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Harvesting Forester (Standing Sales)

Job details
Posting date: 23 October 2024
Salary: £34,080 to £36,934 per year
Hours: Full time
Closing date: 10 November 2024
Location: SO43 7NH
Company: Government Recruitment Service
Job type: Temporary
Job reference: 374841/1

Summary

South England Forest District manages some 46,000 hectares of the public forest estate across West Sussex, Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Dorset & South Wiltshire. The varied, mixed woodlands produce some 104,000 m3 of timber each year, of which 22,000 m3 is hardwood. The land management team have responsibility for an extensive programme of habitat restoration, principally ancient woodland and lowland heath.

Much of the land is of high importance for nature conservation, supporting some 29,000 hectares (ha) deemed to be of national importance for wildlife of which approximately 28,000 ha are also designated as being of international importance for biodiversity as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Ramsar sites. The majority of the land managed by the District is also within areas designated for their landscape value, including 4,000 ha within AONBs and 31,500 ha across two National Parks.

The area receives some 20 million day visits by the public each year and includes two major Forest Centres at Moors Valley Country Park and Alice Holt Woodland Park.

The Public Forest Estate is managed around the three pillars of sustainability; people, nature and economy. The Land Management Team play an important role in applying these objectives to ensure that we meet the highest standards of sustainable land management delivery.

The District Harvesting programme is divided between Direct Production and Standing Sales of timber.

The Direct Production programme of 49,500 m3 provides conifer saw log and similar material presented at roadside. The DP team of 3 work closely with the Land Management and Planning teams to deliver Forest Design Plan and conservation objectives, while fulfilling supply contracts to our sawmill customers.

The majority of the Direct Production volume is short wood produced by a mechanised harvesting contractor, but it also includes an element of mature hardwood felled using traditional motor manual techniques.

The District Standing Sales Programme of 54,500 m3 is currently delivered by the Beat Foresters who work closely with the Land Management and Planning teams, to deliver Forest Design Plan and conservation objectives while offering Timber Merchants and Harvesting Contractors opportunities to buy, harvest, and sell- on standing timber from the FE Estate.

The standing sales programme has recently increased from 30,000m3 and this is a new post to manage and support our delivery of the increased programme.

Your role will be to provide support to the Harvesting and Marketing Operations Manager and District Foresters, through the timely preparation of standing sales parcels for national and local sales events. This will involve front line supervision and site management of Tariffing operations by contractors and liaison with Beat Foresters, our Civil Engineering Team, Archaeology surveyors and others. You will assist in setting and maintaining standards in all aspects of this process ahead of the harvesting operations.

You will:

  • Work with the Harvesting & Marketing Operations Manager to prepare and deliver standing sales in line with the District Harvesting Programme.
  • Support Foresters to prepare the standing sales across the District.
  • Procure and prepare tariffing and marking contracts in line with the Operational Plan’s silvicultural prescriptions.
  • Manage and mentor the Harvesting Works Supervisor ( Standing Sales).
  • Support in leading and managing staff and contractors to prepare sales in line with the operational plan.
  • Ensure that contracts are delivered within the agreed timescales.
  • Monitor works supervisor to ensure that the stand is marked in line the silvicultural prescriptions.
  • Work with service providers to ensure conservation areas, archaeological features are clearly identified during the marking process.
  • Use the tariffing information to update the standing sales plan within Forestry England’s bespoke software packages. Training will be given on these systems.
  • Support in setting and maintaining operational / Health and Safety standards.
  • Be available to support in the contract management of harvesting and tree safety works programmes across the District.
  • The successful candidate may be expected to join the South England Forest District Duty Officer roster. This would require you to Act as Duty Officer providing 24 hr emergency contact cover for a period of one week in approximately every 14 weeks i.e. approximately 4 times per year.