Foresters cautioned over necessity of recording accurate timber data

FORESTERS are obliged to record accurate measurements of the quantities of timber they remove from woodlands during the current thinning season, caution experts at Teagasc.

Teagasc has also reminded new foresters that they are required to have a felling licence before commencing any thinning. The national farm advisory service will have forestry experts present at Tullamore Show in Offaly tomorrow to offer advice on landowners’ legal obligations in this sector.

Both Teagasc and the Forest Service will have a major stand in the Forest and Energy Section of the Tullamore Show 2011 tomorrow, which takes place at the Butterfield Estate

The Teagasc forestry stand will focus this year on felling licences and stack measurement.

Teagasc forest development officer Liam Kelly explained: “While thinning is being carried out, it is important to be able to accurately measure how much timber is being removed from the forest.

“There are many ways of doing this. One of the best methods is stack measurement, which can be an accurate means for a forest owner to calculate the volume of timber that has been removed from his/her forest, once the full procedure is carried out correctly. The Teagasc stand will demonstrate how this procedure can be done.”