October 09 

Welcome to this month's E-news.

Please forward your copy to your colleagues and encourage them to sign up for their own copy on the ICF website. View archived issues of E-news on the ICF website under Publications and Services and send your views on ICF E-news to Allison Lock.

And do use the ICF Members' Area Discussion Forum to exchange views with fellow members or alternatively email ICF.

shortcut to sections - click on headings below:

ICF News | General News | Developments, Grants & Opportunities 

Consultations  | Events & Training

ICF top award presented at Study Tour   
ICF President Bill MacDonald FICFor had the pleasure of presenting John Kissock OBE FICFor with the Institute's Medal for his services to the timber industry at a dinner during this year's Study Tour in Huntly.
John, who is semi-retired, acts a consultant to James Jones and Sons where he was joint Managing Director having served a long career with the company before his retirement. Read More

Easy way to pay your subscription
If you wish to pay your ICF subscription by direct debit we need a direct debit form from you NOW. ICF encourages you to switch to this convenient way of paying your bills - avoiding paperwork, cheques and postage and helping you avoid missing payments. Please download the Direct Debit Form  and return it to Ingrid Palmer indicating your preference for annual or quarterly (small surcharge) debits. 

Date of ICF National Conference 2010 & AGM confirmed
Newcastle Civic Centre will host the 2010 ICF National Conference on forests and energy on 28-29 April 2010 with the ICF AGM taking place on the afternoon of 29 April. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Email Allison Lock for details. 

Committee invitation for ICF Chartered Members
Forestry Commission England has invited ICF to nominate members for vacancies on their Regional Advisory Committees in England. Details can be found here. Interested Chartered Members should email Shireen Chambers before 28 October to be put forward.

Study Tour delegates support EST
Thank you to delegates at the Study Tour who helped raise £30 for ICF's Educational and Scientific Trust in return for a paperback copy of Heritage Trees of Scotland (kindly donated by The Tree Council). A few copies are still available, email Allison Lock or phone 0131 240 1425.

Honorary Fellowship announced
ICF has awarded an Honorary Fellowship to Mike Dudley, Head of International Policy in the Forestry Commission. The award is in recognition of the important and highly positive contribution that Mike has made to the development of forest policy over the past decade and his key role in maintaining an international voice for UK forestry.


ICF members driving Scottish Finest Woods Awards
The Scotland's Finest Woods Awards competition has a new team to drive it forward. Chris Inglis FICFor has been appointed as the organisation's new chairman and Peter Wilson FICFor has been appointed as its Executive Director.

Fancy a trip to Vancouver?
Bill Stephen, a consulting arborist and urban forester in Canada, is seeking an informal exchange visit with a like-minded tree professional in the UK. Bill offers a stay at his townhouse and a tree/forest oriented vacation (structured or unstructured) in return for a similar return visit in the UK. For more information email Bill.

Latest CFA newsletter now out
The Commonwealth Forestry Association September Newsletter is now available to download from the CFA website in the special ICF members section.  Email Allison Lock if you need a reminder of how to access this area.

ICF's sunny side up at Woodland Show
Thank you to everyone who visited ICF at the sunny South West Woodland Show last month and special thanks to Bill Ayres who helped us man our stand and to Martin Glynn for assisting with our display materials. 
Scott McKellar is planning ICF's programme of events in 2010 and would welcome your input on any regional events that you feel ICF should attend. Please email Scott McKellar.

Calling Bradford's ICF environmentalists
ICF Chartered Environmentalists in North England may be interested in the Bradford Environmental Trust's call for new trustees. Read More

Vacancies  
There are no new vacancies at present.

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New director sees red  
The Red Squirrel Survival Trust has appointed Dr Craig Shuttleworth as National Operations Director to co-ordinate their UK-wide involvement in red squirrel conservation. Read More

HSE helps foresters and arboriculturists
The new HSE Tree Work health and safety webpage is now live and accessed from a link at  http://www.hse.gov.uk/treework. The site will soon be made directly accessible from HSE's home page.  Although targeted at anyone involved in tree work, the HSE has tried to develop the site to allow foresters and arboriculturists to find sector specific information quickly. Jason Liggins welcomes feedback. 

Ambitious projects for Scotland
The new Great Trossachs Forest, one of the most significant native woodland regeneration projects to take place in the UK in a generation, has been officially inaugurated by Scottish Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham (pictured). Read More
The Central Scotland Green Network, an ambitious new greenspace project and the largest of its kind in Europe, will transform Scotland's central belt into a more attractive place to live and work, benefitting over three million people. It will increase woodland cover. Read More

Five opportunities for new forestry apprenticeships
A new two-year apprenticeship in forestry programme, through employers located and operating in woodlands within the Blackdown Hills and East Devon area, begins recruiting on 16 October. For details email Jane Hart at The Silvanus Trust or call 01752 846400.  

TTF forecasts softwood market recovery
The Timber Trade Federation (TTF)has released its 2010 Softwood Forecast which predicts that the UK softwood market will begin to recover in 2010 with a growth of four per cent estimated by the end of the year.  The full report will be available late October from TTF.

Reading matter...   
Biomass Scoping Study - North East England : RENEW/Northwoods, outlines the scope for potential work in the biomass sector which would benefit SMEs in the region. Download
ConFor's Growth and Achievement report: progress against its first business plan. Download
Safeguarding our Soils sets out how the government plans to halt and reverse the degradation of England's soil over the next 20 years. Download
The Quantification of the Forest study report for the National Forest Company shows it will become a significant source of timber over the next 30 years. Download
The Central Point of Expertise for Timber Procurement newsletter includes a report on the published Timber reporting pilot study, and planned activities with the Timber Trade Federation and WWF-UK on timber procurement policy. Download
2009 UPM Tilhill Timber Bulletin gives trends and influences on the UK standing coniferous timber sales market. It shows the impact on the UK forestry industry of the most severe recession since the Second World War.  Download
Forestry & Climate Change , edited by PH Freer-Smith, MSJ Broadmeadow and J M Lynch of Forest Research, in paperback. CABI ref: 978 1 84593 596 2, £35.00. Read More
The Ecology and Silviculture of Oaks (Second hardback edition) includes new information on carbon sequestration, biofuel products, climate change impacts and sudden oak death. CABI ref: 978 1 84593 474 3, £99.00. Read More 
 

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Make yourself a priority for EWGS registrations
If you are registering yourself or land in order to apply for England Woodland Grant Scheme, it is important to write "Forestry Commission Task" in bold letters on the top of your RLE 1 form to help the RPA prioritise your application and issue registration numbers.  Read More

Timber procurement help
To help woodland owners meet recent changes in government timber procurement policy, Forestry Commission England has agreed they can use the FC Woodland Planning Grant template to produce a management plan, get felling approval and thus demonstrate the timber is from a sustainable and legal source. Read More   

Going, going, gone 
The annual Newland Rennie Wilkins timber auction takes place in late November at Westonbirt, near Bristol. Large or small lots, conifer or hardwood, standing or felled, and a range of grades including firewood are sold on a commission basis. It attracts buyers and millers. Call John Jenkins on 01600 712916 for details. 

Use FC's new grant successor form 
A new Successor form is available from the Forestry Commission website and can be used to notify the Commission of any change of ownership on any FC grant scheme in England. Read More

Tenders
Warrington Borough Council needs development control services including special advice related to the natural environment and ecology, trees and landscaping. The 10-year contract starts on 1 April. Deadline 26 Oct. Email G Thornhill or call 01925 443235
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council is letting a three-year £850,000 tree maintenance contract. Email Matthew Cannavan or phone 0121 569 3816 before 16 October. Suppliers must be ICF Chartered Arboriculturists or Arboricultural Association approved.
Kingdom Housing Association requires grounds maintenance for sites in Fife, Scotland, in a three-year £300k - £400K contract. Email Stephen Cairns or call 01592 632661 before 26 October.

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ConFor and ICF call for consultation views
ConFor, working with ICF, has prepared draft responses to the following documents:

UK Forestry Standard - respond to Chris Inglis
Forests and Landscape Guideline  - respond to Fiona Angier
Forests and Historic Environment Guideline - respond to Caroline Harrison
Forests and Biodiversity Guideline - respond to Jane Karthaus
Forests and Soil Guideline (due) - respond to Kath McNulty
Forests and Climate Change Guideline - respond to Stuart Goodall
Forests and People Guideline (due) - respond to Shireen Chambers

We would appreciate your comments, sent to the respective author as shown, by 19 October. We also urge you to write your own responses as it is vital that members present their own views to the Forestry Commission. 
Download the documents and links to the authors
The Forests & Water Guidelines are being dealt with on a separate timetable.  

Consultations still open
FSC Audit (Sept E-news), full market online survey closes 19 October. Read More
Defra: The inclusion of social criteria in the application of the UK Government's Timber Procurement Policy, closes 21 October. Read More
Planning Policy Statement 25: Development and Flood Risk (Sept E-news, closes 3 November. Read More
Biocidal Product Regulations 2001 (Sept E-news), closes 23 November. Read More

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TEP seminars continues
TEP is organising a seminar on Trees and Urban Climate Change Adaptation - A social agenda for livable cities with the Forestry Commission in London on 19 November. Read More

Date of next Forest Research Update seminar confirmed 
The north Scotland FR Update seminar, supported by ICF, is on 12 November in Aviemore. The programme of topics to be covered in this update has now been published. Read More

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