Wales Farmer 20


Illegaltree fellingmay leadto cash chop


■ Woodland warningby commission By Farmer reporter


FARMERS are being warned not to jeopardise European subsidy pay- ments or face heavy court fines by cutting down too many trees on their land.


Video eases the way


ANEW video aims to makeshar- ing trails easier forhorses and mountain bikers. Respect: Sharethe Trail, anew


Bwlch


video produced by Forestry Commission Wales in association with the British Horse Society, shows bikers howtohelp keep Welsh forests safe by being more awareofhorse riders sharing pop- ular paths. The two-minute clip,filmed in Nant-yr-Arian,


near


Aberystwyth, shows howtrails can be made safer forall if considera- tion is giventohorse riders.It advises cyclists to “Stop,Stand, Speak”. Forestry Commission Wales vis-


itor management adviser,Dave Liddy,said: “Asaresponsible land manager,wewant to raise the awareness of mountain bikers using our trails,but the message is just as applicableanywhereinthe countryside. “It’sbeen greattodeal with the


British Horse Society on this issue and sense the shared passion for the countryside thatthey have with mountain bikers.” Thereare estimated to be


around 90,000 horses in Wales and horse riding is permitted in most of the Forestry Commission’s wood- lands.


Both mountain bikers and horse


riders arelegallyallowedtouse public bridleways,bywaysand unclassified public roads in the wider countryside. Dave added: “The potential for


conflict is obvious.The ‘Stop, Stand, Speak’ message reallyought to be at the forefront of any cyclist’smind.” BHS Director of Access Safety


and Welfare, MarkWeston, said: “Wewerepleased to work with Forestry Commission Wales on this project which promotes coop- eration between bikers and riders. “Consideration on both sides


will makeeveryone’saccess to the forests safer and moreenjoyable.”


SKILLED JOB: Sheep 2012 is looking to the future.


THE National Sheep Association is demonstrating its commitment to the next generation with aplethora of activities at NSA Sheep 2012. The industry’s biennial event will be staged by the NSA at the Three Counties Show Ground, Malvern, on July 4th. The NSA Young Entrants Initiative, designed to demonstrate the exciting opportunities for skilled and motivated individuals who wish to enter the industry, will be officially launched at the event. The venture will feature aforum providing youngsters with the opportunity to meet with representatives from throughout the sector offering career advice and guidance. Twenty-six youngsters from


throughout the UK will compete for the prestigious NSA Young Shepherd of the Year award. Sponsored by MSD Footvax and with £2,000 at stake, the award is open to college students and under 26 year-olds, and features a pentathlon of practical sheep management activities. These include sorting finished lambs, demonstrating handling, vaccinating and dosing techniques, shearing, putting an ATV through its paces, and responding to questions on flock management and health issues. The winner will go forward to compete for the European Young Shepherd of the Year award, sponsored by Rumenco, and featuring entrants travelling to


Malvern from all over Europe. NSA is also hosting the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Safety and Handling final, a competition attracting 12 teams showcasing safety knowledge and ATV handling skills. NSA Sheep 2012 organiser, Helen Davies, said: “We are aware that one of the biggest long term challenges facing the sheep industry is succession. “The reality is young people choosing to enter the shepherding profession should do so confident that they have achallenging and rewarding career ahead which will make avaluable contribution to meeting the growing global demand for food.”


For the latest Wales farming news: walesfarmer.co.uk Over the past twoyears,six


cases of suspected deforestation involving farmers have been investigated. The trend has prompted acall


forfarmers to steer clear of trou- blebychecking with Forestry Commission Wales thatany plans to remove trees do not fall foul of the Environmental Impact


Assessment


Forestry Act. Breaching the Act or the EIA


regulations can lead to prosecu- tion and ahefty fine,along with an order forcing the landowner to restorethe land with moretrees. It could also result in across compliance penalty


in a (EIA)


Forestry Regulations. The regulations set limits on


the cumulative amount of land thatcan be cleared of trees over a five-year period and areinaddi- tion to the rules laid out in the


landowner’sSingle Payment Scheme,which sets environmen- tal and other standards that farmers must adheretoinorder to receive European agricultural subsidies. RichardSiddons,Forestry Commission Wales’ head of for- est services,said: “In the most


recent case in south Wales,the farmer wasunaware of the requirements of both the Forestry Act and the EIA forestry regulations. “Wewant to makelandowners


and farmers awareofthe legisla- tion surrounding tree felling and deforestation operations,plus the need to obtain afelling licence and/or ascreening decision from us beforestarting anywork. “The Welsh Government’s


Woodlands forWales strategy recognises the value of trees in rural and semi-urban locations and we want to ensurethatthe


environmental benefits of trees and the correct administration processes


aretaken into


account.” The EIA Regulations allowfor


some deforestation –solong as all other necessary approvals are in place –but set amaximum threshold on anygradual felling in an area over afive-year period. Deforestation thresholds are


0.5 hectarewhereany part of the land is in aNational Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,and one hectareelse- where. “Whereeither of these thresh-


Shepherds flock to event in search of bright future


olds arelikelytobeexceeded, then the landowner should con- tact Forestry Commission Wales foradecision on whether it’ssafe to proceed,”said Richard. “Failuretodosocould consti-


tute abreach of Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition requirements which, if proven, could result in severe financial repercussions.” Advice can be gained from


Forestry Commission Wales on 0300 068 0300 –ask foryour local regulatory woodland officer –orvisit


www.forestry.gov.uk.


Errors can be costly


THE Farmers’ Union of Wales has warned thatfarmers whofail to check their Single Application Form (SAF) statements forerrors risk losing tens of thousands of pounds. The warning comes beforethe


June 11 deadline when late forms and corrections areautomatically rejected. FUW president Emyr Jones


said: “The complexity of SAF formsaddssignificantlytothe risk of errors being made on forms, butonce the deadline forsubmit- ting formsorcorrections has passed thereisvirtuallynothing which can be done. “One tick boxfilled in incor-


rectlycan cost youayear’sincome. “Every year the FUW deals


with farmbusinesses which have lost vast sums,and in almost all cases these penalties could have been avoided if farmers had checked their SAF statements.” The Welsh Government warns


farmers it is their ownresponsibil- ity to ensurethatthe information they provide,including the pre- printed information, is correct. If they taketheir SAF 2012 to a


Welsh Government office in per- son, stafftherecan onlycarry out basic checks to ensureitisaccept- able forscanning processes. Acceptance of the form does


not implythatitiscomplete or thatall details arecorrect. Mr Jones added: “It is essential


thatpeople takethe time to check their SAF statements foraccuracy. “A good place to start is by


looking at the amount of total for- ageareadeclared which can often alert youtoobvious problems. “If youhaven’t receivedany


kind of acknowledgement that WAGhas receivedyour form,then youshould contact WAGassoon as possible in case the form has somehowbeen lost.”


email wfeditor@walesfarmer.co.uk


the website at NEWS July 2012


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