Forestry & British Timber articles from February 2005

Forestry & British Timber archives from February 2005

SILVER THREADS AMONG THE GOLD.
February 3, 2005... It was stimulating to see at least one part of our forest economy that was booming last year: with demand clearly more than strong, with product development well ahead of the market, ways of adding value continually emerging, with prices at...

TALKS ENDED - DISCUSSION BEGINS.(Merging of Institute of Chartered Foresters and Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors)
February 3, 2005... The prospect of the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) merging has taken another step forward. Following the former's negotiations with the surveyors' body, the ball is - as it were -...

PRO-WOOD PREMIUM.(Timber Trade Federation)(Lumber industry marketing)
February 3, 2005... Planned to be fully operational by end-March this year, a new scheme to fund the generic promotion of wood and wood products has been launched by the Timber Trade Federation. To be phased in during the first quarter of this year, it...

SHEFFIELD WAVES GREEN FLAG.(Eccleshall Woods gains 'Green flag' status)
February 3, 2005... ICF executive director Peter Wilson: 'This is an exciting opportunity...'. Eccleshall Woods local nature reserve at Millhouses, Sheffield, is the first woodland in the county to gain 'Green flag' status and only the second in Yorkshire and...

Blazing a trail.(Trailbuilding)(Carron Valley Development Group)
February 3, 2005... Due to open in late spring this year, a 5km section of a purpose-built mountain bike trail in the Carron Valley forest near Stirling is being built thanks to a #30000 cash windfall. 'Hard work and enthusiasm', the Forestry Commission Scotland...

FC fails Britain's 'reds'.(Forestry Commission England)(Squirrel protection)
February 3, 2005... 'The failure of Forestry Commission England (FCE) to control the American grey squirrel (AGS) should not be allowed to continue', said the European Squirrel Initiative (ESI) just before Christmas. Responsibility for protecting the red squirrel...

Britain - woodland world leader.(Forest management)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Britain's public woods have been deemed among the most sustainable in the world after receiving their second international 'green' stamp of approval. The Forestry Commission has been successfully re-audited against the UK Woodland Assurance...

MARK AS MENTOR.(Appointment of Mark Silverman)(TRADA Technology)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Mark Silverman has joined TRADA Technology's 'business solutions' team. 'Owner managers are increasingly under pressure in today's market. `It can be difficult to develop a long-term strategy when dealing with day-to-day issues', said...

Invergordon to invest in mill?(Forscot)
February 3, 2005... Possibilities of a new market for Scotland's and northern England's Sitka spruce harvest come with the news of a #1bn forest industry project at Invergordon on the Cromarty Firth. Plans involve the construction and operation of a pulp and paper...

IN MEMORIAM.(Tree planting)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Oak saplings grown from acorns collected in the grounds of Glamis Castle, Scotland, childhood home of the late Queen Mother, were planted in her memory in December by Larne, Northern Ireland schoolchildren. The pupils, from Moyle and St...

Keeping it in the family.(Appointment of Neil Donaldson)(Scottish Timber Trade Association)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... A family tradition was maintained within the Scottish Timber Trade Association (STTA) when Neil Donaldson was appointed president at it's recent agm. Both his grandfather and father similarly served as the trade association's head. The...

To head TTF.(Timber Trade Federation)(Appointment of John White)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Newly-appointed chief executive of the Timber Trade Federation is John White, formerly director of the Federation of Bakers and on the staff of the leisure machine trade association, BACTA. Before that, he held a senior position at Trade...

Integration is the answer.
February 3, 2005... 'The activities of land managers influence the delivery of all the (Cairngorms National) Park's (CNP) aims', said Fiona Newcombe at the CNP Authority's board meeting just before Christmas. As head of the CNPA's natural resources group, she was...

Reasons to be cheerful.(Forest development)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... 'There are a number of reasons why woodland owners should be optimistic, and whilst no single one of the reasons is particularly dramatic, the combination of them all certainly provides a positive outlook for the industry'. Smiths Gore's...

VOLVO TRUCK ON TRACK WITH BARRETT'S.(Volvo FH16)(Transportation equipment industry)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Since founding Barrett Timber in Wales some 20 years ago, Mick Barrett his served as a sub-contractor on work for Network Rail - and has remained faithful to one marque, Volvo Truck. Pursuing this policy, he has just taken delivery of a new...

Looking forward to show time!
February 3, 2005... A glance out off the window at the bare winter landscape and hard frost everywhere this January morning makes it difficult to imagine standing in a sunny field, surrounded by like-minded people, contemplating the purchase of a new chipper,...

Glendale goes holistic in Richmond.(Richmond Housing Partnership )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... A major landlord in the London borough, Richmond Housing Partnership (RHP) has chosen arboricultural company Glendale - in a `unique contract' - to perform the dual role of maintaining and surveying its tree stock. The amalgamation of the two...

Letter: Tiding of comfort and joy.(Letter to the Editor)
February 3, 2005... From Chris Inglis 'Sir, I would like to pick up on a couple of points raised in your leader (FBT Jan 2005). The general philosophy of having to look after ourselves now is one that FTA accepts and embraces. The Forestry Commission still...

FC chairman re-appointed.(Forestry Commission)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Continuing his position as chairman of the Forestry Commission, Lord Clark of Windermere has been re-appointed for a further three-year term. He took his seat in the House of Lords in 2001 following his retirement from the House of Commons and...

Facing up to urban education.(Rebecca Logsdon )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The drive to strengthen links between schools and forest education is set for a boost with the appointment of Rebecca Logsdon as the new Forest Education Initiative co-ordinator for Scotland. The role involves building up relationships...

Letters: CERTIFICATION - who needs it? cont.(Letter to the Editor)
February 3, 2005... From David Ogg 'Sir, Mark Yorke asks a straightforward question in the last paragraph of his letter to FBT (January 2005). The straightforward answer is "Nothing". Confused? The question that Mark asked, and which was directed at an...

To lead Woodland Trust.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Former business administration director of the National Trust, Sue Holden has been appointed as chief executive of the Woodland Trust. She is based at the conservation charity's central office at Grantham, Lincs. The trust said that Sue,...

NF - new appts.(National Forest Company )
February 3, 2005... Dinah Nichols has been appointed as the new Chair of the National Forest Company (NFC), taking up the reins in April 2005. The environment and sustainable development have been at the core of the varied career of the new NFC Chair. A high...

ACCENTUATING THE POSITIVE.
February 3, 2005... The forest sector suffers from a number of widely-held negative perceptions - we damage an important natural resource; wood is a poor building material; the sector is insignificant in the UK; and, it is an unattractive sector in which to work,...

MARKET REPORT: Chinese whispers.(effect of coming restrictions on use of CCA preservatives )
February 3, 2005... Rarely does the path of timber trading run smoothly, and the last year has certainly seen the UK industry living through 'interesting times', as the Chinese proverb has it, with the establishment of ConFor (see p12), restrictions coming into...

Hardwoods take the high road - to Scotland.
February 3, 2005... Nine years ago, the Borders Forest Trust (BFT) set up `Woodschool' as its trading arm. Based in the grounds of Monteviot House near Jedburgh, its prime objective - as Susan Burke reports below - is to bring hardwood processing `back into...

ANNUAL HERBICIDE REVIEW: CHEMICALS/MAINTENANCE/ESTABLISHMENT.
February 3, 2005... Colin Palmer reviews changes and developments in the agrochemical supply industry. 2004 produced few surprises for the contractor or forester using herbicides as a core method of vegetation control, and virtually all changes reflected the...

ANNUAL HERBICIDE REVIEW: 2005 WEED CONTROL.(European Commission)(2-Methyl-4-Chlorophenoxyacetic Acid)(Free Trade Agreement)
February 3, 2005... Colin Palmer reviews herbicides for use in forestry, farm forestry, amenity, total and aquatic sectors. UPLAND FORESTRY AND REPLANT SITES 1. Grass Control Atrazine (Alpha Atrazine 50EC, Atlas Atrazine). Root & rhizome uptake only....

ANNUAL HERBICIDE REVIEW: Farm Woodlands.(2-Methyl-4-Chlorophenoxyacetic Acid)(All Terrain Vehicle)
February 3, 2005... Colin Palmer looks at the establishment of farm woodlands with the aid of herbicides. The conversion of arable land or improved grassland to a farm woodland can, and should be easy. However, some can testify to a somewhat bittersweet...

ANNUAL HERBICIDE REVIEW: ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.
February 3, 2005... Colin Palmer considers the wider issues of pesticides and the woodland environment. Is it intrinsic to human nature that we need to harbour feelings of guilt about our actions? It seems that the old concepts of sin that many of us grew up...

ANNUAL HERBICIDE REVIEW: RAVAGED BY RHODO.(ecological effects of Rhododendron)
February 3, 2005... Rhododendron ponticum is now `part and parcel' of the landscape, firmly- established and naturalised in a variety of semi-natural and artificial habitats across the United Kingdom. But R. ponticum, writes Dr Terry Mabbett, has `gone wild' in...

ANNUAL HERBICIDE REVIEW: Farm foresters' flexible friend.(Mid Western Forestry Services Ltd (MWFS))(Nicky Cotter uses Flexidome 2 and Spraymiser)
February 3, 2005... Originally developed for weed-control duties in UK strawberry industry polythene `Spanish tunnels', Micron Sprayers Ltd's* Flexidome has been redesigned for similar use in young forest plantations. Jointly developed by the company's R&D...

Buyers' guidance.(access platforms)
February 3, 2005... `With the onslaught of the working-at-height directive basically telling us that we had to use access equipment', reports Jon Doyle of Northern Access*, UK operators witnessed in 2004 tracked and trailer- mounted machinery manufacturers from...

Perfect partners.(European Commission)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... With the new EC regulations effecting everyone who needs access at work over four meters high, access platforms are fast becoming the norm in arboriculture, say Arborplant* who are sole UK distributor for the Oil & Steel range of Octopussy...

No bandwagon jumpers!(Promax Access Ltd)(transportation equipment introduction)
February 3, 2005... When Promax Access Ltd* introduced `the first compact tracked powered access platform into the UK' nearly six years ago', the only less complimentary comment it received was that the machines `looked like they were built like the proverbial...

Access all situations.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Powered Access Sales & Service*, specialise in sales of new and used equipment and service/LOLER examinations. Its sister company Universal Aerial Platforms is the UK's leading rental company for specialist access equipment. The company...

On track for UK hire network.(tracked access platforms (TAPs))(ranger equipment (RE))(Hy-Mate Distributors (UK) Ltd)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... `We are now approximately 50% of the way towards full coverage of the UK, with seven active rental partners but we still need to find another seven or eight'. Steve Hadfield, managing director of Ranger Equipment (RE) was speaking in...

TRAILERS & CRANES: Taking a load off.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Ower, Romsey, Hants-based A.T. Osborne* are distributors - along with their comprehensive range of forestry machinery - for the Moheda range of forest trailers and loaders from Sweden. The Moheda 100 is the smallest trailer in the range and...

Buittle battleground.(problems encountered in transporting a log)(Interview)
February 3, 2005... Dalbeattie, Dumfries and Galloway forestry consultant Charlie Fulton encountered a few problems last summer while he was clearfelling a hardwood area in one of his woodlands near Buittle Castle on the town's outskirts. It included some rather...

Mowi moves ahead.
February 3, 2005... Forwarding and harvesting of pulp, firewood and other smaller timber are the main duties seen for the latest MOWI Skog 65 and 75 MOWI trailers by UK distributor Fuelwood (Warwick) Ltd* (FW). Joining the established 85, 105 and 125 models, they...

Looking mighty chipper.(Contracts for woodchippers and mulchers)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Lamberhurst Engineering Limited* has won a contract with Brockwells Forestry Limited to supply woodchippers and mulchers to help protect power supplies for those living in Kent, Sussex and Surrey. The package includes five Kwikchip T222...