Assessing the sustainability impacts of forest management in Northern Europe – a Scottish perspective

20^th May 2010

What was the event?

The Cairngorms National Park has been selected as a case study area for an EU-funded project assessing the sustainability of forest based activities in rural areas of Northern Europe - Northern ToSIA (Tool for Sustainability Impact Assessment). The results of this project will help managers to balance the demands of different aspects of forestry, for example: timber production, wildlife, and recreation.

The aim of this seminar was to explore how impact assessment can be incorporated into regional and business planning in the forestry sector. It :

Highlighted the need for comprehensive monitoring tools for forestry and land use planning within and beyond the Cairngorms National Park
Introduced delegates to ‘ToSIA’ (Tool for Sustainability Impact Assessment), and discuss its application in the four case study areas
Included a practical discussion of the possible sustainability impacts of altering land use under different scenarios in the Cairngorms National Park, and how these impacts could be assessed.
Provided an opportunity to meet with partners from other northern European countries and contribute to the development of the project.

Seminar programme ^(PDF-181K)

Presentations

Cairngorms National Park - Keynote address ^(PDF-4273K)
Hamish Trench
Northern ToSIA – Objectives, challenges and the ToSIA tool ^(PDF-2054K)Marcus Lindner
Case study - Cairngorms National Park ^(PDF-1979K)
Stefania Pizzirani
Case study - Finland - Forest use for bioenergy in North Karelia ^(PDF-356K)
Marja Kolström
Case study - Norway - Indre Helgeland ^(PDF-1461K)Birger Vennesland
Case study- Sweden - Malå ^(PDF-284K)
Erik Valinger
Landscape approach to sustainable forestry ^(PDF-3259K)
Mike Smith
Tourism impacts on the forestry sector - Open discussion ^(PDF-259K)Barry Gardiner
Concluding remarks ^(PDF-88K)Bill Mason

Who was the event suitable for?

Those who have a role in forestry and land-use planning, particularly within the Cairngorms National Park, but also in similar regions in Scotland and Northern Europe.