Day 056 - 28 Nov 94 - Page 53


     
     1        and there was a considerable reduction in birch in their
     2        forest resource.  Since that time that has recovered and
     3        the birch proportion is increasing steadily.  At the
     4        present moment the birch proportion in Finnish forests is
     5        18.1 per cent of the forest resource growing.
     6
     7   Q.   You have talked about guidelines or laws against, well,
     8        this is in Finland but it applies to other countries
     9        I think, about not cutting larger than 10 hectares there in
    10        Finland; it is no longer acceptable, you say.  These kinds
    11        of guidelines, are they recent changes in various countries
    12        because of ecological concerns?
    13        A.  In the case of Finland the cuttings larger than the
    14        current almost maximum, it is not just an average, of 2
    15        hectares per coupe, almost all of those were in the North
    16        of Finland in State owned forestry under government
    17        department supervision.  Their cuts over 10 hectares did
    18        apply.  It does not apply now.
    19
    20   Q.   When did it change?
    21        A.  It has been changing.
    22
    23   Q.   When was it effectively ceased happening?
    24        A.  It would be difficult to put a precise time on it
    25        because there have been certain areas larger than 10
    26        hectares, larger than 100 hectares that have been cleared,
    27        but only in areas where there were some environmental
    28        problems such as pest attack and the like where they had to
    29        clear it in any case to stop the spread of pest diseases.
    30
    31   Q.   A general question, when you say "had to clear it" that
    32        would be for economic reasons?
    33        A.  To stop it from going further.
    34
    35   Q.   In France the standing volume of timber is estimated at 1.6
    36        billion cubic metres with an annual harvesting of 30
    37        million cubic metres.  It just struck me that you have not
    38        said that for France but you have said that for other
    39        countries, that the forest cover is increasing.  If in
    40        France 30 million cubic metres were done each year for 100
    41        years, that would be 3 billion which would be double the
    42        actual present forest cover.  Is that correct?  Is cutting
    43        down happening at a faster rate than regeneration at the
    44        moment in France?
    45        A.  Cutting down is not happening at a faster rate than
    46        regeneration in terms of the total forest area.  In fact,
    47        France is in balance as opposed to in a growth state at the
    48        present time, but it is rather like the British situation
    49        where their plantation forest are maturing.  Therefore, the
    50        volume of timber will increase rather than decrease on an 
    51        annual basis.  I think I have drawn attention to the fact 
    52        that as far as the UK is concerned, within 25 years of now 
    53        we will have double the timber availability from our
    54        managed forests then we have at the present time.
    55
    56   Q.   Just one question before we leave Finland.  Is it true that
    57        of the 18 per cent increase in softwood stocks in the 80s,
    58        15 per cent of that 18 per cent or thereabouts was planted
    59        on ex-peat land?
    60        A.  Finland has over 10 million hectares of peat land which

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