NEW FACE FOR FORESTRY IN ABERDEENSHIRE (23/05/06)

There's a new face in charge of the national forests and woodlands in Aberdeenshire, with the appointment of John Thomson as Forest District Manager for Forestry Commission Scotland in the Aberdeenshire region.

The District is responsible for the national forest estate in Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City Council areas and north-eastern parts of Moray Council Area.
John will lead a team over 60 strong from the Forest District's office in near Huntly (check?), and he will be responsible for managing all aspects of the area's woodlands, including access issues, recreation, tourism, working with the community, wildlife, forest landscape and growing and harvesting timber.

He will also work closely with the Scottish Forest Alliance (SFA) to build relationships with local communities and drive forward the use of forests as recreational, health and environmental education resources.

John is no stranger to the Forestry Commission, having begun in his career in Moray in the late 1970's and early 1980's, and his father was a Chief Forester at Moray.
He then held positions with Scottish Hydro Electric and Scottish Natural Heritage as Area Land Agent, and latterly, as Operational Manager for the East Highlands.
As Operational Manager, he was involved with the management of National Nature Reserves in the Cairngorms and Creag Meagaidh and he played a lead role on deer management in relation to habitat and herbivore interaction.

He said: "I am delighted to take up this position. Our forests in Aberdeenshire have so much to offer - from playing a role in the local economy and tourism to providing opportunities to learn about the environment and wildlife to getting fit in the forest. Forestry in Aberdeenshire has really taken off in the last few years, and I want to make sure that we continue to grow this.

"An example of how we intend to move forward, is the creation of a new community woodland in Foggieton Wood, Bieldside. We have worked closely with the local community to ensure we create a wood that matches their needs and have even got local children involved with designing features in the woods. Once complete, this will be our first community wood in Aberdeenshire.

"Making all this happen involves a lot of partnership working, and I'm looking forward to establishing good contacts and building relationships with these companies and local communities."