This Strategy provides an overview of contemporary Scottish forestry, presents our 50-year vision for Scotland’s forests and woodlands, and sets out a 10-year framework for action.

The Strategy is a keystone of our ambition for forestry in Scotland, underpinned by new legislation and new organisational arrangements which build on the 100-year legacy of the work of the Forestry Commission in Scotland. It balances the need for long-term continuity and the need for flexibility when responding to emerging issues and opportunities. It embraces our existing commitments as well as providing strategic direction for the future.

The Strategy has the principles of sustainable forest management at its core, including an adherence to the principle of ‘the right tree, in the right place, for the right purpose’. In addition, by implementing the Strategy, it is vital that we recognise the need for better integration of forestry with other land uses and businesses. This approach will enable forestry in Scotland to continue to deliver an extensive and expanding range of economic, environmental and social benefits, now and in the future.

The scope of this Strategy covers forestry as, ‘the art and science of managing woods and forests’, therefore, this document focuses on forests and woodlands management and uses these two terms interchangeably to include all types of woodland, from small pockets of native woodland and shelter-belts through to extensive areas of tree cover, such as those seen inthe Cairngorms or Argyll. However, it also recognises the important contribution that individual trees outside of forests and woodlands make to enhancing Scotland’s rural and urban landscapes, their role in addressing air pollution, and their biodiversity and cultural value.