Campaigners secure crunch meeting as concerns rage over Strathyre felling plans
Concerned campaigners have secured a meeting with forestry chiefs over tree felling plans affecting more than 4,000 hectares of woodland near Strathyre.
The Observer reported last week on a petition protesting proposals from Forestry and Land Scotland following growing concern over the presence of 'Phytophthora ramorum' infections across forests in the Trossachs region.
The Strathyre Forests Larch Removal Plan (LRP) covers a total area of 4,225 hectares and is targeting both infected and uninfected trees within a prescribed 'buffer zone'.
But those plans were subject to a petition of more than 600 signatures - and the pressure now appears to have paid off with a meeting in the works between residents, pressure groups, councillors and FLS themselves.
Petition author Karen Clough said: 'We want the best outcome for the woodland here but the scale of the work planned is both exceptional and extraordinary.
'To lose almost 200 hectares of woodland in the next two to three years would really be devastating for the area, not just the habitats built up but also the eco-tourism which businesses can be so reliant upon.
'People come here to wander off into the quiet woodland and get lost - and they do so from all over the world - but who would want to come here if they're going to be surrounded by forestry work and logging machines?
'Why don't we ringfence an area around Strathyre as non-commercial woodland which can be more protected, where the diversity of habitats is saved and it wouldn't impact the community as severely?'
Further concerns over the proposals on wildlife have been raised by Duncan Orr-Ewing, chairman of the Central Scotland Raptor Study Group, who added: 'There is a really broad mix of conifer tree species in the area and because of that diversity, it is really attractive to an array of wildlife - we have an interest in breeding raptors, but there is also a healthy population of goshawks and owls.
'The main concern over the FLS plans are that we haven't seen much of a mitigation plan for the raptor and owl species and a whole load of conifers potentially being removed could cause serious damage to the raptor population.
'We commented on the proposals at an early stage but haven't had any feedback from that; they have the information on the breeding raptors and the concerns they will leave this area if this is not carried out properly.'
Trossachs and Teith councillor Martin Earl has been involved in brokering the meeting and welcomed the news - and also the extension of consultation over the plans until July 4.
Cllr Earl said: 'Given how extensive these proposals are, I can fully understand why there is so much interest from the community so I am delighted that FLS agreed to extend the consultation period and agree to a meeting with interested parties.
'I look forward to this being a constructive opportunity for concerns to be addressed.'
An FLS spokesman said 'Although the law requiring the removal of diseased larch within a timebound period does not require that the usual pre-felling checks are carried out, we nevertheless act in accordance with the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004, and use a number of measures to protect raptor and other species during our operations.
'In this instance, we have sought to minimise the potential impacts on wildlife by, as far as is possible, limiting the area of mature forest being removed, proposing the use of thinning and 'keyholing' techniques to minimise tree loss and, where we can, retain non-larch stands in excess of c.45 years of age.
'Where neither option is open to us we will continue to work with stakeholders, including NatureScot and the Central Scotland Raptor Study Group, to find other ways to minimise and mitigate the impacts on populations of priority and protected species.'
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