Abolition of Forestry Commission Scotland?
Never in all of its nearly 100 year history has the Forestry Commission in Scotland faced a more important decision about its future, says The Woodland Trust Scotland.
Forestry is a vital industry for Scotland. It’s worth a billion pounds to the Scottish economy every year through timber production and through environmental benefits and services to tourism.
For such an important sector it’s understandable why the Scottish Government is looking to modernising its forestry services, but the Woodland Trust simply cannot support its proposal to essentially abolish Forestry Commission Scotland.
In short the Scottish Government’s proposal is to take the policy and regulatory side of Forestry Commission Scotland – which is currently a non-Governmental department funded by the Scottish Parliament – and bring it in-house, as a new division of the Scottish Government. Read the full details of their proposal.
The Woodland Trust values the role that Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) currently plays across the world of Scotland’s woods. Forestry Commission Scotland is one of the most respected and trusted names – and brands – in Scottish public life, and while there are challenges, we believe it does a very good job at the moment. In fact it’s one of the best public bodies in Scotland.
