64th Annual Report and Accounts 1983 Forestry Commission ARCHIVE Front cover: A family plan their route at the start of the wayfaring course in Achray Forest, West Scotland. Sixty-Fourth Annual Report and Accounts of the Forestry Commission for the year ended 31 March 1984 together with the Comptroller and Auditor General’s Report on the Accounts Presented to Parliament in pursuance of Section 45 o f the Forestry Act 1967 and Section 5 o f the Exchequer and A udit D epartm ents A ct 1921 Ordered by The House of Commons to be printed 28 November 1984 LONDON HER MAJESTY’S STATIONERY OFFICE £10.00 net 1 Previous Reports 1982—83 HC 303 (1983—84) 1981—82 HC 363 (1982—83) 1980—81 HC 136 (1981—82) FORESTRY COMMISSION 231 Corstorphine Road Edinburgh EH 12 7AT 8 October 1984 To: The Rt Hon M ichael Jo pling m p. Minister o f Agriculture, Fisheries and Food The Rt Hon G eorge Y o un g er t d , m p , Secretary o f State for Scotland The Rt Hon NICHOLAS EDWARDS MP, Secretary o f State for Wales Gentlemen In pursuance of Section 45 of the Forestry Act 1967, I have the honour to transmit the 64th Annual Report of the Forestry Commissioners which covers the year ended 31 March 1984. I am, Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, (Sgd) DAVID MONTGOMERY Chairman 3 The Forestry Commissioners and Senior Staff at 31 March 1984 Forestry Commissioners Sir David Montgomery Bt, JP, DL, Chairman Mr G. D. Holmes CB, Deputy Chairman and Director General Mr J. Forbes FCA Captain W. F. E. Forbes DL Mr G. J Francis Lord Gibson-Watt P C ,M C ,D L Mr G. O. Hutchison Mr J. N. Kennedy Mr G. S. Murray Mr J. D. Pollock Senior Staff Secretary: Mr P. J. Clarke Senior Officer for Wales: Mr D. Y. M. Robertson Director, Research and Development: Mr A. J. Grayson Director, Private Forestry and Land Use Planning: Mr A. Morrison Director, Estate Management: Mr J. M. Gwynn Director, Harvesting and Marketing: M r R. T. Bradley Controller of Finance: Mr C. F. Turquand FCA Deputy Establishment Officer: Mr C. W. Simmonds Territorial Conservators England North West: Mr A. A. Rowan North East: Mr J. A. Spencer East: Mr R. M. Hewitt New Forest and South East: Mr J. R. Skinner South West and Dean Forest: Mr J. R. Fletcher Scotland North: Mr R. G. Cathie East: Mr G. G. M. Taylor South: Mr D. L. Foot West: Mr J. Atterson Wales North: Mr D. Y. M. Robertson South: Mr A. Rix Note: The addresses of the main Forestry Commission offices appear on the inside back cover. 4 Contents Page Names of Forestry Commissioners and Senior Staff 4 Report for the Year Ended 31 March 1984: General Review ................................................................................................... 8 Public Accounts Committee 8 The Commission’s Finances 8 State of the Wood Market ........................................................................... 8 Developments in the Wood Processing Industry ....................................... 9 Disposal of Land and Plantations ............................................................... 9 Management Structure Review ..................................................................... 10 Formation of Timber Growers United Kingdom 10 Review of Consultation Procedures ............................................................... 11 Policy for the Uplands ....................................................................................... 11 Common Land 12 Acid Rain ............................................................................................................... 12 Nature Conservation ....................................................................................... 13 Broadleaved Woodlands 14 Planting Levels ................................................................................................... 14 21 Years of Motorway Planting ..................................................................... 16 Record Seed Collection ................................................................................. 16 ECE Timber Committee Study Tour 16 Royal Visit ......................................................................................................... 17 Commissioners 17 Senior Staff ......................................................................................................... 17 Staff Numbers 18 Forestry Enterprise Forest Management 19 Forest Protection 19 Forest Design ................................................................................................... 20 The Commission’s Corporate Identity 21 Recreation ......................................................................................................... 21 The British Forest Heritage 22 Estate Management ....................................................................................... 22 Harvesting and Marketing 23 Engineering ......................................................................................................... 25 Forest Workers’ Pay 26 Health and Safety 27 Finance 27 5 Page Forestry Authority Legislation ......................................................................................................... 29 Private Forestry ................................................................................................... 29 Forestry in the European Community ......................................................... 30 Forestry Research Coordination Committee ............................................. 31 Research and Development 32 Plant Health ......................................................................................................... 34 Education and Training 35 Public Relations ................................................................................................... 36 Finance 37 Appendices I Statutory and other Committees appointed by the Forestry Commission ................................................................................. 38 National Committees ..................................................................... 38 Regional Advisory Committees ................................................... 38 Home Grown Timber Advisory Committee ........................... 39 Technical Sub-Committee of the Home Grown Timber Advisory Committee ..................................................................... 40 Supply and Demand Sub-Committee of the Home Grown Timber Advisory Committee ................................................... 40 Advisory Committee on Forest Research ................................. 40 Forestry Research Coordination Committee 41 Forestry Training Council ............................................................... 41 Forestry Safety Council ..................................................................... 42 II Home Grown Timber Advisory Committee: Annual Report for the year ended 31 March 1984 ............................................. 43 III Forestry Training Council: Annual Report for the year ended 31 March 1984 ................................................................................. 45 IV Forestry Safety Council: Annual Report for the year ended 31 March 1984 ................................................................................. 47 V Review of the Consultation Procedures for Tree Planting and Felling Proposals: Forestry Commission Press Notice 48 VI Disposal of Property Managed by the Forestry Commissioners: A Statement of Policy and Practice 50 VII New Publications ................................................................................... 54 VIII Statistical Tables ................................................................................... 55 6 Appendices - continued Page Forestry Authority 1 Dedication and Approved Woodland Schemes for Private Estates 56 2 Forestry Grant Scheme ...................................................................... 56 3 Area of Planting by Private Woodland Owners for which Grants were paid ........................................................................... 57 4 Progress of Planting by Private Woodland Owners in Last Ten Years ................................................................................................... 58 5 Volume of Timber Licensed for Felling and Thinning on Private Estates ............................................................................................. 59 6 Area Licensed for Clear Felling on Private Estates 59 Forestry Enterprise 1 Land Use .............................................................................................. 60 8 Net Area of Land Acquired/Disposed of 60 9 Planting during the Year ................................................................ 60 10 Progress of Planting in Last Ten Years ........................................ 61 11 Areas of Plantations and Volumes of Timber Thinned and Felled ............................................................................................. 62 12 Sales of Timber .................................................................................. 62 13 Properties Managed ............................................................................ 63 14 Public Recreational Facilities .......................................................... 63 15 Land Use, Planting and Timber Production by Forests and Forest Districts — England ................................................... 64 16 Land Use, Planting and Timber Production by Forests and Forest Districts — Wales ......................................................... 69 17 Land Use, Planting and Timber Production by Forests and Forest Districts — Scotland ..................................................