Background
The initial
ideas and the impetus for a true local
community forest came from the Laggan
Community Association in 1992. Before long
there was a significant collaborative effort
from the local community, which explored
several options and marketed their ideas
among key Scottish politicians, government
officials and others in influential
positions. The ideas, which to many were
quite radical, gradually won support and
assistance from a wide variety of people
(listed in supporting material (11) and
culminated in the personal support of the
Secretary of State who asked that the
Forestry Commission work in partnership with
the Laggan Community in order to explore
opportunities and devise a new scheme
whereby Community Forests can be established
to mutual benefit. Laggan is to be a pilot
for this scheme which may then be applied to
other communities in Scotland who wish to
become partners in development of their
local forest.
The support
from Michael Forsyth led to David Bills,
Director General of the Forestry Commission
taking a personal Interest in the project.
He assigned a team to work out the
Partnership details with the Community. The
team comprised Syd House (Conservator,
Forest Authority), Ian Forshaw (Forest
Manager and Environmental Officer for the
South of Scotland) and John Risby (District
Forester, Lochaber).
This team has
worked very successfully with Laggan Forest
Initiative in the production of a Forest
Design Plan for Strathmashie Forest, a joint
Business Plan for the partnership, the
preparation Project Proposals with
objectives and deliverables, a proposed
Legal Framework for the Partnership, and a
monitoring project with theScottish Office
The work of the PC development team is
largely completed and inApril 1998 the FC
management of the Partnership transferred
from Lochaber FD to Inverness FD.
The Director
General of the FC has gone on record as
being prepared to consider all suggestions
from the Laggan community. He is also on
record that he wants a successful pilot
scheme that can become the basis of other
Communities entering partnerships for their
local FC forests.
The Laggan
Community has therefore achieved an immense
break-through on behalf of rural
communities. We are now in a position to
establish and test a new way of working with
the public guardians of our forest heritage
that ensures that real benefits not only
accrue to the Laggan Community but may also
be made accessible to other rural
communities.
In September
1998 the informal relationship between the
community and the government agency was
formalised. Lord Sewel presented the
Chairman of the newly formed Laggan Forest
Trust and the Director General of the FC
with signed copies of the Minute of
Agreement which cements the Partnership
between the two parties. Also formed at this
time was the Laggan Forest Trust Forestry
Company, which will operate as the trading
company of the Laggan Forest Trust and take
over the work of the Laggan Forest
Initiative.
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