GREAT BRITAIN’S FORESTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 863, 6 January 1930, Page 16

GREAT BRITAIN’S FORESTS

£9,000,000 PLAN MAKING WASTE ACRES FRUITFUL An afforestation scheme that will involve the expenditure of £9,000 000 and the planting with timber of over a million and three-quarter acres of land was discussed by an official of the Forestry Commission with a representative of "The Daily Chronicle” The programme will extend over 80 years and plans have now been completed for the work to be carried out in the second decade of this period When the Forestry'Commission was established ten years ago, £3,500,000 was allowed for the first decade. During that period, which ended this year 156 forest units—B7 in England and Wales and 69 in Scotland —have been established. These units, said the official, “vary from 500 acres to 20.00 acres, and they are either bought or used for 999 years. The forests are mainly soft woods, of which 50 per cent, are Scots pine 25 per cent. Norway and Sitka spruce, and 25 per cent. European and Jap larch. The balance Is Douglas fir and hard woods. ‘ “We can reckon on using 10 men a 10 o acres, and on a 1,000-acre unit we work one-tenth part a year. Some of the bigger forests under our control are; East Anglian reserve, with its centre at Brandon, about 20,000 acres’ Glenbranter, in Scotland (once owned by Sir Harry Lauder), about 6 000 acres; Allerstons. in Yorkshire- and the Mortimer Forest, in Hertfordsihre.

When the present Government took over, the previous estimates were put up to £9,000,000, which will enable us to plant 353,000 acres in ten years, and to create 1,500 additional forest workers’ holdings.” The following figures were given as to the work done and in prospect* Planted last year, 23,000 acres; to be planted this season, 25,000 acres- total r^ d nnn acquired by the Commission, 596,000 acres; area plantable, 367,000 acres; planted since 1920, 140,000 acres; by local authorities and privately, 70,000 acres. “The programme,” the official went on, “will increase until by the last of the next ten years we shall be planning over 40,000 acres. “As to the land, it is mostly land abandoned by agriculturists, derelict woodlands or heath land. It includes former Crown woods, which were transferred to the Commission in 1924 Their area is about 120,000 acres, or which 60,000 acres carry timber or are under forestal treatment. We have two schools—one in England and the other in Scotland—where the forest rangers are trained. ‘Of the taxpayers’ money which is spent, no less than 9-10th goes in providing wages to men on the land; the remainder is diivded among important industries. One of these—the barbed wire industry—has immensely benefited and increased plant has been called for.

“Over £IOO,OOO worth of produce was sold from forest lands last year In 20 years we shall be selling what we have actually grown from seed, and on the authority of Sir Francis Acland we shall yf>e a self-supporting industry at the end of 40 years.”