1. Confor Industry Update Dryfesdale, Lockerbie
Thank you
Stuart Goodall & Jamie Farquhar
Wednesday 15th March 2017

2. Lobbying and media Thank you
Forestry debates in Holyrood & Westminster
Evidence to Holyrood committees – budget, climate change and Brexit
UK EFRA committee inquiry
Scottish Forestry Bill
Meeting with Fergus Ewing to discuss indyref2
Countryfile feature on forestry
Post-Brexit rural policy and future planting
Thank you

3. Lobbying and media Thank you Timber Transport funding (STTS)
£7.85m, includes c. £1m for Timberlink
Wood supply
FES restock strategy and plant availability
Annual Recurrent Payments
ARD (Agriculture & Rural Development) Group
Thank you

4. Mackinnon report Thank you Acceptance of recommendations in principle
Action plan on website – review progress in May
Delivery Reference Group
6 workstreams:
Pre-application & consultation process
EIA processing
Approval process
Management info & targets
Promotion, training & public info
Pilot scheme
Thank you

5. Forestry Grant Scheme Thank you
1,207 of 1,569 applications approved since 9/2015
9,106 ha new woodland creation approved (1/3 in D&G)
60% conifer
Further 1,200 ha NWC being worked on
Anticipate 8,500 to 9,000 ha could be approved for planting in 2017/18 season
12,000 ha NWC in pipeline
Thank you

6. Forestry Grant Scheme Thank you Restock – 11,600 ha approved to date
New rates for high cost deer fencing – “very remote rural areas”
Bracken control £225/ha for all NWC
Extra £400 / ha for native woods in Highland
Thank you

7. Tree Health Thank you P ramorum outbreaks in Mull and …. ?
Dendroctonus - R grandis breeding programme at risk … ?
Illegal / counterfeit pesticides – hylobius control (Gazelle SG)
Aceta 20SG, Acetamex 20SP, Persist, Sangue and Vulcan
Insyst
Thank you

9. Green spruce aphid (Elatobium abietinum)
Most important defoliating pest of Sitka spruce
Attacks reduce tree growth - on average by 6% per year (although rarely causes tree mortality)
UK forestry hugely reliant on Sitka spruce.
Climate change (warmer winters) - potential damage increases in future

10. Brown spruce longhorn beetle
Given impacts on red spruce in Canada, concerns over potential impacts on Sitka spruce
•Previous interceptions
and findings in the UK,
including near Edinburgh,
but all individuals and not
breeding populations

11. Other matters
Sporting rates – Appeal - !!!!!!!
Feral pigs
Thank you

12. Diary dates Thank you 16 March Customer Reps Group
22 March Central SFTT meeting
4/5 April Wood Wisdom – Edinburgh
27 April RSFS annual lecture – James Pendlebury
23 June RHS forestry day SFW awards
7/8 Sept Confor Woodland Show – Longleat
25 Oct Next South Scotland SFTT meeting
Thank you

13. Thank you