Day 058 - 30 Nov 94 - Page 19


     
     1        Now, as you rightly say, 40 years on and, of course, the
     2        First World War period too, since that time, it has been
     3        possible, whereas it was not possible before, to remove
     4        small areas and replace so that you get a varied effect, a
     5        visual effect, and also a mixture of species.  That has
     6        been the policy now since about 1985 and became very much
     7        the policy in the sort of period 88/89.  When I first
     8        became a Forestry Commissioner this was the only thing we
     9        were talking about, was to how over the quickest and
    10        shortest period produce a mixture of age and better
    11        appearance to the countryside.
    12
    13   MR. MORRIS:  So round about 88/89 the policies that were debated
    14        in the mid-80s were being brought into practice in terms of
    15        trying to diversify the plantations that existed in this
    16        country?
    17        A.  Yes, Mr. Morris.  It was only when trees reached the
    18        point of maturity for clear felling in the way we have just
    19        earlier been describing, a 40 year cycle, that it was
    20        possible to start restructuring.  The word "restructuring"
    21        then came into the forestry language because from then it
    22        was possible to do so.
    23
    24   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Did you tell us when you first became a
    25        part-time Forestry Commissioner, Mr. Mallinson?
    26        A.  I am not certain I put a date to it, but it was, in
    27        fact, 1989.
    28
    29   MR. MORRIS:  In your second to last complete paragraph
    30        starting:  "Successful implementation, within environmental
    31        guidelines" -- by the way, the guidelines are not laws, are
    32        they?
    33        A.  The guidelines in this country, as presented by the
    34        Forestry Authority, are the basis upon which grants for
    35        planting trees and felling licences are given.  To the
    36        extent that if you do not follow the guidelines, you will
    37        not get the grant, they are very effective.
    38
    39   Q.   Then you say in the last sentence:  "In general,
    40        plantations will be more amenable to silvicultural
    41        manipulation than extensive and inaccessible natural forest
    42        areas."   Presumably, the whole point is that extensive and
    43        inaccessible natural forest areas are diverse
    44        environmentally; they are not available economically, are
    45        they?  They are not economically efficient but they are
    46        environmentally beneficial?
    47        A.  They can be, Mr. Morris, I think the distinction -----
    48
    49   Q.   The whole -----
    50        A.  Can I just add a little bit and that is to say, if one 
    51        goes into inaccessible areas, they are very often unhealthy 
    52        or unsuitable for a very wide range of animal and other 
    53        wild life diversity.  So that, you, in fact, have a reduced
    54        diversity in areas further north and an increased diversity
    55        in areas further south.  That applies in Scandinavia; it
    56        happens also to apply in this country.
    57
    58   Q.   So, are you arguing against extensive and inaccessible
    59        natural forest areas?
    60        A.  Not at all.  I am not arguing against them, I am merely

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