DEVELOPING AND PRESERVING SCOTLAND'S FORESTS

That this House welcomes the Forestry Commission Scotland's consultation on provisions for forestry in the Scottish Climate Change Bill and the Scottish Government's continued engagement with key forestry stakeholders; notes that the proposal to lease some woodlands would apply only to the most commercial of forests and would have no impact on the vast majority of publicly-used woodlands and none on key leisure woodlands; further notes that any proposed leases would have to include unbreakable guarantees concerning the highest standards of biodiversity, access and training and that absolutely none of Scotland's publicly-owned forest estate would be sold as a result of these proposals; and recognises that the leasing proposal has the potential to release much-needed capital for investment in climate change activity and could result in the creation of additional jobs in the sector as considerable new sums would be available for tree planting and other related activity.