Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024

Part 3 Forestry

Forestry

5 (1) Assisting persons to—

(a) create areas of woodland (except, or only to the extent permitted, on specified land),

(b) manage woodland (and the creation of new areas of woodland) in a sustainable way, including by—

(i) preparing plans for the creation and management of woodland,

(ii) undertaking conservation, and

(iii) improving woodlands, access to areas of woodland and woodland infrastructure,

(c) develop and use systems in which trees are grown in combination with agricultural activity,

(d) prevent damage to trees and woodland from fires, natural disasters and other adverse events (including the outbreak of a disease or pests) and restore trees and woodland after such events,

(e) undertake an ancillary activity.

(2) For the purpose of sub-paragraph (1)(a), “specified land” means land of such description as is specified in regulations made under section 15 as being unsuitable for woodland.

(3) In this paragraph, an “ancillary activity” is an activity of selling, marketing, preparing, packaging, processing or distributing a product derived from a forestry activity.

(4) This paragraph is without prejudice to the duties contained in section 2 of the Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Act 2018 (duty to promote sustainable forest management).