A PARTNERSHIP of organisations working with woodland owners across the North-East are responding to the devastation caused to trees and woodlands by Storm Arwen.

Funded by the Forestry Commission’s Forestry Innovation Fund, the Woodland Management Focus Area Pilot project has been developing a GIS-based tool to help bring woodlands into management.

A series of online training and information webinars for woodland owners who haven’t historically managed their forests or woodlands, or don’t have the knowledge or skills to do so themselves has been launched.

As well as a legal duty to ensure trees are safe to be around – particularly where they are adjacent to roads or footpaths – owners also have to follow regulations around tree felling which are enforced by the Forestry Commission.

The webinar scheduled for December 7, which would have been an introduction to management planning, has been replaced by a special session on helping woodland owners deal with the aftermath of Storm Arwen and will include expert speakers from the area including the Forestry Commission team, RDI Associates and re:heat, who are running the overall programme.

The webinar will consider how to deal safely with windblown trees, the effect on timber quality and markets, potential plant health implications, felling licence requirements insurance and replanting.

Forestry professionals are also invited to join an industry event, hosted by the Forestry Commission, on Monday, December 13. Details at: yne@forestrycommission.gov.uk.

Bookings for the webinars can be made online at : https://www.ruraldevelopment.org.uk/free-woods-into-management-webinars/