. In February 2020, all prove- grading. There was no obvious re- west of Inverness. The work that nances in the second replicate were gional trend in estimated stiffness, took place in January-February 2019 assessed. and there was no relationship be- was jointly funded by Forestry and In 2019 scions (cuttings) were tween stiffness and latitude – more Land Scotland and Forest Research. collected from the three trees with northerly provenances did not have A second phase of work in February Below: the best stiffness score out of the higher stiffness - but provenances 2020 completed the assessment of Experiment of nine felled trees in each provenance. from the northern BC mainland candidate plus trees from all prov- 25 provenances In the following year, we focused our (Skeena) generally seemed to have enance plots in the trial. of Sitka spruce effort and took cuttings from only lower stiffness. In the meantime, The locations of seed collections (Picea sitch- the individual trees with the high- these results imply that many prov- for the provenances that form part ensis [Bong.] est stiffness regardless of the provenances may be able to contribute of this experiment are shown in Fig- Carr.) organ- enance. These scions were grafted to improved stiffness in any future ure 1. They came from the US states ized by IUFRO on to young rootstock so that we re- breeding programme, which could of Alaska, Washington and Oregon, (The Interna- tained genetic stock with improved be good news for genetic diversity. and the Canadian Province of British tional Union of stiffness which we can revisit in the Mean estimated stiffness by Columbia. Five different provenanc- Forest Research future as part of our ongoing Sitka provenance is shown in Figure 2. All es came from Haida Gwaii. Organizations) spruce breeding programme. of these provenances were grown During the first investigation, in- and established in one place. Provenances are ar- dividual tree diameters and mortal- in 1974 at Fari- No trend of variation in ranged in order of increasing stiff- ity were assessed in one replicate of gaig near Foy- stiffness in relation to ness, not by location of origin. For the trial for all 25 provenances. The ers, southwest seed origin British spruce, mean stiffness deter- work was done in only one replicate of Inverness, The initial results from our stiffness mines the structural grade, three of due to the limited time available. Scotland, for assessments showed that there was which are indicated by horizontal Then, within each provenance, nine the assessment more variation in estimated stiff- bars in the figure. trees, which had been selected as of stiffness. ness within a provenance than be- The Farigaig experiment has al- being the best in terms of growth, © Forest Research tween provenances. Nevertheless, Continued on p47

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 45 Make FTN work for you. To advertise, call Laura on 01502 725866

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46 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK TREE BREEDING

Continued from p45 than the original Haida Gwaii prov- planting the experiment. The work ready provided very interesting in- enances. Currently, there is a lot of described in this article was jointly formation about the possible natu- concern about the predictions of funded by Forestry and Land Scot- ral genetic variation in Sitka spruce climate change; broadening the ge- land. It is important to acknowledge stiffness. It should give us the op- netic variation will in theory increase the valuable contribution from For- portunity to breed sublines of Sitka the resilience of genetically improved estry and Land Scotland staff Doug spruce with improved wood stiff- Sitka spruce to changes in climate. Mitchell and Graeme Prest and the ness. It can also be used to improve Forest Research are working professional support from the local the timber quality of the current with Forestry and Land Scotland forestry staff including Kenny Hay. elite Sitka spruce breeding popula- and the Scottish Forestry Trust on a Many thanks to Forest Research tion. Doing so would keep gains in more detailed investigation of these staff Andrew Price, Richard Whittet, the quantity of the wood production trees, including obtaining more reli- Colin Gordon, Ruben Manso, Ra- but also add to the quality of the able measurements of stiffness and chael Davidson and Thomas Baer timber in the United Kingdom. growth rates. for their professional participation.

Resilience to climate change Acknowledgements Further information on Forest Re- It is also possible that the grafted This work was made possible by search’s work on the selection and scions will be a valuable source of many of our research predecessors testing of conifers: genetic diversity for traits other than many of whom we don’t know by www.forestresearch.gov.uk/ stiffness because those trees are name, but to whom we are eternally research/tree-improvement/ from a wider range of provenances grateful for collecting the seed and selection-and-testing-of-conifers

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CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 47 TREE BREEDING

Creating broadleaves 2.0

Future Tree Trust CEO divisions and clashing opinions, the That’s where Future Trees Trust Tim Rowland outlines the need for more trees is universally is making a difference to our world, accepted. Yet planting rates in the right now. Our work aims to increase charity’s programme to UK have stalled and landowners are disease resistance, carbon seques- enhance broadleaved finding it difficult to justify planting tration and timber yield in seven species for better disease native broadleaved trees from an species of broadleaved trees by up resistance, carbon economic perspective – the returns to 20%. sequestration – and are too low because the trees ma- Such increases in timber yield ture too slowly and often only pro- have been achieved with other spe- economic viability. duce firewood. cies across the world – Sitka spruce Not only does the world need and eucalypts to name just two. We here isn’t much that Gre- more trees, but we have to ensure still have a way to go before we can ta Thunberg and Donald that the trees planted now and in claim such yield increases, but all Trump agree about. But the future deliver the maximum ben- the early indications are that we’re Tboth have made much of efits for society. To do this they need heading in that direction. the fact that the planet needs more to be healthy, disease resistant and By making the planting of broad- trees to help avert the predicted cli- productive. They need to be ‘better’ leaved trees more economically mate crisis. In a world of often bitter trees than are currently available. attractive, many more, much better trees will be planted in the future, with all the associated benefits and advantages these trees will bring to our society, environment, wildlife habitats and the very look and feel of our countryside. Improving the economic viability of our broadleaved woodlands is a fundamental driver of our work. An old forestry saying is “The wood that pays is the wood that stays”. Our work will help to make our broadleaved woodlands pay so that the trees in them stay to provide all the benefits to us that they can.

Why should we improve our broadleaved trees?

Because our climate is changing Predicted changes to our climate – increased average temperatures, dryer summers, wetter winters - will have an impact on our trees and we need to make sure that future trees are best adapted to thrive in the climate they will experience.

Because it has huge social benefits Broadleaved woodlands play an important role in the quality of our lives by providing ecosystem services and associated health benefits. Our work aims to make the very most of what they can offer us, by producing strong, healthy trees to plant and by advocating good management of our woodland.

Because it benefits our economy Our broadleaved woodlands can contribute to local, regional and national economies in several ways:- Producing a sustainable source of high quality timber products - our broadleaved woodlands are generally of low quality and often the end product is firewood, meaning that the UK imports 95% of the hardwood timber it uses Supporting rural economies - woodlands provide many opportunities to support rural economies, from mountain biking centres, adventure playgrounds and wildlife encounter experiences. These activities generate significant income and provide considerable contributions to local rural economies and employment.

48 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 We have now identified more than 1400 ‘plus’ trees and have taken either cuttings or seed from them. We either graft the cuttings or plant the saplings grown from the seed into replicated trials across the UK. Over many years, we assess their growth, form and disease resilience, remove the lesser-performing trees and leave only the best trees (those with proven resilience, good growth rate and form) free to breed with each other. After successive removal of all but the best trees, we are left with trees that will produce seed that will grow into superior trees.

Next research objectives We have set ourselves some challenging objectives to achieve by 2025: • Plant progeny trials for silver birch and sycamore • Establish four oak grafted seed orchards • Continue work on the Living Ash Project to find ash trees resilient to ash dieback • Identify 50 more birch trees in Selective breeding trees are mainly selected for their Our ash seed England and Wales and sessile Since 1991, we have been identify- timber-producing characteristics: orchard oak plus trees ing superb individual trees of seven • Pest and disease free at Little • Collect grafting material from all broadleaved species – ash, birch, • Rapid growth Wittenham newly identified plus trees cherry, oak, sycamore, sweet chest- • Straight, circular stem Left: Grafted • Establish four demonstration nut and walnut – and have been • Fine branches birch trees plots across the UK to showcase selectively breeding them from ei- • Horizontal branches ready for our achievements. ther cuttings or seed. These ‘parent’ • Desirable wood properties. planting www.futuretrees.org

Growing broadleaved trees for timber

Potential benefits: • Increased income from higher timber yield and quality – improved trees are bred for their form - light, horizontal branching and strong apical dominance - meaning fewer knots and timber defects and far greater Support Future Trees Trust volumes of high quality recoverable timber. To ensure we achieve these • Lower establishment and maintenance costs – improved trees will challenging outcomes, we need establish and grow more quickly than unimproved stock, needing a support from everyone with shorter period of protection, spraying and mowing. an interest in growing trees for • Shorter rotation period – improved trees can reach their economic timber, to help us maintain our viability several years before unimproved trees, meaning that the value of ambitious research programme, a woodland can be realised more quickly. our ever-increasing profile and our growing lobbying influence. Greater carbon sequestration – the increased timber yield from • Making a donation to support our improved trees means that they are more likely to be converted in to research will help us breathe new valuable timber products which locks up more carbon, rather than life into our woodlands. Please releasing it to the atmosphere if burnt as firewood. send cheques made payable to Future Trees Trust to Future Trees Trust, 3 Queen’s Square, Left: The end result – high value oak timber Chalford Hill, Stroud GL6 8EG.

FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 49 FOREST DESIGN

The creation of Snowden Close

Chris Hamill MICFor, Pryor & Rickett Silviculture

nowden Close in Cumbria est (SSSI). North-south it is crossed was conceived and delivered by the Maiden Way, a Roman Road Sas a precursor to Forestry running North from Hadrian’s Wall Commission’s Forestry Investment to what was once the most northerly Zone (FIZ) pilot. It was acquired outpost of the Roman Empire, and a for a client seeking to add forestry scheduled monument. On the north- to their investment portfolio. Yield- ern boundary there is open land on ing a return on investment was an deep peat. important consideration in terms of The key constraints of the site appraising potential opportunities, formed an integral part of the over- but the client also attributes value all design at the outset, around to natural capital features. which the productive elements were This double management aim aligned. The northern edge of the sparked their interest in a site which, forest, adjoining the peat, is planted for a wholly finance-driven client, with very low-density planting of a would have been deemed a chal- ‘Black Grouse mix’ of juniper, haw- lenge. The site is bisected east-west thorn, birch, hazel and rowan. by the King Water, an important Next comes higher density mixed river for invertebrates and a desig- broadleaves, phasing into lodgepole nated Site of Special Scientifc Inter- pine, and finally the Sitka crop. This

creates a long diffuse boundary be- SNOWDEN CLOSE tween open ground and forest. The site is bordered by older plantations, Location: north-east so this will become the softened Cumbria, near Gilsland. edge of a much larger forest area. Total size: 208ha The SSSI river, while designated Composition: 122ha Sitka in ‘good condition’, had banks much spruce, 42ha diverse degraded by grazing. Animals are conifer/ broadleaves, 44ha now excluded, and existing riparian open ground woodland has been extended while also leaving extensive open space. Planted: 2019-2020 Where there was previously the oc- Management aims: casional ancient hawthorn, the habi- Establish commercial tat is expected to see substantial forest asset with capacity improvement. Natural regeneration for high quality conifer of oak is already occurring, less than timber production, 9 months of stock exclusion. There while enhancing natural is an excellent opportunity for local capital for sporting and wildlife organisations to come and recreational interests monitor how this habitat changes Manager: Chris Hamill over time. MICFor, Pryor & Rickett Silviculture (PRS) Roman Road The Roman Road, while scheduled, Left: final woodland is in a variable condition. In some creation design plan for places it is little more than a ditch Snowden Close while in others it is covered by a concrete road. The forestry planting, set back from either side of the road, defines its route so that visitors can easily see and follow it. However, the monument exerts its influence be-

50 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK OBITUARY

yond the designated area: there is a strong historic sense of place in particular where the road crosses high A founding figure of the points. To preserve this, two a large areas of open space were left where modern forestry and it crests over a ridge, and where the road goes through the forests trees were taken back at other high points timber industry to ensure views remained open. The existing right of way, enabling the Sandy Brownlie (1935 – 2020) public to access the road, has been preserved and hopefully visitors will Confor has paid a warm tribute to consider their experience enhanced Sandy Brownlie CBE, one of the by the structure and diversity pro- founding figures of the forestry and vided by the forest. timber industry, who has died at The forest is establishing well and the age of 84. is expected to grow at yields in the Sandy was the driving-force high 20s or even 30s, producing behind taking the family sawmill- quality construction timber. Some ing business in the Borders, A&R grazing has been retained in the in- Brownlie, and creating what be- ternal open space at the crest of the came the largest wood processing Roman road, but the deep peat and business in the UK, BSW Timber riparian areas have been taken out Ltd. of productive management and will Stuart Goodall, Confor Chief Ex- be allowed to rewild. ecutive, said: “Everyone at Confor The delivery of this new wood- is very sad to hear of Sandy’s pass- land scheme was an extremely slick ing. He was a major figure in the process. PRS’s professional and crea- development of the UK sawmilling tive approach to the design was industry - from initial modest be- matched on the Forestry Commis- ginnings to a modern manufactur- sion side, by Jim O’Neill and Rachel ing industry with businesses like There is Sparks who did a tremendous job BSW that can hold their head high a strong of ensuring positive stakeholder en- on the international stage. “ gagement. “Personally I always enjoyed historic sense Pryor & Rickett have several more catching up with Sandy. He would of place in similar projects in progress, so hope- never shy away from being challenging, but always with a friendly, open particular fully this is the first of many more manner. His legacy is clear to see.” where the similar schemes which create shared Sandy Brownlie was born on August 24, 1935 into the family sawmill- road crosses value for investors, nature, people, ing business based in Earlston in the heart of the Scottish Borders. After and the green economy. a brief spell in the office of a Liverpool timber broker, he began working high points. www.silviculture.co.uk full-time in the business in 1953, returning again in 1956 after his National Service and a period working for the company’s auditors in Edinburgh. He was appointed a Director in 1959. In 1970, Sandy led a large investment in new equipment and a transport fleet, reviving a business his father had come to believe was in decline. In July 1981, A&R Brownlie bought Western Softwood, based in Wales, and became a major force in the UK softwood producing industry. Thomas Smith & Sons (Kirkoswald) Ltd, based in Ayrshire, was acquired in 1988 and BSW Timber PLC formed on 4 July 1988. Sandy was BSW’s first Chairman and by 1991, the firm had built a major new state- of-the-art sawmill at Carlisle. Sandy was awarded the CBE at Buckingham Palace by the Queen in 1994 for his services to the industry. He served on many trade associations boards, always driving and promoting the forestry and timber industry. In 2006, BSW acquired the former Arjo Wiggins paper mill in Fort William, where the UK’s most technologically advanced sawmill now op- erates. Sandy retired as chairman in 2009, and for more than a decade, watched BSW continue to grow - creating an entire supply chain business with the acquisition of Tilhill Forestry and then Maelor Forest Nurs- eries, as an admired elder statesman of the industry. Sandy Brownlie is survived by his wife Maude, son Alex, daughters Jane, Kate and Clare and stepdaughters Liz and Trish.

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 51 FINANCE

Making use of the Bounce Back Loan Scheme

Following on from the Confor Business Support Webinar “Get to Grips with ELIGIBILITY

Finance”, Gareth Price of Pegwn Finance is To be eligible for the loan, businesses must: taking a more detailed look at one of the Government support mechanisms. 1 Have been trading or have evidence of commercial activity in the UK at the date of the application, have been in business on 1 March he Bounce Back Loan Scheme how much that current debt is cost- 2020 and have been adversely affected by (BBL) is a new loan scheme ing. COVID-19. Tintroduced to help smaller Due to the low interest rate and businesses impacted by COVID-19. interest support in the 1st 12 months, 2 Be a business entity established in the UK, or It aims to assist those businesses the BBL could be a very effective tax resident in the UK. to borrow from £2000 up to 25% way of improving cash flow or re- 3 At the time of submitting their loan application, of the business’ turnover (the maxi- ducing borrowing costs immedi- be neither in bankruptcy, liquidation or similar. mum amount available is £50,000). ately. Unlike other loans that may be There are pitfalls to consider, 4 Gain more than 50% of the income from its available to your business, in this such as the fixed term of the loan trading activity although confirmation is not case the Government will cover - it can be paid back sooner but no required if the borrower is a charity or a further any interest payable in the first 12 extensions are allowed. Using a BBL education college. months, and no repayments will be to restructure private loans, busi- 5 Be using the loan only to provide economic due during the first 12 months. The ness debts on credit cards or even benefit to the business, and not for personal interest rate for this loan is fixed at vehicle or machinery finance costs purposes. 2.5% per annum and the repayment may see business pay less in finance term is fixed of up to a period of six costs than on existing credit plans. years. That means better cash flow, greater they may charge a fee or may not be The application process is quick business flexibility and maybe even offering it within their services. and simple with businesses required investment opportunities. It is important to understand that to complete a self-declaration online The next step then is to consid- this is a loan and any businesses re- application form, which is expected er how a BBL could work for your mains 100% liable to repay the full to be assessed by their lender within business. Reviewing what finance loan amount, as well as interest, af- a matter of days. It is open to most or borrowing can be repaid earlier, ter the first year. businesses, regardless of turnover, what the costs of early settlement The Scheme is initially open until who meet the eligibility criteria and are and whether given the interest 4 November 2020, with the govern- who were established on or before 1 rate and the term it will make the ment retaining the right to extend March 2020. business better off. this. There is significant interest At this point you may be asking There are many free finance cal- in the Bounce Back Loan Scheme why take on debt in an uncertain culators available but it is important and processing times will vary from market. It’s still got to be repaid and to consider using an independent lender to lender as a result. If this is times are tight enough already. For financial advisor. Be aware that, as the case, please be patient as lend- any business with borrowing or fi- independent financial advisors will ers are working hard to respond to nance it is certainly worth checking not receive commission on the BBL, demand and to prioritise support where it is needed most. It’s certainly a useful loan to consider which offers flexibility and opportunities for businesses to review their finances with a degree of economic uncertainties ahead.

HOW TO APPLY

If you choose to proceed with an application, search for “Bounce Back Loans” or go to www. british-business-bank.co.uk and look at the list of accredited lenders. Follow the online application process and the money could be available in just a couple of days.

52 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK TIMBER TRANSPORT

CPD for hauliers – introducing Forest Haulage CPC +F module

Neil Stoddart age training video to be professionally pro- as part of their statutory 5 x 7hr CPC train- Creel Consulting Ltd duced, that can be used as a resource for ing requirement. It is anticipated that driv- the course. This will have spin off benefits ers will be issued a +F card/sticker display including a basic Forest Haulage induc- in the truck window so their training (and s Henry Ford famously said, “The tion film for new and crossover entrants, commitment to safety) can be instantly only thing worse than training your and some social media content which can recognised by landowners and FWMs. Aemployees and having them leave hopefully be used attract new drivers into Having been delayed due to Covid-19, is not training them and having them stay.” the industry. at the time of going to press, the courses Most chartered foresters and those A core FISA recommendation to the which are provided by CPC experts Benslie across other professions will recognise industry is that over the current five-year Training, will be commencing in October CPD (Continuous professional develop- CPC window, all HGV drivers entering the 2020 and will run with a full schedule of ment). It refers to the process of tracking Forest environment should endeavour to dates each year to allow access from driv- and documenting the skills, knowledge and include undertaking this Forestry module ers and FWMs across the UK. experience that you gain both formally and informally as you work, beyond any initial training. It is a record of what you experience, learn and then apply. Development is often informal and has a wider application, giving you the tools to do a range of things and relating to capability and competency. However, in the haulage profession, all HGV drivers must formally undertake 35 hours of periodic training every five years in order to retain their Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC / Driving licence). This normally takes the form of a seven- hour ratified course once per year. Cours- es can cover a wide range of topics from Tachograph management to Fuel efficient driving, but there are not any specific to the forest sector. Just as First Aid requirements have developed into the +F standard, with a real focus on forestry, the FISA Forest Haulage Working group recognised that a seven-hour Forest Haulage CPC +F module would bring benefits to both existing and new HGV drivers. Not just timber... forest haulage includes drivers of roundwood timber trucks, but also low loaders, materials deliveries and fuel tankers. The course was successfully piloted last year at a session delivered in Locker- bie where the attendees were a mixture of drivers, Forest Works Managers and ob- servers. The module is wide ranging and covers topics such as load security, forest roads and mental health. The day also provided a forum for all participants to discuss issues affecting both drivers and managers. It was this key positive outcome, that has seen the FISA working group recommend that Harvesting FWMs undertake the training to better understand haulage issues and that this is classed as Continual Profes- sional Development (CPD). There are plans for an up-to-date haul-

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54 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK PESTICIDES NOTEBOOK COLIN PALMER Bracken control and Asulox

For once, some good news about the use of Asulox for bracken control in forestry Key conditions for ground based Asolux application this summer. But first some background to the saga. • Asulox may be used between 1st July and 14th September. Asulam, the herbicide in Asulox, can • The land based situations authorised for spraying are Rough Grazing, Moorland, currently only be used for bracken con- Amenity Grassland and Forestry (establishment phase only). trol though the granting of an Emergency • The forestry maximum rate is 10 litres/ha Authorisation using the EU Article 53 pro- • The maximum dilution rate for hand held sprayers is 1 part Asulox to 4 parts water. cedure. These have been applied for, and ie the minimum water rate is 40l/ha. gained on an annual basis by the • Horizontal boom sprayers must be fitted with three star drift reduction Bracken Support Group, of which technology and applied at a water volume of 400-500l/ha Confor is a supporter. • An aquatic buffer zone of 1m is required for hand hand equipment, and 5m However, when the 2020 from flowing/static water, or 1m from a dry ditch for horizontal boom sprayers. Emergency Authorisation was issued earlier in the year by the Chemicals Regulation Division other than in extensive, mostly proval 1570/2020 was issued on July 9th of the HSE, it was restricted moorland, areas. which additionally authorised the use of to helicopter application only, Also, this ruling failed to take Asulox by hand held equipment and hori- with ground based application into account the fact that glypho- zontal boom sprayers on conservation sites excluded. The reasoning here sate is very capable of killing es- to include forestry. was that as glyphosate could be tablishing trees, and that in areas used through ground based and of conservation interest, glypho- Asolux authorised for hand held applicators, then no emergency sate will kill favoured plant species at risk forestry again existed as an alternative product, glypho- from bracken invasion. So, the welcome points are that forestry sate, could be applied by these means. A further meeting was arranged with is now once again included in the Asulox In addition, the aquatic buffer zone was CRD by the Bracken Control Group to authorisation (see also panel, Authorisation increased from 50m to 90m, meaning that highlight these problems, and I am pleased notice), and the water rates for hand held it would be impracticable to spray bracken to report that a revised Emergency Ap- equipment have been reduced from 1:100 to 1:4. This means that the previous require- Authorisation notice ment of 1000l/ha no longer applies, and a more typical water rate of 100-250l/ha is now achievable. The authorisation notice, does, though, have protection products in conservation areas. some apparently confusing requirements, (vii) Further research on the tree species including: sensitive to amidosulfuron to support a Further research a) Explanatory Notes permanent solution. The requirements for further research in (6) This emergency authorisation is for use Other Specific Restrictions (vi) and (vii) are being addressed by the in- on conservation areas until 14 September (7) Use is restricted to “Conservation dustry and the Bracken Control Group. 2020. Areas”, as part of SSSI’s and Agro- This has been a long and difficult jour- b) Advisory Information environment schemes including: ney, and thanks are due to all concerned for In order to facilitate future Article 53 Countryside Stewardship, Environmental arriving at an acceptable outcome. Finally, authorisations the following information/ Stewardship, Agri Environment Climate note that because the original authorisa- data is required: (Scotland, s16 Environment (Wales) 2016, tion was for helicopter use only, Asulox will (i) Data on the types and numbers of bird Welsh Agri-Environment schemes and only be available in 20 litre containers. Not and mammal wildlife that nests and/or Welsh Rural Development schemes. feeds in and adjacent to the areas to be Fortunately, it has now been established ideal, as any unused quantity has to be re- treated during the treatment period from 1 through communications between turned at the end of the season. July to 14 September. Forest Research and CRD that forestry is (ii) Records to show ground-based use has EXCLUDED from the requirements noted occurred only on areas with a statutory in (i), (ii), (v) in italics above, confirmed by MEMBER SERVICES conservation designation. CRD as follows: Pesticides helpline (v) Information on an annual basis on “Other Specific Restriction 12 relating to the habitats and environments where conservation and agri-environment scheme ‘Asulox’ is sprayed, and estimations of the areas applies only to the use on rough quantity/volume of product applied to grazing, moorland and amenity grassland. Pesticides helpline is a free service each habitat/environment, including details This OSR is not noted against the forestry operated by Confor’s crop protection of the conservation area treated and the use in the table in the authorisation. ‘Asulox’ adviser Colin Palmer on behalf conservation body which agreed its use. may be used in forestry in the establishment of Confor members. Colin can be phase, irrespective of the designation in (vi) Further research on the alternatives to contacted 8am to 8pm Mondays to OSR 12”. OSR refers to “Other Specific ‘Asulox’. In particular, further data on the Fridays on 01531 633500 (leave a efficacy of such applications should be Restrictions” on the authorisation notice. message if necessary) or by email to: generated to support future applications However there appears to be no OSR 12! for authorisation for use of alternative plant [email protected]

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 55

COMPLIANCE & REGULATION

developments of more than one dwelling SUDS regulations in Scotland Sustainable house, or where the construction area is In Scotland, new rules in relation to dis- 100 square metres or more, are required charge of water run-off to the water envi- to have a sustainable drainage system for ronment from construction sites, including drainage surface water. The SuDS must be designed forestry access tracks came into force in and built in accordance with Statutory September 2018 when the Water Environ- SuDS Standards published by Welsh Minis- ment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) schemes ters1. All new schemes have to be approved Regulations (CAR)3 were amended follow- by the SAB. ing changes brought in by the Water Envi- This means if a forestry manager wishes ronment (Miscellaneous) (Scotland) Regu- and forestry to put new tracks or loading bays into a for- lations 2017. est and these tracks equate to 100 square I spoke to John Gorman of SEPA, For- Nicola Abbatt Tilhill metres or more (full track width x track estry Specialist, to see whether any further length) SuDS is required alongside the changes were expected in Scotland. John focus on the application of the prior application for determination under confirmed that the changes in regulations sustainable drainage regulations in GPDO. These additional SuDS application in Scotland relating to discharge of water AWales was thought to be of inter- forms provided by the Councils are approx- run-off to the environment from construc- est following a number of questions from imately 30 pages long and the fee in the tion sites including forestry access tracks forestry managers on this topic. region of £950 per hectare. were consulted at length with Scottish Concerns have been raised in relation Therefore for 475 metres of new track Forestry (then FCS). A full application to the additional bureaucracy and cost im- the fee amounts to £700 and for a new and licence is only required for sites that plications in Wales where applications for loading bay another £400, that is without contain a road or track length in excess Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) are accounting for management time complet- of 5km; or include any area of more than required for any new tracks or loading bays ing the application. 1 hectare, or any length of more than 500 alongside the prior application for deter- The Welsh statutory SuDs standards metres on ground with a slope in excess of mination of permitted development under cover not only the hydraulic management 25 degrees. Full information on this includ- (Town and Country Planning (General Per- of surface water runoff, but also water ing Questions and Answers were published mitted Development) Order (GPDO) 1995. quality management and the delivery of on the Confor website in October 20184. This requirement for SuDSs in Wales amenity and biodiversity benefits. The partnership approach to consultation was introduced in January 2019 when the The SuDS Manual CIRIA, 20152 helped with the forestry industry has meant that Sustainable Drainage (Approval and Adop- develop the original voluntary Welsh SuDS Scotland has a more pragmatic approach tion Procedure) (Wales) Regulations 2018 standards on which the new legislated ver- to the requirement for Construction site came into force. This makes provision for sion is based and closely follows the best SuDS licences for forestry tracks and other procedure in relation to the determination practice guidance outlined in the SuDS structures under the revised General Bind- by approving bodies of applications for ap- Manual. ing Rule (GBR) 10. proval of sustainable drainage systems and Unfortunately, the situation in Wales for adoption of such drainage systems in SUDS regulations in England where a lengthy SUDS application is com- accordance with Schedule 3 of the Flood In England, drainage is approved by the pleted alongside a fee feels like another and Water Management Act 2010. Under planning authority as part of the planning layer of bureaucracy, with the potential this legislation County Councils in Wales approval process, but there is no formal delay for further delays and associated are established as Statutory Approval Bod- adoption body and England hasn’t yet put costs for forestry management. There are ies (SABs). Note, the Flood and Water Man- any specific secondary regulation in place exemptions to SuDSs in Wales but none for agement Act 2010 applies in Wales and for this area; it remains covered in the Na- forestry. England only. tional Planning Policy handled by the lo- Surface water is a valuable resource, the cal authority. Wales has pursued statutory philosophy of sustainable drainage sys- SUDS regulations in Wales SuDS adoption far more vigorously than tems is about maximising the benefits and In Wales, from 7th January last year, all new England. minimising the negative impacts of surface water runoff from developed areas. We should certainly keep an eye on what may be ahead for England and ensure the forestry industry is fully consulted with in order for us to influence the adoption of a more pragmatic approach similar to the SEPA model.

REFERENCES 1 Statutory SuDS Standards are available at https://gov. wales/sites/default/files/publications/2019-06/statutory- national-standards-for-sustainable-drainage-systems.pdf 2 SuDS Manual (CIRIA) 3 SEPA CAR: A practical guide 4 Guidance on pollution control and management of surface water run-off for specific forestry activities in Scotland (Q&A) http://www.confor.org.uk/media/247165/ guidance-on-pollution-control-and-management-of- Careful planning is key to take account of drainage standards and avoid water pollution surface-water-run-off-1-.pdf

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 57 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

The Tree Charter – for trees, woods and people

TREE CHARTER PRINCIPLES

1 Grow Forests of Opportunity and Innovation 2 Sustain Landscapes Rich in Wildlife

3 Plant for the Future The Tree Charter is an environmental Protect Irreplaceable Trees and Woods movement across the UK that reimagines 4 our relationship with woods and trees to 5 Combat the Threats to Our Habitats envision a society that has sustainable, 6 Plant Greener Local Landscapes community-led woodland areas. The 7 Celebrate the Power of Trees to Inspire movement is driven through a network of Charter Branch groups who actively 8 Recover Health, Hope and Wellbeing with the implement the Tree Charter’s ten principles Help of Trees in their local areas. In this article, three of 9 Make Trees Accessible To All the principles are explained. 10 Strengthen Our Landscapes with Trees

1 Grow Forests of Opportunity 2 Sustain Landscapes Rich 5 Combats the Threats and Innovation in Wildlife to Our Habitats

The Tree Charter advocates for sustainable Each tree is a world within itself, teeming Common risks facing woodland habitats timber production and encourages people with life. A fallen branch is a feast for bee- include invasive species, pests and disease, to find new ways of using forestry prod- tles, fungal-rich woodland soil is a wild- and climate change. All of which can reduce ucts, with the hope to increase the market flower bed. Woodland must be managed in production rates in the forest without prop- value of woods and trees in a way that ben- a way that promotes biodiversity to ensure er management. To create a resilient envi- efits people, wildlife and the planet. holistic ecosystem resilience. ronment, forestry production sites should For example, timber can be used in con- When you bring woods that are already include a mix of native broadleaves and non- struction projects for the frames of build- in decline under sustainable management, native species. Native species are adapted ing structures as an alternative to steel and it can encourage wildlife to flourish and im- to the UK woodland environment and their iron. Rather than releasing carbon into the proves biodiversity. It is important to not populations have great potential for further atmosphere, timber locks carbon away for disturb ecosystem complexity as this links adaptation to cope with these threats, be- decades. Innovative technologies are also to the soils ability to store carbon, reducing cause of the high level of genetic diversity forming new types of materials from for- the risks associated with climate change. within native tree populations. Having a va- estry products such as converting cellulose In the UK, 326 species are completely riety of native and non-native species will from plant cells into a plastic replacement. reliant on oak trees for survival, highlight- also create resilient timber production sites, As the demand for woodland products ing why it is important to promote native as if a singular species is threatened with a increases, we can increase the supply of species in your woods to make sure these disease, other species can still survive. wood by expanding UK woodlands and habitats can continue to thrive. It is also If trees are regularly thinned then it will managing existing woodland better, taking good practice to leave deadwood on the also reduce the risk of spread from tree even greater amounts of carbon out of the woodland floor as it can produce a home to tree and get light to the trees so they atmosphere. Investing in small scale wood- for fauna and flora that will in turn feed the can grow more. In order to stop diseases land management can bolster local mar- soil and make it carbon rich, perfect for spreading across sites, all seeds bought kets for wood and create green jobs. growing future trees! should be certified UK and Ireland Sourced In order to create a resilient sector, and Grown to reduce imports of pests and we must also care for the environment in disease. Other strategies include having an which trees live. We will explore below how early warning system for pests and disease we can grow forests of opportunity and and invasive species through observing and innovation through the Tree Charter Prin- reporting mechanisms to stop the spread ciples in a way that benefits trees, people of disease early on. If a woodland is open and wildlife. access, site owners should encourage visitors to report signs of pests and disease or invasive species with signage around sites. https://treecharter.uk

58 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK SMALL WOODLAND OWNER PROFESSOR JULIAN EVANS OBE FICFor Woods and wildlife

last wrote a piece about biodiversity in evident from what we have said above, but FTN five years ago. In re-reading it I list- a bonus from regular thinning is regular in- Ied the main interventions every wood- flux of light to the woodland floor. land owner can take to encourage biodiver- Leave some standing dead trees – sity, but didn’t enlarge on them. So here we snags, the Americans call them. Health will look at each one a little bit more. and safety considerations must always be Have plenty of open areas, glades, borne in mind, but standing dead trees pro- and ride-side stacking areas. Light reach- vide perches for raptors, holes for nesting, ing the woodland floor both encourages and sloughing bark and crevices for numer- wildflowers and the nectar they offer and ous insects and invertebrates. also many insects, but notably butterflies, Accumulate dead wood on the forest to gain warmth. We’ve all seen a lovely red floor. Don’t be overly tidy but allow more admiral or peacock butterfly sunning itself dead wood habitat to develop on the forest with wings ‘akimbo’! The dappled shade floor for fungi, beetles, and a host of other idea is a good one to bear in mind, as is micro-fauna and flora. Compared with nat- the thought that bays for stacking timber ural forest, plantations often have low lev- wonderfully double up as large glades and els of dead wood because we are harvest- can be sun-traps. ing timber. Deliberately leaving some piles Encourage an understorey to provide of woody debris and detritus is generally more structure and some edge effect – a plus. low shrubs, tall shrubs, small trees. Open areas provide edge effect where different layers are present, but so will some understorey. Bird and insect species occupy dif- Get the structure right, and ferent niches from the ground upwards and “ variety leads to variety. An obvious exam- wildlife will mostly follow. On our daily lockdown walk yesterday ple is that wrens nest in shrubbery or even If all the above are done, the species of tree my wife and I enjoyed a lovely illustration a pile of old brash no more than one metre you are dealing with is actually not espe- of what we have been saying. On a lane off the ground whereas buzzards nest half- cially important. Get the structure right, through a wood in a sun filled glade way or higher up a tall tree. Some butter- and wildlife will mostly follow. The emi- full of bramble and nettles there were flies stick to shady glades like the speckled nent woodland ecologist, George Peterken, butterflies a-plenty - meadow browns, wood others fly high into the canopy like writing in this July’s Quarterly Journal of red admirals, tortoiseshells, peacocks, some fritillaries and, of course, the fabled Forestry about Lady Park Wood in the For- skippers, several whites, a blue, a comma, purple emperor at the top of a great oak. est of Dean, says, ‘Minimum intervention and a silver washed fritillary – all spotted Cut tracks and rides in alternate years guarantees losses of species dependent on in no more than a couple of minutes. It to allowing flowering and seed-setting of open spaces and perhaps young growth, was wonderful. wildflowers. This is self explanatory and is but does not guarantee gains . . .’ He con- a way of ensuring that annuals flower and cludes that, ‘woodland nature reserves shed seed and also adds a little more struc- should generally be managed.’ We would ture. Frequent ride cutting through a single agree for all woodland and encourage all year, mostly leads to grasses. of us to be active in our woods. Little is Thin stands well. This should be self- gained and much lost by doing nothing.

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CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 59

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60 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK WOODLANDS FOR CLIMATE & NATURE: A RESPONSE

In March, The Guardian online Response to the report commissioned published an article which claimed that planting conifers by the RSPB Woodlands for climate and was not a suitable activity to store carbon. nature: A review of woodland planting The article was based on a and management approaches in the report commissioned by RSPB and included quotes implying that UK for climate change mitigation and most harvested conifers ended up biodiversity conservation in short lived products that had little or no carbon benefit and Dr Andrew D Cameron, Institute questionable since many readers tend not that new planting is taking place to read beyond the summary with the result of Biological and Environmental in the Flow Country in Scotland. that they will draw unrealistic conclusions. Sciences, University of Aberdeen Unsurprisingly many Confor Carbon members were angered by the A large part of the report is dedicated to article. Both they, and many General comments the impact of forestry on carbon stocks. The The report examines the potential impacts author acknowledges the positive contribu- others in the sector who made of woodland planting and management tion of afforestation to soil carbon stocks: contact with me, were also on carbon sequestration and biodiversity ‘…general consensus seems to be that, ex- critical of the report it was based under the general headings of mineral and cept on peat soils, afforestation is likely to peat soils, ‘nature-based’ forestry, and fate upon be beneficial for soil carbon stocks on the Woodlands for climate and of the harvesting residues. whole...’ (page 11). However, the preferred nature: A review of woodland While there is much of interest in this re- approach to creating large and long-lasting planting and management port, there are a number of significant de- carbon stocks in forests is by ‘…maintaining approaches in the UK for ficiencies. A major shortcoming is the lim- old-growth stands of slow-growing broad- ited remit of the report. By restricting the leaf tree species…’ with the counter argu- climate change mitigation and subject area to ‘carbon’ and ‘biodiversity’, ment that carbon stocks in ‘…harvested, biodiversity conservation (Feb the author has avoided the need to discuss fast-growing forests have short residence 2020). the wider socio-economic consequences of times … and harvested wood products only the report’s findings. The narrative is main- contribute to reducing atmospheric carbon In response, I wrote a letter tained at a UK level that does not address if the total size of the carbon pool stored in to The Guardian, which was the wide regional variation in forest types them increases over time…’ (page 15). published, and asked Dr Andrew and forestry practices resulting in a sense of There are several concerns regarding ambiguity running throughout the report. It these statements. Weak evidence has been Cameron, Senior Lecturer at is unclear why afforestation on deep peat presented in the report supporting the view Aberdeen University to undertake forms such a prominent part of the report that ‘old-growth’ broadleaved stands are an analysis of the report. This is given that this practice has not been forest more effective at creating large and long- reproduced here. policy for decades. The author acknowledg- lasting carbon stocks than fast-growing co- es that only around 10% of blanket bog in nifers and broadleafs. No data are present- Stuart Goodall the UK has been planted with commercial ed to support the suggested differences in forestry (page 30), which would normally carbon stocks in old growth broadleafs and suggest that it is not a major environmental fast-growing conifers. In spite of the lack of issue, yet its inclusion and prominence in the hard evidence, the author has consistently report suggest that afforestation of blanket promoted the idea of broadleafs over coni- bog is still taking place and by implication fers. that the forestry industry is still involved in environmentally damaging practices. There Impact on timber supplies is no mention of the long-term programme The report acknowledges that the UK is of peatland restoration being carried out by ‘currently a net importer of timber’ (page the forestry sector (e.g. Anderson, 20011; 16) yet fails to point out that it is the sec- Shah and Nisbet, 20192). ond biggest net importer of timber prod- Many of the ‘recommendations’ such as ucts in the world and will most likely remain increasing the amount of deadwood, plant- a major importer in perpetuity. The author ing broadleafs as part of productive plant- accepts that there is a place for ‘efficient ing, using species mixtures, retention of management of faster growing tree spe- old trees and stands, are all current forest cies’ (page 16) and that ‘… any decrease in policy and have been for a long time, yet domestic production could simply result this is not mentioned in the report. It is also in increased imports, shifting the impacts unclear why there is a section dedicated to on forest carbon stocks to other countries coppice, which forms a tiny fraction of the …’ (page 16). It is an inescapable fact that forest area in the UK and can hardly be de- decreasing domestic production will result scribed as ‘mainstream forestry’. The ‘exec- in increased imports, yet there is no wider utive summary’ tends to reinforce a narrow critique within the report of the global envi- set of views that does not accurately reflect ronmental impact of a greater dependency the wider issues and uncertainties raised on timber imports. This is a critical omission throughout the report. This is particularly Continued on p63

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 61

WOODLANDS FOR CLIMATE & NATURE: A RESPONSE

Continued from p61 non-native broadleaf. Even if you accept the broadleafs!) that show invasive tendencies in the report. researchers’ findings, a closer examination in the UK are Fagus sylvatica (beech) out- Currently around five percent of the of the paper by Horák et al. (2019) indicated side its native range in south-east England world’s forest are plantations, yet they pro- that the difference in biodiversity between (very shade tolerant and regenerates free- vide one third of global industrial round- the oak and spruce stands was very small ly under canopies of native oak and ash), wood. While the area of plantation forests (76.81% c.f. 68.57% of the total species re- Quercus ilex (colonises semi-natural habi- is increasing, it is not expanding at the rate spectively, P<0.05). In other words, the level tats such as chalk grassland, coastal habi- commensurate with global roundwood de- of biodiversity between the non-native co- tats and lowland heaths) and Acer pseudo- mand, and by 2050 it is predicted that the nifer is within a few percentage points of the platanus (observed to have colonised many proportion of timber coming from plantation native broadleaf. This was not mentioned in semi-natural woodlands although evidence forests will have declined to less than one the report. for its invasiveness is weak). British native quarter of world demand (Indufor, 20123). The report makes a number of state- broadleaved species within the genera Ulex, The gap between supply from plantation ments (page 18) that reflect current forest Betula, Salix and Rubus have been cited forests and future timber demand will un- policy such as planting broadleafs within as invasive (e.g. Kendle and Rose, 20008). doubtedly be met by increased production coniferous forests to support a wider range None of the above-mentioned species have from natural and semi-natural forests, many of woodland species (forest policy since been mentioned in the report in the discus- of which are already under severe pressure the late 1980s) and using species mixtures sion on invasiveness. from human activity and rising demand for to support biodiversity and retaining semi- timber may well result in an increase in il- natural woodland (e.g. UKWAS, 20185). The Rotation lengths legal logging causing further environmental report also highlights that ‘…forest stands It is widely accepted that lengthening of ro- damage and loss. It would be reasonable with less woody debris and standing dead- tations of coniferous forest stands can im- to expect that the RSPB, as the body com- wood can have significantly lower diversity prove carbon stocks and provide habitats missioning this report and as a responsible and abundance of birds and invertebrates…’ for plants and animals associated with large organisation, will grasp the reality that re- (page 28), yet overlooks the fact that the trees, and this has been acknowledged ducing or limiting sustainable production of retention of deadwood in productive forests within UK forest policy for many years with softwood in the UK will result in consequen- has also been long established practice (e.g. the recommendation to extend rotations tial environmental damage elsewhere. Humphrey and Bailey, 20126). where feasible within the limits of the site The latter part of the following statement (e.g. UKWAS, 2018). However, even the au- Biodiversity ‘Choosing native broadleaved species for thor acknowledges that the literature on ro- A key feature of this part of the report is the new plantations will benefit biodiversity (and tation length and biodiversity can be con- role of non-native species, which are gener- may have additional benefits e.g. resilience tradictory and is often down to specific sites ally seen in a negative light in terms of bio- to pests) …’ (page 18) is not borne out in re- and species of particularly birds (pages 21 & diversity. The author has cited a number of ality given the spread of, for example, ash 22). While the report states that ‘…retain- articles indicating a decline in biodiversity dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus), acute ing mature trees within clearcut stands can with afforestation with non-native conifers. oak decline (several biotic factors), oak pro- mitigate this loss [of biodiversity] …’ (page However, comparisons between native and cessionary moth (Thaumetopoea processio- 27), it overlooks the fact that ‘long-term re- non-native species are often spurious. For nea), Asian longhorn beetle (Anoplophora tentions’ – stands left for extended or even example, the author cites a study in Czechia glabripennis), and Xylella fastidiosa affect- biological rotations – have been UK policy that compared the level of biodiversity being a number of native broadleaved species. for long time (e.g. Hibberd, 19919). tween non-native Norway spruce and native Concerns over non-native tree species and The report also tends to view forestry at sessile oak and found that species richness the risk of becoming invasive has been high- a ‘stand’ rather than a ‘landscape’ level. As was greater in the oak stands in compari- lighted with Populus and Eucalyptus ‘… have a result, it overlooks the fact that produc- son with the spruce stands, although there both shown invasion …’ (page 19) although tive forests in the UK are widely managed was no difference between red listed endan- there is no evidence presented that species to comprise a range of age-classes from gered species (Horák et al., 20194) (page from these genera have become a major newly established to mature stands creat- 17). A problem with this study is that it com- problem. The risk of invasiveness among ing a wide range of habitats within the for- pared a native broadleaved species with a tree species has long been exaggerated by est. In the UK, the extensive plantations of non-native coniferous species confounding commentators given that only 0.5% of the the 1960s and 1970s have been gradually two very different groups of plants rather world’s trees are deemed to be invasive (e.g. ‘restructured’ into a mosaic of small stands/ than comparing a native broadleaf with a Pyšek, 20167). Three ‘non-native’ species (all Continued on p65

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64 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 CONFOR.ORG.UK WOODLANDS FOR CLIMATE & NATURE: A RESPONSE

Continued from p63 This view is flawed since the use of timber is rent report, the following broad recommen- compartments creating a better balance of primarily market driven and processors will dations would seem to hold true. Protect age classes from newly planted to mature secure sources even if these could be used old-growth semi-natural woodlands. Favour all within a relatively small geographic area for ‘higher-valued’ longer lasting products. native broadleaved species for new planta- (e.g. Hibberd, 1991). This allows animal spe- There are also a number of factual inaccu- tions. Favour native broadleaved species for cies to move relatively short distances to racies associated with wood properties. For new plantations.’ (page 29). There is no cri- stands of a preferred developmental stage. example, it is stated that ‘…wood density of tique of this assertion. This approach also greatly increases the some tree species (Norway spruce, Scots The author does recognise two alterna- amount of forest ‘edge’ improving habitats pine, European beech and sessile oak) has tive options for sequestering carbon: ‘For for birds that for example require mature decreased significantly since 1900 due to fast carbon drawdown and high timber and trees for nesting and open spaces for feed- the changes in climate and nitrogen depo- biomass production, plant fast-growing co- ing. sition …’ (page 9). However, the author ap- nifers and harvest by clearfell on a short ro- pears to interpret this statement: ‘Lower tation (i.e. harvest soon after the trees reach Irregular forestry (or ‘continuous wood density generally means a higher their age of maximum growth). For large, cover forestry’) susceptibility to disturbance events such as long-term forest carbon stocks, plant slow- While the report does accept that ‘…more high winds...’ (page 9). This implies a causal growing deciduous trees and manage under evidence is needed on the impact of alter- relationship between wood density and risk a low-intensity system such as continuous native forest management approaches such of wind damage. There is no evidence of cover forestry or with a long rotation time.’ as continuous cover forestry and how these wood density being correlated with wind (page 29). However, there is a complete differ from traditional even-aged stands with damage risk. lack of analysis under which circumstances respect to biodiversity’ (page 27), it fails to A link has also been made between wood each approach would be best adopted, and explain the huge difficulties in achieving it. density and timber quality: ‘In terms of har- on the preferred proportion of the national The main hindrance to wider adoption of vested wood, it [lower wood density] means forest area managed under each scenario. irregular forestry is the limited number of … inferior timber quality, which could result in There is also a complete lack of discussion forest stands that can be successfully ‘trans- more wood going to uses with shorter lifes- on the implications of these conclusions on formed’ from even-aged to irregular struc- pans.’ (page 9), and ‘In Sitka spruce, there is socio-economic factors. tures without suffering serious wind dam- a negative relationship between growth rate age. Even where it is possible with younger and wood density … so management to pro- stands on more sheltered sites, the process mote fast growth may result in wood that is REFERENCES takes many decades to complete (e.g. Kerr, less suitable for long-lived HWP [harvested 200810). The report again fails to report that wood products].’ (page 55). It is correct 1 Anderson, R. (2001) Deforesting and restoring that there is a general, although relatively peat bogs. Forestry Commission Technical Paper there is broad acceptance within the for- 32, Edinburgh. estry industry of the environmental values weak, negative relationship between growth 12 2 Shah, N. W. and Nisbet, T. R. (2019) The of irregularly structured forest stands (e.g. rate and density (Dinwoodie, 2000 ); how- effects of forest clearance for peatland UKWAS, 2018). ever, it is the ‘Modulus of Elasticity (MOE)’ restoration on water quality. Science of the Total or ‘stiffness’ that determines the suitability Environment 693: 1-16. Fate of harvested wood of timber for high value construction pur- 3 Indufor (2012) Strategic review of the future Managing forests entirely for the purpose poses. Density has only a very weak rela- of forest plantations in the world. Study for tionship with MOE with factors other than the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC), Bonn, of biodiversity and/or carbon sequestra- Germany. tion is the underlying theme of this report. density such as microfibril angle are more 4 Horák, J. et al. (2019) Green desert? For example: ‘Some authors have concluded important in determining timber strength Biodiversity patterns in forest plantations. Forest that the no-harvest scenario is preferable to (Dinwoodie, 2000). It is the high strength to Ecology and Management 433: 343-348. harvesting for bioenergy or HWP (harvest- weight ratio of Sitka spruce that makes in 5 UKWAS (2018) UK Woodland Assurance ed wood products, i.e. that greater climate highly suitable of construction (the strength Standard. Version 4. http://ukwas.org.uk/wp- change mitigation can be achieved by leav- to weight ratio of Sitka spruce is superior content/uploads/2018/05/UKWAS_Standard_ FourthEdition_digital.pdf ing the forest standing and thus increasing to that of steel). The vast majority of sawn (page 53), yet this view Sitka spruce meets the minimum strength 6 Humphrey, J. and Bailey, S. (2012) Managing its carbon stores’ deadwood in forests and woodlands. Forestry is not challenged or critically discussed. Al- grading requirement for general construc- Commission Practice Guide. Edinburgh. tion (C16) (e.g. Moore, 201113). though the author does point out that the 7 Pyšek, P. (2016) What determines the results supporting this perspective are lim- invasiveness of tree species in Central Europe? ited, this view is disseminated throughout Conclusions set out in the report In ‘Krumm, F. and Vitková, L. (eds) Introduced the report. The author has been careful to point out the tree species in European forests: opportunities lack of scientific evidence throughout the and challenges. European Forest Institute, Leaving forests without intervention will Joensuu, Finland. 424 pp. report, for example: ‘…an insufficient num- eventually lead to significant if not cata- 8 Kendle, A. and Rose, J. (2000) The aliens strophic loss through biotic or abiotic in- ber of samples and high variability between have landed! What are the justifications for fluences. For example, North American old sites.’ (page 11); ‘…the question as to whether ‘native only’ policies in landscape plantings? growth forests arose from catastrophic fires increasing tree species diversity per se will Landscape and Urban Planning 47: 19-31. hundreds of years ago and although highly affect soil carbon stocks has yet to be an- 9 Hibberd, B. G. (Ed). 1991. Forestry Practice. prized today for their diversity, it should be swered.’ (page 15); ‘… need for more stud- Forestry Commission Handbook 6. HMSO, London. a lesson that nothing is permanent, and that ies that assess biodiversity more broadly at landscape scale and over the longer term…’ 10 Kerr, G. (2008) Managing Continuous Cover these forests will eventually succumb to a Forestry. Operational Guidance Booklet No. 7. regeneration phase that will inevitably lead (page 29); ‘The authors urge caution in in- Forestry Commission, Edinburgh. to a huge release of carbon into the atmos- terpreting these results due to limitations of 11 Oliver, C. D. and Larson, B. C. (1996) Forest phere (e.g. Oliver and Larson, 199611). the study...’. (page 53); ‘…but there is signifi- Stand Dynamics. John Wiley & Sons Inc., New The report suggests that since only cant uncertainty in these estimates…’. (page York. a relatively small proportion (20%) of all 54). Yet, the conclusions drawn tend not to 12 Dinwoodie, J. M. (2000) Timber: Its nature wood harvested in the UK is currently used show such caution. For example, on biodi- and behaviour. London and New York: E&FN Spon. as construction timber (long-term carbon versity, in spite of the limited evidence and storage product) (page 54), wood commer- often conflicting studies, the author con- 13 Moore, J. (2011) Wood properties and uses of Sitka spruce in Britain. Research Report, cially grown in Britain is of inferior quality. cludes; ‘… based on the findings of the cur- Forestry Commission, Edinburgh.

CONFOR.ORG.UK FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • August 2020 65 FORESTRY IN PICTURES

Oak pollard (2020) by Stephen Davies has been shortlisted for the Want to see your picture here? Changing Forests category of the 2020 Earth photo competition. Forestry in Pictures is a regular feature in FTN. Stephen Davis is a retired ecologist, with a long career working for For every issue, we select the most impacting nature conservation organisations in both the UK and Europe. This photograph sent by a reader. If you have a photo you photograph forms part of a documentary series of photographs would like to see published here, please send your file illustrating the ancient oak trees of Savernake Forest in Wiltshire. to [email protected]. Please include your name, brief description of yourself and the picture Earth Photo is an international competition and exhibition created and a credit. by Forestry England and the Royal Geographical Society Royal Photos should relate to forestry and timber and Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers). be of high-quality (minimum resolution 300dpi). The virtual exhibition can be visited at Exceptional pictures might be considered for the front cover of a future FTN issue. www.forestryengland.uk/earth-photo 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 In October, will run a feature on Environmental and Sustainable Energy. Remember that FTN is your magazine – get in touch if you want to suggest OCTOBER – editorial or give us feedback on articles we have published in the past. Confor members, send us your company’s news updates or pitches for feature GET INVOLVED articles. Note that our general editorial deadline for October is 10th September. If you would like to pitch an article idea, please do so by the end of August.

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