Villagers in bid to buy forestry land

A LOCH Awe village is bidding to buy six acres of forestry land for the benefit of residents.

The Dalavich Improvement Group (DIG), which ‘exists to acquire and maintain assets on behalf of and for the benefit of the community and visitors to the area’, has applied to the National Forest Land Scheme (NFLS) to purchase four areas of land around Dalavich and Kilmun.

Administered by Forestry Commission Scotland, the NFLS allows communities to bid to buy or lease national forest land on the basis that this would provide increased public benefits.

The four parcels of land, which amount to 15.32 hectares, are all within DIG’s operating area and have historically been used for agricultural purposes.

However, none has been actively managed for a very long time and DIG’s ambition is to bring the land back to a usable state so it can be managed in a variety of ways to support the local community’s long-term social and economic sustainability.

A 28- day open consultation period is required by the scheme and public comments on any aspect of the proposal are welcome.

Details of the application can be viewed online at www.forestry.gov.uk/nfls and all comments on the proposals detailed in the application must be submitted by August 10, 2016.