Illegal tree felling in England to be punishable with jail and uncapped fines

[Stubby]

If any one has the skill to steer this thread into something about fish we are off and running 😀

[petercb]

Don't worry Stubby someone will carp on about it. 

 

On a serious note I think the problem especially for some developers was that the fines were piddling compared to the rewards for getting rid of to them problem trees. 

[Doug Tait]

1 hour ago, Stubby said:

If any one has the skill to steer this thread into something about fish we are off and running 😀

 

Its bream done before!

[nepia]

From forestry to fishery; a big change of direction.  Only a smooth hound could pull that one off

[GarethM]

I'm sure there's a salmon based response somewhere here.

[Ledburyjosh]

I informed the local FC of some illegal felling on a building site, the local officer visited agreed it was illegal and they would pass it on to the right department... 11 months have passed and not even a hint anything is being acted on.

So most likely conviction rates will go unchanged as there isn't the staff to keep up

[Squaredy]

1 hour ago, StephenMews said:

I informed the local FC of some illegal felling on a building site, the local officer visited agreed it was illegal and they would pass it on to the right department... 11 months have passed and not even a hint anything is being acted on.

So most likely conviction rates will go unchanged as there isn't the staff to keep up

I was approached recently for help from someone who has been accused by NRW (FC in Wales) of illegal felling.  They were all over him, yet they had no idea how to calculate timber volume.  
 

They wasted loads of their time and their victim’s falsely accusing him of criminality.  They had measured the eight trees in question and then used those measurements to determine the volume felled was 5.2 cubic metre.  What they seemed unaware of is that trees taper.  Using their measurements and average diameter the actual timber felled was less than 4 cubic metres.

 

 Yes, they really had calculated the volume of each log based on the diameter at the thick end only.  And these people probably have forestry degrees and pretty good salaries paid for by our taxes!

[Chipperclown]

Something is quite fishy about this thread.

[Husqvarna King]

Thought I'd comment just for the halibut 😬

[daltontrees]

13 hours ago, Squaredy said:

I was approached recently for help from someone who has been accused by NRW (FC in Wales) of illegal felling.  They were all over him, yet they had no idea how to calculate timber volume.  
 

They wasted loads of their time and their victim’s falsely accusing him of criminality.  They had measured the eight trees in question and then used those measurements to determine the volume felled was 5.2 cubic metre.  What they seemed unaware of is that trees taper.  Using their measurements and average diameter the actual timber felled was less than 4 cubic metres.

 

 Yes, they really had calculated the volume of each log based on the diameter at the thick end only.  And these people probably have forestry degrees and pretty good salaries paid for by our taxes!

I doubt if it was that straightforward.

The FC has published a book (free) on how to measure or estimate itmber volume. By far the most fickle is working out volume based only on stumps, due to basal flare (not stem taper, that is easy to allow for).

Average diameter is NOT a reliable basis for caculating volume, precisely because of taper, which is not uniform along stem. This changes depending on species, habit, exposure, growing conditions, crown damage and loads of other things.

So what was the outcome, did FC drop the prosecution?

I don't think you can infer incompetence from the abilities of a couple of officers. But the old guard who know their stuff are fewer and fewer.

Mensuration is piss easy. FC should be able to get it right, as they wrote the book.