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ICF News | General News | Developments
Consultations | Events & Training
| | | | ICF News |  ICF National Conference 2009
"Timber, Mutton or Fuel? Debating the economics of land use and forestry" will be attended by over 120 delegates in Cardiff on 22-23 April. The conference will open with the keynote speech from Elin Jones, Minister for Rural Affairs, Welsh Assembly Government, who will set out the new Woodland Strategy for Wales.
There are a few places still available for the conference on the website. Accommodation at the Barceló Cardiff Angel hotel where the conference is being housed is now fully booked but a short walk away, The Parc Hotel (where the dinner is being held) will match the £69 per night room rate for ICF delegates for the night of 22 April subject to availability. Call Amandine in the events office on 0871 376 9011 to book.
AGM
The AGM will be held in Cardiff at the close of the ICF Conference. For those eligible, the deadline to send in your vote for the Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections is 16 April.
ICF website review
We are currently reviewing the ICF main website and would welcome any feedback on how you think it could be improved. We are also seeking new photos for use on the website and in our publications. Please email your suggestions on website improvements, plus any photos that you can allow us to use, to Allison Lock.
Award of Merit
 Dr Mark Johnston MBE FICFor FIHort, pictured left, is to be the 2009 recipient of the Award of Merit by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). This is the highest honour the ISA can bestow on somebody for services to arboriculture and urban forestry. Mark said, "I'm surprised and delighted with this. I think that there are only three other people outside North America who have ever received this award." It will be presented to Mark at the ISA Conference in Providence, Rhode Island in July.
Trees and Subsidence
The ICF East England Regional Group in partnership with the Arboricultural Association ran a highly topical conference on "Trees and Subsidence" at the end of last year. The presentations have now been made available and can be downloaded from the Essex County Council (ECC) website. Thanks again to ECC for supporting this seminar.
Vacancies
Visit Members' Area of the ICF website for following job vacancies:
County Arboriculturalist - Shrewsbury (£31,439 - £35,953)
Arboricultural Officer - Shrewsbury (£27,537 - £31,439)
Tree and Woodland Amenity Protection Officer (2 posts) - Shrewsbury (£22,001 - £28,353)
Invitation to Tender - Regional Timber Transport Project Officer- Scotland
Project Officer - Timber Transport Forum (2 year appointment) - to £35,000
Research Liaison Officer - Alice Holt, Surrey - £33,549 - £41,143
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| | General News |  Welsh woodlands must adapt to tackle climate change, says Minister
Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones, pictured left, set out the Welsh Assembly's vision of how the woodlands of Wales will change over the next 50 years to confront some of the toughest challenges facing the world, saying it would require "a good, long, hard look" at how we use our woodlands if Wales was to succeed in its aims to tackle global warming. Read More
Forest Research restructure
The Forestry Commission's Forest Research agency has been re-organised to give it a clearer focus on its priority work on forestry and climate change. It has changed its core structure into three research centres: the Centre for Forestry and Climate Change, the Centre for Forest Resources and Management and the Centre for Human and Ecological Sciences. These centres will work to deliver the rapidly changing and challenging research requirements of Forest Research's public and private-sector clients. Read More
 Forest Strategy leads the way into the 21st Century
A report published by the Forestry Commission Scotland has highlighted that the forestry sector in Scotland is realising its potential to make a wide ranging and significant contribution to the health of the economy, society and the environment. Scottish Environment Minister Roseannsa Cunningham, pictured right, said: "It is one of our great success stories - current industy statistics indicate that Scotland is de facto self-sufficient in wood products - so it is no wonder that the forestry sector makes such an important contribution to the national economy." Read More
First Minister plants tree innew Plant! woodland
Welsh First Minister Rhodri Morgan began the creation of a new woodland near Tredegar, South Wales, when he planted the first tree at the latest site for the Welsh Assembly Government's innovative Plant! project. Read More
Forestry Commission launches partnership for greener towns and cities
The Forestry Commission launched the Urban Recreation & Greenspace Partnership in March. It will work to bring together a range of government departments and agencies, local authorities, and community and environmental groups to work in partnership to create, manage and promote sustainable green spaces in towns and cities. Read more
 Sylva Foundation
The Sylva Foundation is a new charity that places economics at the heart of its support of sustainable forest management. It has a national perspective with a focus on practical solutions at local and regional levels. Sylva will not have a membership but will operate as a lean organisation, working widely in partnership with other organisations. To read about Sylva's projects visit their website.
Ian Forshaw Medal
Nominations are being taken for The Ian Forshaw Memorial Medal, the legacy to the former Forestry Commission Director for Wales. The Medal, which also carries a cash prize of £500, is presented to the person, group or business which best embodies the qualities of excellence that Ian brought to Wales. Deadline for nominations is 19 June, visit FC Wales website for details.
Scots forests at risk from blight and killer moths
Pests and diseases are set to spread through Scotland's forests are a result of climate change, with potentially devastating impacts according to a report. Diseases likely to take greater hold in the trees in Scotland's woodlands include a needle blight that attacks about 60 species of pine. Read More
 Arborical Association aquires new premises
The Arboricultural Association has acquired the Malthouse at Standish in Gloucestershire, which on completion of extensive refurbishment works will become the Association's permanent home within three years. Appropriately for the Association, the southern part of the site is planted with trees and a superb mature Yew fronts the road.
Westonbirt Collection Wins Award
Westonbirt Arboretum on Gloucestershire has been praised for several plant collections, which have been officially recognised as being of national importance by Plant Heritage, the former National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens. Read More
 Ignition 09
As the debate heats up over whether the UK will hit its target of 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, Jonathon Porritt, Founder Director of Forum for the Future and Chair of the UK Sustainable Development Commission, launched the UK's first dedicated wood fuel expo in March. He said "People need to understand how urgent it is to start developing this country's wood fuel industry." Read More
Children to grow trees for their community
In April, every primary and secondary school in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will get a pack of more than 200 seeds, plus a DVD on forests and climate change specially produced by the Forestry Commission. Pupils are asked to plant the seeds into pots and grow them into seedlings by the end of the year. By early January the Forestry Commission hope schools can take the seedlings into their communities and persuade parks, businesses, councils, superstores or anyone with some greenspace to accept some and take over their care as they grow. Read More
Commonwealth Forestry Association newsletter
ICF Members can read the latest CSA newsletter by clicking here.
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| | Developments | Commonwealth Scholarships
 The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission provides funds for UK organisations to host visits from mid career professionals from the developing Commonwealth whose work is critical to the development of their home country. Applications are invited from public, private or voluntary sector organisations in the UK seeking to organise such visits. Closing date for applications is 30 April. For further information and an electonic application please visit the website.
More forestry funding for South East England
The Forestry Commission has announced that they now have additional funding which will allow them to carry on accepting applications for grants in South East England to be paid out between March 2009 and April 2010. Read More
UK Biodiversity indicators
The UK Biodiversity Partnership's updated overview of biodiversity in the UK is now available. It helps give an insight into the health of our natural environment. The full presentation is published on the Joint Nature Conservation Committee's website and a pocket summary will be published on 22 May by Defra.
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| | Consultations | Public Consultation - restoring open habitats from woodlands
Forestry Commission England has launched a 12-week consultation entitled "Restoring and expanding open habitats from woods and forests in England". It aims to get the public's views on what "the right tree in the right place" means in practice in a landscape that continues to provide environmental, social, and economic benefits. Read More
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| | Events & Training |
World Mountain Bike first for  Dumfries
The World Mountain Bike Conference on Sustainability is coming to Dumfries, in the south of Scotland, 12 - 15 May 2009. Over the three days, expert speakers will be tackling many of the issues and opportunities to do with mountain biking, in terms of economic, environmental and social sustainability, addressing these on both public and private land and how it can impact on local communities and businesses. This is the first time the conference has been held outside North America. Read More
Flora Locale Training Programme
Flora Locale's new training programme from May to November is now out. It includes grassland workshops that aim at Higher Level Stewardship and they have increased the focus on trees and woodlands bringing back an extremely successful event, teaching good practice in managing ancient trees, at Burnham Beeches. For further information please see the training pages on the website, email Claire McCorquodale or phone on 01672 515723.
Nature Exchange Programme 2009 announced
Trainers, students and young workers have the opportunity to gain new skills and to expand their European point of view by becoming involved in international joint working through this programme. The destinations for 2009 are: Latvia, State Forest Service; Bulgaria, Stara Planina Tourist Association; Slovakia, Krajina; Iceland, Skalanes: Poland, EUCC Society for the Coast; Slovenia, Vitra Centre for Sustainable Development; Germany, DVL and Slovakia, Ipel Union. Read more
 RFS Woodland visits
Around 100 woodland meetings are being organised by the 21 local divisions of the Royal Forestry Society (RFS) across England, Wales and Northern Ireland between April and October this year. The meetings cover the whole spectrum of woodland management with venues varying from private estates and Forestry Commission woodlands to tree nurseries and sawmills. Topics vary according to the venue. Read More
APRIL
4 Small Woods Association Introduction to Woodfuel - Sustainability Centre, East Meon, nr Petersfield, West Sussex. More
7-9 Durham University conference: Well-being and place - Durham University, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees. More
18 Arboricultural Association Scottish Branch Meeting - Dawyck Arboretum, near Peebles. More20 Hylobius Management Support System training day - organised by Forest Research, Inverness. More
21 -23 Vegetative propagation and deployment of varieties - the scope for Europe (Forest Research) - The Liner Hotel, Liverpool. More
22 Tree Protection by Design - Barcham Tree Nursery, Ely, Cambridgeshire. More
22 Hylobius Management Support System training day - Welshpool More
22-23 ICF National Conference 2009: Timber, Mutton or Fuel? Debating the economics of land use and forestry - The Barceló Cardiff Angel Hotel, Cardiff. More
22 NSDC Leadership Lecture Series with Tim Rollinson FICFor, Forestry Commission - The University of St Andrews. More
24 Hylobius Management Support System training day (Forest Research) - Exeter More
24 Designing with Cross Laminated Timber & Massive Wood Elements - Royal College of Physicians, Queen Street, Edinburgh. More
24-25 Capel Manor Colleges' 2009 Celebration of Trees and the Countryside trade event - Capel Manor College, Enfield. More
25-3 May National Beanpole Week! (Small Woods Association) - Various events around the UK. More
26 Small Woods Association members meeting - Northfield Wood, Steep, Nr Petersfield, Hants. More
29 Continuous cover forestry in Sitka Spruce in Britain: FR Seminar - Kielder Castle, England. More
29 Applying BS5837 within the planning framework (Ref: 0901) - London. More
MAY
5-7 Forest Vegetation Management Conference -Denmark. More
5-7 From Woodland to Workshop: Three day Woodland Heritage Course - Herefordshire. More
12-15 World Mountain Bike Conference on Sustainability 2009- Dumfries More
13 Understanding Tree Diseases and their Diagnosis (Ref:0902) - London. More
13 Hard Surfaces and Trees (Ref:0903) - London. More
For details of Royal Forestry Society events visit: RFS website
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