Millennium Forest for Scotland explained

Abbreviation:MFST
Type:National Lottery-funded project
Country:Scotland
Primeminister:Tony Blair
Launched:23 October 1995
Closed:31 March 2006
Budget:£500,000 (estimated)

The Millennium Forest for Scotland project was an initiative created by the Millennium Commission and funded by the National Lottery of the United Kingdom to celebrate the turn of the New Millennium.

Conceived in 1994, the project's ambition was to restore and maintain a significant amount of the forestry in the Scottish environment, and secondly to reestablish the link between local communities and the environment that surrounded them.

The project's nationwide appeal led to many local communities, farms and established natural projects (such as the National Trust for Scotland and the World Wildlife Fund) investing time and money in restoring and maintaining many areas of natural importance throughout Scotland.

As a result of the initiative, it is estimated that the project has restored over 22,000 hectares of forest and natural land and created 200 kilometers of new hiking trails.

Some locations that the project has helped include:

Although the project was aimed for the turn of the millennium, the efforts and investment in the project lasted over a period of 12 years, with many of the benefits still being felt today. The project ceased to exist following the winding-up of the Millennium Commission in 2006. As seen above, many signposts and markers symbolizing the initiative's legacy can still be seen around Scotland.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Angus Millennium Forest - Springfield Park Wood. www.woodlandtrust.org.uk. Woodland Trust. 23 August 2016.
  2. Web site: BALMAHA MILLENNIUM FOREST PARK. www.visitscotland.com. Visit Scotland. 23 August 2016.
  3. Web site: Scottish Natural Heritage. 1997. Facts and Figures 1997-98. NatureScot. NatureScot. 60, 69, 74.
  4. Web site: Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning 2000 Nomination for development on the ground. www.gov.scot. The Scottish Government. 23 August 2016.