Funding Partners
LIFE-Nature is our international funding partner. But we couldn’t carry out our internationally important Core Forest work in Scotland without a dedicated set of national partners. Several of these have provided funds, and all these have given expertise and help to turning ideas into reality, often on ground which they own.
At the Highland hub
Overall manager of the project is Highland Birchwoods. Based on the Black Isle and not far from Inverness, Highland Birchwoods is Scotland’s most experienced organisation in delivery of EU-co-funded LIFE projects. In the past, these have included restoration, research and survey work in Caledonian pinewoods, wet woodlands and western oakwoods. Current LIFE-linked HB work includes a major programme for urgent conservation management of the capercaillie.
Other aspects of HB activities are broad. These include rural development projects linked to woodfuel, sustainable housing woodland access and recreation and expansion of markets for small-scale timber production.
Highland Birchwoods has two main national funding partners.
Natural mission
The first is Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). SNH’s mission is to work with Scotland’s people to care for the country’s natural heritage.
To do this, SNH divides its work into four broad themes. ‘Caring for the Natural World’ has the goal of helping people to care effectively for the whole of Scotland’s natural heritage. Among many other things, such as work on National Nature Reserves, this includes activities linked to Natura 2000 sites, such as those in the Core Forest project.
To ‘enrich people’s lives’ SNH has a wide involvement in Access, Greenspace, Environmental Education and training programmes. For ‘Promoting Sustainable Use’ it carries out research and survey gives advice and works in partnership on many aspects of land use, species management, marine issues, renewable and LIFE-funded projects.
Finally, SNH keeps monitoring and reviewing its ways of working to help it to deliver and operate in a responsive, open, efficient and effective way.
Strategic forestry
Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) serves as the forestry department of the Scottish Executive, advising on and implementing forestry policy and managing the national forest estate. Its mission is to protect and expand Scotland’s forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment.
FCS works closely with the Scottish Executive, particularly the Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD) to deliver the Scottish Forestry Strategy. This strategy was launched in 2000 and guides the development of Scotland’s expanding forest and woodland area in the 21st century and beyond. It aims to put into practice the Scottish Executive’s forestry policy in a way that is closely integrated with other aspects of land-use policy.
Big on biodiversity
We have 5 other Scottish partners. Two of these focus on Central Scotland in whole or part. South Lanarkshire Council (SLC – owner of Chatelherault in the Clyde Valley Woodlands) is one of Scotland’s largest authorities. It has 15,000 employees, an annual budget of £538 million and provides key services to more than 300,000 people.
Since publishing its first Action for the Environment Plan some years ago, SLC has been moving ahead with programmes to save energy, reduce waste, increase recycling rates, deal with pollution, enhance the natural and built environment and promote environmental awareness and education. Work in the Clyde Valley Woodlands fits the aims of several SLC programmes and dovetails with its five-year Biodiversity Action Plan.
No ordinary forest
The Central Scotland Forest Trust (CSFT) leads the partnership which is creating the Central Scotland Forest.. This is not a conventional forest. It involves planting spread throughout 620 square miles bounded by Edinburgh, Glasgow, Falkirk/Stirling and Lanark. Through this work it is providing a greener, cleaner and more versatile environment for the 750,000 people who live and work in it and for the many visitors and travellers in the area.
One key role of the CSFT is to define the vision for the Forest and find resources, including through partners. At a practical level, it carries out woodland plantings, management, access and recreation works and a range of community projects and landscape improvements.
Healthy water
Scottish Water (SW) – owner of the Trossachs Woodlands until 1st April 2005 (when this site was taken over by Forestry Commission Scotland, is a publicly owned business answerable to the Scottish Parliament and the people of Scotland. It offers a new public sector model in the UK water industry and aims to be as efficient and effective as water companies in the private sector. SW plays a key role in protecting the nation’s health by providing water and waste-water services every day of the year to 2.2 million customers and 130,000 businesses across an area one-third the size of Britain.
Tree science
Forest Research, which has one of its two UK research stations near Edinburgh, is one of the world’s leading centres of research into woodlands and forestry. Its portfolio is diverse, covering environment, health, access to greenspace, landscapes, biodiversity, use of timber and influence of trees on livelihoods and the rural economy.
The core work of Forest Research is for the Forestry Commission, and supports the forestry strategies for England, Scotland and Wales. Forest Research provides research, development and associated services to Government departments and commercial organisations and advises at UK level on the global forest context.
The agency formerly known as….
Forest Enterprise was the government agency set up in 1996 to manage Britain’s forest estate. It ceased to exist as a single agency on March 31 2003, when three new agencies were created – one each for England, Scotland and Wales.
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