Foresters are going on the road later this month to take the pulse of the nation's feelings about woods and forests.

They will host a series of public meetings across Scotland to hear how people think Scotland's 1.35 million hectares of woods and forests should be managed and developed.

The meetings are part of efforts by Forestry Commission Scotland to consult the public as it updates the Scottish Executive's Forestry Strategy. The existing strategy, Scotland's first, was published in the year 2000, and is due for its first review to ensure that it is kept relevant to changing circumstances.

The public meetings will be a chance for the public to put forward their views on the important issues in forestry and how they should be tackled. Each meeting will last between two-and-a-half and three hours, and the schedule of meetings is:

• Thursday 25th August, 4.30pm; Stirling Management Centre, Stirling University, Stirling;
• Tuesday 30th August, 2pm; Easterbrook Hall, The Crichton, Dumfries;
• Friday 2nd September, 2pm; Spa Pavilion, Strathpeffer, Easter Ross;
• Tuesday 6th September, 2pm; Stewarts Hall, Huntly, Aberdeenshire; and
• Wednesday 7th September, 2pm; Crutherland House Hotel, Strathaven Road, East Kilbride.

Forestry Commission Scotland is also asking people to send in their comments and ideas by 16th September. To help them, a consultation document, entitled "Review of the Scottish Forestry Strategy", can be downloaded from the Forestry Commission's website at www.forestry.gov.uk/SFS. Free paper copies can be ordered from Sharon Robinson, National Office for Scotland, Forestry Commission, 231 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh EH12 7AT; telephone 0131 314 6486; e-mail: sharon.robinson@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

Responses to the consultation should also be sent to Ms Robinson to arrive no later than Friday 16th September 2005. Once all the responses are in, a draft strategy will be written, taking into account the comments and ideas received, and then a second consultation will be held to find out what people think of that before the final strategy is produced next year (2006).

NOTES TO EDITOR:

1. The Scottish Executive's first Scottish Forestry Strategy was launched by Forestry Minister Rhona Brankin in November 2000. It set out three key themes for Scotland's woods and forests - contributing to the economy; conserving the natural heritage and improving the environment; and enhancing the quality of life for all communities.
2. The first Strategy also set out priorities for action under five key headings: to maximise the value of the nation's wood resource; to create a diverse forest resource for the future; to make a positive contribution to the environment; to create opportunities for people to enjoy trees, woods and forests; and to help communities benefit from woods and forests.
3. Scottish forestry is worth more than £630 million a year to the Scottish economy and supports more than 10,000 jobs. The sector has attracted about £60 million a year of investment in wood-processing capacity over recent years.
4. Among achievements under the first Strategy are:
   • the opening of the national centre for Timber Engineering at Napier University in Edinburgh;
   • the establishment of the WIAT initiative to bring the benefits of woods and forests closer to people living in towns and cities, including a special grant scheme to help relevant woodland owners improve their woods for the benefit of local urban communities; 1500 hectares of urban woodland have been brought into active management and 330ha of new urban woods were established during WIAT's first year;
   • the establishment of the National Forest Land Scheme to allow communities the right to buy national forest land from Forestry Commission Scotland without waiting for the Commission to offer it for sale; and providing for national forest land to be used for affordable housing in areas of need;
   • the establishment of the £13 million Timber Transport Fund to help with the costs of improving transport infrastructure to help haul timber out of remote forests to processing mills while minimising the impacts that timber transport can have; and the establishment of a network of Timber Transport Forums to address regional and local timber transport issues;
   • the establishment of a grant scheme to pump-prime the woodfuel industry in the Highlands with special grants to help building owners install wood-fuelled heating systems, and to help woodfuel suppliers to install the equipment they need to supply the market; the appointment of regional woodfuel project officers to help develop the industry; and the opening of the first major wood-fuelled district heating schemes;
   • the development of the Scottish Forestry Grants Scheme, which has allowed woodland grant aid to be more closely tailored to Scotland's needs and circumstances than the previous, Great Britain-wide Woodland Grant Scheme was;
   • the establishment of more than 10,000 hectares of native woodland and the bringing into active management of more than 20,000ha;
   • the establishment of 11 regional Forest Education Initiative clusters;
   • the establishment of the Scottish Forest Alliance comprising Forestry Commission Scotland, Woodland Trust Scotland and RSPB Scotland who, with £ 10 million support over 10 years from energy company BP, are establishing 10,000 hectares of new native woodland on 10 sites across Scotland and researching new woodland's role in carbon sequestration and biodiversity;
   • the development of the 7stanes mountain biking trails in national forests across southern Scotland, and the Laggan Wolftrax trails in Inverness-shire, contributing to forests' role in tourism, recreation and health; and the appointment of a tourism development officer by Forestry Commission Scotland to forge partnerships with the tourism sector and develop the tourism potential of Scotland's forests.
5. Forestry Commission Scotland serves as the Scottish Executive's forestry department. It manages 666,000 hectares of national forest land owned by Scottish Ministers for multiple benefits, including timber production, nature conservation and public recreation; supports other woodland owners with grants, felling licences, advice and regulation; promotes the benefits of forests and forestry; and advises Ministers on forestry policy. For further information, visit www.forestry.gov.uk/scotland

MEDIA ENQUIRIES:

Charlton Clark or Steve Williams, Forestry Commission Scotland press office, 0131 314 6507/8.