Future of woodland is on the agenda

Residents in eastern Perthshire are being encouraged to have their say on the future of a local woodland.

Forestry and Land Scotland is looking at plans to manage Westfield Woodland near Alyth for the next 20 years.

Currently, Forestry and Land Scotland intends to manage the site until 2030, and is aiming to produce a detailed plan for the next 10 years.

Robin Almond, planning forester with the local Forestry and Land

Scotland team, said:“A drop-in session back in July last year helped us gather some views about what the local community would like to see happen and carbon sequestration, biodiversity and community usage were the three key themes.

“Our proposal to plant more of the site - just over half of which is currently open ground - will certainly help meet those objectives as we grow high quality timber and improve the rest of the site with, for example, new areas of juniper, oak and birch woodland.”

Other proposals, such as planting shrubs and gorse control, will help improve existing habitat, create new ones and, together with plans for a new forest road, will also help improve public access.

Working alongside Scottish Natural Heritage, a management plan for the ‘site of special scientific interest’in Alyth Den has been agreed.

This plan will focus on the removal of non-native trees, predominantly beech, from the den.

Robin continued:“The woodland is really popular with local groups especially the bike path and orchard - but this management plan has the potential to give local people more opportunities for people to enjoy visiting and working on the site, especially in the community woodland area.

“I would strongly encourage people to take part and let us know what they think.”

A draft of the full management plan, along with some landscape illustrations, can be seen online until the consultation remains open until Wednesday, April 15.