Estate assesses spruce to prevent beetle infestation
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Whiligh Estate in East Sussex, England, commissioned a Spruce Site Assessment to evaluate the risk of infestation by the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus.
The assessment covered 31.6 hectares of the 76-hectare estate, identifying 4.3 hectares of Norway and Sitka spruce in varying condition. This survey helped the estate’s forestry agent pinpoint areas needing removal and account for environmental constraints like badger setts and watercourses that would affect felling operations.
The estate already had a woodland management plan, and the assessment refined it by providing detailed data on timber volume and stocking density. This allowed the landowner to confidently plan the removal of 688 tonnes of spruce through clear felling, regeneration felling, and individual tree removal. The assessment also supported a subsequent application for a tree health pilot scheme grant to fund the felling and replanting.
Following the spruce removal, the estate plans to restock with 9,100 trees, including species like wild cherry, oak, and Douglas fir, moving towards a more resilient and diverse woodland. The estate has a long history of providing timber for national projects, including Westminster Hall and a reconstruction of the Sutton Hoo ship, and the new infrastructure improvements, like a 237.5 square meter loading bay, will support future timber production.
