Yorkshire Water plays host to visit from Royal Forestry Society
10/08/1999
Right to Roam, land management, forestry and protection of water supplies will be top of the agenda when members of the Royal Forestry Society's Yorkshire Division are taken on a three-hour guided tour of Yorkshire Water's Yateholme forest estate, near Holmfirth, later this month (August).
And the visit on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 18 will be the first time in more than 20 years that a Yorkshire Water estate has played host to a delegation from the society.
During their tour of the 185-hectare site, the 50-strong contingency will see for themselves how forestry practices have changed from the early 1930s when Japanese larch, pines and spruce were planted around the reservoir to todays planting and management which favours more broadleaves and improved designs, integrating trees and forest into the landscape, and increasing awareness of the demands of visitors and the needs of wildlife.
Geoff Lomas, Yorkshire Water's forestry and recreation manager, said: "These visits give all the members the opportunity to share experiences and learn from one another. During the afternoon we will be discussing a number of current national issues including 'right to roam' and water quality.
"The discussion of these topics with other landowners, managers and workers will help Yorkshire Water give advice on best practice around water catchments and boreholes and thus protect quality of supplies.
"This is the first time in more than 20 years the society has been to one of our sites and we are very much looking forward to showing the members how we manage this highly important estate in the Peak National Park."
The Yorkshire Division of the Royal Forestry Society has more than 500 members from all areas of the forestry industry ranging from contractors, managers and foresters to timber merchants and land owners. They meet six times each year to discuss forestry practice and land, wildlife and conservation issues at various venues around Yorkshire.
