Mass tree planting: 5800 new trees to be put in Duloch Park

Members of the City of Dunfermline area committee approved an award of £11,700 towards the initiative that will see more than 5800 trees planted in the north east part of Duloch Park in November.

The total cost of the project is thought to be almost £40,000, but Rural Skills Scotland has submitted an application to Scottish Forestry for the majority of the funding and will not only carry out the tree planting but will also contract out plans for deer fencing and gates that will be installed around the trees to protect them from deer grazing.

The new tree planting will effectively expand Calais Muir Wood, help fight climate change, be a new home for wildlife and be a therapeutic outdoor space for local people’s health and wellbeing.

Committee convener Councillor Helen Law said: “It’s great when we’re not talking about cuts and putting money into projects like this, which is a very worthwhile and long-standing project.”

Rural Skills Scotland, which is a Fife-based charity, actually wrote the woodland management plan for Calais Muir Wood and are also in the midst of felling diseased ash trees in the wood, so the tree planting is a natural extension of their work in the area.

Public consultation about the scale of tree planting proposed was carried out in 2017, with neighbouring houses being leafletted and an evening meeting held to discuss the plans.