FELLING HAS STOPPED- VATTENFALL NOW UNDER POLICE INVESTIGATION

Hi All

As promised, here is a Clashindarroch update. It has been a very eventful past week or so. As we previously informed you, Vattenfall were actively felling during the breeding season which is potentially catastrophic (and illegal) for very obvious reasons. Alongside our legal team we have been applying pressure to the council and the authorities to halt these actions.

On a recent visit, we carried out a full transect of the forest and checked all the potential logging sites. We are delighted to tell you that the felling has now stopped. We could not see any forest clearance anywhere, and most importantly it looks like the harvesting machinery that fells the trees has been taken off the site. On previous visits we had seen 5 harvesters and now there are none at all. This is a huge win. Without our efforts and your backing, we have no doubt that prime wildcat habitat would still be being lost right now.

In addition, we have now had follow up by the Police. We have met with the police and a sergeant, 2 officers and a Specialist wildlife officer and are now all involved. Indeed on Saturday just passed, our Director gave a formal Police statement at Huntly Police station, which is the nearest station to the Clashindarroch. We can guarantee you that nothing was left unsaid. The Police immediately followed up with a link to provide all the evidence and this has now been submitted. Thanks to our legal team we have amassed a significant dossier of evidence. Paperwork obtained under the Freedom of Information act, reports from the Public Inquiry, communications with Nature Scot, the Council, Scottish government, etc have all been collated. This was all submitted along with numerous videos that can all be time stamped that show Vattenfall felling and carrying out Forestry operations in the breeding season in the heart of the Clashindarroch. Very compelling indeed.

We strongly believe that this constitutes illegal activity, contravening powerful legislation. So, Vattenfall are now under Police investigation. That is not a good look for a Swedish company that claims to be environmentally friendly. Their greenwashing is being exposed.

As you can imagine, we are hugely encouraged by recent developments. However, there is still very concerning activity being carried out by Vattenfall. The felling has stopped, but forestry operations (loading, hauling, stacking, brash clearance etc) have not. This is NOT ACCEPTABLE. Therefore, it is time to keep increasing the pressure and building on our momentum, to ensure that ALL operational activity stops in the Clashindarroch. This will now be our goal and we are laser focused on achieving it.

We are well and truly in this fight and are having success, but the job is still not complete. We will continue with even more vigour, to ensure that the priceless Clashindarroch wildcats have the peace they truly deserve. As you have always done, you can continue to support our legal crowdfunder. Now is the time to increase the pressure. Here is the link:

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/wildcats/

So often Nature is destroyed with impunity and without consequence. Well, not on our watch.

Thanks as always

Emily and a revved up Wildcat Haven Team.