The Basic Policy of Forestry Operation

　This basic policy based on forest law is re-edited one extracted from a ”JointPersonal Forest Operation Plan ” from January 1 1995 to December 31 1999.

HAYAMI FOREST

　1. The Basic Policy of Forestry Operation

1-1 The Management Policy

The state of forest management in Japan has gone from bad to worse. Since 1980, the price of wood has shown no progress toward recovery at the wood market. On the other hand, wages of forestry works has kept on increasing.
Since 1970 the yen had shown a consistent tendency to go up and the exchange rate as of 1994 showed one of 100 yen to the U.S. dollar. In spite of increase in the price of foreign timbers at producing districts, imported timbers account for 75% of all timber supplys in Japan and those prices are very influential to the price level of timbers in Japan. The increase in consumption taxation of April 1997 resulted in, with some other factors, a sudden decrease of the number of house construction in the country, and the price of timbers declined by more than 40% for the first quarter of 1999.
The hard conditions are supposed to last through the present five-year operation term　started in 1995 and the state of the market seems hopeless of speedy recovery. Therefore the necessary expenses should be reduced at every operation including planting, yielding, control and the like. Rationalization will be executed thoroughly with a study of selling method and quality control through this five-year working term. We consider these 10 years from 1995 of the present and the next five-year operation terms as an age of endurance for forest management.

1-2 Improvement in Tree Species or Forest Type

The management areas of Hayami Forest of 1070.13ha are consist of planted needle-leaved forest of 813.32ha and broad-leaved forest of 249.12ha. Concerning tree species of planted forests, hinoki forests amount to 99% of planted forests and besides there are a few areas of sugi and pine forests. The broad leaved forests are sprout one. With regard to convertible forests in tree species, the conversion will be considered taking environmental point of views and states of stands into consideration and taking account of economic conditions as well. The planted forests are control reasonably and will be done according to the present plan.

1-3 The Present State of Planted Forests and Operations in Future

Forests in Miyama are consist of Mesozoic formation of sand stone and shale and igneous rock areas. The soils of both areas are infertile and the yielding is inferior to other forest areas in the country. Therefore it is difficult to maintain the business yielding ordinal timbers quantitatively, and the management can not exist without aiming the yield of high quality timbers. The planted forests of 813.32ha.of Hayami Forest are classified into sugi forests of 8.33ha., pine forests of 2.52ha. and hinoki forests of 802.47ha. Almost all forests up to 16 age class have been normalized and their growing stock amounts to 140,726m3 and annual growth to 4,286m3
We will carry on operations according the present methods and take appropriate measures in proportion as the states of forests in the years ahead. The output of high quality structural timbers is in the main at present and a big demand for knotless interior-type woods and laminated woods is expected in future therefore we will make all possible efforts to materialize forests of high quality woods and of high final cutting age for the purpose of yielding high quality timbers large in diameter.
Operations are carried out growing broad-leaved trees deliberately, and avoiding brush cutting beyond the limits of necessary condition to make sure of a diversity of flora. Thinning and pre-commercial thinning are done not only dealing with density control for wood production but also taking the preservation of lower flora in consideration.

　1-4 The Operations at Natural Forests in Future

The natural forests of 249.12ha are sprout one. Thus, these natural forests are hard to recognize as genuine virgin forest types, while most of them are un-commercialized at present and left in natural states without a positive operation. The growing stock amounts to 19,896m3 and the annual increment to 326m3. Natural forests of 97ha are in the 19th area of the forests, and 20 or 30ha of them are granted to be convertible in species. Forest roads, which are essential for forest control, have already completed on our own efforts, and tree species are decided in consideration of environmental assessment and forest situations taking account of economic conditions as well. Broad-leaved forests which are expected to get commercial value with the production of hardwood in future will be positively controlled with necessary tending as natural forests. Some of them will be examined on conservation taking the restoration of the original natural conditions of the district into consideration, whereas most other natural forests are planed to be controlled as pulp woods. Forests for the practice have not yet fixed up to he present.

　1-5 The Decision and Its Grounds of Final Felling Age

At most hinoki forests, small and middle sized pole timbers are yielded as high quality structural timbers at thinnings and operations are done for the purpose of yieldings of large poles for interior-type hinoki woods and laminate woods at felling.
Felling-age is decided in consideration of the period of economical maturity, and of most suitable tree size class to be fit for various uses. The forest sites are mostly steep slopes and most of them are consist of Mesozoic formation. As a result, the surface soil is shallow and tree size classes differ greatly even at forests of the same age grade. In consequence, a standard age grade for felling is hard to set and often inflicts economical loss. Therefore at this operating plan, the felling-ages are decided taking the condition of each forest in consideration ranging mostly over 50 years to 120 years and the felling-ages are decided by the terms of contracts at leased forests, however the felling-ages are properly subjected to change to meet the conditions of forests.
Fellings are carried out in consideration of environmental assessment leaving flora in forests as diverse as possible unless they obstruct loggings or prevent the sound growing of nurseries at replanting. Environmental elements are taken in consideration for instance belts of trees and weeds are left along riversides to prevent surface soil from flowing into streams.

1-6 Others

1-6-1 Labor

There is every possibility of the quantity of workforce becoming a determinant of the result of operation plan. Therefore rejuvenation is phased in taking young workers on with the retirements of old-age workers. The workers are trained to be technical experts. The licenses and qualifications obtained by 32 regular employees at present amount to about 300 and they have formed a group of skilled technical experts and 12 of them have finished training lectures of green-meister, green-worker, new-worker and so forth. Arguments and suggestions are recently frequent at work sites where each worker gives operations a great deal of thought. Having this plan and other multifarious information in common with the management, the workforce is expected to grow into a group with still more knowledge and information.
The total yearly number of man-days amounts to 7,000 and workers are arranged not to be engaged in a single and simple operation but to deal with a very wide diversity of operations, including planting, brush cutting, forest cleaning, salvage cutting, cutting, pruning, logging, construction of forest utilization road, management, accounting and so on. Pursuing the variation in his own labor workers are considered to attend to active and humanized forest works. This plan has been formed according these matters.

1-6-2 Safety Control

Concerning forest management, the prevention of workers accident is a serious matter of weight. At Hayami forest a head of safety control has been appointed and leaders for each operational group participate in ensuring safety as a safety controller with the head. Mechanization in forest operations is an important mater for safety control and will be propelled positively. Improvement of small articles such as operational tools and clothes are also included in the plan.
The other important factors in preventing accident are reformation of the workers' consciousness and mental stability. A safety committee meeting by group leaders is held once a month and a general safety meeting is attended by all employees twice a year to push the reformation of consciousness forward. The staffs in charge of management and control visit work sites actively to check carelessness and dangerous work and examine the possibilities of operational and mechanical improvement.

　2. The composition of resources

Another sheets

　3. Other Information

This forest operational plan is joint one for the forests owned by Hayami, Tutomu and Hayami, Tohru and this joint enterprise is called Hayami Ringyo(Hayami Forest).
Hinoki logs produced at Hayami Forest are valued high among Owase woods. Therefore this plan follows the former management policy. Moreover we design improvements in the management and technology and an increased output of lumber both in quality and in quantity. And furthermore, we strive for stabilization and development of the business and fulfill our responsibility for society with less clear cuttings and more selection cuttings to preserve the natural environment and to produce the affluent environment with abundant green.
In consideration of the demand for timbers in the present Japanese economic state, the demand for hinoki structural timbers is expected to last for some time although the conditions are difficult. Though structural hinoki timbers are the main yield in this plan, it is formed to keep possibility of changing the output from small and middle sized poles to high quality large poles, in anticipation of a gradual transition from structural hinoki timbers to large poles for interior-type hinoki woods and laminate woods in demand in future. The transition is also understood to be indispensable in point of improvement in labor saving and labor productivity, under unavoidable circumstances of high wage. These hard conditions of forest management are not supposed to take a favorable turn over a long period of time. Therefore improvement in labor productivity on forest control has to be pursued in earnest like on other extractive industries. We accordingly frame the following five policies as measures of increase in productivity.

3-1 Forest roads

The improvement of forest management in future depends obviously upon development of forest roads network. Therefore we make efforts to construct Forest roads. We join with forestry association in cooperative forest road construction works and also intend to construct unaided forest roads. The unaided roads have widths of 3m and the constructions are done paying attention to the preservation of the natural environment. The standard density of forest roads network is set at 50m/ha at the forests of more than 50ha. The total extension of unaided constructed roads amounts to 45,000m and the plan for the future to extend roads by about 2,000m per year has been formed.

3-2 Production of High Quality Timbers

Intensive silviculture are practiced aiming the yield of high quality timbers at present and superiority of high quality timbers over ordinary timbers which compete with imported ones in price is expected to remain unchanged and the tendency is anticipated growing in the prospective time of domestic timbers. Even so, it will be practiced not giving hasty credit to former ways but taking necessity and efficiency of operations into account.

3-3 High Rotation Age

As previously stated in the chapter of felling age,〔1-5 The Decision and its Grounds of Felling Age(P2)〕this plan is formed to aim for comparatively high felling age. Although there are various opinions about felling age from the economic point of view, high rotation age is understood to contribute greatly to increase the productivity judging from formation of tree age and growing stock at Hayami Forest, under the condition of wages for labor and reforestation costs keeping on rising. And furthermore, operations of thinning and selection cutting are gradually adopted reducing clear cutting to the utmost to meet social request for conservation of the natural environment, creation of greenery and so forth.

3-4 Selective Breeding

Hinoki is the main tree species at Hayami Forest and is comparatively behind the other species in selective breeding of superior planting species up to this day. And thus, seed collecting and seed orchard are planed to select species from self-owned forests by grafting and cutting, regarding in those respects as follow : straightness of stem, non-taperness, torsional strength, growth of branches, height growth, diameter increment and the quality of timbers .

3-5 Mechanization

Mechanization in forestry is very hard on account of steep slopes of forest sites. The mechanization in this district consequently has to be carried out in parallel with the construction of forest roads. Mecanization in logging is mainly practiced at present. Mobile cranes×3, tower yarders×2 and skidders×4 have introduced and produced escellent results. Mechanization will be positively propelled in other operations besides logging in future as well. Not only forest sites, this plan has been formed by the use of a computer.

4. Closed

This forest operational plan is aimed to put the forest management on a firm footing with potential capacities enough to withstand not only fluctuations in demand of timber but also every economical change and forthcoming high wage to make sure of the continuation and stabilization of business. And furthermore, the plan has for its object the improvement in the income and the security of happy lives of every employees. Accordingly, this plan should be formed and practiced not rigidly but flexibly and openly to cope with the economic world which undergoes sudden changes.
The following documents of this plan are open to the public.

1 .The Basic Policy of Forestry Operation
3. Other Information
5. Others

5. Others

5-1 Logging

Logging is practiced with special attention paid to the improvement in efficiency of working and extra safety. We have made efforts to construct forest roads every year and at forest areas complete with forest roads, logging is mainly done by mobile crane and tower yarder. An aerial wiring of endless system is used for logging at forest areas where forest roads have not constructed yet or at logging sites with logging-intervals of over 400 meters. Concerning the logging of small sized logs, the above mentioned mobile crane is used quite often and a single endless line or plastic chute are also used. The mechanical equipments for logging include 3 skidders, 1 automobile yarder, 2 remote-control winches, 1 set of single endless line, plastic chutes of 100m and so forth in addition to the above-mentioned ones in"3-5. Mechanization ".The loggings by mobile cranes and tower yarder are efficiently carried out specially at the 9,16,17,18,19,22,23,26,27 forest area where the unaidedly constructed forest road networks are completed. Forest roads are positively constructed in the other forest areas as well.
And furthermore, in case of new methods or equipments for logging are devised, we are ready to adopt them enterprisingly, and we make it our principle to study ourselves more efficient and safer methods or equipments for logging to make them satisfactory.

5-2 History and Development of Hayami Forest

In 1790, Hayami Forest started its forest industry in this district. The forests have become the important constituents of the wood land in the district under social situations which change as times change. While planted forests have expanded being connected with time, the forests have filled the role of producing hinoki, one of the main Japanese building materials. Hinoki timbers produced at Hayami forestry have been used in particular as high quality timbers for pole.
76% of forests under the management are planted forests. Although some of them have been replanted five times, the growth rate of planted trees has not been declined. Consequently, these planted forests are effective to protect natural coniferous forests, which have become precious against the pressure of felling.
The forests under the control of Hayami forests are highly resistant to the pressure of bringing forests under development, owing to their higher economical value than others. The forests will be managed to keep the present state of forests as they are. Hayami forest is looking forward to keeping the present state of the forests so far as circumstances permit.

5-3 Environmental Considerations

Forest control at Hayami forest has always been done with consideration for environment and social request is presumed to increase in future. Therefore, we set ourselves the task of bringing environmental considerations to fruition at each operation. To adduce an actual example, taking stand of trees into three-dimensional account, the formation of thick-layered forest cover types are aimed with crowns of hinoki or sugi at upper layers, broad-leaved trees and others at middle layers and vegetation of perennial fern （Urajiro ： Gleichenia japonica）and others at forest floors. And moreover, as a matter of future image of general forest, we would form the forest conditions where a diversity of trees in age from high aged trees to young nursery stocks and a variety of species are able to coexist as long as the condition is economically in a permissible range.