§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they can confirm that approximately 50 hectares of Caledonian pine forest in Abernethy Forest Grade I Site of Special Scientific Importance in Scotland have been felled; whether they can confirm that this felling operation was known in advance to the Forestry Commission under the terms of an agreed dedication scheme; and if so whether the Forestry Commission informed or consulted the Nature Conservancy Council over the details of this case.
§ The Minister of State, Scottish Office (Lord Gray of Contin)About 30 hectares of Caledonian pine forest at Abernethy have been felled recently under a Basis II Dedication Scheme Plan of Operations approved by the Forestry Commission in 1980. The plan provides for felling to take place over 42 hectares in an area of woodland of some 190 hectares.
The Nature Conservancy Council were not consulted over the details of the proposed felling under the plan of operations because of a long-standing convention under the Basis II Dedication Scheme, which was closed to new applicants in 1972, that consultations with third parties would take place only with the consent of the woodland owner. Such consent was not given in this case. The Forestry Commission were therefore placed in the position of having to exercise their judgment as to what constituted an acceptable compromise between the wish of the owner to manage the woodlands positively under the dedication scheme and the needs of conservation. As a result of negotiations between the owner and the Forestry Commission, the proposals originally put forward for felling under the plan of operations were substantially modified, and the commission were satisfied that the plan they approved represented a reasonable balance of interests.
The Forestry Commission's policy since 1981 has been to withhold approval of plans of operations in the absence of agreement by the owner to any necessary consultations being held.