Reports claiming the majority of Britain’s national forests are to be sold off are “total nonsense and wide of the mark,” environment minister Roseanna Cunningham said.
Ms Cunningham used her keynote speech at the annual Scottish Forestry Forum in Battleby, near Perth, to rubbish suggestions vast tracts of land will be sold off.
She said, “Forestry policy has been a devolved matter since April 2003. It is quite clearly a matter for Scottish ministers to determine the future of Forestry Commission Scotland and the national forest estate in Scotland.
It is certainly not a decision for Westminster. There may be a review of forestry in England, but that does not include Scotland.”
She added, “The Scottish Government is continuing to look for opportunities to simplify and streamline public bodies in Scotland and Forestry Commission Scotland, along with other public bodies, will be part of that ongoing process.
“However, let me be quite clear we have no plans to dispose of the national forest estate in Scotland and there is no review of Forestry Commission Scotland being undertaken.”
UK environment secretary Caroline Spelman is expected to announce plans that could result in more than 386 square miles of publicly-owned forest in England being sold off.Magna CartaIt is thought private firms will be eager for the prime land, with laws dating back to the Magna Carta likely to be rewritten to allow sales. The department for environment, food and rural affairs suffered one of the worst settlements in the spending review, losing a third of its budget.
Ms Cunningham said, “I do have considerable concerns over the review of Forestry Commission England and its potential impact in Scotland, therefore I have written to my counterparts in England and Wales to suggest a meeting to discuss issues surrounding forestry.
“The Scottish Government views Scotland’s forests as a source of national pride and an important public asset which can help deliver many benefits in economic, environmental and social terms.”
Other topics discussed at Wednesday’s forum included the Scottish Government’s land-use strategy and the Forestry Commission Scotland’s woodland carbon code.