A Scottish Forestry Forum is to be set up that will bring together different groups with an interest in all aspects of Scotland’s woods and forests.

The deputy minister for the Environment and Rural Development Rhona Brankin, is asking the Forestry Commission to bring together different groups with an interest in the social, economic and environmental benefits of forestry, to establish the Forum.

Its key tasks will be to promote discussion about how to maximise the social, economic and environmental benefits of forestry in Scotland; to consider how Scottish forestry can best contribute to the wider rural development agenda in Scotland; and to ensure that successful progress is made in taking forward the Scottish Forestry Strategy.

The Forum will also have a role in disseminating information about implementation of the Strategy; identifying areas where more effort is needed; and, when the time comes in three or four years, assisting with its review.