Day 058 - 30 Nov 94 - Page 52
1 in general?
2 A. Mr. Morris, would you again refer me to where you are?
3
4 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Top of your page 15.
5
6 MR. MORRIS: Page 15.
7 A. The question?
8
9 Q. The second sentence: "The two main considerations are the
10 effect of harvesting and the impact of new planting". Are
11 they the two main problems as regards the causation of soil
12 erosion?
13 A. They are the two relevant issues to soil erosion, is to
14 how the harvesting is conducted and how the planting of new
15 trees is carried through.
16
17 Q. Would it be fair to say that if they are not done your
18 position would be, if they are not done carefully and
19 responsibly with environmental considerations taken on
20 board, they would cause problems in terms of soil erosion?
21 A. Yes. My statement goes on to refer to the limited
22 effect that thinning is likely to have and the need when
23 getting on to clear felling of care to be taken. The use
24 of mats made up of the tops of trees is a very sensible way
25 of ensuring that the soil is not broken up. You have
26 already pointed out that in replanting if damage is done to
27 the soil, replanting will not be successful.
28
29 Q. Would it be fair to say that in many countries these
30 problems of soil erosion that have been caused by
31 harvesting and new planting, are now on the agenda for
32 improvement?
33 A. Yes. I think we would have to say that everywhere
34 forestry is not just a practice or a science; it is
35 something which is evolved, better trained foresters,
36 better experienced in the use of machinery and there have
37 been very considerable developments. I make in that same
38 paragraph a statement that limiting major extraction
39 operations to either very dry conditions or hard frozen
40 periods of the year is a practice of very great advantage
41 when it comes to the replacement of the forest by
42 regeneration.
43
44 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Is there a problem of soil erosion in any of
45 the forest areas from which, so far as you are aware, pulp
46 comes for packaging which may be used by McDonald's?
47 A. I would not accept, my Lord, for it to be any different
48 from any other situation. If trees for any reason are
49 being extracted from vulnerable areas like the hillside,
50 very steep hillside, erosion is a possibility. I do not
51 think it is relevant to ----
52
53 Q. That is precisely why I asked whether it is a problem in
54 any of these areas; not problem in the sense you have to be
55 careful to avoid, but something which has occurred so that
56 it is a problem in that sense.
57 A. Again, if we take the areas, for example, Sweden and
58 Finland which are very relatively lowland and very few
59 steep areas with that kind of problem, except on coastal
60 areas, I would find it very surprising if there was any
