Nature Objectives

A2. Woodland expansion

Woodland expansion to join up our existing woodlands is crucial to deliver biodiversity and landscape benefits, capture and store carbon dioxide, provide a sustainable source of timber, improve water quality and help reduce the risk of flooding.

Image of pine forest, Ryvoan Pass, Glenmore. Photo by Visit Scotland.
Pine forest, Ryvoan Pass, Glenmore.

Our guiding principle in the National Park is ‘the right tree in the right place for the right reason’, and this is especially true for planting associated with carbon sequestration and the woodland carbon code. There is also a need to ensure that the relatively limited area of in-bye land in the National Park continues to play a part in the nation’s food security and is protected from wholesale conversion to woodland.

Diverse, well-planned, climate-resilient and productive woodland will continue to generate economic and conservation benefits in the National Park. This plan sets out a direction for woodland that is about increasing areas of natural regeneration; however, planting and fencing will still be required in some places, notably those with limited seed sources and where there is conflict with herbivore impacts (especially in the early years of the plan). Fencing is recognised as an important tool for woodland management but it can have negative impacts. Its use should be carefully considered and, before fencing is agreed, establishment through herbivore management should be encouraged where the surrounding land use context is favourable.

Finally, there is a need to recognise that the management of existing woodlands plays a key role in delivering biodiversity, recreation and economic outcomes and there needs to be a continued focus on long-term forest planning, habitat enhancement, high-quality timber production, rural employment, responsible access and community engagement.

Key Objectives and targets

Increase the amount of woodland in the National Park to support larger, more natural woodlands, expanding in places up to a natural treeline, providing connections across river catchments and around the central core of the mountains.

A minimum of 35,000 ha of new woodland cover created by 2045, which:

a) Includes a minimum of 80% native woodland.

b) Includes a minimum of 10,000 ha of natural regeneration without planting.

c) Results in no wholesale conversion of enclosed, in-bye agricultural land to forestry.

d) Minimises the amount of fencing in the National Park by favouring establishment through herbivore management and removing redundant fences.

  • Expand woodland by a minimum of 7,000 ha through the delivery of the Cairngorms National Park Forest Strategy and targeted grant schemes.
  • Ensure all scales of woodland are considered and supported, including agro-forestry, and that at least 2,500 ha is achieved through natural regeneration without planting.
  • Work with land managers to ensure existing woodlands are managed for a range of benefits including timber production, public access, biodiversity etc.
  • Work to deliver improvements to woodland deer management planning in forest plans.
  • Heritage Horizons: Cairngorms 2030 programme.

Scottish Forestry, Forest and Land Scotland, landowners, NatureScot, ConFor

Current habitat of the Cairngorms

Key: 1% of map is buildings, industrial or infrastructure, shown in black. 2% is surface water, marshland and fens, shown in blue. 58% is moorland (heathland and peatland), shown in purple. 12% is montane habitats and unvegetated land, shown in grey. 10% is agricultural and grasslands (including alpine / sub-alpine grasslands), shown in light green. 17% is woodland, forestry or scrub, shown in dark green.

Facts

0 %
of the UK's rare and endangered species are found in the Cairngorms
0 %
of the National Park will be managed principally for ecosystem restoration by 2045