UKWAS V5 bans Game Release Pens in High Conservation Value (SSSI, ASNW, PAWS) woodlands (UKWAS V5 due to go live later this year).

Save the shoot OR Retain your certification OR Keep Both?

UKFCG has received the following e-mail from Richard Hunter at Confor. A number of UKFCG members have already contacted UKFCG to express their concerns on this subject. If this issue will affect you, please see the letter attached to this newsletter. Please sign and return the letter to UKFCG if you would like us to take this matter to the UKWAS Steering Group.

ACT NOW, WE SUGGEST AN END OF JANUARY DEADLINE.

Dear all,

The issue of game release pens is a topic we have discussed many times. I have spoken to most of the steering group privately to highlight the issue, however in many of those conversations the scale of the problem was difficult to give a figure on. Therefore I have drafted the attached letter to gather that information, in a way to be presented to the steering group. With this type of letter it requires a significant number of signatures and therefore may not work if not enough land owners sign. However when done well it is a very powerful tool. Although we don’t have a planned date for the next meeting  it would be good to have this letter ready for then. I know that I am asking you to work to an unknown time scale so do apologise for that.

My request is that you ask the members of your group schemes if they would be willing to sign the letter and therefore add their pressure to get a change made sooner rather than later.
Happy to discuss (I am on the road for most of next week so may be difficult to reach).

Regards Richard

Is labour a high risk in forestry?

(Summarised from an article by Richard Hunter in Forestry and Timber News, December 2023)

To protect forest workers’ rights, FSC International now requires harvesting contractors to have an outsourcer agreement with the organisation that has hired them. One of the outcomes is the requirement that contractors must ensure their workers are not being exploited. The requirement by FSC will be implemented over a transition period up till 31 December 2024. The full briefing note is called ‘ADV-40-004-23 Evaluation of contractors against the FSC Core Labour Requirements’ and can be found on the FSC UK website.This means that harvesting contractors will now need to complete an annual self-assessment to show that the organisation conforms with the FSC core labour requirements. While for many organisations this is common practice, the new development is that they could be audited when the forest management company they are working for is being audited. UKFCG, as a Type 1 Group, is unable to verify contractor compliance on a day-to-day basis, it is therefore essential that managers of FSC certified forests carry out checks on their appointed contractors. This will help to assist with compliance verification during audits of these requirements.
UKWAS requirements in respect of this development are already enshrined in section 5.6.1, however, the details are further extended in UKWAS v5 which is expected to be approved for use soon.
Confor is in discussions with the Soil Association and FSC UK about how to minimize the impact on the forestry sector. At UKFCG we are keeping a close eye on developments and will participate in training for auditors which is being planned by FSC UK. We aim to produce a Guidance Note and checklist which forest managers can use to ensure all the required information is obtained during award of contracts and pre-commencement meetings.

UK bans Gunnera after study finds it an invasive species

With its dramatic leaves and sprawling structure, the giant rhubarb has long been a popular garden plant, but the UK government is now to enact a ban on the popular plant, also known as Gunnera, meaning it cannot be sold or cultivated, and those who have it in their gardens must ensure it does not spread. It will be under a similar ban to that on Japanese knotweed.

There are fears the widespread nature of this plant will cause problems where it has spread in wetter areas such as the west coast of Ireland and Scotland. [seen on some certified sites]. It has been listed as a “species of union concern” under an EU regulation, and is now listed as being of “special concern” in the UK.

UKWAS requirements in respect of Invasive Non-native Species can be found in sections 2.3.2., 2.5.3., and 2.12.2. where an emergency response plan may be required for dealing with outbreaks of invasive species.

The following notes regarding Fire Plans and Tree Safety Inspections have used information taken from an article in Forestry and Timber News (Dec 2023) – Frequently asked legal questions for the forestry sector.
Written by the team from Brodies LLP who provide the Confor member’s legal helpline.

Do you have a Fire Plan?

UKWAS 2.5.3 The owner/manager shall assess the potential negative impacts of natural hazards on the WMU, including drought, floods, wind, fire, invasive plant and animal species, and other pests and diseases.

UKWAS 2.12.2 There shall be an emergency response plan appropriate to the level of risk. [Guidance states that incidents may include fire]

In the aftermath of recent high rainfall events, fire risk may seem a distant memory. However, the last few years have seen widespread periods of low rainfall and wildfires in early Spring. Statistics published by Highland Council found that Scotland’s firefighters responded to more than one wildfire a day in spring 2022.

Regardless of how wildfires arise, if there is a risk of them on your land, you should have a fire management plan. Your local Fire and Rescue Service may be able to assist you with this. In sites with high risk of fire, evidence of contact with the fire and rescue service and that their advice has been taken into consideration is one of the UKWAS verifiers.

Tree Safety inspections

UKWAS 5.2.1 The owner/manager shall mitigate the risks to public health and safety and other negative impacts of woodland operations on local people.

Managing the risk of falling trees is particularly pertinent at this time of year in adverse weather, and the potential harm caused could be severe and potentially fatal. Organisations should have a clear procedure for the inspection of trees. For instance, individual tree inspection is necessary in circumstances where:
⦁ The tree is in a location frequently visited by the public or in an area that poses an obvious risk to adjacent infrastructure, e.g. buildings, roads, car parks, railway lines
⦁ The tree has been identified as being in a condition that is likely to make it unstable.
⦁ And a decision has been made to retain the tree

Tree Safety Report is included as an example verifier in UKWAS 5.4.1 (Health and Safety), and A Tree Safety Policy has been added as a verifier for section 5.2.1 in UKWAS V5