Tree felling plans in rural Stirling forest attracts major opposition in call for delay
A plan that would see larch trees removed across a more than 4000 hectare stretch of woodland near Strathyre has attracted strong opposition.
The proposals have been published by Forestry and Land Scotland in response to growing concern over the presence of 'Phytophthora ramorum' infections across forests in the Trossachs region.
This infection has resulted in the need for Statutory Plant Health Notices (SPHNs) - which allow for the felling of infected trees and uninfected trees within a prescribed 'buffer area'.
The Strathyre Forests Larch Removal Plan (LRP) covers a total area of 4,225 hectares of coniferous forest and broad-leaf woodland located around Strathyre and neighbouring Balquhidder.
But the plans have been met with criticism locally - and a petition set up by campaigners looking to preserve the natural woodland has attracted more than 600 signatures.
On the online petition page, they write: 'Strathyre and Loch Lubnaig are jewels of natural beauty, cherished by both locals and the thousands of visitors who flock here year after year.
'The clean air, lush green spaces, and rich wildlife create a beloved sanctuary, both for nature lovers and for the local economy which thrives on eco-tourism and hospitality.
'However, Forestry and Land Scotland's current plans propose mass felling and thinning of our forests, threatening to dismantle this irreplaceable ecosystem and the very essence of what makes Strathyre and Callander unique.
'We understand that forestry management is necessary, but such drastic measures need a pause. A thorough consultation involving local businesses and a comprehensive impact assessment on our wildlife are paramount before any further actions are taken.
'The total area affected by the FLS plan is 4226 hectares, that's an area equivalent to 6000 football pitches. 'But the total amount of diseased larch equates only to about ten per cent of that area.
'We must prioritise sustainable practices that respect both the environment and the communities that cherish it'.
The petition then pleads for FLS and Scottish Forestry to halt the current plans for a 'full consultation' to be carried out and the 'implications' of the tree felling programme to be understood.
An FLS spokesperson said: 'We are legally required to act when Phytophthora ramorum infection is confirmed.
'SPHNs demand that infected trees (and others within a buffer zone around the infection site) are felled prior to the following autumn.
'The SLRP concentrates in one document all of the action that we would be required to take under several SPHNs.
'Although the plan covers an overall area of approximately 4,200 ha - around 2,800 ha of which is woodland – the proposed felling area is 446 ha over the next five years (around ten per cent of the overall area) - had the disease not been present an equivalent area would normally have been felled over a 5-10 year period.
'The disease is highly infectious, affects a wide range of plant and forest species, and causes extensive mortality in infected species of larch. Pre-emptive action will go some way towards protecting larch trees in as yet un-affected areas of the country.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
06-07-2025
- Daily Mail
More than 100 NHS doctors warn Wes Streeting to honour promise to roll out screening clinics for osteoporosis - or risk thousands of preventable deaths
More than 100 leading NHS doctors have warned Health Secretary Wes Streeting that failing to honour his pre-Election commitment to urgently rollout screening clinics for osteoporosis risks causing thousands of preventable deaths. In a letter shared exclusively with The Mail on Sunday, the medics and healthcare workers say tens of thousands of people with the bone-thinning disease are 'slipping through the net' because of a postcode lottery of care – and 2,500 may have needlessly died in the last 12 months alone – because of a failure by the Government to prioritise tackling the crisis. Mr Streeting told this newspaper that one of his first acts in Government would be to publish a plan to rollout Fracture Liaison Services, or FLS, across all parts of the country. These vital services, which require no new equipment, represent a gold standard in the early diagnosis of the condition and would mean everyone over 50 who breaks a bone could be screened for the disease and given bone-preserving drugs – potentially saving thousands of people from serious injury, disability and an early death. But a year on from that promise, the Government now says FLS will not be available everywhere until 2030. The Government reiterated its commitment to funding the clinics in its 10-Year Health Plan, published on Thursday, but the doctors say any further delay will cause 'harm' to patients – and say officials have still failed to reveal how they plan to achieve the rollout. The doctors, part of the Royal Osteoporosis Society's clinical network who are backing the charity's campaign for universal FLS, wrote: 'Late diagnosis of osteoporosis leads to avoidable fractures, loss of independence, long-term disability and, in many cases, premature death. 'A properly functioning FLS catches patients after their first fracture, enabling early diagnosis and access to proven, cost-effective treatments. They are a classic example of driving the shift from sickness to prevention. 'However, the current postcode lottery for FLS provision means tens of thousands are slipping through the net. Each year that this remains unaddressed, an estimated 2,500 more people die following hip fractures that could have been prevented. 'Any delay in implementation of this important policy will cost lives.' Shadow Health Secretary Edward Argar also called on Mr Streeting to deliver his pledge 'right away, with no more delays'. Mr Argar said: 'I'm calling on the Health Secretary to set out an action plan with a clear timetable, starting now, for the roll-out of FLS to all areas, something which will not only help thousands of people with osteoporosis but will also be saving the NHS money within a few years.' Osteoporosis affects around 3.5million people in the UK and causes bones to thin and weaken, leading to fractures. Most people are only diagnosed after breaking several bones, but in hospitals which have FLS, patients attending with fractures can be screened for osteoporosis with a bone density test called a DEXA scan. Only half of NHS Trusts in England currently have FLS, and rolling it out is estimated to cost £30million. Osteoporosis-related fractures have cost the British economy more than £142million since last July. The Mail on Sunday has been running a War on Osteoporosis campaign to make FLS universal. Craig Jones, chief executive of the Royal Osteoporosis Society, said: 'This is a preventative model that's tried and tested, ready to go, and capable of delivering savings before the middle of this Parliament. 'We welcome inclusion in the 10 Year Plan and now call for a speedy implementation plan so we can protect patients and save lives.'
Daily Record
20-06-2025
- Daily Record
Tree felling plans in rural Stirling forest attracts major opposition in call for delay
The proposals from Forestry and Land Scotland include more than 4,000 hectares near Strathyre where woodland and forest could see trees chopped down over infection concerns. A plan that would see larch trees removed across a more than 4000 hectare stretch of woodland near Strathyre has attracted strong opposition. The proposals have been published by Forestry and Land Scotland in response to growing concern over the presence of 'Phytophthora ramorum' infections across forests in the Trossachs region. This infection has resulted in the need for Statutory Plant Health Notices (SPHNs) - which allow for the felling of infected trees and uninfected trees within a prescribed 'buffer area'. The Strathyre Forests Larch Removal Plan (LRP) covers a total area of 4,225 hectares of coniferous forest and broad-leaf woodland located around Strathyre and neighbouring Balquhidder. But the plans have been met with criticism locally - and a petition set up by campaigners looking to preserve the natural woodland has attracted more than 600 signatures. On the online petition page, they write: 'Strathyre and Loch Lubnaig are jewels of natural beauty, cherished by both locals and the thousands of visitors who flock here year after year. 'The clean air, lush green spaces, and rich wildlife create a beloved sanctuary, both for nature lovers and for the local economy which thrives on eco-tourism and hospitality. 'However, Forestry and Land Scotland's current plans propose mass felling and thinning of our forests, threatening to dismantle this irreplaceable ecosystem and the very essence of what makes Strathyre and Callander unique. 'We understand that forestry management is necessary, but such drastic measures need a pause. A thorough consultation involving local businesses and a comprehensive impact assessment on our wildlife are paramount before any further actions are taken. 'The total area affected by the FLS plan is 4226 hectares, that's an area equivalent to 6000 football pitches. 'But the total amount of diseased larch equates only to about ten per cent of that area. 'We must prioritise sustainable practices that respect both the environment and the communities that cherish it'. The petition then pleads for FLS and Scottish Forestry to halt the current plans for a 'full consultation' to be carried out and the 'implications' of the tree felling programme to be understood. An FLS spokesperson said: 'We are legally required to act when Phytophthora ramorum infection is confirmed. 'SPHNs demand that infected trees (and others within a buffer zone around the infection site) are felled prior to the following autumn. 'The SLRP concentrates in one document all of the action that we would be required to take under several SPHNs. 'Although the plan covers an overall area of approximately 4,200 ha - around 2,800 ha of which is woodland – the proposed felling area is 446 ha over the next five years (around ten per cent of the overall area) - had the disease not been present an equivalent area would normally have been felled over a 5-10 year period. 'The disease is highly infectious, affects a wide range of plant and forest species, and causes extensive mortality in infected species of larch. Pre-emptive action will go some way towards protecting larch trees in as yet un-affected areas of the country.'
Daily Mail
14-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Broken bones caused by osteoporosis cost British economy more than £142 million in Labour's first year in power
Broken bones caused by osteoporosis have cost the British economy more than £142 million in Labour's first year in power, according to new research. A further 660,000 work days were estimated to have been lost due to sickness absence. Campaigners say the figures, taken from independent research commissioned by the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS), are just one indicator of the toll osteoporosis is taking on the UK economy. The ROS is calling for Health Secretary Wes Streeting to deliver on his promise to improve osteoporosis services in his forthcoming NHS 10-Year Plan, set to be announced next month. Osteoporosis – suffered by 3.5 million people in the UK – causes bones in the body to lose strength and break more easily. The condition can be devastatingly painful, cause permanent disabilities and reduce patients' independence, causing 500,000 broken bones every year in the UK. Half of all women and around a fifth of men over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. Now, new figures from the ONS on sickness absences show that musculoskeletal conditions – including osteoporosis – are the biggest single contributor of overall work days lost. The percentage of sickness absence caused by these health problems has increased every year since 2022. Mr Streeting pledged to tackle the crisis last year, promising to end the postcode lottery for early diagnostic centres for osteoporosis. Called Fracture Liaison Services (FLS), these sites triage and treat patients suspected to have the condition. Yet only half of NHS trusts in England currently have an FLS. Mr Streeting has repeatedly pledged to roll universal FLS to all parts of England by 2030 – a move that campaigners hope will be cemented in his 10-Year Plan for the Health Service. Craig Jones, chief executive at the Royal Osteoporosis Society, said: 'Economic growth is rightly at the centre of the Government's mission. 'Britain is alone in seeing a sharp rise in worklessness since the pandemic, with musculoskeletal conditions like osteoporosis among the leading reasons for experienced older workers being forced into sickness and carer's absence. 'Early diagnosis of osteoporosis through Fracture Liaison Services will help prevent worklessness, and we hope the 10-Year Plan will include the rollout plan Wes Streeting has talked about so inspiringly.'
