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Topics on this page:

15/8/05. Controlling Laurel

30/6/05. Comprehensive Performance Management (CPA)

6/6/05 – Teenagers and the Law.

11/2/05: Review after Review.

 

New Topic on 15/8/05. Controlling Laurel

AH from Belfast asks: Does anyone have experience of controlling laurel by non-chemical means? I work in an urban forest park in Northern Ireland where laurel, along with other invasive such as himalayan balsam are a problem. We are reluctant to use chemical herbicides, but simply cutting the laurel down does not seem to be effective unless all the roots are removed also. WE are considering using herbicide on one area to compare its effectiveness with other methods and to gauge the impact on surrounding trees. Any ideas? (ref: CL)

Replies:

►    SH from Cornwall replies: I have had reasonable success with large laurel by cutting it back to a height of around 0.75m, and then pulling the whole stump from the ground with a tractor and length of chain. Not very pretty but quick and fairly cheap. We had some regeneration which we were able to pull by hand or strim. Cows like Himalayan Balsam and will soon get rid of it. Strimming is pretty good but you need to do it before it seeds and flowering time is quite variable. 2-3 years will do the trick. As with all invasives make sure you are treating 100% of plants including those upstream in the case of H balsam. (Ref: CL:R1)

New Topic on 30/6/05. Comprehensive Performance Management (CPA)

KC in the West Midlands says: The Audit Commission recently undertook a CPA of our Cultural Services, which include Countryside Services. Their report included that we (all) need to focus more on Performance Management and outcomes. Local Performance Indicators, which cover the likes of Biodiversity and Quality of Life, have existed for several years and we do measure against them e.g. percentage of SSSI land assessed to be favourable/recovering and area of LNR per 1,000 population. However, these generate outputs, which do not measure whether biodiversity generally has increased, whether public knowledge and health have improved, etc.   We cannot be alone in facing this issue. Have others been able to develop countryside performance management systems that are more outcome focussed? (Ref: AC)

 

New Topic on 6/6/05 – Teenagers and the Law. 

RC in Nottinghamshire says: I work as a Ranger in North Notts and the other day after having planted some new trees, saw some kids pulling them and chucking them in the pond. What can I do, they weren't stealing them ?police???? (Ref: T&L)

Replies:

►  GK in Nuneaton says: My opinion is it may not be theft (though they are removing an item, doesn't matter where to) but it is definitely criminal damage. I would suggest finding your local wildlife crimes police officer and get them to explain it to you, either that or find the book on Countryside Law by Charlie Parkes(spp?), which explains all aspects of law and it's application to countryside sites. (Ref: T&L-R1)

New Topic on 11/2/05: Review after Review.

Hi, I work for the national trust, once again we're going through a review process (costs so far £12,000,000) because we haven't got a big enough operating budget, job vacancies are frozen and now we're told of voluntary redundancies which will soon become compulsory. Obviously people are worried about their jobs but also about the fact that when everyone's gone ,where's the experience going to come from to fix the inevitable ensuing mess, one imagines that if trust members knew exactly what was going on they'd leave in droves, coupled with this I found out this week that my project work for this season has now doubled despite me having just half a team! Details Supplied (Ref: REV)

 

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