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Scottish Wild Land Group
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SWLG in forestry consultations
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Article
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Following David Jarman's forestry articles in WLN 65 & 66, he and John Digney have been invited by Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) to attend consultation meetings on re-structuring some key plantations. So far David has attended a meeting at Cluanie and John has been to one at Crianlarich. Further ones are scheduled for Aberfoyle and Ballachulish.
As the trees are harvested, the plantations are re-designed to take greater account of their visual impact and the access problems they pose. In general a much greater proportion of native species is to be included with a reduction in the quantity of sitka spruce. The treeline will be lowered in places and more open space created within the plantations. There are, of course, some places where we would like to see the total removal of exotic conifers and an end to large-scale commercial forestry, but nothing quite so radical seems likely at present and the timescale of the new plans runs well into the middle of this century.
Cluanie
David sat round a table with FCS staff and representatives of the neighbouring sporting estates, but nobody else from the local community or other interest groups. Far from debating wholesale conversion of the grossly insensitive and intrusive Glen Shiel forest, the FCS people and the stalkers were only there to discuss details of deer control fencing and walkers' access to the ridges. Remarkably, the chair of the local Deer Management Group stole our thunder by coming straight out and saying the forest should never have been planted. He turns out to be Duncan Poore, a former head of the Nature Conservancy and professor of forestry - so we are not alone. It came as a considerable surprise to learn that Glen Shiel was excluded from the Kintail-Affric National Scenic Area - perhaps, the foresters quipped, because its scenic value had already been compromised by coniferisation.
Crianlarich
SNH and Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park staff and one local person were also present at this meeting, and a dozen others had been invited. FCS were receptive to suggestions from all parties and some modifications to the design plans will be taken on board, although the hope we had expressed that commercial forestry might cease entirely in Coire Chaorach (north-east of Ben More) cut little ice with FCS. Hill access is a particular concern in this area, notably for Ben More and the Cruach Ardrain horseshoe where forestry has severely limited the route options and greatly diminished their aesthetic appeal. FCS had in advance specifically asked us for ideas here and for the forthcoming Glenachulish meeting, and we are to be involved in further consultations involving a wider range of interest groups before any decisions are taken.
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