Scotland's forests and forests are important national resources and play an important role in rural development and sustainable land use. Forests protect, improve and improve the environment and offer opportunities for public enjoyment, while helping to mitigate the effects of climate change and provide timber for industry. Forestry, farms and forests in Scotland are financially supported by the Forestry Grant Scheme, which is managed by Scottish Forestry. [5]
Expanding forests
Building on the success of the Forestry Grant Scheme in Scotland and the development of Scotland's forests, farms and forests over the past decade, over 1,000 new forests and farms have been created. [4]
The UK Forestry Act of 1919 laid the foundations for Scotland's thriving forestry sector, which we enjoy today. Almost 19 percent of our country is now covered by forests and forests, and more than 1,000 new farms and farms have been established. [0,4]
About 40% of our forests, consisting mainly of mature plantations, are state-owned and managed by the Forestry Commission (1998). In the 1997 referendum, the people of Scotland voted to create a government function in the United Kingdom, including responsibility for forestry. [0]
The Forestry Commission has been defined as a cross-border authority which retains most of its previous powers but is given a new name and responsibilities. [0]
New Forestry Act
To meet these new requirements, the Scottish Government has presented a draft Forestry Strategy for 2019-2029. The strategy sets out a vision for forestry in Scotland, setting out the main objectives for sustainable forest management and the role of the Forestry Commission in this process. With the new Forestry Act 2017-2018 (the Act), passed by the Scottish Parliament in March 2018, we now have the opportunity to prepare a new strategy for managing forestry across Scotland. [7]
Timber Transport
A common theme of the consultations was the need to support the sustainable transport of timber, especially in view of the impact of climate change on the timber industry in Scotland and the UK.
Indeed, since the strategy was introduced, the Scottish Government has already increased investment in timber transport in Scotland, committing to build 200 km of forest roads to improve access to timber and pledging $1.5 billion in funding for improved infrastructure. Therefore, this strategy now focuses on improving access to timber and reducing the risks of possible negative impacts of forestry. One of the key priorities of Scotland's new forestry strategy is to protect the biodiversity of our forests. [1]
The Scottish Government published its climate change plan in January 2017, which envisages future expansion of forests to 21% of Scotland by 2032. A new Forestry Act has also been introduced, the Scottish Forest and Wildlife Conservation Act 2016, which came into force on 1 April 2019. Given that the UK imports much more timber than it exports, and that forest creation programmes in the UK have increased budget injections over the last two years, it recognises the increased demand for timber. [3]
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