Plan Aims and Objectives Issues  Windblow has forced significant changes to the shape and sequencing of felling coupes in Fonab.  Larch represents a major component of the forests (currently 8% of total area). There have been confirmed cases of P. ramorum within 2 km of the forest and there are stands of larch that are isolated from the forest road network.  Newly established crops are vulnerable to browsing by deer.  The forests contain a number of important scheduled monuments which require protection.  A number of water courses emanate from with the blocks which feed directly into the River Tay and Tummel SAC.  The road network in Fonab is currently not suitable to allow access to haulage traffic within the block.  Areas of Fonab form a backdrop to the town of Pitlochry. A significant proportion of the plan area is designated as an Area of Great Landscape Value.  Recreation routes in both blocks require specific attention. Key Challenges  Maintaining productive potential of the forest blocks.  Selecting the most appropriate management systems for each coupe in order to maximize the potential of the forest as a whole.  Developing a forest structure that will be resilient to future wind damage.  Prioritising the phased removal of larch ensuring all larch crops are accessible in the event of P. ramorum infection.  Protecting newly established crops from deer browsing.  Protecting water sources and maintaining water quality entering the SAC.  Continuing to protect heritage features and, where possible, making improvements to their situation through targeted forest operations.  Improving the road network to facilitate future management operations.  Minimising the impact of forest operations in visually sensitive areas to preserve the appearance of the forest within the wider landscape from key viewpoints.  Managing recreational facilities that are accessible to a wide variety of users.

Management Aims Aim 1 Produce high quality timber crops and support specialist timber markets and local sawmills. The fertile and sheltered lower slopes are prime sites for commercial broadleaf crops and alternative conifer species, utilizing thinning and continuous cover forestry to develop stands of large, high value timber. The upper reaches of both forests are highly suited to growth of short rotation timber crops, providing consistent volume to the regional programme.

Aim 2 Maintain high water quality of salmon rivers as well as wider riparian habitats. A number of water courses emanate from both forests. Increasing planting of suitable species in riparian zones will help improve water quality entering the Special Area of Conservation (SAC), improve opportunities for wildlife and habitat links within the forests and also have benefits for flood risk management in the Tay catchment.

Aim 3 Improve the health and wellbeing of local residents and visitors through recreational use of the site. The route of the Rob Roy Way as it descends through Fonab to the finish in Pitlochry follows an ancient right of way that is popular with walkers and mountain bikers alike. Spectacular views over Strathtay are also afforded from the viewpoint at the Castle Dow Scheduled Monument. Plan Objectives  Ensure adequate access is in place in time for forest operations.  Plan operational access for larch coupes to be in place in case of P. ramorum infection.  Plan felling and restocking operations for the benefit of flood risk management in downstream Operational Target Areas (OTA’s).  Plan appropriate deer management strategy to ensure successful establishment of planting.  Ensure heritage features are properly protected during operations.  Plan coupes and restock areas to minimise the risk of future windblow incidents.  Devise management strategy for forest operations in visually sensitive locations.  Ensure neighbouring SSSI’s are maintained or improved as a result of FLS activities.  Improve habitat for Northern Damselfly in the vicinity of Logierait Mires SSSI.  Preserve populations of Juniper at the northern end of Grandtully.  Expand native woodland cover around the summit of Creag Craggan.

Objective Opportunity Constraint Concept Zone

Produce high quality • Fertile and sheltered lower slopes • Higher elevations are • Identify suitable sheltered Whole timber crops and support are prime sites for growing exposed to prevailing winds sites with fertile soils for CCF Forest alternative conifer species over specialist timber markets which has led to progressive management. longer rotations. and local sawmills. • Potential for use of CCF windblow in the past. • In upland areas that are not management • Areas of wet ground also visible from key viewpoints plan • Both blocks have good access present issues for stability. for clearfell management over onto the A9 for markets to the • Access onto the public road shorter rotations. north and south. network from Fonab requires • Thin suitable crops to improvement to allow haulage maximize potential of final crop traffic. trees with an awareness of stability risks. • Manage broadleaved stands for niche hardwood markets. Maintain high water • There are many watercourses • New broadleaf planting in • Plant suitable native Whole quality of salmon rivers emanating from within the blocks. riparian areas will require broadleaved species in small Forest as well as wider riparian • The forest catchments feed protection from deer groups along currently open habitats. directly into the rivers Tay and browsing. riparian corridors, protected Tummel SAC’s. with tubes or exclosures. • Wetland areas along the Fonab • Buffer water courses in plateau have the potential to restock coupes with similar support populations of Northern native broadleaf mixtures. damselfly. • Blocking strategic drains will slow the passage of water into rivers at times of peak flow. Objective Opportunity Constraint Concept Zone Improve the health and • Rob Roy way passes through • Rob Roy Way path • Investigate the potential to Zones wellbeing of local Fonab en route to its final descending from Fonab is in reroute the waymarked trail in 2 & 3 residents and visitors destination in Pitlochry. poor state of repair due to Grandtully through the native through recreational use • Superb views across Strathtay drainage issues and natural oak woodland, away from the of the site. from vantage point at Castle Dow. regen. forest road. • Forests are easily accessible for • Way marked path to Castle • Investigate potential to locals and visitors from Pitlochry Dow follows uninspiring route improve links between and Grandtully for walking and up forest road. Grandtully and neighbouring cycling. • Final ascent of waymarked Griffin forest to create a circular • Opportunity to link path from path to Castle Dow is not walk on the core path network. Grandtully into neighbouring suitable for wheeled access. • Carry out repairs to the core Griffin forest to create a circular path as it descends Fonab walk. towards Pitlochry. Ensure Adequate access • Current road network serves • Shared access onto public • Plan road upgrades in advance Whole is in place in time for majority of coupes in both blocks. road from Fonab requires of any proposed fellings. Forest forest operations • Duntallich mine road provides upgrading. • Aim to stagger coupes to allow excellent access to much of • No agreement to haul timber roads network time to settle Fonab. along Duntallich mine road between operations. • Good quarry resource in outwith FLS boundary. • Investigate the need for a new Grandtully will keep repair and • Some thinning coupes at the road segment to access thinning construction costs down. south end of Grandtully coupes in Grandtully currently isolated from road network by isolated by watercourses. watercourses. Objective Opportunity Constraint Concept Zone Plan operational access • Majority of larch is easily • Plant health notifications • Actively bring forward mature Whole for larch coupes to be in accessible from current road (PHN’s) have been served for larch coupes in the felling Forest place in case of P. network. P. ramorum less than 2km programme. ramorum infection. from Grandtully. • Plan for access to isolated • Larch is a key component in larch coupes in the event of a high visibility area overlooking PHN being served. Pitlochry. • Restock felled larch coupes • Some small areas of larch with a suitable alternative with no direct road frontage. species. • Consider Underplanting larch in highly visible locations before felling of mature crops. Plan felling and • Forests only make up a small • Felling large scale coupes will • Plant suitable native Whole restocking operations for percentage of catchment for the affect the speed of water broadleaved species in small Forest the benefit of flood risk closest downstream OTA at entering river systems during groups along currently open management in Dunkeld. times of peak flow. riparian corridors, protected downstream Operational • Management for flood with tubes or exclosures. Target Areas. mitigation also provides benefits • Buffer water courses in for expanding and linking restock coupes with similar habitats. native broadleaf mixtures. • Block existing drains to slow progress of rainfall into rivers. Objective Opportunity Constraint Concept Zone Plan appropriate deer • Fonab has a reasonably good • Grandtully has no fence. • Continue with deer cull as Whole management strategy to perimeter fence. Deer move across the hill from primary method of population Forest ensure successful • Cull targets in both blocks set to Griffin Forest to the open control. establishment of increase. ground on Kinnaird Estate • Design open space for planting. • Local deer management group through the block. shooting and suitable ranger helps to co-ordinate control of • New planting scheme to the access at the point of deer population. east of Grandtully will be restocking. fenced, this may disrupt deer • Stagger planting or groups in movements and cause riparian areas to create bottlenecks. sightlines and cover for stalking. • Cattle grids at entry points • Monitor condition of cattle for the Duntallich Mine road grids and ensure regular will create access points for maintenance is carried out. deer if not cleared out regularly. Ensure Heritage features • Several Scheduled Monuments • Hut circles at southern end • Maintain appropriate buffers Zones are properly protected identified in both blocks. of Grandtully are inaccessible, around heritage features. 2 & 3 during forest operations. • Castle Dow is a popular surrounded by dense • Consider redesigning coupes destination for local walkers, commercial crops. at the point of restock to accessible by waymarked path. improve the setting of • The condition of the Clachan an Scheduled Monuments at the Diridh stone circle was upgraded south end of Grandtully. by Historic Environment Scotland at the last inspection in 2019. Objective Opportunity Constraint Concept Zone Plan coupes and restock • Grandtully is largely protected • Upper reaches of Fonab are • Plan coupe rotations based on Whole areas to minimise the from prevailing winds by exposed to prevailing winds. terminal crop height. Forest risk of future windblow neighbouring Griffin forest. • Only thin crops where site incidents. • Low visibility from key conditions are suitable. viewpoints allows greater • Avoid late thinnings in freedom for scale and shape of marginal sites. felling coupes in areas of high • Fell all coupes to a stable windblow risk. green edge to avoid exposure of adjacent crops. • Design in network of rides and crop breaks to provide options for future felling coupes. • Restock western edge of forest with permanent buffer of broadleaves.

Devise management • North face of Fonab suitable site • North face of Fonab forms • Where appropriate, employ Zone 3 strategy for forest for CCF management. part of key backdrop to town CCF management techniques to operations in visually • Lower slopes of Grandtully well of Pitlochry. maintain canopy cover in sensitive locations. established native broadleaf • Larch is a major component visually sensitive locations. woodland. of north face of Fonab. • Restock felled larch with a suitable alternative species.

Objective Opportunity Constraint Concept Zone Ensure neighbouring • Populations of juniper scrub • Juniper populations in • Apply appropriate buffers of Zone 3 SSSI’s are maintained or already well established in Grandtully at risk from deer open space and suitable native improved as a result of Grandtully in the vicinity of browsing and P. austrocedrii planting around Logierait Mires FLS activities. Balnaguard burn SSSI. infection. SSSI at the point of restock. • Currently programmed felling • Dam the minor watercourse to coupe in Fonab will present an the south of Clachan an Diridh opportunity for improvements in to expand the wetland area to the vicinity of Logierait Mires. the north of the mine road. • Potential to expand existing • Create shooting opportunity wetland features in Fonab to for deer management around create habitat for Northern juniper populations in damselfly. Grandtully.

Improve habitat for • Currently programmed felling • Large buffer on SSSI site will • Dam the minor watercourse to Zones Northern Damselfly in coupe in Fonab will present an impact on area available for the south of Clachan an Diridh 1 & 3 the vicinity of Logierait opportunity for improvements in commercial crops. to expand the wetland area to Mires SSSI. the vicinity of Logierait Mires. the north of the mine road. • Potential to expand existing • Link ponds and wetland areas wetland features in Fonab to at the top of Fonab with create habitat for Northern corridors of suitable native damselfly. species.

Objective Opportunity Constraint Concept Zone Preserve populations of • Populations of veteran juniper • Deer browsing is damaging • Thin canopy trees around Zone 3 juniper at northern end located in two secluded areas of existing population and juniper populations to create of Grandtully. woodland below Castle Dow. hindering seedling more favourable light • Neighbouring Balnaguard Glen development. conditions. designated SSSI for juniper. • Phytopthora austrocedrae • Design in access and shooting presents infection risk. opportunities for deer management around juniper sites. Expand native woodland • Opportunity for new woodland • Access will be required for •Explore the opportunity to Zone 2 cover around the summit creation in an otherwise establishment and initial expand planting on currently of Creag Craggan established block. maintenance. open ground to the south end of • Upland birch or willow scrub • Creag Craggan is currently Grandtully. Factor in cost of would provide habitat for black unfenced and vulnerable to providing access and likely deer grouse and other priority species. deer browsing. management requirements.