Scottish trial looking to reduce impact from timber harvesting

THE Cowal peninsula in south Argyll has long been established as a high-producing timber area for both state and private sector.

Aware of the rise in environmental damage caused by some of the increasingly large equipment used to harvest timber in a drive to contain costs, a group of forest owners, all with forests on the Cowal peninsula, are now looking to develop competitive options which will not only reduce damage but have a smaller carbon footprint and a lower environmental impact, while also ensuring a safer and better work environment across all forest operations.

READ MORE: Digby Guy: Damage 'done by modern harvesting' worries forester

Supported by timber processors Holmen Iggesund and Glennon Bros, these forest owners have engaged with harvesting firm Euroforest to develop and trial all-inclusive low-impact harvesting, from the standing tree to the forest gate.

Two of the forest owners have been looking to minimise harvesting damage for some years and now, together with that experience, wider support and greater recognition of the issues, a full trial in Cowal based on harvesting a combined volume in the order of 40,000 tonnes is planned.

The key areas of concern include:
• Ground damage to harvesting sites and the consequences thereof
• Quantity of timber currently left on the site, deemed necessary to keep the heavy machinery above ground
• The state of the site post harvesting and the cost of repairing the damage when preparing to plant the next crop
• The cost – financial and environmental – of building expensive roads to facilitate the use of lorries designed to run on motorways
• Shortage of operators, in particular people willing to hand choker to winches and to fell trees by hand
• Safety! Chokering of trees by hand for winches and hand cutting of trees are two of the most dangerous operations in an industry that is already recognised as being high risk. 

Before the advent of the harvester and forwarder there was virtually no post-harvesting site damage, and what there was was superficial. That was in the days when skyline winches (and horses) were the norm.

Another FLS site, where around 60–70 cube of publicly owned timber has been left to rot for eight years or more. (Image: Supplied)

50 years ago, there were 30 skyline winches operating in Cowal alone. As harvesters and forwarders were developed and harvesting costs reduced as a result, so interest in developing winches waned and they have all but disappeared. However, in other parts of the world – increasingly so in recent times – environmental concern has encouraged development of the use of skylines to extract timber. This development has taken winches to the point where on many sites they are economically competitive while being environmentally superior.

New Zealand, Chile, South Africa and South-East Asia are leading the way with key equipment manufacturers in South Africa and New Zealand. Euroforest is in discussion with both manufacturers and operators and the trial is scheduled to commence this summer.

This trial will regard forest roads as an integral part of the timber harvesting operation.

By using appropriate low ground pressure ‘fit for purpose’ in forest haulage, the timber will be collected direct from the point of extraction and taken to a handling area near the public road where it can be transferred to conventional road-going vehicles. This will reduce the trend towards higher cost and more intrusive road networks within the forest.

Are we really prepared to say damage on this level is acceptable? (Image: Supplied)

The trial will be studied and reported on by an independent expert with extensive work study experience and by Gresham House Forestry representing the interests of all the forest owners. The trial will also be monitored by SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency), whose concerns regarding environmental damage within the forest were highlighted in a recent report by John Gorman.

It is notable that both Holmen Iggesund and Glennon Bros, with important supply catchment areas in West Scotland, recognise that unless the forest industry develops acceptable systems to harvest some of our steeper and wetter sites, a significant proportion of their anticipated supply may be denied them. Furthermore, they and the forest owners in the trial are frustrated by the amount of precious and much-needed raw material currently left on site to waste. All such timber will have been factored into timber production forecasts on which industry bases its process on.

Finally, the carbon argument for growing trees is eroded by environmental damage, waste and pollution from excessive forest machinery and the consequences of the use thereof.

David Symons, MD of Euroforest, said: “Euroforest is very pleased to support this initiative with potential safety, economic and environmental benefits. 

“The majority of serious accidents and deaths occur where chainsaw and skyline choker operations are involved. By introducing mechanised systems we can significantly reduce the occurrence of serious accidents and deaths in this type of operation. By adopting working practices already in use elsewhere in the world we intend to be able to work complex sites using systems which will place operators in the safest possible working environment. 

The damage done to this site is evident many years after harvesting operations were completed. (Image: Supplied)

“Steep ground working has traditionally been very slow, weather dependent and expensive with considerable investment. By mechanising our systems we hope to make gains on all these fronts, so providing a better return to forest owners and bringing timber to market in a consistent and timely manner.

“As we are all too aware, our workforce is under constant pressure, particularly in the areas of chainsaw and choker operation. Mechanisation means more attractive work for operators in a safer and (usually) dry environment.

“I firmly believe that the mainstay of our operations will remain harvester and forwarder based. However, if the systems we are testing can help reduce the impact of our operations on the steepest, most difficult parts of the forest landscape by reducing construction of high-specification forest roads, digging of tracks on site, soil erosion, mounding, lost volumes and lost plantable area – to name but a few – then we will create significant benefit for our industry and all those who enjoy the broader landscape.”

Nicholas Ferguson CBE, forest owner and chair of the Forestry Partnership Investment Committee, added: “The Forestry Partnership (TFP) is pleased to be directly involved with this initiative. Reducing the impact of timber harvesting in our landscape sits very comfortably with the ethos of the partners. Whilst we are focused on producing timber efficiently, we are conscious of the environment.

“TFP takes the long-term view. Our investment committee works closely with our managers to deliver best forest practice and we will watch this initiative with great interest.”