Communities for Diverse Forestry

With land sales accelerating by the day and new commercial forestry schemes expanding rapidly across the Glenkens, we wanted to give you an update on what Communities for Diverse Forestry (CDF) have been doing.

Cairnsmore of Carsphairn, newly planted; over 900 hectares of new Sitka spruce dominant plantations have been consented in Carsphairn over a one-year period

We’re lobbying at both a local and national level for new woodland creation to be a mixture of tree species. This is important not only from a visual perspective, but also due to the fact that well structured, mixed forests offer habitat for more species and can be more resilient to pests, diseases and climate change, therefore providing a response to the climate and biodiversity emergency which monoculture plantations do not.

We’re calling for meaningful community engagement that fully explores Sense of Place and incorporates invaluable local expertise re access routes, archaeological features, cultural history and resident flora and fauna, etc. Protecting our peatlands and open habitats is also important, and we’d like to see joined up thinking around cumulative proposals that ensures these habitats are connected rather than swallowed up. Peat is one of our most important carbon stores and it’s important that we don’t release that carbon unnecessarily by planting trees in the wrong places.

Timber and forests are a valuable resource, provide jobs and have the potential to provide long term carbon sequestration when used in buildings.

However, planting on peat, burning it for electricity in large scale power stations and churning out short shelf-life products has the opposite effect.

Land owned by Duchrae Estates, Dalry, which is due to be planted. The community don't feel there was sufficient local engagement, and the sign reflects increasing anti-Sitka sentiment due to the dramatic rise in local plantations (photograph submitted by a Gazette reader).

We’re contributing to a group response to the UK Forest Standard review and recently spoke at a fringe event at the Scottish Labour conference organised by the Woodland Trust. The event was chaired by Claudia Beamish and Colin Smyth MSP was also on the panel.

In February we had a virtual meeting with Màiri McAllan, the minister for environment and land reform, which gave us the chance to present our concerns to the government directly.

We were very clear that we need urgent help to develop a more holistic view of woodland targets are rolled out, the current ‘gold rush’ threatens to displace both people and nature.

We’ve also had two meetings with the CEO of Confor, Stuart Goodall, which we hope have already led to positive action being put in motion with respect to community engagement, and maybe even cumulative impacts.

Over the last year we have compiled a set of free guidelines that walk a community through how a woodland creation application consultation works and how, when, and why they can engage with developers. Scottish Forestry recently confirmed that they appreciate our initiative on this and that the minister is keen to ensure Communities for Diverse Forestry are fully engaged and consulted with respect to principles and engagement around responsible land use.

We plan to roll out some FREE training sessions on forestry engagement for individuals and communities over the coming months. Please get in touch if you would be interested in attending at commsdiverseforestry@gmail.com and join our Facebook group - Communities for Diverse Forestry.

Morag Paterson, CDF