A strategy for dealing with catastrophic windblow events in Scottish forests

Catastrophic windblow events are rare and their frequency, scale and location are unpredictable. However, research suggests that the incidence of severe storms in the UK has been increasing over the last few decades and may continue to do so as our climate warms.

Such events have the potential to cause major disruption to electricity, water, phone, gas, public transport and emergency services, and are likely to have a significant financial and practical impact on the Scottish forest industry; in the short term, the principal issue is likely to be regaining access to the forests, and in the medium term the principal issues are likely to be a need for greater harvesting capacity and a glut of timber needing to come to the market. There will be knock-on effects throughout the supply chain. Good preparation is therefore essential and a windblow contingency plan is required to improve resilience and ensure that a strategy for a co-ordinated response is in place.

This plan is intended for anyone who may have a part to play in planning for, and responding to, a catastrophic windblow event. Interested parties will include the Scottish Government, Scottish Forestry staff, private sector forest management companies, the timber processing industry and small woodland owners.