Experts call for more community ownership of Scotland's woodlands

The Herald Scotland

5 days ago

The analysis by experts in forestry and land use highlights concern from across Scotland about the role of industrial forestry corporations and asset management organisations who increasingly dominate the ownership and management of Scotland's forests.
The research concludes that more community ownership and management of woodlands, and more diverse ownership of forests across Scotland would increase community wealth and lead to greater environmental benefits, as well as producing more actively managed forests in Scotland.
In three new discussion papers, forestry experts Willie McGhee and Jon Hollingdale analyse the effectiveness and impact of industrial forestry on local areas as well as for meeting national carbon and timber targets.
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Industrial forestry refers to predominantly single species, mostly unmanaged, Sitka Spruce forest, contrasting with more climatically resilient, sustainable, mixed species forestry.
The papers recognise that, while mixed productive forestry has an important part to play in reaching Net Zero and delivering economic and social opportunities, basic assumptions about the economic, climatic and environmental benefits of industrial forestry can be questionable.
The new papers were commissioned by Community Land Scotland (CLS), the lead body representing community landowners in Scotland.
Dr Josh Doble, Director of Policy and Advocacy at CLS, said: 'These papers are designed to prompt discussion about industrial forestry and what an alternative forestry sector could look like in a Scotland which prioritises sustainable timber, community wealth building, climate and biodiversity.'
Willie McGhee has long experience in the forestry and community woodland sector. He is a forest manager and owner, a Director of the Forest Policy Group and a Trustee with the Community Woodlands Association.
Dr Josh Doble, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Community Land Scotland (Image: Nick Mailer) His carbon report states that 'questionable assumptions, and research gaps - particularly with respect to forest practice on peat soils — mean we may be overestimating the benefit of afforestation as a means of locking up carbon and offsetting carbon emissions.' This applies to both native woodlands and industrial forest.
The impact of trees on peat, the relatively short lifespan of timber products, and questionable claims regarding product substitution are subjects of ongoing scientific debate. Such uncertainty raises questions about the Woodland Carbon Code, the UK Government mechanism for monetising forest carbon sequestration.
Forestry's contribution to Scotland's [[Net Zero]] targets is a key justification for Scottish Government subsidy support for afforestation, which, in turn fuels large-scale acquisitions for investment forestry groups.
The paper describes some practical ways in which Scottish forestry could more effectively capture and store carbon. These include changes to forestry management practice; reducing reliance on clear-felling, increasing the length of forest rotations, and a moratorium on planting peaty soils.
'We should be doing more intelligent and nuanced forest management to protect soils and soil carbon and to create diverse timber producing forests, both native and exotic conifer, managed on longer (harvest) rotations or as permanent forest', Willie McGhee said.
Experts are calling for more community ownership of Scotland's woodlands. (Image: Landfor)
Willie McGhee's timber paper looks at the issues of 'timber security' and Scottish forestry products. Much of which goes for biomass, pallets, fencing, sheds and other short lived timber products. Most high-quality timber for construction is imported due to industry perceptions of UK timber, and a trend towards fast growing species and short harvesting rotation cycles; these to maximise profits rather than maximising timber quality, social and environmental benefits, including climate mitigation impacts.
Jon Hollingdale is an independent forestry and land use consultant and researcher. He has had a variety of roles in the forestry sector, including 15 years as the CEO of the Community Woodlands Association. His new research paper assesses the impact of investment forestry on the land market and forestry practice.
As his paper outlines, the financial advantages of land ownership and the largely unregulated land market facilitate speculation and are long-term obstacles to community wealth building; recent price spikes and the limited supply of forest land add further barriers to the ambitions of communities.
Dr Josh Doble said: 'Community Land Scotland members have raised concerns about the impact of industrial coniferous forestry in their local areas. We as an organisation are concerned about the role of industrial forestry corporations and asset management organisations in further consolidating the ownership and management of Scotland's forests.
'The research includes a call for a more integrated, locally focused, and active forest management. That resonates with the community wealth building approach which we have been arguing should underpin all land management in Scotland."
He added: 'If Scotland wants to be timber secure, and produce high quality timber for construction, how our forests are managed needs to be reformed. A clear way of reforming them would be to change some of the ownership patterns, allowing more local ownership and ensuring forests are actively managed over longer timescales to grow quality timber."