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Senior managers at Forest Enterprise have at last responded. At the second of two meetings, FDF was told that if the community does not want off road driving, then it will be removed from Kirkton Wood/ Durris Forest. The first meeting took place with the Chief Executive of Forest Enterprise, Dr Bob McIntosh, at the end of November, to evaluate the experience of the 12 month trial. In January, Dr Hugh Insley, Director for North Scotland Territory, announced the new strategy.

FDF was asked to go back to its members and ascertain their views. In close consultation with Forest Enterprise, a ballot was held, using precisely the questions that had been posed by Dr Insley. Members voted convincingly and decisively to stop off road driving in Kirkton Wood/Durris Forest. Two affiliated organisations voted to stop off road driving. Members also agreed that they wished FDF to help in the process of removal of the project.

Now FDF has asked Forest Enterprise to implement its promises, and to remove off road driving from Durris Forest and Kirkton Wood.

Scottish Natural Heritage wrote a highly critical advice to the Council, in which it recommended better environmental management and monitoring, and was concerned about conflict with recreational users. In its haste to put the application before Committee in December, the Planning Department had not waited for the SNH advice before preparing its report.

However, following deferral for a site visit in December, the revised report discouraged adoption of the central SNH recommendation of ‘a Section 75 Agreement to regulate the implementation and management of the proposal as recommended in our letter of 10 February 1999, on the grounds that it was ‘too onerous a requirement’.

We should all be concerned that the recommendations of SNH as statutory consultee should be treated in such a cavalier manner. And also that the management of the environment should be so disregarded.

At its January meeting, the Kincardine & Mearns Area Committee met to decide the application for off road driving in perpetuity in Kirkton Wood / Durris Forest. The members of the Committee had visited the forest for a site inspection in December, and some of the members were appalled by the environmental impact that they saw.

Other councillors concluded that because they saw no recreational users, the forest was not much used for this purpose! Councillor Wallace had requested that FDF members were not in the forest on that day! However LRHE did not stay away, and off-roaders were observed playing in the quarry.

At the Area Committee meeting, the Community Council and FDF delivered a spirited critique of the trial of off road driving. During this presentation, reference was made to the agreement with Forest Enterprise (see above). The Council did not invite Kevin Peace, the local Forest Enterprise manager, to explain the agreement – even though he was present in the room!

The Council meeting ended in true farce. Having discussed a variety of side issues with some interest, the Councillors from Stonehaven and the Mearns voted :

· not to defer the application until Forest Enterprise had sorted out a new site;

So now we have a planning consent for off road driving in perpetuity in Kirkton Wood/Durris Forest - which Forest Enterprise has said it will not permit!

Our thanks to Councillors who tried to introduce some sanity into the process: Mhairi Nash who moved the rejection of the application, seconded by Anne Tunstall; Harrison McLean who moved the postponement, seconded by Sandy Wallace.

Membership Renewal

Please renew your membership by 1^st April 2001.

Your membership is our strength!

On 12^th October, FDF submitted to Aberdeenshire Council a plan for a network of recreational and educational trails in the Durris Forests for different users. The plan arises from the public meeting in Kirkton Hall on 2nd October 2000.

· In Clune Wood it is proposed to improve access to the Bronze Age stone circle and cairns and to provide information about them.

· In Durris Forest, there are ambitious plans to develop cycle and walking trails to enable people to explore parts of the forest away from the main network of forest roads.

Elsick Mounth

The Elsick Mounth path is now waymarked from the Warren Wood entrance on Skye Brae to the Rickarton Estate boundary, through partnership with Forest Enterprise.

The trail is appropriate for all users when on forest roads; on some sections it is inappropriate for horses and cycles - with obvious alternative routes.

Waymarking and improvement works on the Rickarton Estate are to be carried out in the next month through partnership with Aberdeenshire Council.

Stonehaven Ramblers have agreed to work with FDF on the extension of the route to Stonehaven.

Story Trail

Deeside Storytellers have invited us to work with them to develop a story trail in the woods. We will seek funding in partnership, and plan to develop the story trail with local children. Anyone who would like to help this innovative project should contact Mandy Catto on 811904, or Mark Hagger on 811328

FDF Website

Diary Dates 2001

Sat 24 Mar: Path-clearing & tree-planting day

Sat 26 May: Elsick Mounth walk Drumoak to Stonehaven Summer: Story Trail project

Sun 14 Oct: Seed gathering Sunday / Autumn Gold walk

Nov: Tree planting in National Tree Week

Friends Committee

The FDF Committee has been busy implementing the ballot in January. Meantime a group is working on the Co-Management Agreement, in order to gain full partnership with Forest Enterprise in the management of the forests. Another group is working on trail development. If you have any suggestions, or would like to contribute to one of the working groups, please contact any committee member. ((: 01330-…)

Felling at Durris

Almost one fifth of Durris Forest has been clear felled in the past few months. Large logs of Sitka and some larch and pine have been lorried out to the timber mills for processing. Other timber of lesser quality has been chipped directly in the forest.

Users are asked to avoid areas where timber operations are taking place, for safety reasons. The forest roads are suffering under the heavy use. FDF is talking with Forest Enterprise to ensure that the whole forest will be available for recreation use as soon as possible.

Old Maps

Maps at www.old-maps.co.uk shows how the forest looked in the 19^th century. Pitcowdens and Hillhead were still being farmed. Cairn-mon-Earn and Mundernal were not yet forested, presumably being open hillside and grouse moor in those days.

Friends of Durris Forests - Newsletter 6 - February 2001

What the community wants.