Abriachan Forest consists of 534 hectares of planted Conifers, Native Broadleaves and naturally regenerating open hill. The Forest was purchased by the Abriachan Community in March 1998 and is one of the largest community owned woodlands in the UK. The Abriachan Forest Trust was established to manage the forest on behalf of the community.
Overview
PROJECT SUMMARY Abriachan Forest consists of 534 hectares of planted Conifers, Native Broadleaves and naturally regenerating open hill. The Forest was purchased by the Abriachan Community in March 1998 and is one of the largest community owned woodlands in the UK. The Abriachan Forest Trust was established to manage the forest on behalf of the community. The objectives of the trust are to: - Enhance the environmental and scenic beauty of the area - Ensure continued public access - Promote planting of a mixed native woodland - Stimulate community and local job creation - Encourage interest in and education about this unique Highland environment. Since assuming ownership of the land, the trust have embarked on a process of thinning out the thickly planted conifers and clearing to plant native trees where possible. An extensive network of paths has been created, many boardwalks being constructed by volunteers from a rural skills course. There is also provision for wildlife observation, with a large bird watching hide and new wildlife interpretation plaques. KEY PARTNERS Key partners are: A forestry consultant - IM Forestry- who assisted in drawing up the first business plan to enable funding to be accessed; Highlands and Islands Enterprise; Forest Enterprise; SNH; Inverness & Nairn Enterprise, Highland Council's Access Project and The Woodland Trust Scotland who own & manage neighbouring woodland. FUNDERS Funding has been from a huge variety of bodies. The initial £152,000 to buy the forest came from: Highlands & Islands Enterprise land unit £30,000 SNH 60 yr Mgmt. Agreement £20,000 BP Exploration Environment fund £5,000 Abriachan Community - (AFT) £6,000 Rural Challenge - Scottish Office £50,000 Highland Council - Landfill Tax £47,500 Support Funding also came from Leader II, HC Business Dev, RBS, Charitable Donations, Inverness West Community Council The funding for the Phase 1 £557,000 development package has been from: Crofters Commission £6,500 Entrust £6,600 BP £5,000 Woodland Grant Scheme £174,000 Leader 2 £17,000 Objective 1 £33,000 Millennium Forest for Scotland £108,000 Rural Challenge £33,000 PO £1,500 Abriachan Forest Trust - in kind £20,000 SNH £250 Gaelic Society £500 Inverness Field Club £250 Awards for All (HLF) £3,400 Abriachan Forest Trust - Timber £148,000 Phase 1 led to the construction of tracks for timber extraction and the replanting programme - followed by footpaths, carparks, training and interpretation features. Phase 2 funded the continuous cover thinning using low impact machinery where possible , further path creation, equipment (forwarder, tractor, trailer, chipper and firewood processor and shed), eco-toilet and a forest officer for 3 years. Funding for this came from AFT timber & firewood sales £189,000 BP £2,500 Scottish Land Fund (NOF) £ 94,000 SNH £43,000 HIE/CLU £29,000 Forestry Commission £25,650 Continued path improvements, extensions and interpretation are due to be completed by 2005 and will be funded by the Inverness & Nairn Community Economic Development unit, Entrust Landfill Tax Credit, Crofters Commission, Millennium Forest for Scotland (MC funding) and AFT timber sales. No part of the project has been sponsored so far... Some goods and services are sold as follows: - Wood pulp sales & firewood sales (mainly to locals) - Timber sales - Book and calendar - Interpretation contracts - Environmental education resources - Birthday parties and school groups are now asked to donate when they use the facilities and activities on offer & a small income is raised. - Visiting groups and agencies are charged for hall hire and catering etc. THEMATIC SEARCH CRITERIA Highland; Job Creation, Local Facilities Forestry
Plan
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The trigger was a potential threat to public access to the woods when they were put up for sale. The initial goal of the community at large was simply to ensure that any sale of the land would include a clause about access. In 1990 the Forestry Commission began to investigate the possibility of disposing of land. This was followed in 1992 when Forest Enterprise informed the Inverness West Community Council that they were considering the sale of parcels of land in the area, and were advising local communities to indicate whether they wished to maintain access rights. The Community council registered an interest and several residents of Abriachan also wrote to register their interests in keeping public access to the land. No further activity took place until October 1995, when advertisements appeared without warning in the local press. No mention was made in the sales particulars of a right to access. The land was on sale for over £500,000 and on 10th December 1995 the community held a public meeting which elected a steering committee to explore the feasibility of purchase and other options. Michael Forsyth (then Scottish Secretary of State) provided support and the sale was halted to give the community time to complete a feasibility study on a community purchase. Scottish Natural Heritage then surveyed the site & confirmed that there were special features worth protecting on the hill and in the forest, which opened the possibility of SNH funding. The district valuer also lowered the price of the land to £425,000 plus costs. The Abriachan Forest Trust was formed in January 1997 as a registered company. Throughout 1997 additional funding pledges were received, although the Heritage Lottery Fund rejected a £320,000 claim in that year as well. A business plan was drawn up with the help of a forest consultant to enable the trust to access funding With new land policies brought in 1997, Forest Enterprise became willing to sell the land for a far lower price (as sales to private individuals were frozen) and with funding from Highland Council (landfill tax), Highlands and Islands Enterprise (Land Unit), BP Exploration and SNH, the land purchase was confirmed on 24 March 1998 for £152,000 - creating what was the largest community owned forest in the UK. FUTURE STEPS The project will continue indefinitely - there is a 25 year plan and a 60 year management agreement for the forest with SNH - this is a Millennium Forest&&! Potential staff development may include a warden for a small camping area and / or bunkhouse and extra hours for the education/ranger staff The improvements are seen as sustainable - the boardwalks and pathways are very long lasting & routine maintenance for them is included in all new grant applications. Local people, through the paid posts and volunteer work days, are helping to maintain the improvements and expand the areas which have been improved. Plans are to: - Continue thinning the exotic trees and planting native woods. - Extend path network, linking existing paths to the Great Glen Way and start a programme of hill path surfacing with wood chip. This includes the roll out of the "Peat paths to fitness" providing peat themed interactive interpretation on a new path linking the hill to the low level paths. - Installing eco-toilets in the car park - Building a multi purpose outdoor classroom and covered activity area for group visits - Looking at the potential of building a small campsite/bothy for walkers who are walking the new Great Glen Way - Investigating the possibility of providing archery and mountain biking courses and having corporate team building challenges to assist in the environmental improvements.
Progress
Once the land was bought the community moved to managing it and secured a funding package of nearly £450,000 for development works. Work began fairly quickly on felling, and by 1999 46,000 native species trees had been planted. The Trust has a policy of clearing exotic species and planting native species in a far more managed way, leaving space between trees and plantings for a natural habitat to emerge. Sales of timber for firewood & strainers also started in 1999, although sales to timber companies did not begin for another year. The last few years have also seen a considerable amenity development in the Community Forest - an extensive network of accessible pathways has been created, a bronze age dwelling (which is now used by local schools) was built by youth group members, the 'Abriachan Ark' was built to designs specified by the youth group and a new road was created to allow timber felled to be transported. Many of the walkways are boardwalks which have been constructed by clients of the Cantraybridge Rural Skills College. Those students are now developing the partnership by tree planting, fencing, waymarking and one student attends regularly on a work experience placement. External support has continued through the life of the project. IM Forestry still provide the forestry expertise, attending and contributing to the Directors' monthly meetings The Forestry Commission are involved through the WGS and related management issues involved. A Concordat/ agreement has been drawn up with Forest Enterprise and neighbouring landowners to facilitate management of the Creag Neay forest. SNH have maintained involvement by negotiating a 60 year management agreement for the forest with Abriachan Forest Trust, which was a condition of their original grant but also gives the trust some stability. The Community Land Unit and the local LEC are involved in that Abriachan Forest Trust generally have an application for funding placed with one or the other of them.
Review
ACHIEVEMENTS - On the ground there is a great deal of pride and pleasure felt by the community in showing off the new forest amenity to visitors. - Jobs have been created - Outreech, the education group have had success in producing a Local Biodiversity Action Plan, running training courses, workshops and being involved in education resource chests. - The biodiversity of the forest and surrounding habitats is improving - A variety of groups come to visit - the easy access path network has encouraged access for all. - Schools and youth groups visit the area, not only for the woodland walks but also to different theme based workshops in the Bronze Age dwelling, shieling and the Ark. - The lochside hide provides a superb location for viewing wildlife - Millennium Awards were achieved by the education sub- group and the newly appointed Forest Officer - As well as the regular newsletter, AFT has published a book Abriachan: History of an upland community by Katharine Stewart, a calendar of local images by Steve Austin & Active Abriachan have created an animation - Native Roots with Golspie High school and Ian Piercy directing. - The community spirit fostered by the volunteer days is an achievement - 100,000 Exotic trees have been removed (exotic in this context means non- native trees) - 100,000 native trees have been planted - £35,000 has been injected into the immediate local economy - £485,000 has already been accessed for the Inverness & Nairn economy - 7,300m of brashed paths have been created, 6,400 m of surfaced tracks and 1500 m of easy access track. - 2 car parks and 5 rain shelters have also been built to enable people to use the woodland. BENFICIARIES The beneficiaries of the project include: - Those who are now employed locally - Businesses in Inverness and Nairn - Spend related to AFT activity - Young members of the community who feel a real sense of ownership in the forest - regularly enjoying activities and celebrations in the shelters. - The Cantraybridge students who have built the boardwalks have benefited from on site training during the process, from the due praise of their workmanship and sustainability of employment created as a result. - The village hall receives the income generated by regular usage from forest groups and seminars. - All members of the community and beyond benefit from the amenities which are now in place. MEASURING ACHIEVEMENTS Feedback ( verbal, written and electronic) from groups and individuals who use the amenities Maintaining community interest and involvement. Getting surprisingly high results from the people counters. Continued successful funding applications Regular studies, questionnaires and thesis papers using AFT as an example of good practice. Detailed records are also kept of projects - as integral part of funder requirements - trees planted/ felled, metres of path built, etc. OUTCOMES Early obvious environmental improvements from the thinning programme and the pond creation. Appreciation of the access for all policy by groups with special needs. Repeat visits and the popularity of Abriachan with schools Regular enquiries and visits from other community groups who are wanting to know more. PROCESS (local involvement) At the beginning mostly parents with school age families were involved (there are 120 residents of the Abriachan scattered area). The postmistress also played an integral part in the initial galvanising of the community.. At the first public meeting in December 1995 the community elected a steering group which was then central to all developments as the group became a Trust and a limited company. Initial Steering Group had 9 members Current management committee has 10 There are 80 local members of the organisation, and 100 'friends' - anyone living outwith the parish boundary cannot be a full member but joins as a friend. Having a say in the management of the land which surrounds everyone's homes has encouraged local involvement. Similarly, bringing in the grants and extending the amenities which the area needs has further encouraged participation. Local people are involved in decision making as follows. All directors of the company are local, and decisions are made at open monthly meetings. There are also subsidiary meetings (of specific finite projects - Peat Paths to Fitness and the education sub group). More and more local people have got involved as the benefits have become clearer, although on work days it does tend to be the same hardy volunteers. To ensure continued interest and involvement in the project, the following activities are undertaken. The quarterly newsletter is produced, guided walks, social events, barbeques, meetings are open to all, and the website is updated monthly. The youth group, Active Abriachan, holds activities in the forest regularly - and also encourages other local groups to visit. EXTERNAL INVOLVEMENT AND SUPPORT Initially the key people from outside the community were: Iain Maclennan and Dietrich Pannwitz, forestry consultants - IMForestry- assisted in drawing up the first business plan to enable funding to be accessed and still advise and play an important role in managing the forestry aspects. John Watt at Highlands and Islands Enterprise prior to the setting up of the Community Land Unit Other support required was: - Funding support from many sources - Forest Enterprise and the Forestry Commission - SNH has become increasingly supportive - 60 year management agreement - The group is mainly self-driven, however. Key partners were as follows: SNH have been an important funder (and particularly initially in carrying out the survey which identified the land at Abriachan as qualifying for their help). The Woodland Trust - own & operate some neighbouring woodland. The community helped them to fund that purchase and the Woodland Trust is now a very good neighbour, with an excellent working relationship between the two. Cantraybridge have provided a great deal of people hours and built a number of boarded footpaths with them. Reforesting Scotland and now the Community Woodland Association have provided sage advice and a useful communication network. Part of the remit of the forest officer is that of development worker although the management committee also carry out a number of tasks that could fall within the role. LESSONS LEARNT We have been more successful than we thought we would be. - Ensure activities and plans are highlighted to the whole community - Planning - make sure any paths etc conform to changing access guidelines - Prepare for more success than anticipated & for more visitors - Health and safety is important when employing people etc - Involve the community through their children and grandchildren - Ensure you have the manpower to carry out ideas - don't overstretch willing volunteers - The trust wouldn't have rushed many activities in 1999 if it hadn't been for the Millennium Forest and matched funding need to have some things complete by Dec 1999 - Take the seasons into account when setting targets - Keep abreast of the requirements of specific funding & make sure you are up to date on outputs required by funders Barriers were as follows: - Community land purchases were new back in 1997 - the community had to keep on plugging to get support. "Last brick in the wall" a frustratingly unhelpful phrase we heard a lot. - There is a perceived need from funders that groups should have certain skills - success is the best route past this - The next barrier to face will be that there are a limited number of funders to apply to and there will be a perception that 'Abriachan's applying again' - one strategy to get round this is applying for funds for specific new projects such as the Peat paths to fitness with maintenance £ element built in to all developments. ADVICE TO OTHER ORGANISATIONS Go out and speak to other groups who have already done what you hope to do, get as much advice and as many ideas as possible. Community communication is critical - never assume that everyone knows about something, contact them all, make sure they know what is happening - give everyone the opportunity to stay in the loop and keep giving them that opportunity. Encourage new members to join the management committee It is challenging, stimulating work but we all feel our community's future is certainly worth the effort .
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