Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2008/January 2009 | Page 73

COUNTRYSIDE, WILDLIFE & FARMING
How often do we hear the phrase,
‘an end of an era’? Well the Isle of
Wight’s woodlands are experiencing
just this! Hugh Milner the Forestry
Commission (FC) Woodland Officer
for central Southern England is
retiring after nearly 50 years with the
FC, the last 18 being spent advising
and overseeing the management and
creation of hundreds of hectares of
newly planted woods on the Island.

life

forestry machinery made, skidding tractors,
forwarders, harvesters and processors. He
had a brilliant time and as a result of these
trials the FC changed its policy, of ‘ polelength working’ to ‘short-wood working’.
This method is still practised today.
Staying in Kielder for a further 11 years,
Hugh managed a ‘harvesting gang’, telling
me that, the 50,000 hectare woodland
grows over 1000 tons of timber a week!
After promotion to Head Forester, Hugh
moved 400 miles south to South Downs Forest
District, becoming Harvesting Officer. This
included the Island, starting a ‘love-affair’.
He reveals that he always saw the Island
as ‘the cherry on the cake’, deciding
against going for further promotion to stay
on the front line, unwittingly sharing his
expertise and experience with most Island
woodland owners. He conservatively
estimates that he has visited over 90% of
the Island’s woodlands, finding Islanders
more receptive and knowledgeable than
their mainland counterparts. He points out
that 80% of the population don’t live in the
countryside and actively promotes public
access where it is suitable to help raise
awareness of the importance that woodland
has played throughout our history.
Hugh has a laid back and highly motivating
approach, he has taught me more about
the industry than anyone else, guiding
me when advice was needed, freely
sharing his stories and knowledge.
The experience that Hugh brought to
the Island is of a type that isn’t created
anymore. Without doubt he will leave a
‘Hughe’ hole in the Island’s woodland circle.
We wish him a very happy and
well deserved retirement.

Photos:
Above: Hugh Milner by
Tony Ridd
Right: Photo taken 1966,
notice the lack of any
protective clothing... How
things have changed over
the years. Hugh Milner
circled in photo looking on.

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