Three community-based organisations are joining forces in a new push to promote and develop woodland crofts.
The Scottish Crofting Federation, the Community Woodlands Association and the Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust plan a number of measures over the coming months.
These include the establishment of a Woodland Crofts Register of Interest, being launched today, which will be used to match up those who wish to obtain a woodland croft with those who have them to offer – or plan to develop them. The expectation is that the evidence provided by the register will help stimulate the creation of new woodland crofts.
Later in the autumn a dedicated website for woodland crofts will be launched, at http://www.woodlandcrofts.org, which will cover not just the legalities and practicalities of woodland crofts but also the philosophy – why small-scale, holistic management of woodland under crofting tenure can be an answer to many of the pressing rural problems of the 21st century.
Alongside this a programme of three knowledge-share events will be held, each hosted by one of the project partners and highlighting a particular woodland crofts theme, though providing general information too. These will take place in Tighnabruaich on 25 October, Gairloch on 22 November, and Dornoch on 12 December. Booking details for these will be publicised nearer the time.
A registration form for the Woodland Crofts Register of Interest is available from the CWA website. (http://www.communitywoods.org/news.php#newsid242) Please return by e-mail to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Word versions), or by post to the HSCHT office in Inverness (paper copies). HSCHT is hosting the Register of Interest on behalf of the partnership. This application wil be availabel on our own website soon.
