LLYN GWERNAN FOREST DEFORESTATION METHODOLOGY

Size of Area 3.9Ha (see photo above) – Access Point to Site located at Grid Ref SH 7083 1684 with approx. 100mts of hard partially stoned track from the Access Point down to the woodland  block.

Species – Sitka Spruce (dbh range 5cm to 35cm – Height range 1.2mts to 22mts – planted at 2mt spacing or 2500 stems per Ha)

Total amount of Sitka Spruce stems still standing (earmarked for felling / removal– all diameter and height ranges - approximately (no more than) 7000 stems

The surrounding area around the proposed felling coupe was clearfelled in 2014 And there are still brash mats visible (used for Forwarder and Harvester access) from that operation. These are shown on the Aerial Photos below (with and without highlighting pen)

The old stacking area is located near the access point and this can be re-used again for this proposed felling work. A small timber lorry (6 wheeler) can turn around at this location using the other gateway (across the road to the access point) where a lorry can reverse in to carry out a three point turn. We believe that the public road leading to the site from the Cadair Idris road is too narrow for a drag trailer, but there is nothing stopping the successful contractor arranging another loading site to load up a drag trailer and then returning to load up the timber lorry.

We are estimating on average there is 125m3 per Ha of timber on site with a total just under 600m3. A felling licence has been submitted and will be in place before the operation can take place. A small proportion of timber is large enough to bring to roadside but we envisage a great deal of timber and brash will used to re-inforce the old brash mats and the creation of new brash mats.

The area where the trees are currently growing is a valley basin bog, deep areas of Peat throughout and extremely wet ground conditions (even in the driest of Summers)

Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNPA) Proposed Forestry Operations Schedule – where all elements need to be costed

1. Move the required Forestry Machinery to the Site using Low Loader – these can be dropped off on the Cadair Road and drive on rubber to site, or carried in using a large tractor and trailer if using an excavator based skidder

2. Clear / tidy up  Windblown trees (all broadleaves) fallen onto track to gain machinery access to and from the site.

3. The main objective is to remove all the Sitka Spruce including branches (lop and top / brash) away from the area where they are currently growing. To enable to get a clean site  with the minimum amount of new brash mats we expect that heavy forestry machinery will need to used to fell and extract the timber and brash. With this in mind, to enable safe machinery access, the first priority would be to strengthen and bulk up the existing brash tracks networking the site.  To undertake this task we envisage that the large proportion of the standing trees growing around the outer edge of the Sitka Spruce block will be sacrificed (with only the larger stems kept one side) where extraction distance is shorter for a skidder (if to be used) and / or easily reached by the Harvester where a new brash track can be strategically created. A forwarder then can carry the stems and brash to the various sections of existing brash track, a greater amount of brash and stems for the weaker heavily rotted sections of track. This will be an ongoing operation throughout the entire forestry operation

4. Push new harvesting routes (i.e. create new brash mats) into the central area of the Sitka Spruce block. We want to keep these new routes to the minimum so we expect standing trees out of reach of a Harvesters reach o be felled motor manually – winched to the brash mat and then processed by the Harvester on the brash mat. In certain sections of new brash mats up to 90%  of standing trees (including some valuable timber produce) will be lost in the creation of the brash mats .

5. Once the felling and processing has been competed as well as the salvageable timber produce carried to roadside wherever possible and working from the furthest point backwards we would lie to see the forwarder to re-visit the new brash tracks created and carry “loose” surface brash (inc. lop and top and sections of stem wood ) from the central bog area back to the existing brash mats to bulk them up even further; and to lessen the amount of brash within the central bog to speed up decay of the brash and lessen nutrients leaching from the brash. We kindly ask the forwarder operator not to dig deep to recover the brash  in  the brash mats and  factor in a cost of 4 Forwarder operator days (and shown separately on a quote) for this final phase of the forest operation.

6. Move the required Forestry Machinery from the Site using Low Loader – these can be collected off on the Cadair Road and drive on rubber to site, or carried out using a large tractor and trailer if using an excavator based skidder

7. Due to the sensitivity of the site we expect that biodegradable chain oil to be used in the Harvester processing unit, and by any Chainsaw Operator and please factor this additional cost in your final quotation.

8. Any Income from roadside timber sales should be factored into the above forest operation(s), and be deducted (and income shown as a figure) in the quotation for the entire forestry operation(s).

Provided by the Interested Forestry Contractor with Quotation – Copies of Operators Forestry Industry Operator Certificates (e.g NPTC or Lantra) and Public Liability (Indemnity) Insurance

Prior to the operation provided by the successful forestry contractor – A Copy of the operation risk assessments inc mitigation for any pollution incidents, or risk of disturbing European Protected Species or Nesting birds if planning to work in the nesting season. A Working Method Statements incorporating the points in the SNPA forestry operations schedule

During the operation - we expect work to be carried out to the relevant  UK Forestry Standard and  H & S Legislation, as well all relevant wildlife, Conservation and Water guidelines strictly adhered to.