WHEN two such disparate organisations like the Scottish Gamekeepers Association and Mountaineering Scotland band together to wage common cause, it behoves everyone to sit up and take notice.
And firmly in their joint sights are ScotGov’s afforestation targets in which it aims to see 10,000ha planted each year for the next five years.
Certainly, more and more hill and upland farms are valued because of their forestry potential. The grants, of course, are enticing owner occupier farmers to consider the hitherto unthinkable and investigate the economic and other benefits structured afforestation could bring.
There’s nothing wrong with that – many a farm could benefit from a strategically placed shelter belt or two; even more so in the future when economics will dictate that more and more suckler cows, for example, will have to outwinter.
But for this to happen constructively, the ‘joined up thinking’ which the two organisations have called for has to be moulded into a land use policy which is fit for purpose.
It is to be hoped the environment minister is in listening mode!
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