News from CCFG - Continuous Cover Forestry Group

It is with great regret that we must inform you that CCFG Chair, Bill Mason, has passed away unexpectedly over the weekend. Bill has been Chair for over 10 years and has provided kind and gentle but firm guidance to the Committee on the work of CCFG.

Chris Tracey, Scotland Coordinator, writes: It is difficult to find the words for the loss of such a lovely man, a real gentleman and true forester to his core. He is a great loss to forestry as a whole as well as obviously to ourselves. Our deepest sympathy extends to his family.

Bill took over as Chairman of CCFG when Phil Morgan stood down to take up the Presidency of ProSilva 2012. He was an incredibly hard worker, still mentoring students, proofing and reviewing papers. He guided CCFG through a period of great change in his impeccable style always wanting to present ideas that had undergone the highest level of scrutiny. He will be very sadly missed.

New Chair of CCFG

New chairman of CCFG ist Jonathan Hulson from Wales, who is also member of extended bord of Pro Silva representing CCG there. The new committee of CCFG you find here.

Last excursion with Bill Mason

The committee of CCFG had a field visit with group at Whinlatter Forest in the Lake District (Cumbria) on Friday 2nd May 2014. The committee agreed to hold their first in-person meeting since before Covid in Penrith, which was a chance to have some more strategic discussions as well as the regular committee business, and then the following day Gareth Browning of Forestry England organised a field visit to Dodd Wood and Whinlatter Forest, where he has worked for many years, and we were able to see some of his forests at different stages of transformation. It was an inspiring day, as Gareth's approach really does seem to work, with whole forest thinning, a supportive contractor, and underplanting of novel species.