Campaign to save Forestry Commission from the axe

Our woods and trees are better safeguarded by trained specialist foresters ... CAROL EVANS, WOODLAND TRUST SCOTLAND

A campaign to “stop the chop” has been launched in Scotland in a bid to safeguard the future of the Forestry Commission as a stand-alone entity.

Reacting to a public consultation process at Holyrood, the Woodland Trust Scotland has warned that the Scottish Government will have a battle on its hands if it intends to absorb the commission into its civil service.

According to director Carol Evans, the trust will fight tooth and nail to keep forestry professionals and experts at the helm of any future industry organisation and not civil servants who have a tendency to move from pillar to post over the course of their careers.

“We are comfortable with proposals for a new agency – Forestry and Land Scotland – to directly manage publiclyowned land,” said Ms Evans.

“But we are against the policy, regulation and funding roles of Forestry Commission Scotland being absorbed into the civil service.

“Scotland should keep a dedicated stand-alone forestry organisation, staffed by professional forestry experts.”

She said if civil servants take over the role, the Forestry Commission’s heritage of dedicated expertise – built up over nearly 100 years – will be lost.

“Our woods and trees are better safeguarded by trained specialist foresters, not generalist civil servants. Stop the chop – save Forestry Commission Scotland,” she said.

The process will remain open to the public until November 9.