Moray Council is aiming to boost its dwindling reserves by developing the region’s forests and proving money does grow on trees.
Planning officers say woods at Culbin, by Findhorn Bay, and Roseisle, near Burghead, are “under-utilised” as potential sources of income.
They believe that by expanding and improving the sites, they can attract more events like last year’s World Orienteering Championships.
This generated £9.4million for Scotland’s economy and drew over 8,000 participants and spectators to Moray and the Highlands.
Increasing woodland cover is also expected to bring in extra cash from timber firms, and could entitle the council to additional grant funding from the Forestry Commission.
And plans are afoot to start advertising the woodland areas as one of Moray’s tourist draws.
The council aims to use the money it makes through the initiative to repair the country roads leading to the forests, after being forced to halve its road budget to make ends meet this year.
Chairman of Moray Council’s Economic Development and Infrastructure Services Committee, John Cowe, said he welcomed any move that could add to the authority’s coffers.
He added: “There have been successful efforts to capitalise on forests at Inverness, doubling the trees at some sites.
“Our £500,000 roads budget has been cut to £250,000 and the cost of supporting the roads near those forests could be covered by the profits this scheme brings in.”
Moray Council convener Allan Wright concurred, saying: “I support the idea of having a levy on timber extraction to pay for the repairs of these small roads.”
Forestry Commission research has revealed that forests in Moray and Aberdeenshire are visited nearly 1.8million times every year.
But the organisation says that only 8% of those visiting are tourists – way below the national average of 33%.
A report prepared by planning officer Emma Gordon says that “enhanced recreational facilities” at the Culbin and Roseisle should be built to woo more tourists.
She argued that World War II fortifications at Culbin, Roseisle and Lossiemouth should also be promoted to draw history buffs to Moray.
The authority will now establish a working group to oversee the formation of a strategy aimed at making the most of its forests.
The plans are ultimately expected to go out for public consultation around the end of the year. Moray Council is battling to achieve massive savings over the course of this year, after learning it was operating beyond its means.
The authority has been told it needs to reduce its spending by £14million before the 2017-18 budget to remain solvent.
