Consultation on forestry provisions in the Scottish Climate Change Bill
Update 14th March:The Scottish Government has abandoned its plan to lease 25% of Scotland’s most productive forests to private management for 75 years.
Read more at The Herald newspaper.
Contributions to the consultation included one from INVOC and one from SOA; thanks to all who contributed to these co-ordinated responses.
A copy of the original consultation paper can be found on the Forestry Commission website.
Media comment can be found at:
Scotsman :
Article: Money will grow on trees but is renting out our forests a good idea?
The Herald :
Editorial: Climate of uncertainty
Letters: Proposals to lease forests deserve the chop
Article: Anger at plan to lease 25% of forests
Posted on 14th Mar 09
by Ian Pyrah - Partnership Director
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Ian Pyrah says:
“Why does the Scottish Government want to lease-out public owned forests to the public sector?” was the main topic on today’s Riddoch Questions on Radio Scotland and the podcast should be available on the BBC website from today until next Friday (23rd to 30th January 2009).
The panel comprised Environment Minister, Mike Russell, his opposite number, Labour’s Sarah Boyack, and representatives of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, the Confederation of Forest Industries and the Community Woodlands Association who were represented by their CEO Jon Hollingdale, a member of Moravian Orienteers.
The first half-hour of the programme was devoted to the proposed leasing-out of upto a quarter of the public owned forests which, as Forestry Commission Scotland owns approximately 35% of Scotland’s forests, represents rather less than 10% of Scotland’s woodlands.
Other questions, filling the final third of the programme, involved the proposed third runway at Heathrow, the introduction of beavers into Scotland and the management of deer.