The Community Council has received the following information about the Estate's scoping exercise to develop a Long Term Forest Plan. Please read more below about the objectives and supporting documentation can be found on the Gifford Village website here:
Summary:
Yester estate Forest plan process has started and offers 20 year strategic plan with 10 years felling and thinning approval.
Pre-scoping has already started with key local authority representatives
Your contribution and feedback is welcome via email - yester@seedforestandland.co.uk
You have all of January 2022 to get in touch.
To Yester Estate Local Stakeholders, in the Gifford catchment
4/1/2022
Yester Long Term Forest Plan - scoping exercise
Yester estate are currently embarking on the preparation and completion of a Long Term Forest Plan (LTFP) supported by Scottish Forestry.
The objectives of this process include;
20 year strategic management plan that aims to deliver long term benefits through sustainable forest management. This includes felling and thinning permission for 10 years.
Must meet the UK Forest Standard and suite of Forest Guidelines.
Allow the estate to access grant packages for other forestry related works
With specific reference to Yester Estate there are clear and well documented site sensitivities and early pre scoping has been carried out by a combination of site meetings, phone calls, exchange of emails, and zoom calls with the following interested parties to pre-empt major concerns,
Historic Environment Scotland – Mary McLeod, - ref bridges and Yester castle. Detailed site visit and long term plans for clearance of trees, make safe, and short term closure.
ELC Heritage officer – S Leith, A Robertson along side HES and designed landscape
ELC Biodiversity officer – Catherine Cumming – ref squirrels, otters etc
ELC Tree officer - Michael Foy ref cpt 1 near town and conservation area status
ELC Landscape TPO officer – D Gowan ref cpt 1 and TPO generally
Community Council- zoom meeting – introduction to Forest Plan and general objectives
ELC Access officer – N Morgan ref core path and management of works nearby
Ecologist – local expert – Ben Averis, background guidance
Community woodland manager and Micrologist – Neville Kilkenny – advise and background guidance
Scottish Forestry officer for area, - Alasdair Sangster, process
As a follow up to this early pre-scoping, you are invited as a local stakeholder to raise issues that help to develop an informed and considerate Long term Forest Plan.
Such elements include,
Neighbours likely to be affected by the proposed forestry operations
specific legal interests
impact on local amenity including visual, recreational and access.
Due to Covid constraints, the normal ‘village hall’ type drop in meeting is not considered appropriate by the Community Council nor Scottish Forestry.
Therefore this scoping exercise is a combination of Community Council contacts and face book, Gifford families facebook closed group possibly, email contact to consultees listed above, letter drop to obvious neighboring houses near Yester woodland, and signs erected at key entrances.
Responses are welcome within 28 days by email
The attached concept map, Native woodland map, operations map, gives an outline idea of the sites constraints that we are aware of and need to consider, and an indication of areas to fell and restock and the approximate time scale of the operation, area by area.
Please understand that this is provisional and therefore changeable. Once the plan is completed you will be advised accordingly, if we have your contact details to view the plan in some format.
I attach a Scoping support document that summarises the approach to the Forest Plan to help reassure you that the proposals are sensitive, considerate, positive for the environment, positive for the public and intended to be very long term.
As a summary
Yester estate Forest plan process has started and offers 20 year strategic plan with 10 years felling and thinning approval.
Pre-scoping has already started with key local authority representatives
Your contribution and feedback is welcome via email
You have all of January 2022 to get in touch.
Regards and thanks
David Kennedy
yester@seedforestandland.co.uk
On behalf of Mark Seed Forest and Land
On behalf of Yester Estate