Questions and Answers about the Felled Trees
Oct 8th, 2008 by David
I bumped into two of United Utilites’ woodland officers, Ian and Matthew, while walking in Rivington on Monday. They were keen to talk about the trees that had been felled so I asked them if I could email some questions. I did, and they replied as follows:
Q. How many trees have been felled by United Utilities.
A. 8
Q. Why did they need to be felled?
A. Because they were diseased and dangerous. We have photos of the trees before they were felled and the decay is evident in the stump.
Q. How many trees have been felled by Go Ape.
A. 13
Q. Why did they need to be felled?
A. Presumably to allow the course to be installed and to enable it to operate properly but you’ll have to ask Go Ape.
Q. Why were the trunks removed rather than be left on site?
A. The trunks removed were removed by us. In a busy areas such as this site, trunks on the ground cause a fire hazard and a trip hazard. They also tend to get moved around across paths etc. We have an exemplary record of deadwood management in our woodlands as referred to by our FSC audit public summaries.
Q. Are there any plans to fell any more trees? If so, on what grounds?
A. Yes UU intend to fell any trees which pose a threat to staff and the public. This is our legal obligation as landowner. Good woodland management also includes woodland thinning if the manager feels the age structure of the wood is too even or the trees are too closely grown. This may be necessary in the future to ensure the long term survival and health of the wood.
Q. What degree of protection exists on the remaining trees. Most people would agree that felling a dangerous tree near a public area is fine, but many of us would not agree to a tree being felled just because it was in the way of the zip wire!
A. The trees are subject to standard tree and forestry legislation. This is a university module in itself but if you’d like to discuss it with me, the Chorley woodland officer or the forestry commission we’d be only too happy.
Q. If the FLP want to influence UU and GA to stop more tree felling, what is the best way to do it?
A. Communication and education
Ian and Matthew were clearly passionate about Rivington and Lever Park — they had over thirty years’ experience in managing the trees in and around Rivington and both of them were keen environmentalists.
