– Scottish Parliament written question – answered at on 11 March 2011.
Question S3W-39952
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the reported view of the timber industry that the national forest estate provides significant economic wealth for communities in terms of direct employment and support to timber processing companies, and what measures it is taking to ensure that competing land uses are balanced in the long term.
The Scottish Government recognises the valuable contribution that the national forest estate makes to the delivery of social, economic and environmental outcomes, including the provision of employment and support for timber processing companies. Forestry is worth around £700 million to the Scottish economy every year and Scotland’s forests support over 30,000 jobs, mostly in rural areas.
The Scottish Government also recognises the need to seek an appropriate mixture of land uses in order to develop a diverse and resilient rural economy. This government is the first to embark upon production of a Land Use Strategy for Scotland. The strategy, which will shortly be laid before the Scottish Parliament, sets out proposals and policies for the long-term sustainable use of Scotland’s land resource and will provide a framework within which discussions aimed at determining the optimum mix of land uses in Scotland can take place.
Yes1 person thinks so
No0 people think not
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