FRONTLINE forestry staff have faced increasing "verbal and racial abuse and physical threats" resulting from the woodland creation process in Scotland, a major firm has claimed.
On the eve of the Scottish forestry summit, which will bring together stakeholders in a bid to address the country's recent planting slump, Scottish Woodlands bosses have said "poor direction" and "lack of clarity" around forestry grants have led to "frustration and conflict".
READ MORE: Paperwork delays 'to blame for Scotland's planting slump'
Unveiling the results of an internal survey of its staff, the organisation, one of the UK's largest forestry companies, made a number of further criticisms of the process in Scotland.
These include:
- The process is "confused and subjective", where decisions which have huge bearings on the outcome of projects are often taken unilaterally by conservancy staff, or are not taken at all, leaving applications in limbo.
- Changes to the Woodland Carbon Code implemented in 2022 have severely affected investor confidence, added confusion, and are resulting in less productive forestry being planted.
- There are worries that the strong stimulus provided by capital grant payments has waned in the face of strong inflation.
- The current process is not fit for purpose and there is a serious risk, indeed a certainty, of future targets for Woodland Creation being missed.
Tuesday's long-awaited meeting will be chaired by Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon and will see the likes of Scottish Woodlands and Confor getting the chance to air their views on Scotland's planting slump. Last year, the country managed to create a little over 8,000 hectares of new woodland, the first time that total had fallen below 10,000 in half a decade.
A statement from SW read: "We look forward to meeting the Cabinet Secretary and her senior civil servants to discuss the way forward for our industry, and for landowners, farmers and investors who wish to help the Scottish Government reach its ambitious tree planting targets to help deliver a range of environmental and economic objectives, including tackling climate change, securing future timber supply, providing jobs and economic growth in rural areas, and halting biodiversity loss.
"All these can be achieved through the development of well-designed, modern, multi-purpose forests."
Since the most recent planting figures were published, Scottish Forestry bosses have announced a number of changes to the forestry grant scheme. This includes increased rates for bracken control and a 20 per cent rise on grant funding for small-scale woodland projects.
Ministers have also invested in training for frontline Scottish Forestry staff.
A Scottish Forestry spokesperson said: “We are very much looking forward to the summit.
“As the regulator, we’re here to listen but also to ask what else others in the industry can do themselves to contribute towards increasing woodland creation levels in Scotland.
“The whole purpose of the summit is to look at the barriers and opportunities to getting more trees in the ground and the contribution from Scottish Woodlands will be important in this case.
“We look forward to hearing the insights and suggestions from a range of voices at the summit and exploring the balance between the need for good quality regulation, which protects our forests and communities, and enabling the many benefits of increased woodland creation.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here