Wednesday, 20 July 2022
Forestry and Land Scotland have now awarded its five-year, £25-31 million deer management tender for ten major regional contracts. The contracts will bring direct investment in communities across Scotland through the award of subcontracts, business up-scaling, the provision of training and apprenticeship opportunities. Being in effect from the end July 2022 will also give contactors...
Friday, 15 July 2022
Forestry and Land Scotland is to step up its efforts to manage the larch killing disease Phytophthora ramorum in a bid to get on the front foot in slowing the spread of the disease. First confirmed in Scotland in 2010 the fungus-like pathogen can affect Japanese, European and hybrid larch and over the past ten years, control measures have involved felling millions of trees across the country. Not...
Friday, 08 July 2022
Forestry and Land Scotland is inviting people to offer their views on the development of a new Land Management Plan for Kirroughtree Forest. Kirroughtree - the gateway to the beautiful Galloway Forest Park – is renowned for its visitor centre, walking trails and wildlife and, as one of the world class 7stanes mountain bike venues, its superb variety of MtB trails. The site also enc...
Thursday, 07 July 2022
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is holding a drop in event at Lochgoilhead Village Hall (Wed 20 July, 3pm – 7pm) to give local residents the opportunity to find out how felling plans will affect forests in the area. FLS’ local team is having to manage several Statutory Plant Health Notices (SPHN’s), that require trees affected by the disease, Phytophthora Ramorum, to be felled before the ...
Thursday, 07 July 2022
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is inviting the local community from Hartwood, Allanton and Shotts to come along discuss the area and help inform the design of a new woodland. Hartwood Home Farm was purchased by FLS in 2020 with the aim of establishing a new multipurpose woodland delivering timber production, carbon capture, biodiversity value, as well as community and social benefits. FLS is n...
Wednesday, 06 July 2022
A spate of recent complaints about dogs has prompted Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) and Renfrewshire Council’s Wardens Service to remind dog owners of their responsibilities. At some woodland locations where there is a high level of usage both by private and commercial dog walkers, members of the public have complained about dogs running loose, being out of control. As a result, FLS and the ...
Tuesday, 05 July 2022
Culbin Forest will host an elite group of athletes this weekend (Saturday 9 July) as they chase down a place in the GB Orienteering Team ahead of two top-flight events. Around 30 athletes are vying for selection to represent the UK in this year’s World Cup rounds being staged in Estonia and Switzerland. The Estonia races, originally planned for 2020, also hold European Championship s...
Friday, 01 July 2022
Forestry and Land Scotland has teamed up with Network Rail to explore how they can better work together to manage the risks and challenges on land where they are neighbours. Access, harvesting and drainage issues, the removal of potentially dangerous trees and reducing the risk of landslips are just some of the areas where mutual advantage could be gained by working more closely together. The si...
Friday, 01 July 2022
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is again asking visitors to its woodlands to avoid Scolty Woods so as not to cause any unnecessary delay to the efforts to open up the forest for safe access. The woods have been closed for safety reasons after being significantly damaged in the series of storms earlier this year. However, members of the public continue to disregard safety and closure signage and...
Friday, 01 July 2022
Forestry and Land Scotland’s team in Aberdeenshire and Tayside has completed a massive effort to gather the detailed data that will inform the complex planning of full-scale recovery work in its storm damaged forests. With drones proving to be of limited use, aircraft were deployed to over-fly the most badly affected forests in Aberdeenshire and Tayside – a dispersed area of 29,000 ha , which...
Thursday, 30 June 2022
Almost 150 community groups across Scotland are taking the opportunity to benefit their communities thanks to Forestry and Land Scotland’s (FLS) leading role in community empowerment. In its fifth annual report outlining its work, FLS highlights the existing 94 partnerships, agreements or leases with communities, as well as 19 successful asset transfers under its Community Asset Transfer Scheme...
Monday, 27 June 2022
Forestry and Land Scotland’s Steep Ground Felling Programme along the A82 is the most technically challenging timber harvesting in Britain. Carried out on dangerously steep slopes immediately beside a major trunk road and key utilities, the operation makes full use of state-of-the art machinery and safety measures. It is a considerable advance on how things had to be done forty years ago, when...