Forestry and Land Scotland Update
Argyll and Bute Council · 31 January 2024
Back to Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands Area Community Planning Group — 31 January 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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1 | FLS/MAKI update | Jeni West | January 2024 Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) update January 2024 Land Management Plans (LMPs) South Knapdale • Site surveys and scoping underway. East Loch Awe • Undergoing mid-term review (5 years). Larch- Phytophthora ramorum The disease is still spreading throughout Kintyre with infected areas now in the Kilberry area and as far north as West Loch Awe. Infections in East Loch Awe, Kilmichael and Knapdale. Challenges with Statutory Plant Health Notice (SPHNs) in terms of visual impacts and potential impacts on flood risks/extreme rainfall events. Active felling programmed starting spring 2024 for removing larch throughout West Loch Awe. Peatland restoration Completed 41Ha peatland restoration in West Lussa, Drumore Burn. Started restoration operations on 70Ha site in Lussa, BAT II. Currently working on sediment mitigation to ensure water courses aren’t polluted during drain blocking operations. Consultation with SEPA, and planned to take 2-3 months. Upcoming “complex” operations Beinn Ghuilean felling Complex issues resulting in delaying operations until 2025/2026. Dunardy Face, Knapdale felling Planning conditions from council resulting in delaying operations until winter 2024.
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2 | FLS/MAKI update | Jeni West | January 2024 Other information • FLS had a stand at Lochgilphead High School careers fair to promote forest industry. • Active project underway to accurately check and map all private water supplies across the West Region. • Successful beaver release (4 beavers) in Knapdale forest December 2023. • Invasive species removal operations at Scotnish underway. • SSE substation works with potential impacts on the forest road near Achnabreac.