Glen Devon Woodland Creation Sites Help Win Big Tick for BP
Work to create hundreds of acres of new native woodland in the Ochils has helped BP to win a Big Tick from Business in the Community in the national organisation’s 2006 Awards for Excellence programme.
As part of its social investment strategy in Scotland, BP is helping the Woodland Trust Scotland, part of the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity, to create new woodland at its three sites in the Ochils; Glen Sherup, Glen Quey and Geordie’s Wood.
The sites are among 10 across Scotland to which BP has committed £10 million over 10 years to the Scottish Forest Alliance (SFA) Project.
BP received the ‘Big Tick’ in the Healthy Communities Category during a Scotland Region ceremony at the Annual Celebration Dinner held on the 15th June at Edinburgh Corn Exchange.
The Scottish Forest Alliance – a collaboration between BP, Forestry Commission Scotland, Woodland Trust Scotland and RSPB Scotland - is one of the largest native woodland regeneration programmes in Scotland’s history. Ten diverse sites around the country are already being developed, with the objectives of:
- Regenerating and expanding native woodlands in Scotland
- Contributing towards UK targets for forest and woodland biodiversity
- Promoting social and economic gains for local communities and the wider population of Scotland; and
- Evaluating, researching and demonstrating the contribution of sustainable forest projects to carbon sequestration in Scotland.
BP’s investment in the project represents the biggest ever corporate commitment to the environment in Scotland.
The SFA sites1 cover a total area of 21,624 hectares (53,400 acres) and have involved so far the planting, or regeneration, of 2.66 million trees. The ultimate aim of the project is to create a total of at least 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) of new native woodland – an area equivalent to 16,000 standard size football pitches.
Commenting on the Business in the Community award, SFA Steering Group Chairman Gordon Harvey, of the BP Regional Health, Safety & Environment team in Aberdeen, said:
“We are delighted to have received the Big Tick under the Healthy Communities Category. This recognises that our support of the Scottish Forest Alliance goes far beyond planting trees and that creating educational, recreational and economic opportunities for communities throughout Scotland is a core part of the SFA vision.”
Notes to Editors
1. Scottish Forest Alliance Sites
• Abernethy, Strathspey – RSPB Scotland
• Darroch Wids, near Huntly – Forestry Commission Scotland
• Drumbow, near Airdrie – Forestry Commission Scotland
• Glen Finglas, the Trossachs – Woodland Trust Scotland
• Glenmore Forest Park, Strathspey – Forestry Commission Scotland
• Glen Quey, the Ochils – Woodland Trust Scotland
• Glen Sherup, the Ochils – Woodland Trust Scotland
• Geordie’s Wood, the Ochils – Woodland Trust Scotland
• Inversnaid extension, Loch Lomondside – RSPB Scotland
• Kinloch Hills, Skye – Forestry Commission Scotland
For media enquiries contact: Jacqui Morris on 01355 578777, mobile: 07979 706675, email; jacquimorris@woodland-trust.org.uk
The Woodland Trust: The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters. The Trust has four key aims: i) No further loss of ancient woodland; ii) Restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods; iii) Increasing new native woodland; iv) Increasing people’s understanding and enjoyment of woodland.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres).
In 1984, the Trust acquired its first wood in Scotland. Today the Trust owns 79 sites across Scotland covering 7,600 hectares. Further news can be accessed via http://www.woodland-trust.org.uk/
Scottish Forest Alliance
The SFA is a novel collaboration between BP, Forestry Commission Scotland, RSPB Scotland and the Woodland Trust Scotland set up in 2000.
Aims of SFA
The collaboration will
• Regenerate and expand native woodland in Scotland
• Contribute towards UK targets for forest and woodland biodiversity
• Promote social and economic gains for local communities
• Seek to determine the contribution of projects to carbon sequestration in Scotland.
BP has committed £1m per annum for 10 years to “pump prime” the creation of significant new areas of native woodland in Scotland which will be managed in a sustainable way. Potential projects are selected by a Steering Group which analyses each proposal according to strict criteria covering added value, biodiversity, location, native woodland, community involvement and benefit for the local community.
The UK is currently one of the least-wooded countries in Europe. Thousands of years of deforestation have left Scotland with only a tiny proportion (1%) of land with native woods of natural origin. The SFA believes action needs to be taken to address this great loss to our landscape and to biodiversity.
For further information on the Scottish Forest Alliance, please visit: http://www.scottishforestalliance.org.uk/
