Forestry & British Timber articles from March 2006

Forestry & British Timber archives from March 2006

That sinking feeling.(destroyer using stealth technology)
March 9, 2006... The launch last month of the Navy's latest state-of-the-art destroyer, 'HMS Daring', shows how change has entered even the most traditional of our institutions. `Stealth' technology means that the ship is almost invisible to enemy radar so it...

Scotland's `natural retreats' win #2m top-up.
March 9, 2006... Details of the winners in a #2m funding boost from the Scottish Executive to promote woodlands in urban Scotland have been unveiled by Scottish forestry minister Rhona Brankin. The makeover money will go to 30 projects across the country which...

Cornwall competes for excellence.(forest industry competition)(Brief Article)
March 9, 2006... `There is no doubt that the competition raises awareness and generates interest. It is valued and people like to show off their woods'. Roger Pook*, chairman of the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association forestry section, was unveiling the...

Quality Scots SS pulp.(Forscot, Scottish Sitka spruce )(Brief Article)
March 9, 2006... Research commissioned by Forscot, the company planning to build and operate the #1 billion integrated forest products operation at Invergordon in the north-east of Scotland, has confirmed that pulp made from Scottish Sitka spruce is at least as...

Buying responsibly.
March 9, 2006... `At James Latham', said John May, timber director of the major firm of timber and panel distributors, `we are committed to purchasing and promoting sustainable material whenever and wherever possible'. With that philosophy in mind, the company...

Sponsors sought for Powis Wood Fair.(Brief Article)
March 9, 2006... Despite increasing its popularity year-on-year the now well-established Powis Wood Fair may be held for the last time in September (9-10) this year unless the organisers -Gillian and Lachlan MacEwan - can attract the backing of generous...

Garw Valley regeneration.
March 9, 2006... A new #160 000 community woodland project is set to play an important part in the regeneration of the Garw Valley in South Wales. The Cydcoed - Woods for All work will transform former colliery land into a green, wooded open space for everyone...

Funding to get timber off roads.
March 9, 2006... Funding totalling nearly #5.8m, announced by transport minister Tavish Scott from the Freight Facilities Grant (FFG), for two haulage companies, will help remove 1.5 million lorry miles from Scotland's roads every year. JST Services (Rail)...

FR wins smoother ride to market.(Forest Research)
March 9, 2006... `Public-sector research establishments carrying out cutting-edge research need finance to bring their products and services to wider markets. Without government funding, these ideas might never become a reality'. Secretary of State for...

Students to compete for top place.
March 9, 2006... Capel Manor College, Enfield is the venue and May 5 and 6 are the dates of the finals of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) student tree-climbing competition*. Part of the college's `Celebration of Trees' event, it aims to...

Wales `leads wood-fuel way'.(wood energy)(Brief Article)
March 9, 2006... `Wood fuel works across much of Europe now and we in Wales are leading the way in the UK'. This message was delivered by Mike Pitcher of the Wood Energy Business Scheme to delegates at the recent RW International Wood Energy week in Berlin. He...

OBITUARY: Graham Booth - forester and mountaineer.(Obituary)
March 9, 2006... Graham Booth's sudden and unexpected death in Dumfries, Scotland on Christmas Day, 2005 at the early age of 49 was a tragedy for those who knew him in the worlds of forestry and mountaineering. Born at Halifax, West Yorkshire, he expressed, at...

Lawcris lifts off.(Lawcris Panel Products Ltd.)(Brief Article)
March 9, 2006... One of the UK's leading suppliers in its sector, Lawcris Panel Products Ltd has invested almost #10000 in a new vacuum lift, a one-man operated machine that removes the need for unnecessary labour. It is the latest addition to the company's...

Higher hopes for Highlands.(forestry grants)
March 9, 2006... A #1.5m woodland grant to the Highland region was announced recently by Scottish forestry minister Rhona Brankin. `This Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) grant will, over the next three years, be a welcome addition to Scottish forestry grants...

Appointment: Martin Gale, CBE.
March 9, 2006... Martin Gale, with over 30 years' experience in the forestry industry, was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire - CBE - in the Queen's New Year's Honours List. His present role is that of vice- president for international...

Glendale helps replant Birmingham's parks.
March 9, 2006... When last July's tornado struck Birmingham, 1000 trees across the city were damaged. In Adderley Park alone, 30 trees, mainly limes and London Planes were either damaged or lost in a few minutes. To mark the start of a major planting project to...

`Death knell' for GB's `red' survivors.(Red squirrels)
March 9, 2006... The recent statement by Defra minister Jim Knight that the eradication of grey squirrels was no longer desirable flew `in the face of Britain's international obligations on biodiversity'. European Squirrel Initiative (ESI) chairman Miles...

Uprooting climate change.
March 9, 2006... A `commitment' to develop Scotland's first `Biomass action plan' was announced recently by forestry minister Rhona Brankin. The aim was to develop a vibrant market for energy crops to help local communities meet their daily energy needs. ...

Scotland's finest award.
March 9, 2006... Do you own, manage or are you involved in some way with one of Scotland's Finest Woods? If so there is still time to enter into the 2006 awards supported and sponsored by Forestry Commission Scotland and the Scottish Forestry Trust and have an...

Dave Cashman, `Chartered Forester'.(Institute of Chartered Foresters)(Brief Article)
March 9, 2006... `We believe the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) is the obvious professional home for arboricultural consultants', said a delighted Dave Cashman of Ringwood, Hants-based Barrell Tree Consultancy (BTC) on learning that he had gained...

Happy family: That's Finnish forestry.
March 9, 2006... Tony Willis and David Crichton, chairman and CEO, respectively, of the Confederation of Forest Industries (ConFor) and Martin Gale, CBE of UPM- Kymmene Corporation, were among members of a UK timber industry delegation who visited Finland as...

WoodWISE: The view from the sharp end.
March 9, 2006... In which our monthly contracting contributor Nick Hilton of Woodwise Forestry* finds how and why the first Earl of Chichester dropped a brick! Sadly I'm old enough to remember a chart hit from 1975 called `Whispering Grass' by Windsor...

Putting the 'forest' back into forestry.
March 9, 2006... If taking the 'forest' out of forestry means not taking timber out of the woods - we have to think again, says David Ogg* Belief-by-belief, philosophy-by-philosophy and principle-by-principle, the very soul of our once-great forest industry...

Bacterial suspect for horse chestnut bleeding canker.
March 9, 2006... Still reeling from arrival of the leaf miner (Cameraria ohridella) in 2002, horse chestnut is now faced with a new, and more aggressive, form of bleeding canker disease over much of the country as Dr Terry Mabbett reports. This horse...

APF 2006 DIARY: Looking forward to Ragley.
March 9, 2006... After a Christmas break we are coming out of hibernation and beginning the run-up to APF 2006, now only seven months away, writes APF Exhibition Secretary Ian Millward*. Since the last diary things have moved on apace and the Exhibition is...

Hand-helds tell the stock story.
March 9, 2006... Hand-held PC's are helping Dalbeattie, Dumfries and Galloway-based Howie Forest Products (HFP) keep track of the 1.5m pieces of timber in various stages of production at their sawmill, thanks to the installation of Progressive Solutions...

NICE ONE NISSAN!
March 9, 2006... Last year sales of Nissan pick-up trucks increased by 23% and the introduction of a revised range in the summer helped to keep up the momentum. The new Navara is now one of the largest pick-up trucks on the UK market and consultant Eamonn Wall...

KEEP CLEAR: Fen and dandy!(Birdeye for natural reserves management)
March 9, 2006... Using his 'Birdeye' in the Cambridge Fens, Jason Cooper has to keep an eye on the birds. At work on the National Trust's Wicken Fen - site of one of Britain's oldest nature reserves - Jason Cooper's Birdeye has no trouble working to a...

KEEP CLEAR: Stump'n'grind GreenMech-style.(Brief Article)
March 9, 2006... Complementing the existing range of stumpgrinders offered by GreenMech* the STM27-18 and STM25-18H are powered respectively by a 27 and 25hp Kohler petrol engine with electric starting, but are propelled by a separate drive system. This...

KEEP CLEAR: More power to the range.(Casto rtractor-powered stumpgrinders)(Brief Article)
March 9, 2006... Chippers International* as part of their Gandini range of woodchippers and shredders supply the 'Castor' line of tractor-powered stumpgrinders which are suitable for 35 to 75hp tractors and will, it is claimed, grind out any size of stump. ...

KEEP CLEAR: Latest grinder designs.(Ryetec stumpgrinders)(Brief Article)
March 9, 2006... Ryetec* offer a range of stumpgrinders 'which have been designed to reduce operator stress and fatigue to much lower levels than any models currently available on the UK market'. Not only this but 'the revolutionary yet simple design improves...

KEEP CLEAR: Southern accent.(Richard Court Forestry Engineering)(Brief Article)
March 9, 2006... Southern agent for JBM Machinery, Richard Court Forestry Engineering* supply a comprehensive range of woodchippers and stumpgrinders. The grinders range from just 600mm wide machines which can be taken through narrow access points such as...

KEEP CLEAR: Refreshing!(Riko Pro 150 )(Brief Article)
March 9, 2006... 'If Heineken sold stumpgrinders they would be our Pro series!'So says Steve Cabrol of Riko UK*. 'Yes, they really do reach the parts of stumps others can't', he added. 'The simple, yet incredibly strong, design of the Pro series means they...

KEEP CLEAR: From the DANequip stable.(Brief Article)
March 9, 2006... DANequip's* self-propelled pedestrian stumpgrinder, has a working width of 28in (710mm) which will go through most tight accesses as it does have the advantage of narrowing down to 26in (670mm). The 25 and 27hp Command engines are fitted as...

KEEP CLEAR: Big Maks!(Makita brushcutters)(Brief Article)
March 9, 2006... Makita* has expanded its range with the introduction of three new two- stroke models and two 4-stroke brushcutters. The new straight shaft RST210 and RBC2110 line trimmers both feature a low-emission 21cc petrol engine and come with...

KEEP CLEAR: The Vermeer line-up.(Brief Article)
March 9, 2006... Vermeer offers a range of stumpgrinding machines that are 'tough, reliable and easy to operate'. Supplied by UK and Ireland distributor B- Trac Equipment*, the machines feature benefits such as the AutoSweep system, gear driven cutter wheel...

KEEP CLEAR: Cost-effective scrub clearance.(Brief Article)
March 9, 2006... Top-of-the-range from Etesia* is the Attila A180. In addition to clearing large areas of scrub and overgrown vegetation, this 180cm machine doubles as an all-terrain mower. Designed for safe use on banks and undulating sites, Attila A180's...

Total commitment in Northants.(Total Forestry Services Ltd)(directors of forestry industry)
March 9, 2006... `Inevitably, we will ask the same question as we resume this summer's felling programme - why are we doing it? I have no doubt we will do it, hopefully keeping the business out of the red with low-overhead maintenance work throughout the...