Why is local stakeholder and community engagement and consultation important?

As set out in the Scottish Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement, the Scottish Government is committed to the principle that local communities should be involved in the decisions about land that affect them, including those relating to forestry.

The Government recognises that involving local communities in these decisions creates opportunities not only to improve the plans and proposals and thereby increase support for them, but also to support a just transition to net zero, enhance community wellbeing and improve social justice.

An overview of the development and approval process for forestry plans and proposals, and key engagement and consultation points

Within our Forestry Engagement and Consultation Processes, we set out how the principle of local involvement in decisions about land is delivered in the forestry context, providing an overview of the forestry plan and proposal development and approval process for communities.

This overview sets out the different stages of the proposal development and approval process describing:

• the roles and responsibilities of those involved
• when local stakeholders and communities can engage
• when formal consultation happens
• when in the process local stakeholder and community input will be most impactful and beneficial
• how decisions are made