There was an interesting meeting at Bridge of Balgie Primary school last night. About twenty local residents (about 25% of the resident population of the Glen) gathered to discuss a proposal to submit an application to the Climate Change Fund to replace their current oil heating (costing on average £2500 a year!!) with woodfuel from the Glen. There is a significant woodland resource in Glenlyon, but with a narrow bridge at Bridge of Balgie, and the Pass of Lyon at the bottom end of the Glen, it is very difficult to market timber. For this reason, much of the woodland area has been unmanaged for many years. A community business supplying woodfuel within the Glen, maybe requiring 1200-1500 tonnes a year, would encourage much needed woodland management and improve the habitats alongside the river and tributary burns, to the benefit of the river system as well as these habitats themselves. The application is being co-ordinated by Tom Beels who lives and works on Innerwick Estate. Tom has significant support within the Glen, and Scottish Native Woods will help where we can. This initiative will allow work to be carried out that would otherwise not be economical to do.
For more information on the Climate Change Fund (CCF), go to www.ccfalliance.org.uk or www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/ccf.asp
