LINK Response to the Woodland Expansion Advisory Group Call for Views

LINK believes that the resolution of land use conflicts can be helped by a Land Use Strategy that offers mechanisms and processes for dealing with land use conflicts.  LINK does not believe we have this yet but is hopeful that the LUS Action Plan will help to improve matters.  CAP reform will to have a strong impact on how Scotland’s land is managed in the years to come. LINK continues to advocate that the allocation of public money should be based on the broadest range of public and environmental benefits. This is best achieved by approaching land management in an integrated, cross-boundary approach. The importance of compliance with existing regulations, guidelines, standards and policies for the location and design of woodland expansion and forest management, can seem undervalued and poorly applied. LINK wishes to see stronger adherence to the existing standards and believes that better adherence would help to resolve conflicts in land use. LINK wishes to see more effective use of indicative land use and woodland expansion plans/strategies, which are designed to create habitat networks and landscapes that protect core priority sites, and integrate with other habitats and environmental features (including cultural assets) in a holistic landscape.