GREEN SHOOTS
From flood mitigation to house building, forestry is a Scottish resource that should be nurtured and encouraged to grow
Forestry is a valuable resource, especially in the wake of recent flooding
From the planting lairds of the 18th century to the woodlands planted by the Forestry Commission prior to World War II, Scotland has a rich history of tree planting. Immediately after the war, when economic consideration was all, there was a spate of industrial forestry, with too many regimented blocks of Sitka spruce, too little variety and altogether too much wood. And despite the majority of 20th-century forestry planting being carried out by the Commission, during the 1970s and 80s, when the emphasis was on private sector planting, the idea that forestation had become a by-product of the tax-avoidance industry, promoted for its portfolio diversification and effortless long-term returns, took hold.
The last 30 years have seen a great deal of change in both policy and practice. A recent report reveals that Scotland’s forestry sector is now contributing nearly £1bn each year to the economy through forest management, timber processing and recreation – a substantial increase from the previous figure of £670m.
The previous report into t he economics of forestry in 2008 estimated annual timber production at five million tonnes. It is now at record levels of 7.5 million tonnes a year.
The sector, including tourism and recreation, is also a major employer, supporting more than 25,000 jobs in Scotland. There are more than 19,500 directly employed; a jump of 6,500 or 50% compared to 2008. That many of these are in rural locations, where the economy is more fragile, is a further benefit. The work of the sector is also vital in enabling other Scottish industries to grow in the energy, construction, tourism and, potentially, biotechnology fields.
Environment Minister Dr Aileen McLeod hails the Forestry Commission Scotland report as, ‘a hidden success story. It is the size of the economic growth that is really impressive, and the 50% increase in employment within the timber sector is brilliant news.’
The spread of conifer planting across rural Scotland, which was not hugely popular, can now be seen to be producing economic value – it is simply that, by the nature of forestry, it takes a long time from investment to return.
When it comes to investment, forestry also compares well with other options in rural Scotland. According to a recent report for Confor, the forestry and wood sector’s trade body, on Eskdalemuir, in Dumfries and Galloway, comparing forestry with upland sheep farming, forestry compares well on economic output, productivity and employment.
And now comes a topical and urgent argument for forestation, which should provide a major boost. The devastating floods in the north-east of Scotland and the north of England have highlighted the benefits of forestry as a tool in flood mitigation and prevention.
In the wake of the extensive flood damage in December and January, Anne Marie Trevelyan, Conservative MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed and vice chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Forestry, says she wants 200 million trees to be planted by 2020 to help prevent future floods – a 20-fold increase on the existing target of 11 million. Such a huge increase in planting, she argues, could help reduce flood risk in the long term.
Stuart Goodall, chief executive of Confor, says: ‘The floods demonstrate that government has to look at more than just flood defences. We need to hold rainwater in the hills so that the peak flow of water is reduced, helping flood defences to do their job.’
How is this achieved? The greater water use of trees reduces flood volumes. The higher infiltration rates of woodland soils reduces rapid surface run-off of water when compared to bare hills that have been trampled by livestock, reducing flood generation. Conifers will intercept 45% of rainwater before it hits the ground, while up to 85% more water will be absorbed
’The devastating floods have highlighted the benefits of forestry as a major tool in flood mitigation and prevention’
into the ground in wooded areas. The ‘hydraulic roughness' of trees, shrubs and large woody debris acts as a drag on flood waters, slowing flows. Trees also protect soil from erosion, decreasing the amount of sediment and reducing the need for dredging. ‘We firmly believe,’ Goodall told Scottish
Field, ‘that we have a solution to many of the problems facing government today in flood control and prevention. Planting trees soaks up carbon, so we are part of the short-term and long-term solution.’
But is 200 million new trees not a ludicrously ambitious target – and this for England alone?
‘It sounds a huge amount,’ concedes Goodall, ‘but we can plant 2,000 trees per hectare, equivalent to 800 trees per acre – you get a huge volume of trees for your land. And we’re sure there is a lot more support for tree planting now. There’s a hangover from the last century of square-planted blocks of uniform, single-species trees, but we have made great strides in changing to a greater variety of species and planting techniques.’
What of the economics of forestry and demand for timber? Architects love it both for interior use and external cladding, and its use as a primary building material has increased sharply. But despite the fact that wood is far greener, planning departments and some in the
industry are less enamoured and prefer to stick with concrete or brick.
‘There’s a perception,’ says Goodall, ‘that wood will burn or rot. But we have wood that has been in buildings since the Middle Ages. The right wood used in the right place can have just as long a service life.’
When he was First Minister, Alex Salmond set a target of doubling the amount of woodland in Scotland, and, according to then environment minister Paul Wheelhouse in early 2014, between 2007 and 2014, ‘Forestry Commission Scotland has supported over 31,400 hectares of new planting – that’s a staggering 62 million trees in the ground across Scotland.’
Perhaps because of this, many were surprised to learn that for the bridges on the Borders Railway used hardwood imported from northeast Brazil. This seems to cut across Scottish Government mantras against high-energy consumption transportation of products and its commitment to supporting local industries.
Scotland is a prolific softwood grower, with more than half of UK softwood production coming from Scotland. ‘ Tropical trees,’ says Goodall, ‘are incredibly dense and if the wood you are using is twice as dense as necessary, you may be over specifying. We have Douglas fir, which is very strong, and we can engineer wood so that it is very strong. So it is plain wrong to say there is no alternative to hardwood.’
Scotland has some of the most technologically advanced sawmills in the world, and the maturing of the forestry sector is supporting an increasing number and variety of relatively well-paid rural jobs. Major businesses north of the border include sawmills such as James Jones & Sons and BSW Timber, which produces a quarter of its million cubic metres output from its Fort William sawmill alone.
Even without the renewable projects in the pipeline that will further increase the demand for wood, there is already far more demand for wood than the current level of forestry can supply. ‘We still import 60 per cent of soft timber and 80 per cent of all timber, so there is a massive market we can replace,’ Goodall says.
However, there is a short-term glitch ahead. Forests planted last century are coming to maturity. ‘ We stopped planting [productive woodlands] in the 1980s and 1990s – a one-off dip,’ Goodall explains. ‘This is a one-off issue, but we’re very keen to see the increase in new planting over the next 10-15 years to continue a growth for the 2020s and 2030s.’
Historic planting rates in the 20th century were around 12,000 hectares per annum; the current Scottish Government target is around 10,000 hectares per annum, which is not overly ambitious in comparison, given that Scotland was once down to 4% tree cover. The achievements of the 20th century of reaching around 18% cover by the year 2000 are impressive and highlight the possibilities for any country wanting to reforest land.
The forestry report is a huge encouragement – but there is scope for improvement. ‘ The Scottish Government understands that,’ says Goodall, ‘but we are still not seeing the volume of planting that we need.’
A lack of action puts rural Scotland at risk of missing out on something it does well.
’There’s a perception that wood will burn or rot. But we have wood that has been in buildings since the Middle Ages’