EU Timber and Timber Products Regulations March 2013

[heimlaga]

Here in Finland I have been told by officials that the government intend to implement it in such a way that any native timber that hasn't passed through the big timber companies and their huge sawmills is illegal. Period. Nobody else than a big sawmill sawing many lorryloads a day can afford the very complicated paperwork and the license fees which are the same whatever size the business is. All woodshops making anything for the construction trade also needs to pay the same license fees whether it is a one man part time job or a 100 man factory cranking out many lorryloads a day.

On the other hand there are thousands of small sawmill and woodshop businesses that do not care a damn about that law. The EU regulations as originally written has a loophole for locally harvested timber that goes directly from sawmill to woodshop to user without anybody in between and we are going to exploit that loophole whatever our government says.

 

[Nick Gibbs]

A conference was held recently by the British forestry industry to discuss the EUTR. The National Measurement Office (NMO), which acts as the police force for this legislation, said that they would be taking a 'light touch'. A paper trail makes sense, but is probably good practice anyway. The UK felling licence process through the Forestry Commission should cover the selling/buying of British timber, and the EUTR may finally be legislation that actually helps native timber suppliers. We do need to put more pressure on illegal logging around the world, and British woodlands could benefit from greater demand for native wood.

Nick

 

[tomatwark]

A conference was held recently by the British forestry industry to discuss the EUTR. The National Measurement Office (NMO), which acts as the police force for this legislation, said that they would be taking a 'light touch'. A paper trail makes sense, but is probably good practice anyway. The UK felling licence process through the Forestry Commission should cover the selling/buying of British timber, and the EUTR may finally be legislation that actually helps native timber suppliers. We do need to put more pressure on illegal logging around the world, and British woodlands could benefit from greater demand for native wood.

Nick

I hope that is the case, as a lot of smaller saw mills have stop logging it as it is not cost effective.

Slightly off topic.

Has anything been said about the felling of mature Ash trees which have die back, can that be moved for cutting into boards?

Or do they have to be burnt on site to avoid the spread of any spoors from the bark?

If they have to be burnt we are heading for a major native ash shortage.

Tom

 

[Nick Gibbs]

The Forestry Commission is being very pragmatic about ash. There are no controls on the felling and movement of mature ash trees and timber. It is the leaf matter that is infectious. The Forestry Commission is gently discouraging the felling of ash only so far as trying to establish which trees might be immune so that a new seed stock can be built up. The disease may (and I only say may) have less impact than the initial panic and figures from Denmark might indicate. Though older trees appear to die quite slowly, and can recover, there is very little evidence about the effects upon the timber. Secondary infections could rot and/or dying trees, so it will be a fine balance to decide whether ash should be felled immediately the disease is identified, or wait to see what happens. There may be an initial shortage as landowners consider their options, or there may be a glut as dying or partially diseased trees are felled. This may not happen till next winter anyway, as winter is the felling season, and we need spring/summer 2013 to identify diseased trees. I expect there will be a huge number of cases found this summer, and if that happens the FC's response will be critical.

Nick

 

[tomatwark]

I expect there will be a huge number of cases found this summer, and if that happens the FC's response will be critical.

Nick

Thanks Nick

I think you are right about a big increase in cases come the summer, there is a least one tree on the farm here where my workshop is that was looked at last year but because it was late in the year they were not 100% if it had die back and are going to come back when it is in leaf.

I suspect that there many more cases like this one which come to light once summer is here.

Tom

 

[Nick Gibbs]

Considered opinion is that it's been with us for some time already. If we see lots of cases this summer, as a dramatic change, then we do have much to worry about. Who knows what will happen. There's been so little research about the effects of Dieback on ash timber quality. It never ceases to amaze me how little care many foresters seem to have for timber. They are into growing and felling trees, but so often there is a complete disconnect with timber and the uses of wood.

Nick