Numbers spray painted on trees?

[jon r]

I've just come back from a lovely walk through some of my favorite woods. However I have noticed that numbers have been spray painted on loads of the oak trees! Does this mean that thay will be cut down?!!!

It better not mean this or im going to be seriously angry!

Jon

 

[British Red]

It is often a felling mark round here jon. If its done sympathetically rather than clear felling a whole area, I'm okay with it - it opens the canopy up. The owner has to make some money or they might as well tear it all up and plant wheat! If its less than 5% of the cover and re-planting happens, and its done correctly, no real problem

Red

 

[jon r]

It is often a felling mark round here jon. If its done sympathetically rather than clear felling a whole area, I'm okay with it - it opens the canopy up. The owner has to make some money or they might as well tear it all up and plant wheat! If its less than 5% of the cover and re-planting happens, and its done correctly, no real problem

Red

Its not less than 5% About 1/5 of the oak trees are marked! If not more. Pluss the land owner has enough money without having to destroy the woods!

 

[British Red]

20% clearence is certainly a lot - too much when dealing with slow growing hardwoods really. Lets hope they aren't felling marks - at least he isn't clear felling though

Red

 

[jon r]

The same land owner has done this before in some of my other favorite woods! The people cutting and marking trees were just kids basicly and made a right mess of things! The cut down so many trees that in one area there isnt enough trees to drink all the rain water and it flooded the road! This area never flooded until then!

And they cleared all the saplings and mediunm sized trees too! They just brought in a machine which litterally had a spinning cilinder on the front with loads of spikes on. They just ploughed through all the trees and chewed the lot up! Like a mole basicly.

And then they were stupid enough to leave the dead trees standing! :aargh4: lol

Nothing has been done with the land. I think this is a bit excessive!

 

[Matt Weir]

This sounds like a scene from some horror film Jon. Some folk are thicker than a whale omlette!

 

[British Red]

Agree then Jon, that sounds like vandalism more than forestry. They log the woods on the farm here but they plant more than they fell (including a whole field just planted to walnuts which is interesting).

Shame

Red

 

[jon r]

The only trees they plant here are christmas trees! how boring.

Once they shredded a whole feild of christmas trees too. Just before christmas! Whats going on! They could have atleast given them away!

 

[Bhod]

Maybe getting in touch with your local authority could shed some light on the matter, IIRC, Oak trees are covered under the one of the environment acts and permission must be sought to fell/prune them.

 

[Mike Ameling]

I live in an area that has a very very vocal minority that believes that cutting ANY tree for ANY reason is a rape of mother nature, and anyone who does that should be thrown in prison for 20 years to life! They even complain about cutting dead trees who's limbs are endangering anyone walking beneath! Of course, none of this is on THEIR property - just on property that belongs to someone else. (For some reason they also believe they have a SUPERIOR RIGHT to determine how everyone else should live and what they can do with their own property!) In the end, their vocal decibels are greater than their IQ.

There are many reasons to cut trees. A tree, like every living organism, has a life span. They sprout from a seed, spurt in growth through their younger years, fill out in maturity, and then start to decline in health/vitality in their waning years until they eventually die. A tree is best "harvested" when it is mature. When it gets "over mature", it starts to rot through the center, weak spots develope in branches, individual limbs start to die and break off, and the "value" of the tree as a renewable resource diminishes. A person trying to manage the renewable resources of a wood lot would periodicly havest some of the trees. But not all trees are at the same stage in a wood lot. So then to be "economical", a range of trees is harvested at the same time. A trained Forester knows this, and advises as to what is best for the trees involved and the land they are on in general.

But in the end, it's someone else's property. If you want to be able to tell them what they can and can't do with their property, then grant them that same right to tell you what you can and can't do in your own home. All rights come with responsibilities. You can voice your concerns, but do so respectfully. You cannot order them not to cut the trees, but they can order off of their property - and to not come back.

Just my humble opinions to share. Take them as such.

Mike Ameling

 

[Bhod]

But in the end, it's someone else's property. If you want to be able to tell them what they can and can't do with their property, then grant them that same right to tell you what you can and can't do in your own home. All rights come with responsibilities. You can voice your concerns, but do so respectfully. You cannot order them not to cut the trees

Things are slightly different this side of the pond Mike, there are laws in place that must be adhered to. Permission must be sought from local authorities to do most types of felling or pruning of trees and in quite a lot of cases heavy penalties have been issued for those that break the laws.

 

[jon r]

How big are the penalties? £?????

 

[BorderReiver]

Might be worth picking out a few of the numbered trees and taking out a preservation order on them.

EDIT : Having a word with your local paper (climate change,environment etc.),wouldn't hurt.
Also,local elections are upon us,nag a councillor who's standing for re election.

 

[Bhod]

How big are the penalties? £?????

I believe it can be around £2500 per tree. Edited to add -

“Although £4,000 represents a substantial fine, there needs to be an awareness that individuals or companies breaching a Tree Preservation Order could be fined up to £20,000 for each tree in a magistrates court,” said Mr Kavanagh-Spall. “If the case comes before a crown court, the fine could be unlimited.” Sourced from http://www.wealden.gov.uk/Council/Media_Releases/2007/024Fined4000forillegaltreefelling.aspx

That's working on the premise that there is a preservation order on them. Although different local authorities have different policies on tree felling.

 

[Justin Time]

Do these laws apply to forests, or just to trees in urban areas which presumably provide amenity value to local residents??

 

[Bhod]

Do these laws apply to forests, or just to trees in urban areas which presumably provide amenity value to local residents??

Both, it does depend on the regulations in force with your local authority though. I do know for instance that in certain boroughs of London any tree pruning or felling has to be preceeded by an application to the local authority.

 

[bambodoggy]

Permission must be sought from local authorities to do most types of felling or pruning of trees and in quite a lot of cases heavy penalties have been issued for those that break the laws.

Only if there is a preservation order in place on either the tree itself or a blanket on over the area, if there is no order then you don't have to ask anybody. (For forestry you would need a felling licence but they aren't hard to get).

I do know for instance that in certain boroughs of London any tree pruning or felling has to be preceeded by an application to the local authority.

Not that many to be fair to them, I do a fair bit of my work up in town and they're pretty good about things.
You also don't have to ask if the tree is dead, unsafe or deciesed.

It's funny but I've just spent the last two days dropping 22 65foot conifers and very neatly and carefully raising the crown on a very old cherry.....only to be told by the client that they now want me to quote on removing the cherry and grinding out the stump. It's a beautiful tree and I don't recall ever seeing one as big as it and in as good condition as it...no rot or deadwood anywhere on it. It has no TPO on it and if I don't quote then somebody else will.....however, at the same time as quoting on Monday I'll also be making a annonomous phonecall to the area Tree officer to see if he'll put a TPO on it....it's really too good and too beautiful a tree to destroy. It's also not going to be the first time I've called a tree officer in to protect a tree that a client wants me to take down for them.

Not all tree workers are bad people and most of us love trees and that's why we got into tree work.

Cheers,

Bam.

 

[swyn]

I will stick my oar in here and just point out that one should not forget that in forestry terms a stand of Oak is just the same as a field of wheat. It is a crop and if farmers can harvest that what is the difference, apart from the timescale?
I have had rants from local people who only see the situation now and not in two years down the road when those that remain are doing well and the space left has allowed natural regen to occur.

The machine that you describe is a mulcher and this efectively does the same as pigs used to do.... scarify the ground and bury the cellulose debris and seed. Watch these areas carefuly and you will see that where the ground has been disturbed there will be a lot of youngsters doing well.

The local who berated me three years ago in writing for doing similar operation in what she believed were 'her' woods reluctantly, and I must say begrudgingly, took back all that was written when realisation finally kicked in.

PROPER FORESTRY is a long term thing, there are very few of us out there doing it, there is less money in it than in farming and as far as I am concerned most of those that I know and that even includes those in the bodies such as the FC are passionate about their work.

I really could write reams and reams but that is not my style. I want to and do grow fine trees. Some of which have found themselves all over the country, in ships, buildings, pallets and even bushcraft knife handles!!
Also you could join the RFS and see the woodlands of the British isles virtually for free and understand the majority of Landowners passions on this matter, eg Blenheim soon and Sandringham later.

Swyn.

 

[British Red]

Got a link for the RFS please swyn?

Red

 

[Tadpole]

Got a link for the RFS please swyn?

Red

here
joining the RFS