National Trust reaps the benefits of pioneering forestry operations at Formby SSSI

UPM Tilhill is undertaking the UK’s first commercial operation of a forest brash baler as part of a four-week contract for The National Trust at Formby SSSI, Merseyside.

The National Trust awarded UPM Tilhill the contract to harvest and thin compartments of Scots and Corsican pine at the Formby property, and to remove all lop and top from site to avoid vandals starting fires and, in addition, thin a further 15 hectares of more mature pine stands to benefit red squirrels (by leaving larger areas for crown development, the pines will be better able to produce cone crops).

The pioneering forestry management technique uses a specialist baler, recently introduced into the UK from Finland by UPM Tilhill. It enables brash and thinnings to be gathered and compressed into cigar shaped ‘logs’ likely to be popular in the emerging UK wood-fuel market. This is the first commercial operation of such a baler in UK following trials by UPM Tilhill in partnership with the Forestry Commission and experienced contractor, Mike Gillett.

“As a result of these trials we are finding ways of exploiting previously untapped bio-fuel potentials” said Steve Lavery, Timber Operations Director, UPM Tilhill. “The baler is being used here at Formby on slow grown Scots and Corsican pine, much of which is over 80 years old. This marks a successful departure from its more conventional use on clearfeling operations.”

“We face unique management issues here at Formby, and so we are very impressed by UPM Tilhill’s ability to create a tailor-made solution,” said Andrew Brockbank, “In thinking beyond the traditional ‘whole tree chipping approach’ and then spreading of chips on site, UPM Tilhill’s approach enables us to maintain the delicate ecology of the sand dunes, improve the tree top habitat for a growing red squirrel colony, reduce the likelihood of fires, and offset some costs against the value of the bales. It is also gratifying to be a part of the UK’s developing biofuel market.”

UPM Tilhill has a ready market for the new crop; it will be used at UPM Shotton paper mill in north Wales to produce power and steam for the sludge boiler plant which burns the de-ink sludge from recycled paper.

Press for further information contact:
Jackie Brown, Public Relations Adviser on tel: 01787 221830 / mob: 0779 297 0919 / email: jackie@jackiebrownpr.org.uk

UPM Tilhill Marketing. February 2006