Not just the Carbon Code
Natural Capital opportunities in the forest.
A year at Forest Research
A look back in celebration of 75 years of tree breeding in the UK.
Woodland Carbon Code Verifications
The Woodland Carbon Code has grown substantially since it was first launched.
West Coast Wonder
Attadale is a 30,000 acre estate in the beautiful North West of Scotland. Summer 2024
The weather is a constant topic of conversation and comment amongst forestry managers. It impacts on so much that we do from planting new woodlands, of all types, to harvesting crops of sustainably grown commercial timber that have locked up tonnes of carbon over their short life cycle.
In this issue we have a focus on tree nurseries with three guest articles. One from each of two well established nurseries supplying a wide range of trees and shrubs for hedging, native and productive woodland creation and the often overlooked huge numbers required for replanting.
In addition, a relative newcomer to the sector in Elsoms Trees but backed by a wealth of knowledge and experience in Rodney Shearer and his team. Tree planting and woodland creation, however they are impacted by the weather and whether for productive conifer woodland to UKFS standards, or woodlands with a focus on biodiversity and carbon, all are so important to the rural economy and their contribution to mitigating climate change. As well as the interesting guest articles on nurseries we have a number of other guest contributions and my colleagues highlight wider matters including biodiversity and carbon associated with woodland and connected habitats. Many thanks to all who have contributed.
Whilst the headlines have been grabbed by the significant reduction to the overall funding for new woodland creation in Scotland, grant rates per hectare have not been reduced and in fact there have been elements of increase. There is still a very good case to be considering welldesigned new woodland creation in Scotland. Equally in England we have seen grant rates for woodland creation substantially increase in recent years, certainly well worth looking at alongside existing
farm and estate enterprises in England. As well as woodland creation grants England benefits from very strong backing for woodland management - read on to find out more about the support that is available.
Many of our clients have a strong timber production element to their rural business, from meeting in house demand for biomass to the supply of large volumes of roundwood to the wider market. Colleagues in Inverness report on a smaller scale newish mill to the market and day to day we liaise closely with a number of timber merchants and the main sawmills and roundwood markets to ensure that where we are harvesting on behalf of clients they are maximising the return from their valuable crops. Whilst mill gate prices may be down on the headlines of 20/21, looking over a five-year period they remain good. We have significant harvesting programs ahead through 2024 so let us hope the weather is kind to the harvesting contractors and merchants we work with.
Our forestry team across Scotland and the north of England would be very pleased to discuss woodland projects from creation, associated biodiversity and carbon to woodland management plans and timber harvesting. We can manage most aspects of woodlands but sadly, as yet, we cannot control the weather but at least planting some more trees may help! n
Athole McKillop
07718 523 045
athole.mcKillop@galbraithgroup.com
Galbraith is a leading independent property consultancy. Drawing on a century of experience in land and property management the firm is progressive and dynamic employing over 200 people in offices throughout Scotland and the North of England. We provide a full range of property consulting services across the commercial, residential, rural and energy sectors. Galbraith provides a personal service, listening to clients and delivering advice to suit their particular opportunities and circumstances.
Optimise your woodland resources & mitigate your risks.
Natural Capital opportunities in the forest.
Careful planning to overcome impact of reduced funding.
The ‘England woodland creation offer’ grant scheme.
West coast wonder.
Poor reputation threatens all species of Rhododendron.
The Scottish biodiversity metric opportunity.
Woodlands are a valuable resource for a multitude of reasons.
They can provide precious habitats for wildlife, increase biodiversity, enhance landscapes, provide shelter for livestock, yield timber and income on a sustainable basis, help mitigate flood risk, stabilise riverbanks and of course absorb carbon dioxide from our atmosphere. Woodland owners’ objectives vary and so does their ranking of these benefits. To assist in this ranking process these resources need to be quantified. This is one of the main reasons why prudent woodland owners decide to invest in a Long Term Forest Plan. (LTFP)
If no woodland records exist, or they have been lost, initial steps usually involve obtaining up-to-date georeferenced aerial photography and
importing this into a GIS mapping system. The property boundary is then added and the process of subdividing the woodland into smaller units (compartments) can begin. This process is supplemented by ground survey work to verify tree species, growth rates (yield classes) and as far as is practicable, crop ages. This information is recorded in a database that sits within the mapping system.
During the survey and mapping stages, knowledge of hazards and constraints such as overhead powerlines, water supplies, archaeological features, wildlife sensitivities, designated sites, access etc can be built in, which in the longer term helps with planning to mitigate the risks to these features.
There are a number of other advantages to having an approved LTFP which include:
Legal approval for thinning and • felling operations for 10 years
Access to replanting grants (£300
• per hectare or £550 per hectare in Scotland) which are not available without an approved LTFP.
An exportable compartment • database which enables yield forecasting and cash flow planning
A variety of useful woodland maps
• related to the compartment database
An approved LTFP is one of the
• prerequisites to becoming certified to the UK Woodland Assurance Standard. This enables timber to be sold as “certified” usually at higher prices than non-certified timber.
Having clearly defined records of the • estate’s woodland assets is useful when doing estate valuations
A LTFP brings the resources into
• sharper focus, which assists future woodland management.
After 2 years of ownership / • occupation the value of a “commercial” woodland is excluded from Inheritance Tax. To qualify for this exemption, woodland owners need to be able to provide evidence that their woodlands are commercially managed. A LTFP that is in place and in use, is one fundamental part of the evidence required.
Grants are available to help towards the costs of producing a LTFP. In Scotland for new LTFPs these are paid at £25 per eligible hectare for the first 200 hectares, £5 per hectare thereafter, up to a maximum of £15,000 (on woods at least 10 years old). As part of the grant process the LTFP proposals are subject to public consultation and scrutiny by the government forestry authority, which for Scotland is Scottish Forestry.
Once completed the woodland owner has a very useful woodland management tool and reference document.
If you think a LTFP would be useful for your woodlands, please contact any of the Forest Managers shown in this issue of Forestry Matters. n
...In Scotland for new LTFPs these are paid at £25 per eligible hectare for the first 200 hectares, £5 per hectare thereafter, up to a maximum of £15,000 (on woods at least 10 years old)...
Natural capital is a noisy place. There always seems to be some new scheme, credit, mechanism, initiative –or critique or scandal – hitting the headlines. But behind the noise, the nature market is quietly building.
Land managers and businesses are working out together how to get money into projects which deliver environmental and social benefit on the ground. This represents a real and developing opportunity for landowners and land managers. There are many businesses out there, with growing natural capital requirements, and limited land and skills to satisfy them.
Demand for Woodland Carbon Units remains strong, and the market is growing in size and sophistication. At Galbraith we have developed our experience and increased our internal carbon team to offer a secure path through the process, alongside woodland creation and forest management. You can read more about the process in the article on p.21. Where forestry sites have unplantable areas of peat, it may be possible to restore these through the Peatland Code, gaining additional carbon credits.
Grant schemes and the Woodland Carbon Code have both tightened recently in ways which do not favour commercial forestry. However, although it is more difficult to get both grant and carbon, it may be possible to achieve one or other. Commercial schemes which gained planting permission but failed to get a grant might find they now pass the 'additionality' test to register for carbon credits, compensating for the loss of a grant. Investment schemes are becoming available which can realise the carbon value in a low-risk way, upfront if required, to cover the cost of planting.
Carbon codes are not the whole story of carbon. Galbraith is incorporating use of the farm carbon audit to natural capital schemes to monitor carbon benefit within projects which combine biodiversity and production, and exploring suitable methodologies for timber growing.
There has been a proliferation of biodiversity unit proposals recently, but do they work in practice, and does anyone want them? For the Defra Statutory Biodiversity Metric, the answer seems to be yes. Although designed for a specific purpose (satisfying planning requirements in England), the Metric’s ability to measure biodiversity uplift across a wide range of habitats has led to units being sought in England and Scotland by a range of buyers. Businesses and ecologists alike understand and respect the Metric. It is undergoing a process of continuous update and improvement, including adaptation for Scotland. For this reason, Galbraith is utilising the Metric as a powerful baseline tool for natural capital projects.
The Metric has limitations, explored in the article on p.27 meanwhile it can be combined with other forms of measurement, including technology such as eDNA and audiomoth, to enrich the natural capital offering.
There are other biodiversity metrics in development, such as the CreditNature Nature Credits being supported by CivTech Scotland, and NatureMetrics ecosystem condition measurement. We are keeping a close eye on these, but as
There has been a proliferation of biodiversity unit proposals recently, but do they work in practice, and does anyone want them?
Eleanor Harris
the Woodland Carbon Code shows, once a methodology has become accepted in the market, it is difficult for another to become established.
Another development in the biodiversity market is the proposal by Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code to develop a biodiversity ‘add-on’ credit. This seems a poorly considered proposal to spend yet more public funding on a rival methodology to the publiclyfunded Biodiversity Metric and Nature Credit. More worryingly, the nature add-on could easily become an effective necessity for all Code projects, adding cost and bureaucracy to the already complex process, and casting doubt on the nature-positive credentials of all woodlands conforming to the UK Forestry Standard - which is already a requirement of Woodland Carbon Code projects.
Water is an ecosystem service rising rapidly up the agenda. The construction sector is now required to demonstrate Sustainable Drainage Systems. Food and drink companies are committed to the Courtauld 2030 Water Stewardship Framework
water risks and responsibilities in the catchments where they operate.
Taking responsibility for water may seem nothing new to forestry, which has been managing it under the Forest and Water Guidelines since 1988. However, with interest in water rapidly rising, forestry and woodland has an opportunity to demonstrate its added value and potentially attract new sources of income.
For some time Forest Research has been working on a Woodland Water Code, which aimed to measure and reward woodland creation for its water benefits. However, a recent update on the project suggests that this is a long way from fruition.
Meanwhile, there are other metrics in development, and in use, amongst businesses looking for solutions. These measure water benefit from activities such as riparian restoration, woodland and wetland creation. Galbraith is building these quantifiable benefits into projects to add a watery dimension to the natural capital benefit they deliver, and attract a wider field of corporate sponsorship. As so often in natural capital, the practical solutions are taking place away from the public noise.
Natural capital funding can only go so far. At present in the UK, it will pay for change, not maintenance: to create a nature-rich landscape, not to keep it nature rich. Who knows where the natural capital economy will be in thirty years' time? Will mechanisms for protecting ecology such as the international forest protection scheme REDD have overcome their problems and been rolled out, or will they have fallen at the hurdles of complexity and disappeared? We cannot answer these questions. Yet what is far more certain is that we will live in an increasingly hungry world. Growing wealth means more people around the world looking for resources: better food, better houses, putting demand on food and timber supplies. Meanwhile, climate change is putting stresses on production around the world: more harvest failures, windthrow, pests and diseases.
For these reasons, production – or in natural capital parlance ‘provisioning’ - is one ecosystem service we can be sure will remain in demand, as long as there are people in the world. We can also be confident that, so long as people are looking to their long-term future in the world, it will become
is building these quantifiable benefits into projects to add a watery dimension to the natural capital benefit they deliver...
project development process leads you from project visualisation to completing a natural capital deal...
more important and valuable to provide those resources in sustainable ways: low-carbon, waterconscious, regenerating ecosystem condition, and climate-resilient.
So in building a natural capital project, we encourage clients to explore opportunities to build in provisioning of timber, food, or energy, within the project measuring carbon capture, biodiversity gain, and water benefit. This adds to the story of ecosystem services for the buyer or sponsor of the project, provides an opportunity to demonstrate that provisioning is truly sustainable, and ensures the development of an income stream to last beyond the period of the project.
Natural capital project funding can usefully be thought of as transition funding, de-risking the long hurdles to be overcome for example to develop a structurally-diverse forest, trial pest-resistant species, ensure a drought-resilient water supply, or develop forest-based food production businesses.
Community wealth building
Demonstrating both social and community benefit is important both to give natural capital projects integrity, and to add value for buyers or sponsors with Environmental, Social and Governance aims.
‘Community wealth funds’ and ‘community engagement’ are sometimes undertaken as add-ons to the main project. We encourage clients to see them as fully integrated. Through our work with projects funded under the Facilitating Nature Ready Scotland grant scheme (FIRNS), which required a community element, we developed a methodology for developing community wealth building accounting for the project. This demonstrates what proportion of project spend is reinvested in the community, and assigns values to non-monetary benefits and costs of the project. This provides a far more transparent and nuanced picture of the economic impact of the project than a debate about splitting ’profits’, and can help drive natural capital funding towards delivering real change on the ground.
The nature-based economy has come a long way since forestry led with the launch of the Woodland Carbon Code in 2011. It still has a long way to develop and is far from perfect. However, the metrics and markets are in place to enable a landowner or place-based community to develop an integrated natural capital project which delivers outcomes you want on the ground, including social, economic, and ecosystem regeneration, in ways which access funding from the private sector to achieve it. More than this, every project is a chance to build and shape the emerging nature-based economy.
Galbraith’s project development process leads you from project visualisation to completing a natural capital deal in a process which is designed to be low-risk and high cobenefit at every stage. Please get in touch if you would like to find out more. n
Eleanor Harris
The Government announcement in December 2023 that the budget to be claimed through the Forest Grant Scheme (FGS) would be cut by 41%, was met with concern from all within the industry. FGS supports woodland creation and management.
The revised budget for the 2024/25 season would ‘help create over 9,000 ha of new woodland”, around 50% of the Scottish Government target’ with a £6 million budget for woodland management, whilst the planting target for the 2024/25 increased to 18,000 hectares (ha).
Whilst this all may seem a bit doom and gloom, the targets set by the government have only been reached, and surpassed, in one year out of six between 2017/18 and 2022/23 seasons.
Whilst the budget cut is bound to have an impact on woodland creation, insufficient capacity in the system through slow approval for application from Scottish Forestry, and poor tree supplies, both of which have impacted on historic and current projects, are still the main factors holding up woodland creation projects for our clients. This is the analysis of by forestry trade body Confor.
So how will the budget cuts affect future projects?
Within the FGS scheme many available options have increased, for example, extending the ‘Central Scotland Green Network – Fringe Area Contribution’ to the whole of Scotland, providing an extra £750/ha for new woodland creation (for up to 40ha) and doubling the contribution for expanding native woodland through natural regeneration to £600/ha.
What appears to have changed is the ability to make variations to projects over multiple planting seasons due to the restricted budget. More than ever, the effective planning of the forest manager and operational competence of contractors is paramount for the successful establishment of a new woodland.
Taking advantage of current grants whilst understanding the bureaucratic nuances and creating good working relationships within conservancies helps mitigate some uncertainties that have been thrown up by the budget cuts. Even within times of uncertainty comes opportunity. n Lee Marshall 01463 224 343 lee.marshall@galbraithgroup.com
The England Woodland Creation Offer, or EWCO for short, was first introduced in summer 2021 to provide landowners, land managers and public bodies with financial support to create and maintain new woodland.
Capital funding of up to £10,200 per hectare is available, which in many cases will cover 100% of standard costs. Applicants may also be eligible for an additional £12,700 in stackable payments for woodland that will deliver public benefits, such as nature recovery and flood risk management.
Payments available under EWCO include:
1. Support for the capital items and works to establish new woodland, some of which are detailed below. Multiple claims can be made at any time throughout the year once items and works have been paid for.
Rabbit netting supplement
Difficult site fencing supplement (eligible for stock & deer) /m £3.98
Metal field gate
Wooden field gate
Vehicle deer gate
Pedestrian/bridle gate or kissing gate /gate
Pedestrian deer gate /gate £475.44
Water gates /gate £532.80
Deer
Deer repellent
Chemical bracken control
Mechanical bracken control /ha
Bracken control supplement for follow up treatment /ha
2. 15 years of annual maintenance payments to help establish the young trees once the capital works are complete.
3. Optional Additional Contributions where the location of the woodland and its design will deliver public benefits. These payments are stackable, so where the woodland will provide multiple public benefits applicants may be eligible for multiple Additional Contributions.
Additional Contributions include but are not limited to:
• Nature recovery: up to £3,300 per hectare for woodlands that restore nature and species.
• Riparian buffers: £2,500 per hectare for woodlands along riverbanks that improve water habitat.
• Flood risk management: £1,000 per hectare for woodlands that help reduce the risk of flooding.
EWCO is set to run until the end of April 2025, after which it will become part of the Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs). Whether your objective is timber production, providing environmental benefits, or both, EWCO could provide the right funding stream for you. Our experienced team of forestry experts are on hand to help you navigate the application process with ease. n
• Water quality: £500 per hectare for woodlands that will improve water quality.
4. An optional payment of £1,100 per hectare where the proposal site falls within a low sensitivity area for woodland creation, avoiding land most suitable for food production.
Jonathan Tompson
07899 877 728
jonathan.tompson@galbraithgroup.com
Is the phrase coined by Charles Beaumont 30 years ago.
As a family run business steered by Charles Beaumont, TreesPlease has prided itself on the supply of quality trees delivered with quality service. Historically, our aims were to supply local farms and landowners with shrubs and broadleaves for amenity and hedging purposes. This provided a launch pad into the commercial forestry and woodland creation sectors which is where the business sits today. Being family run has enables us to make flexible and timely decisions in order to respond to the needs of the industry.
At TreesPlease we currently market in the region of 18 million trees each year, made up of approximately 12-13 million conifers and 5-6 million broadleaf and shrub species. These are mostly grown in Northumberland over roughly 400 acres of productive land. Staying true to its farming roots, TreesPlease employ an ‘old fashioned’ stance towards growing methodssturdy trees with lots of vigour rather than quantity. We believe it is the unique quality of a TreesPlease tree which has opened doors into new markets as well as retaining existing customers, some of whom have been with the company for all of its 35 years!
Recent challenges have forced all businesses to change or at least rethink the way in which they operate and TreesPlease is no exception. Along with many agricultural businesses, we have found ourselves trying to operate efficiently whist contending with countless legislative and economic challenges. One of the most recent challenges faced has been in labour supply. Whilst it had always been looming, the effect of staff shortages was not really realised until our grading shed, which is normally occupied by around 35-40 people, only had around 15! As you can imagine, the knock-on effects of this were longer delivery lead times and significantly longer hours for the staff. It became apparent that the business could not operate as smoothly or as efficiently without large investments in robots and machines, which could take on some of the processes that would previously have taken a team of 5-6 people to do. Since then, there has been investments in a grading machine (installed January 2023), bed lifter (due to arrive summer 2024) and an automatic mini- plug planter (arrived summer 2022). Resilience is key here, and we are investing heavily to attain this. Future planned investments also include
Since then, there has been investments in a grading machine (installed January 2023), bed lifter (due to arrive summer 2024) and an automatic mini- plug planter (arrived summer 2022).
seed treatment facilities, weeding robots and picking and packing functions. It is always exciting to see planned investments come to fruition.
With tree planting being very much a ‘hot topic’ in recent years, nurseries have been fine tuned to meet this demand which often means forecasting what the market wants. Currently, we are increasing our broadleaf supply. This will not see our Sitka spruce production heavily reduce but rather an increase in major broadleaf species such as silver birch, downy birch, alder, rowan, willows and oaks. Ironically this move would see our organisation shift back towards the foundations it was built on but, by no means, back to its humble beginnings.
Reflecting on 2024 planting, the main limiting factor this year has been weather, particularly rain. We recorded only 14 full lifting days between lifting starting (around end
At TreesPlease we currently market in the region of 18 million trees each year, made up of approximately 12-13 million conifers and 5-6 million broadleaf and shrub species.
of October 2023) and Christmas 2023 putting us on the back foot from the very start of the season. It has been a constant challenge this winter to get trees out of the ground and we have pushed our lifters to the very limits when our fields have often resembled paddy fields rather than a tree nursery. We do wonder though, are extreme weather patterns the new normal? If so, we need to consider how to mitigate these to limit the effects on our business and cropping schedules, maybe greater use of our fully equipped laboratory and the arrival of our superfast, tracked bed lifter will provide at least some of the answers. n
Hannah Adamson Business Development Manager
It has been another productive year for Forest Research. We’ve developed and updated our tools and resources, continued to publish new research, evidence and data, and taken a look back in celebration of 75 years of tree breeding in Great Britain.
We’ve worked in the lab, out in the field and internationally to produce wideranging forest research, and to give woodland owners and managers the tools they need to make informed decisions about their woodland. Forest Research has led on the development of a range of resources that support the forestry sector. ‘TreeAlert’ was originally designed to allow members of the public to report pests and pathogens that they’d seen on trees in their area, but it’s now possible to also provide information on trees that appear to be healthy. Having reports of healthy trees fills a knowledge gap where previously we were unable to tell whether a lack of reporting in an area was because the trees appeared healthy, or because no one had checked the location. This new online function enabled us to support the national ‘Check a Sweet Chestnut’ campaign as people were able to submit reports on healthy-looking sweet chestnut trees as well as suspected cases of the oriental chestnut gall wasp or sweet chestnut blight.
The FOBI method involves the measurement and combination of several local and landscape metrics associated with woodland biodiversity, such as tree size diversity and woodland connectivity...
Lucy Towers
In the year ahead, we are further enhancing TreeAlert to increase access to the data that has been submitted over the last ten years. We will use these recent and planned new TreeAlert developments to reach wider audiences, increase tree health surveillance and support the health of trees in Britain.
As well as reporting on tree pests in the UK, we have also been tracking them across the continent. The eight-toothed spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) is the most destructive forest insect pest in Europe, where it has caused widespread mortality of Norway spruce. Recent outbreaks across the continent have been unprecedented in size and are driven by a changing climate, with drought-stressed trees being more susceptible to attack.
In late 2018, a breeding population of the beetle was detected in southern England for the first time. It was initially assumed to have arrived with infested timber. To test the hypothesis that the beetles could in fact be dispersing naturally across the English Channel, a network of traps was deployed to track flight activity along a 250 kilometre transect, from an outbreak hotspot in France and Belgium to southern England. During a large-scale dispersal event in 2021, beetles were found to have reached more than 160 kilometres into England, leading to new localised establishments of the pest in the southeast. Analysis of the trap data demonstrates the extraordinary distance the beetle can move and is the first evidence of a forest pest dispersing aerially across the Channel.
Our investigations into this pest and its impact on different tree species continue, and we’re now seeking to understand the susceptibility of Sitka spruce, the most economically important conifer species planted in Britain. Another resource we have been busy working on this year is the Forest Biodiversity Index (FOBI), which we have developed in collaboration with Forestry and Land Scotland and Forestry England. FOBI is a quantitative, transparent and repeatable approach for assessing the biodiversity potential of publicly owned forests in Britain over space
and time. It aims to support public forestry agencies in safeguarding and enhancing the biodiversity value of the forests they manage. To encourage use of the FOBI, we’ll be providing guidance and bespoke online interfaces so people can explore the data.
The FOBI method involves the measurement and combination of several local and landscape metrics associated with woodland biodiversity, such as tree size diversity and woodland connectivity, resulting in separate local and landscape FOBI scores. Results are generated on an annual basis for each individual forest unit to inform locally targeted action and are summarised at regional and national scales for long-term biodiversity monitoring and reporting. The FOBI indicates that the biodiversity potential of public forests has generally improved from 2011 (Scotland) or 2014 (England) through increases in diversity, extent, condition and connectivity.
Many of our tools and resources focus on the future, supporting woodland managers to plan for changing conditions, but in the least year we also took a chance to look back, as 2023 marked the 75th anniversary of tree breeding in Great Britain.
We celebrated the anniversary with a Forest Science Seminar and an article in ICF Trees magazine. This provided a welcome opportunity to reflect on progress to date.
Achievements of the tree breeding group have included improved populations for five conifer species and the transfer of substantial genetic gains to plantations via seed orchards and vegetative propagation programmes. The improved performance of this genetic material is worth tens-tohundreds of millions of pounds to the British forestry sector each year.
With a new year, we are continuing to build on our evidence and data provision, publish novel forest science research and maintain tools to support sustainable forest management. To find out more about our work and to access our resources, visit www.forestresearch.gov.uk. n
Lucy Towers Forest Research
Nursery visit Introduction to Elsoms Trees Ltd
Elsoms Seeds, the UK’s leading independent agricultural seed specialist and plant breeder, in 2022 made an investment in Proven Plants Ltd, creating a jointly owned business named Elsoms Trees Ltd.
This venture brings together the knowledge and experience of Proven Plants with the seed technology capabilities, support, and structure of Elsoms Seeds.
The Elsoms Trees team has over 150 years of forestry nursery experience, and their mission is to provide superior quality tree seedlings to the expanding UK woodland creation and forestry sectors.
Historically, nurseries were very local to final planting sites and had in house experience in seed collection and processing to complement plant production. As nurseries moved to more centralised and mechanised production these skills were lost and nurseries became more dependent on specialised seed suppliers.
At Elsoms Trees we have reintroduced these skills and are looking after the entire supply chain from seed source to successful plant establishment.
Seed Security is the biggest issue facing tree supply within the expanding UK forestry market. Current media headlines pick up on shortage of trees. Yes, there is a shortage, but it is only of a limited number of species. For all species, seed supply is key. Investment is required to reduce reliance on wild collections and increase the number of seed stands and orchards.
Plant supply requires early engagement with our customers to identify the correct genetic resources, the organising of seed collection, harvesting and processing, through to nursery production and onwards to final plant delivery and establishment, with full traceability and biosecurity through each stage of the process.
For new woodland creation our dedicated seed development team will assist customers in surveying their sites to identify the most appropriate local genetic material available to conform with the requirements of grant applications.
For commercial forestry our years of experience give us intimate knowledge and availability from the
forestry.
Elsoms have invested and built a new nursery facility in East Lothian and our experienced nursery team are currently producing 5 million high quality container grown trees to be available for the 24/25 planting season. Due to the early dialogue on seed sources, many of these trees are being grown on contract and it is vitally important for new customers to contact our sales team to secure their requirements.
Once the trees have been grown, our grading and despatch team will ensure that trees are delivered as economically as possible, with great care taken in plant handling. Our
transport manager will liaise with the onsite manager/planting contractors to ensure timely delivery.
To assist in the understanding of the whole procedures of plant production and supply we welcome the opportunity for customers to visit our nursery. This gives us the opportunity to fully explain the principles of tree production, bio security, traceability, environmental standards and why we should be your preferred supplier.
On 1 May we welcomed the Galbraith team for their Forestry Team day. n
Elsoms Trees
The monitoring programme uses a network of traps, throughout the UK, which lure the beetles to them with pheromones.
Galbraith has joined a new national monitoring project aiming to help prevent the potential spread of a serious pest affecting spruce trees – the larger eight-toothed European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus).
Ips typographus is a destructive pest of spruce trees as well as some other conifer tree species. The beetles are present throughout much of Europe. An outbreak was discovered in Kent in December 2018 and further breeding populations were found in 2021. The Forestry Commission has been using a network of traps to monitor beetle numbers across the south east of England which often catch specimens thought to be blown in from mainland Europe. This trapping project is now being rolled out across the country through the use of volunteers, with the project being run by Sylva Foundation, Forest Research and the Forestry Commission.
Ips typographus generally prefers dead, stressed or weakened trees and given the proliferation of recent winter
storms there are plenty of windblown trees within our woodlands to provide suitable feeding and breeding habitat. If numbers become too large the beetles will also feed on live healthy trees eventually resulting in the death of the tree.
The monitoring programme uses a network of traps, throughout the UK, which lure the beetles to them with pheromones (naturally occurring chemicals which attract other beetles). These traps are checked every two weeks with all samples sent to Forest Research for analysis. The results will provide an early warning system allowing any spread in its distribution to be mapped.
Spruce trees and the forests they grow in provide the backbone of the UK forest industry. Millions of pounds of
business investment and thousands of jobs in sawmills, forestry contracting, timber transport, nurseries and a multitude of other wood-using industries depend on spruce to some extent. Many of our clients have spruce trees in varying scales, from small farm shelterbelts to large investment forests and Galbraith’s involvement in this project will help to provide valuable information to protect those resources. n
Russell Porter 07718 523 061
russell.porter@galbraithgroup.com
There has been much talk about new woodland creation in England and the challenges of meeting the 7,500ha per annum target but there is also significant funding available for managing existing woodlands.
Russell Porter 07718 523 061 russell.porter@galbraithgroup.com
The Woodland Improvement (WD2) option under Countryside Stewardship is targeted to improve the biodiversity and/or make woodland more resilient to climate change. These targeted grants will enable you to manage your woodlands to the highest standards with financial assistance.
A woodland management plan is a prerequisite for entry into the scheme and Galbraith is well placed to be able to support you in producing a plan with our experience and knowledge of woodland management. Grant funding is available to produce the plan which will identify your objectives and how, with the correct woodland management, these can be met whilst meeting the requirements of the UK Forest Standard. This management plan will be used to justify entry into the Countryside Stewardship WD2 option.
WD2 is available where one of the primary objectives of management is to restore plantations on ancient woodland sites, enhance priority habitats/species or improve resilience to climate change through continuous cover forestry. This option is currently paid at £127 per hectare for a 5-year period. Galbraith can develop a scheme with the Forestry Commission which will detail a number of requirements you will need to carry out. These will vary depending on the primary objective of management but can include open space creation, ride management, thinning, and veteran tree management to name a few.
A number of supplements are available in addition to the WD2 and eligibility for these will be based on the previously produced
woodland management plan. Supplements are available for ‘deer control and management’, ‘plantations on ancient woodland sites – restoration and maintenance’, ‘squirrel control and management’ and ‘access for people’. Discussions with Forestry Commission officers will be required to obtain access to these supplements and Galbraith has extensive experience of this having secured a number of schemes for multiple clients throughout the north of England. If all supplements were available on the same woodland these would currently total £532 per hectare.
Capital grants are also available under Countryside Stewardship to assist with the cost of a number of infrastructure and vegetation management items.
These schemes require careful management in terms of monitoring and record keeping to ensure compliance with the rules and obligations is maintained. Galbraith can advise and assist with operations on the ground, general scheme management and grant claims.
The Environment Secretary, Steve Barclay, announced significant changes to woodland support at the Oxford Farming conference in January of this year. These included extending the duration of schemes to ten years and a wide range of additional supplements becoming available. Support for agriculture and rural land management is an ever-changing landscape as we progress along the Governments’ ‘Agricultural Transition Plan’. Galbraith’s experts are perfectly positioned to ensure all opportunities are maximised for our clients. n
can develop a scheme with the Forestry Commission which will detail a number of requirements you will need to carry out.
Russell Porter
The Woodland Carbon Code (WCC) has grown substantially since it was first launched on the Markit Environmental Registry in the summer of 2013. The emergence of the woodland carbon and green finance markets has changed the opportunities for woodland creation significantly and are now a major consideration in the planning of many new woodlands, particularly native broadleaved woodlands. For woodland creation projects undergoing assurance through the WCC, the key milestones are registration, validation and verification.
Carbon credits can offer exciting opportunities to enhance the landscape whilst gaining income in a shorter time frame than traditional timber production. However, preparation is key to making the process run smoothly. It is important to note that many of the requirements for the Woodland Carbon Code are shared with the Forestry Grant Scheme, so even if you do not apply, or are not accepted for grant funding, you will still need to fulfil certain requirements that are contained within the grant. These include peat mapping, an Environmental Impact Assessment determination and appropriate stakeholder engagement for your new woodland creation project.
Obtaining these documents and making sure that the project is registered prior to planting is essential in ensuring it is approved. Once registration and project validation are completed, verification of the project is the next step on your carbon project journey.
Once a project is registered and validated, Pending Issuance Units (PIUs) are issued and can either be banked or sold to third parties, although they cannot be reported as carbon offsets until they are converted to verified Woodland Carbon Units (WCUs). These WCUs differ from PIUs in that they can be banked, sold to third parties, or reported as carbon offsets in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) statements.
Year 5 is the period when the first WCUs become available for most projects, depending on their species composition. However, some projects will not receive any WCUs at year 5 as tree growth is not expected to have compensated for soil carbon losses and establishment emissions. Despite this, Year 5 verification is important to confirm that trees are growing well, identify any remedial actions required, and establish a survey plan which can be used in future verifications.
Verification is a rigorous process. The first stage involves preparing a site survey plan for approval by the auditor. This will form the basis of a site survey, which is recorded in a Full Monitoring Report that contains detailed photos of the site. This data is in turn used to prepare a Project Progress Report that is independently audited through a desktop review and ground-truthing. Once the year 5 verification is approved by the Woodland Carbon Code, the project will be updated as verified on the UK Land Carbon Registry and any PIUs ready for conversion will become verified WCUs.
While year 5 can appear far in the future for woodland creation projects that are only at the registration or validation stage, it is important to allow for approximately 18 months before the verification deadline to undertake site surveys and prepare the necessary documentation. Planning is therefore essential for ensuring woodland carbon code projects reach these crucial milestones. The Galbraith Forestry and Natural Capital teams are undertaking verifications on behalf of clients across Scotland and Northern England and are well placed to assist with delivering verification for projects of all types.
Year 5 is the period when the first WCUs become available for most projects, depending on their species composition.
A new standard
Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) has rapidly evolved over the last decade, with increased pressure placed on both the private and public sector by consumers, shareholders, and taxpayers to take actions that address social and environmental issues. However, increased pressure on companies to expand their ESG goals have, in some cases, generated accusations of greenwashing, unsubstantiated emissions statements and incomplete scoping. ISO 14068 is a comprehensive standard for companies which dictates when carbon neutrality can credibly be claimed to have been reached and maintained. Many of the provisions of the ISO follow the existing good practice of the woodland carbon and peatland codes, for example by demonstrating 'additionality'.
However, there are important new provisions in the ISO which may affect how those generating carbon units are able to sell them. According to ISO 14068, Carbon credits must be issued with a start date no earlier than 2020 and no more than 5 years before the GHG emissions offset period. Offsets used to achieve carbon neutrality must be retired no later than 12 months after
the end of the reporting period. The implication of this addition is that carbon scheme owners will not be able to sell Woodland Carbon Units (WCUs) with old vintage dates to buyers conforming to the standard.
The new standard nullifies the value of carbon credits older than five years to entities using the ISO standard as the basis of their carbon neutral claims. The effect of this new ISO will benefit consumers, shareholders and taxpayers as entities making claims to net zero and carbon neutral are held accountable. For landowners holding verified carbon units from projects such as the Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code, it is possible that the codes will be updated from their current BSI standard to reflect the new ISO with a stipulation that credits must be ‘retired’ or cancelled five years after they have been verified. This change would not only discourage speculators who purchase large volumes of carbon credits and hold on to them in the hope that their value will increase over time, but it would also have a direct impact on landowners who seek to hold onto the WCU’s as an investment.
Forestry and Natural Capital teams are undertaking verifications on behalf of clients across Scotland and Northern England and are well placed to assist with delivering verification for projects of all types.
Edward Fletcher
As carbon reporting standards become increasingly rigorous, a rise to the standard of high integrity carbon credits follows. We have seen a growing increase in the value of high integrity carbon units which are used by organisations to make claims of netzero whilst they strive to make active long-term cuts to their carbon emissions.
If you have an existing Woodland Carbon Code it is important to keep on top of your verification dates, as they require a survey.
Another opportunity that has been steadily developing is funding for biodiversity restoration. In both England & Scotland, there are opportunities to monetise appropriate biodiversity measures. If you think you have land that has the potential to benefit from biodiversity restoration, please get in touch with your local Galbraith office. n
Edward Fletcher 07990 130 753 edward.fletcher@galbraithgroup.com
James Lighton 07342 093 469 james.lighton@galbraithgroup.com
Planning is therefore essential for ensuring woodland carbon code projects reach these crucial milestones.
This part of Wester Ross is renowned for its unspoilt natural beauty, with a varied landscape ranging from dramatic munros and moorland, to tranquil forests, fast-flowing rivers, sparkling lochs and coasts. It is a paradise for walking, wildlife-watching and a wide range of outdoor activities.
Wester Ross has one of the lowest population densities in Europe and is both a national scenic area and a biosphere reserve. There are established populations of golden eagles, buzzards, and many other birds of prey, as well as ptarmigan, red squirrels, red deer, pine marten and otters. Dolphins and seals can be seen from the shoreline.
Joanna Macpherson and her family have owned Attadale since 1952. Their priority has always been to conserve the land and its wildlife for future generations to enjoy.
In the mid-1990s the Forestry Commission undertook an assessment of ancient pinewoods across Scotland, the Caledonian Pinewood Inventory, to catalogue the history of such woodlands in Scotland.
On Attadale, maps from the late 16th century suggested there had been woodland along the south shore of Loch Carron and the organisation Scottish Forestry reports that the first Ordnance Survey Map from 1875 shows seminatural woodland on the estate.
Habitat restoration had begun at Attadale in the 1960s and this was something that Joanna Macpherson very much wanted to continue.
The charity Tees for Life made a detailed survey of the estate in 2022.
Attadale is a 30,000 acre estate in the beautiful North West of Scotland. The estate stretches from the south shore of Loch Carron to Loch Monar, 15 miles to the east.
The Galbraith team in Inverness, as estate managers, brought the Galbraith forestry team on board to oversee the restoration of native woodland, in partnership with estate staff and a local contractor.
The aim was to gradually remove all non-native conifer woodlands and replace them with a mix of native and broadleaf trees such as Scots Pine, Aspen, Downey Birch, Hazel, Hawthorn, Common Alder, and Willow.
Alex Flinn, one of the forestry team at Galbraith, said: “This is an incredibly exciting project to be involved in, as one of the most significant habitat restoration projects in Scotland. For me, the West coast of Scotland is particularly beautiful, so to spend time here is already a treat in itself, and this project is creating something which will be here for generations to come. Woodland creation is always special, but to also have this link back to the ancient pinewood in this area is particularly rewarding.”
The new woodland is due to cover over 235 hectares - half a million trees will be planted in all!
To give the saplings the best chance of survival, the area around the regeneration zone and a buffer zone is fenced off, to protect the young trees from browsing by herbivores. Gradually over time the height of the fences will be reduced in places where the woodland is well-established and it is expected that deer will naturally gain access in certain places.
Alex Flinn continued: “This is a conservation-minded sporting estate
and they produce their own venison products which are very popular. The deer have always sustainably managed –fences don’t last forever but they are there to protect the saplings in the short-term. It’s a balanced approach to allow the woodlands to establish, while ensuring the deer will remain at home here for the long-term.”
The sites will be subject to ongoing monitoring to assess the tree growth and check for any problems.
The terrain is steep in parts but on the whole Attadale is well suited to woodland creation and the recent planting has prospered, particularly on south-facing slopes.
Despite Scotland’s famous wet weather, climate change is having an impact and there have been periods of drought in recent years.
Alex Flinn continued: “There have been extended warm and dry periods in Scotland as well as periods of intensive rain. The climate is becoming more extreme and less predictable, even compared with just a few years ago. We need to consider the potential impact of future dry periods. But with the right woodland plan and the right mix of species, these challenges can be overcome. The foresight and commitment of the Macpherson family are admirable – future generations of visitors and locals alike will be able to enjoy woodlands that look like they have always been here.”
Attadale has been awarded prestigious international accreditation to recognise its ongoing work in wildlife management and conservation.
Attadale Estate received Wildlife Estates Scotland (WES) accreditation in 2021.
WES is a national version of the EU Wildlife Estates (WE) initiative and is endorsed by the European Commission’s Directorate-General Environment, whose objective is to protect, preserve and improve the environment for present and future generations.
The estate recently joined the Forest Stewardship Council certification scheme which confirms that the forest is being managed in a way that preserves the natural ecosystems and benefits the lives of local people and workers, while ensuring it sustains economic viability.
The scheme provides an independent assessment of compliance with the law, with forestry codes of practice and guidelines. Examples of assessment subjects include health and safety, training and contractor qualifications, environmental impacts of forest operations –including wildlife, habitats, archaeological features, soil and water protection. n
Alex Flinn 07584 383 448 alex.flinn@galbraithgroup.com
Rhododendron are more than 60 million years old. The early evolved species were widespread across the northern hemisphere, in what would become North America and Eurasia. It was not until the Himalayas began to form around 50 million years ago that vast changes in the topography of Asia caused the development of the Asian monsoon and that, in turn, led to the relatively rapid proliferation in species of Rhododendron.
The result being that Rhododendron is the largest woody genera of plants with 1100 species, with a further 200 botanically recognised varieties and subspecies. The genus has centres of diversity in Southwest China, the eastern Himalaya and South-east Asia.
They are a ubiquitous part of the Scottish horticultural landscape in spring but because of Rhododendron ponticum the genus has the unfortunate reputation of being one of the most notorious and detrimental elements of our non-native flora.
Currently the distribution of Rhododendron ponticum is predominantly around the southern and eastern Black Sea coasts, with outlying populations in Lebanon, Spain and Portugal. Fossil evidence from pollen, seed and capsules indicates a distribution that was once much more widespread. From the Greek island Skyros, north almost to Sofia in Bulgaria, then eastwards with evidence of the species in Switzerland and northern Italy. Most interesting is the presence of Rhododendron ponticum in peat cores in southern Ireland, indicating that the species was on the British Isles around 400,000 years ago. If it had not been for glaciation our native flora would have been very different from what we describe today.
Today the populations of Rhododendron ponticum in Spain and Portugal are restricted to small forest pockets that remain cool and damp in comparison to the rest of the peninsula and are considered endangered. The other major
threat they face comes from Eucalyptus plantations: these can result in the clearance of native forests, outcompete most native flora for water, and cause forest fires to burn hotter and harder than they otherwise would. There is a very real threat that Rhododendron ponticum will become extinct on the Iberian Peninsula. Beyond Rhododendron ponticum, close to 50 per cent of all Rhododendron are threatened with extinction. There are ten times as many species of Rhododendron as Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered as there are UK native species of tree. The scope of the problem is vast, and they are only one genus plants.
The threats Rhododendron face globally range from the effects of climate change to forest clearance and shifting land use, to fire and the negative effects of industrial pollution on habitats. Even the activities of various militaries especially along disputed borders are causing severe disturbance to wild populations. As the genus is so geographically widespread and coupled with the range of threats, there really is no single solution that can be implemented in terms of conservation action.
Many of these species are conserved in gardens and arboreta across the UK. Conservation efforts are hampered by the perception of the invasiveness of Rhododendron ponticum, although this is just one species and the only one known to cause problems. It will take the efforts of conservationists, botanic gardens, local communities, and industries across the distribution of Rhododendron to preserve these plants. If you can plant or maintain ‘the right Rhododendron in the right place’ you could be part of this important work. n
Dr Alan Elliott
Global Conservation Consortium for Rhododendron, Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh. @alan_elliott
Since its launch in 2012, the Defra Statutory Biodiversity Metric has gained recognition and trust among ecologists and businesses as a tool for measuring biodiversity gain.
The Metric was used to underpin financial transactions in England even before its use in development became statutory in February 2024, and its track record and flexibility means it is also already being used in Scotland, where a free market in biodiversity is developing.
NatureScot consulted on amendments to the metric for a Scottish context. Galbraith fed into this consultation based on our experience on the ground.
peatland or some woodlands –should be scoreable in the Scottish Metric. In the English Metric these were excluded on the basis that developers should not be destroying these at all. However, this means that landowners cannot be paid under the Metric to improve these. Galbraith would support this change which would benefit projects we are developing.
However, another issue with the English metric which NatureScot have not yet proposed to consider, is that farm and forestry cropland habitats, gardens, and other highly managed habitats, are also excluded from the Metric, although a network of features such as margins and hedgerows may run through them.
This means any work by farmers to build soil quality and invertebrate populations, or by foresters to improve structural diversity and
birdsong monitoring or eDNA sampling. However, developing these before launch would delay a metric which is urgently needed. We proposed branding the initial metric a habitat metric, with a view to developing a companion wildlife metric in future, as two parts of a complete Scottish biodiversity metric.
The risk of Leakage Galbraith’s response highlights an important risk factor missing from the English metric: leakage. Taking farm or forestry cropland out of production to create lowdistinctiveness biodiversity habitat could have a detrimental effect on biodiversity if it pushed production onto irreplaceable habitat globally.
The metric should quantify this by looking at quantity of crop produced, trends in global demand, and risk of biodiversity impact
... Measuring wading birds, invertebrates, songbirds would be valuable enrichment to the metric ...
be used more widely than for its designed purpose within the planning system. For example it can be used to measure bundled habitat benefit within a carbon or water project, or to measure ‘inset’ benefit in farm or forestry supply chains.
Once one metric has credibility, it is difficult for alternatives to gain momentum as they tend to be more expensive for project developers and ecologists to use; and not recognised in the corporate world. The review process should assess the risks of unintended negative consequences if it is used beyond the specific purpose for which it was designed, and the value of ensuring that metric is flexible enough to be used as the general-purpose biodiversity metric which its name implies.
Integrated land use
An issue which NatureScot have already identified is that the most distinctive habitats – such as
Without these, biodiversity credits cannot underpin the transformational funding needed to deliver holistic, regenerative, change on land which meets our material needs. Instead, biodiversity and production are mapped and conceptualised as fundamentally opposed.
All habitats, from best to worst, and wildest to most human, should be included in the metric to maxmise its application and put all land managers on a level playing field of opportunity.
and wildlife
The consultation paper proposes developing species-based metrics as well as the habitat-based ones used in the Defra metric. Measuring wading birds, invertebrates, songbirds would be valuable enrichment to the metric, and draw on techniques already being used by project developers such as audio
elsewhere due to displaced production.
Start – and keep going
Since the English Metric is already in use in Scotland, the urgent priority is to address elements unique to Scottish ecology, such as the distinction between a commercial conifer plantation and an ancient Caledonian pine forest.
However, it will be a missed opportunity if the revision process does not schedule in addressing the significant limitations and risks of the English Metric, which could give Scotland a functioning, practical, trusted, holistic and change-making biodiversity metric in a fraction of the 12 years it has taken to develop the system in England. n
Alba Trees is based in East Lothian and has been producing millions of saplings for UK Forestry since 1988. The nursery grows everything from seed and utilises a number of seed suppliers as well as an established network of individual collectors across the UK. Alba has also recently started its own bespoke seed collections.
Alba specialises in cell-grown production, where there are significant benefits in terms of achieving higher yields from available seed, better establishment on planting sites and a much longer planting window. We produce over 20 million trees for planting each year.
Alba’s production has changed significantly over the last 5 years. Previously most production was conifer for timber plantations in a 70:30 split, however the current focus is on increased broadleaf production in line with changing planting schemes.
Alba does grow some productive hardwoods, but the majority of production is for woodland creation schemes for biodiversity and amenity.
The biggest challenge to hardwood tree production is seed availability and accurate sowing. In most sectors of horticulture seed has been extensively bred and improved for better handling and germination. However, the majority of seed which Alba handles is ‘as nature intended’, and also usually requires a process of stratification and potentially heat and chill periods to bring seeds out of dormancy. This creates significant challenges
when sowing – ideally seed is sown through a sowing machine into a plug tray to germinate, however this can be difficult when seed is chitting (sprouting), or still in its shell.
Viability of seed also varies enormously, dependent on season and source. In an extreme example less than 10% of seed may be viable, and routinely less than 50% of seed batches are viable. Alba has been looking to explore technology to assist that process. This year we invested in a sophisticated Dutch seeding machine which can sow and handle seeds more accurately and which also has double-drilled drums where two seeds can be sown per station where seed viability is poor. We are also investigating further pre-treatment or pelletising of seed.
Currently a lot of manual labour is required for tree production – and we operate in a world where labour availability is scarce and is only likely to become more challenging.
Planning for the future, and to increase capacity, Alba has recently invested in new automation to increase speed and productivity. Our new Transplanting machine can insert up to 80,000 cells per day and take up to 9 pictures of each seedling to assess size and quality. In addition, our new Grading machine can assess size and quality of trees using camera technology and significantly improve the speed and accuracy of the process. This technology is very widely used in other sectors of horticulture – Alba is an early adopter in the Forestry sector. Our challenge now is to change and improve our growing process to maximise the benefits of automation.
Tree production is generally a relatively low-tech sector and, in the UK at least the majority of trees supplied are field grown. This is unusual compared to Forestry sectors around the world, where the majority of trees planted are cell-grown. Climate change and restricted planting windows are likely to mean that more of the UK Forestry sector migrates to cell-grown production. That production lends itself to technology and automated processes – and Alba is at the forefront of investigating those new opportunities. However, we will continue to be dependent on weather conditions and natural seed production! n
My time as a placement student with Galbraith began in November 2023. That summer I had just completed my first year HNC at the University of the Highlands and Islands, Scottish School of Forestry and was eager to find a placement so that I could begin to put into practice what I had learnt over the previous year. It has now been six months since starting with Galbraith and over those months I have shadowed Alex Flinn, senior forester and Lee Marshall, graduate forester, from the Inverness Office. We have been working across a variety of estates and sites, primarily out on the west coast of Scotland, working on several planting and fence line operations.
There has been a great balance of office work (desk-based exercises, working on FGS grant forms, mapping through GIS, budget sheets) and being out on sites (meeting estate/land managers and contractors, and supervision of operations).
sites, as well as my role as a future forester.
I thoroughly enjoy visiting the sites. Each site differs from the next and being in Scotland the weather is wildly unpredictable which leads to no two days being the same. Although being stuck on top of a hill with ice cold hail coming in sideways isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, those days are few and far between. The site visits I have conducted have primarily been supervision of work, meeting contractors and tree deliveries, sample plot data collection and fence line walk. These have been great tasks for me as it has allowed me to develop the personal and professional skills required to be a forester by putting my studies into practice but also learning more on the job.
Eleanor Harris
07585 900 870 eleanor.harris@galbraithgroup.com
For my first job I began helping on a 285 hectare restock site near Strathcarron. This was a huge job to come into and I was not fully aware of what lay ahead of me due to the small-scale scenarios and examples given to me during my year of studying. I began putting my GIS skills into use for some minor map amendments, as well as being informed of the processes leading up to the work starting. I had plenty of questions for both my colleagues and they were answered fully, explaining the reasons behind each decision made, which has set me up for future jobs on other estates and
Now that we are coming into the warmer months our tasks and operations are changing from mainly fencing and planting to mounding and weeding, as well as preparing the tree numbers for the coming restock and beat ups, which will be a nice change of pace and good to learn some new things.
It has been a great six months so far and I look forward to continuing my work over the coming months and developing further as this will help prepare me for my HND after the summer, as well as for future roles within the industry, of which I am incredibly excited to be a part. n
The Inverness Forestry Team visited a local sawmill, Logie Timber, to learn how they have been buying locally grown timber in the Highlands and Moray and selling into local construction industry.
Logie Timber was founded in 2017 by Mark Councill and Alec Laing, with a grand opening at the local timber festival on Logie estate in 2019. They employ 13 staff which completes their core team and allows them to "ad hoc" employ young or transient workers. Using the Scottish government forestry grant scheme to help purchase equipment and build the first sawmill showcases how valuable the grant schemes are to those starting new businesses within the forestry industry.
Timber milled at Logie is mainly diverse conifer species including Douglas fir, Larch and Western red cedar with hardwood species less common, although we saw some milled oak waiting for collection. Mark Councill stated he would like to see a move away from broadleaves being seen as just firewood and look at the potential in timber production. Most of the timber milled at Logie enters the local market with large amounts going to construction companies and local trades. Some of the timber has gone further afield, with timber being sold to markets in London, Isle of Wight and Isles of Scilly. They also have interest for Scots pine in some European markets. Part of the visit delved into the longterm timber supply and Marks’ thoughts on the future of diverse conifers and productive broadleaf crops. It was felt that with more emphasis on native
The use of plant-based lubrication oils for the band saws is helping Logie timber to be as sustainable as possible.
species, that consideration should be given to planting native species such as Oaks, Cherry, Hazel, and Birch as productive hardwoods for local markets to build local economies and develop alternative income streams. At present there is an option under the Forestry Grant Scheme for productive broadleaves and Diverse Conifer woodland creations. This can assist in creating a body of local forestry contractors trained in the production of locally grown broadleaves.
The use of plant-based lubrication oils for the band saws is helping Logie timber to be as sustainable as possible. Investing heavily in equipment to separate secondary products for resale minimises waste from the production line, with material being chipped for
biomass on the estate, off-cuts being sold into the local firewood market and sawdust being sold on for processing.
Logie Timber has adopted a ‘lean manufacturing’ ideology, maximising staff knowledge, giving all employees 1 hour every day to look into how they can improve theirs and the mills’ productivity and processes whilst enhancing service to the customer. This forward thinking and employee-centred ethos is crucial for employee trust and involvement. For a small company like Logie Timber, where the final product being sold is in high demand, investment in planning, technologies (such as kiln drying) and staff ultimately add value to and create a better final product for the customer.
The Galbraith forestry team is building relationships with companies like Logie Timber to secure market prices for timber harvested on estates and creating a link back to the local industries working around the estates. These relationships work both ways, by insuring small local businesses continue to grow and aid our forestry management for future local sources of timber . If you are interested in speaking to a member of our team on either local markets for harvested timber or alternative woodland creation schemes, please contact one of our forestry offices. n
Alex Flinn
07584 383 448 alex.flinn@galbraithgroup.com
Alex Flinn
Aberdeen 01224 860 710
aberdeen@galbraithgroup.com
Ayr 01292 268 181
ayr@galbraithgroup.com
Blagdon 01670 789 621
blagdon@galbraithgroup.com
Castle Douglas 01556 505 346
castledouglas@galbraithgroup.com
Cupar 01334 659 980 cupar@galbraithgroup.com
Edinburgh 0131 240 6960
edinburgh@galbraithgroup.com
Hexham 01434 693 693
hexham@galbraithgroup.com
Inverness 01463 224 343
inverness@galbraithgroup.com
Kelso 01573 224 244
kelso@galbraithgroup.com
Morpeth 01670 331 500
morpeth@galbraithgroup.com
Penrith 01768 800 830
penrith@galbraithgroup.com
Perth 01738 451 111 perth@galbraithgroup.com
Stirling 01786 434 600 stirling@galbraithgroup.com
Galbraith operates from 13 offices across Scotland and Northern England, bringing our clients a wealth of experience in:
• Building consultancy
• Commercial forestry & woodland management
• Commercial property sales & management
• Estate, farm & forestry sales & acquisitions
• Estates, farming & land management
• Natural capital & carbon
• Property lettings
• Renewables and utilities
• Residential estate agency