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Saw mill at Wepre Park

Published: 29/07/2014

Rangers at Wepre Park have been cutting felled wood for use in construction across the park using a mobile saw mill, thanks to part of a £583,400 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The wood is larch from the woodland at Wepre which is being removed to help prevent the spread of the disease phytophthora ramorum. The mobile saw mill was in the park in June for three days planking the larch trees to be used in cladding the visitor centre and to maintain signposts, fences, benches and tables. Woodland across the County is often thinned or cut down to reduce the spread of disease or as part of woodland management schemes. The discarded wood is used for a variety of different sustainability projects as well as being used for maintenance at Wepre. It has great biodiversity value in the forest and the rangers often create brash piles throughout the countryside. Excess wood can look like it is not needed but anyone helping themselves to timber can be accused of theft and Flintshire Countryside Service is warning people not to get caught out. Wood thefts have been recorded at Wepre Park and Holywell and an incident at Etna Park in Buckley led to one person receiving a police caution after wood was removed from what looked like a surplus pile. Councillor Bernie Attridge, Cabinet Member for Environment said: “It’s great to see that the rangers are able to utilise the felled timber in a sustainable way but also that they are still able to enhance the woodlands biodiversity. “However timber theft is a concern and we are asking the wider public if they see an unauthorised person taking firewood please report them to the authorities.” Call Wepre Park on 01244 814931 or call the police on 101 if you wish to report any suspicious behaviour. Photo caption: Mobile saw mill at Wepre Park.