We had our bi-annual Forest Forum earlier this month which was well attended with interesting discussions about the effect of the downturn on the environment, as well as the development of the Central Scotland Green Network (CSGN).

We believe that despite the country’s unsettled economic climate, there could be potentially positive outcomes for the environment.  

The conference also gave us the opportunity to reaffirm the concept of the Central Scotland Forest (CSF) against the backdrop of the CSGN and through a series of keynote addresses, we did just that.

During his address, Chief Executive of CSFT, Simon Rennie highlighted the ecological silver lining hidden behind the clouds of the economic downturn and explained that whilst unemployment rates and the increasing cost of living are putting a strain on many, those same people could have the chance to indirectly benefit from positive impacts on the environment.

He explained that the UK is entering a unique period in which today’s generation is facing a decrease in living standards and general wealth compared to their parents’ generation.  This could stimulate a social trend of decreased resource consumption and increased use of local and natural recreational facilities as people spend less on fuel consumption and organised leisure activities.  We hope this may also lead to increased community involvement and volunteering.

Similarly, as food prices rise relative to income, there is likely to be an increasing demand for allotments and community growing initiatives.  These factors combined can realistically be expected to have a positive impact on the carbon footprint of the population.

We also discussed the personal development opportunities available through volunteering and the impact this could have on the future skills profile of the population.  We’d like to put out a positive message that people can contribute to their local community whilst simultaneously gaining skills and experience that could positively influence their level of future employability.

The conference also heard from the Minister for Environment & Climate Change, Stewart Stevenson MSP, who outlined the importance regional partnerships will play in delivering the CSGN. 

The Minister emphasised the significance of organisations such as CSFT to act as catalysts to turn the CSGN into action on the ground and acknowledged the obstacles faced by the private, public and third sectors in achieving their goals on a daily basis.

It was a very successful event for us and we hope that it will encourage the many attendees to think about potential positives that we can take to emerge from the downturn in an environmentally stronger position than before. The economic and political landscape can change very quickly but the decisions made just now about forestry and wider environmental management will have a long-term impact on the development and regeneration of Scotland’s central belt.