Timber harvesting company UPM Tilhill has provided co-funding for a timber transport road which will reduce the impact on Mull’s roads by an estimated 120,000 tonnes of timber over the next 10 years.
The project has helped make Scotland’s first community forest purchase under the national forest land scheme financially sustainable. ??
The North West Mull community, which purchased 700ha of woodland from Forestry Commission Scotland as part of the National Forest Land Scheme, required a timber haul route that minimised the impact of timber traffic on local fragile rural roads to transport timber for their venture to be sustainable.
The Scottish Timber Transport Scheme offered almost 40% funding of the proposed route which enabled the community to go into partnership with UPM Tilhill who agreed to provide the co-funding necessary for the 15.5km route. ??When this has been completed, it will reduce the impact on Mull’s roads by an estimated 120,000 tonnes of timber over the next 10 years. ??
“The completion of the North West Mull Timber Haul Route means hundreds of thousands of tonnes of previously landlocked timber, both our own and that managed by Forestry Commission Scotland, can be harvested and brought to market,” said Colin Morrison, chair of North West Mull Community Woodland Company Ltd.
