Forestry Commission ARCHIVE C o v e r Autumn at Loch Dunmore, seen from the Commission's Faskally Walk, Pitlochry—East Scotland Conservancy. Sixty-Fifth Annual Report and Accounts of the Forestry Commission for the year ended 31 March 1985 together with the Comptroller and Auditor General’s Report on the Accounts Presented to Parliament in pursuance o f Section 45 o f the Forestry Act 1967 and Section 5 o f the Exchequer and Audit Departments Act 1921 Ordered by The House of Commons to be printed 6 November 1985 LONDON HER MAJESTY’S STATIONERY OFFICE £10.00 net Previous Reports 1983—84 HC 1 (1984—85) 1982—83 HC 303 (1983—84) 1981—82 HC 363 (1982—83) FORESTRY COMMISSION 231 C orstorphine R oad Edinburgh EH 12 7AT 24 Septem ber 1985 To: The Rt Hon MICHAEL JOPLING MP, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food T he R t H on Ge o r g e Y o u n g e r t d , MP, Secretary of State for Scotland T he R t H on N ic h o l a s E d w a r d s m p , Secretary o f State for Wales Gentlemen In pursuance of Section 45 of the Forestry Act 1967, I have the honour to transmit the 65th Annual Report of the Forestry Commissioners which covers the year ended 31 March 1985. I am, Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, (Sgd) DAVID MONTGOMERY Chairman 3 The Forestry Commissioners and Senior Staff at 31 March 1985 Forestry Commissioners Sir David MontgomeryBt, JP, DL, Chairman Mr G. D. Holmes CB, Deputy Chairman and Director General M r I. D. C outts CBE Mr J. Forbes Captain W. F. E. Forbes DL Mr G. J. Francis Lord Gibson-WattP C ,M C ,D L Mr G. O. Hutchison Mr J. N. Kennedy Mr J. D. Pollock Mr D. T. J. Rutherford 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: Mr R. T. Bradley Controller of Finance: Mr C. F. Turquand 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. These reflect the changes to the Commission’s organisation introduced on 1 April 1985. 4 Contents Page Names of Forestry Commissioners and Senior Staff 4 Report for the Year Ended 31 March 1985: General Review ................................................................................................... 8 The Year in Perspective ................................................................................. 8 Management Structure Review 10 Information Technology ................................................................................. 10 State of the Wood Market ........................................................................... 11 Developments in the Wood Processing Industries II Sales of Forestry Land....................................................................................... 12 Public Accounts Committee 13 Broadleaved Woodlands ................................................................................. 14 Air Pollution and Forest Health ..................................................................... 15 Policy for the Uplands ....................................................................................... 16 Wildlife and Countryside Act: Report of the House of Commons Environment Committee ........................................................................... 16 Increased Parliamentary Interest in Forestry............................................. 17 Grant-In-Aid ......................................................................................................... 17 Serious Fire Losses in South Wales ............................................................... 17 Pest Control ......................................................................................................... 18 Dendroctonus Micans ....................................................................................... 18 Record Acorn Collection ................................................................................. 19 International Year of the Forest ..................................................................... 19 Director General Honoured by Universities ............................................. 20 Appointment of Nature Conservation Consultant 20 Commissioners 20 Senior Staff 20 Employment 20 Forestry Enterprise Forest Management ....................................................................................... 21 Wildlife Conservation and Environment 22 Forest Protection 22 Forest Design 23 Recreation ......................................................................................................... 23 Estate Management ....................................................................................... 24 Harvesting and Marketing 26 Engineering ......................................................................................................... 29 Forest Workers’ Pay 30 Health and Safety 30 Finance ............................................................................................................... 31 5 Page Forestry Authority Legislation ......................................................................................................... 32 Private Forestry ................................................................................................... 33 Forestry in the European Community 33 International Affairs ............................................................................... 34 Forestry Research Coordination Committee ............................................. 34 Research and Development 35 Plant Health ......................................................................................................... 36 Education and Training 38 Public Relations ................................................................................................... 39 Finance 40 Appendices I Statutory and other Committees appointed by the Forestry Commission ................................................................................. 41 National Committees ..................................................................... 41 Regional Advisory Committees ................................................... 41 Home Grown Timber Advisory Committee ................ 42 Technical Sub-Committee of the Home Grown Timber Advisory Committee ..................................................................... 43 Supply and Demand Sub-Committee of the Home Grown Timber Advisory Committee ................................................... 43 Advisory Committee on Forest Research ................................. 43 Forestry Research Coordination Committee ................ 43 Forestry Training Council ............................................................... 44 Forestry Safety Council ..................................................................... 44 II Home Grown Timber Advisory Committee: Annual Report for the year ended 31 March 1985............................................. 45 III Forestry Training Council: Annual Report for the year ended 31 March 1985 ................................................................................. 47 IV Forestry Safety Council: Annual Report for the year ended 31 M arch 1985 ................................................................................. 49 V Change in Forestry Commission Disposals Objectives: Announcement made by the Secretary of State for Scotland on 8 November 1984 ..................................................................... 50 VI Disposal of Property Managed by the Forestry Commissioners: A Statement of Policy and Practice ....................................... 51 VII Map of Dendoctronus Micans Control Area 55 VIII New Publications ... , ........................................................................... 56 IX Statistical Tables .................................................................................. 58 6 Appendices -continued Page Forestry Authority 1 Dedication and Forestry Grant Schemes .................................. 58 2 Area of Planting by Private Woodland Owners for which Grants were Paid ........................................................................... 59 3 Progress of Planting by Private Woodland Owners in Last Ten Years ................................................................................................... 60 4 Volume of Timber Licensed for Felling and Thinning on Private Estates ............................................................................................. 61 5 Area Licensed for Clear Felling on Private Estates 61 Forestry Enterprise 6 Land Use .............................................................................................. 62 7 Net Area of Land Acquired/Disposed of .................................. 62 8 Forest Land Disposed of During the Year 63 9 Planting During the Year ................................................................ 64 10 Progress of Planting in Last Ten Years ........................................ 65 11 Areas of Plantations and Volumes of Timber Thinned and Felled ............................................................................................