The Scottish Forest Alliance (SFA), a unique collaboration between the public, private and voluntary sectors in Scotland, has created more than 10,000 hectares of new native woodland in Scotland.
The
SFA, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, has brought together
BP,
Forestry Commission Scotland,
RSPB Scotland and
Woodland Trust Scotland, to generate new
native woodland habitats across Scotland in a landscape scale project that will last 200 years.
Pioneering a new model of funding and management on 32,000 hectares (ha) across 14 sites around Scotland, the Alliance will create in excess of 10,000 ha – the equivalent of over eight million trees – of new native woodland. This includes The Great Trossachs Forest, which at 16,650 ha, is one of the largest native woodland restoration projects in Europe.
Over its first decade, the SFA has established 3,524 hectares (ha) of new or regenerated woodland – approximately 3.8 million new trees – and prepared a further 1,176 ha for natural regeneration.
BP investment
An initial £10 million investment from BP, which has to date drawn in an additional £11 million of funds, has been used to plant trees, prepare ground for natural regeneration and to carry out site monitoring and research. By the end of 2012, the funding for planting and land management will stop, but the project lands will be committed to a course of forest re-creation for the full 200 years.
Supporting jobs and communities
The project is also promoting social and economic gains for local communities and the wider population of Scotland, supporting rural jobs and giving people of all ages opportunities to enjoy greater access to and involvement with native woodlands. To date the scheme has increased path networks by around 60 per cent, encouraging over 750,000 people to visit the 14 sites. It has also supported 275 full time equivalent jobs.
The Alliance is helping to create, enhance and sustain habitats for thousands of species and is contributing towards achieving UK targets for forest and woodland biodiversity, with an innovative new technique for monitoring biodiversity value as new woodland grows.
Carbon research
A ground-breaking model for researching carbon uptake by native woods and trees has been developed to evaluate and demonstrate the contribution of sustainable forest projects to carbon sequestration in Scotland and inform the development of Government policies on climate change. The predicted woodland capture of carbon across the sites is some 377,830 tonnes (equivalent to nearly 1.4 million tonnes of CO2) over the first 100 years of the project.
David Taylor from the Woodland Trust, said: "The 8.4 million trees which have and will be planted not only absorb CO2, but also create valuable wildlife habitats, aid flood alleviation, offer wind protection and create native woodland for people of all ages to enjoy."
"This would not have been possible without the initial idea and subsequent financial and other support from BP, which will leave a positive impact on the Scottish landscape for future generations to enjoy.
Call to oil and gas companies
"We'd like to see other oil and gas companies, that are committed to reducing their carbon emissions, be a force for environmental good by locking up residual carbon created through the use of oil and its' derivatives. Tree planting in the UK is an excellent way of doing this plus there are other multiple benefits. We'd like to hear from oil and gas companies interested in UK native tree planting. As well as the environmental benefits, UK woodland creation provides businesses with an opportunity to demonstrate their values to customers."
