(S4O-00680) Forestry Development (Upland Grazing Interests)

Rob Gibson (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP): 2. To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made to accommodate upland grazing interests and forestry development targets. (S4O-00680)

The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott): Cabinet secretary.

The Minister for Environment and Climate Change (Stewart Stevenson): Minister.

The Deputy Presiding Officer: I beg your pardon, minister.

Stewart Stevenson: Late advice from us, I think. I apologise, Presiding Officer.

We have established a woodland expansion advisory group to provide advice on which types of land are best for tree planting in Scotland, in the context of other land-based objectives. The group, which includes members from the farming sector, is giving careful consideration to the potential impact of woodland expansion on upland grazing. The group has recently concluded a public consultation exercise, and will be running regional stakeholder meetings later this month. It will report in June.

Rob Gibson: Given the considerable fall in sheep stock throughout Scotland over several years, has there been a measurable pressure on existing upland grazings from forestry development? Has the Forestry Commission bought former sheep farms that have been on the market for some time? Can today’s limited number of sheep, which are of higher value, continue to be reared successfully on the upland grazings that are available at present?

Stewart Stevenson: The decline in sheep numbers has not been uniform throughout the country—having been at its highest in the north and west—and there is still demand for upland grazing for sheep in some areas of the country.

Through Forest Enterprise Scotland, the Forestry Commission has planted nearly 2,500 hectares over the past three years. However, the woodland expansion advisory group will look at the issue in more detail and, as I indicated in my first answer, will report in June.

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): Does the minister agree that upland grazing pastures are often critical to the local biosphere and, from the point of view of biodiversity, are preferable to big plantations of sitka spruce?

Stewart Stevenson: Yes. Biodiversity is an important issue for us. In upland areas and grazing pastures, there is often greater biodiversity than in the relative monoculture of the plantations that the member describes. It is important that we continue to ensure that upland grazing is in place.

I should have drawn members’ attention to the fact that I have a 3-acre field, which one of my neighbours uses for upland grazing.