A 100m-long plastic log chute is being used to extract timber from inaccessible forests in Wales to waiting roadside vehicles.
Supplied by Severn Gorge Countryside Trust, the chute is made from large recycled plastic barrels. These are cut in half and four are bolted end to end to make a section, each of which is joined with a simple tie strap.
Light and easily transportable, the chute can be taken deep into woodland where selected trees are felled with a chainsaw. They are then loaded into the chute and, due to the steepness of the terrain and the slipperiness of the freshly cut timber, they slide easily on the plastic surface to the roadside.
Richard Crompton of Forestry Commission Wales said initial trials had been successful and so far the log chute had transported more than 150 tons of timber without damaging the surrounding environment.
