Tree planting – then and now
by The blog at woodlands.co.uk, 30 April, 2021, 0 comments
The Flow Country is a large area of peatland and wetland in the north of Scotland (Caithness and Sutherland). It is one of the largest expanses of blanket bog in Europe. It is characterised by deep layers of peat and bog pools. Wetlands, like this, are important as
They offer a significant wildlife habitat and
They act as mitigating agents in terms of climate change (locking up large amounts of carbon).
However, some four decades ago, parts of the Flow Country were planted with conifers, there were financial incentives to this planting; namely :
grants were available towards the costs of planting
other costs were tax deductible so investors spent only 20p for every £1 of capital invested
prospectively, income from timber was to be virtually untaxed.
This ‘forestation’ of wetlands is now generally regarded as a mistake, not only damaging a unique environment but leading to increased carbon emissions. Now it seems possible that similar mistakes may be made again. Read more...
