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UPM Tilhill appoints Alan Wilson as Woodland Grants Adviser for Scotland

UPM Tilhill, the UK\'s leading forestry and timber harvesting company, has joined forces with NFUS to help ensure Scotland’s farmers and landowners make the most of new funding opportunities for woodland creation and management.

The company has appointed Alan Wilson as Woodland Grants Adviser for Scotland. Alan, who joined UPM Tilhill last year after graduating from Bangor University with a first class degree in Forestry, will be based at UPM Tilhill’s South West Scotland district in Dumfries, one of UPM Tilhill’s five Scottish offices. Alan aims to ensure opportunities within the Government’s Scottish Rural Development Plan (SRDP) 2007-13 are seized by farmers and landowners.

“The Scottish government has set an ambitious target to create 10,000 hectares of newly planted woodland and forest every year,” said Alan Wilson. “To help make this happen, funding is available for woodland creation through a combination of capital grants and annual payments; whilst woodland improvement grants are available to help owners of existing woodland improve and manage their stock.

“I very much look forward to working directly with farmers and landowners to advise them on getting the best support for their proposals. By offering strategic and practical advice on creating new woodland, or restocking and managing existing woodland, we will help meet the aims of the landowners as well as producing a healthy and sustainable future for Scotland’s woodlands and forests.”

The Scottish Rural Development Plan (SRDP) is a £1.6 billion programme to develop rural Scotland over the next seven years. It brings together previously separate schemes covering farming, forestry and other rural enterprises. The Scotland Rural Development Programme 2007-13 is very different from its predecessor and includes measures to support and encourage rural communities and aims to deliver a Greener Scotland and to promote a Wealthier and Fairer rural Scotland.

To find out more about SRDP funding for woodland and forestry creation and management, freephone 0800 3 282128 or visit www.upm-tilhill.com||

ENDS

For further information please contact:
Ruth Roy
01892 861008/07771 940494
ruth.roy@upm-kymmene.com