Chamber and committees

Schedule 3 of the Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (Scotland) Regulations 1999, states the Selection Criteria for Projects having significant effects on the environment – this includes the characteristics and location of the project. The procedures used by Forestry Commission Scotland are contained in the published guidance available at the following website: http://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/images/corporate/pdf/EIAGeneral09.pdf

Since 2012 the number of applications received for activities that required screening in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (Scotland) Regulations 1999 was 979. The number received by each Forestry Commission Scotland Conservancy is detailed in the following table.

Since 2012 the number of applications approved for activities that required screening in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (Scotland) Regulations 1999 was 967. The number received by each Forestry Commission Scotland Conservancy is detailed in the following table.

All woodland planting applications are screened against the Environmental Impact Assessment legislation. Those that do not require an Environmental Impact Assessment but are seeking grant funding are carefully assessed to ensure compliance with the UK Forestry Standard.

All applications that require Environmental Impact Assessment consent need to submit a full Environmental Statement. Therefore, since 2007 no woodland planting has been consented by Forestry Commission Scotland without an approved environmental impact assessment (Environmental Statement) for any woodland, whether below 2 hectares, between 2 and 100 hectares, or above 100 hectares.

All applications that require Environmental Impact Assessment consent need to submit a full Environmental Statement. Therefore, since 2010 no woodland planting on sensitive and non-sensitive sites have been consented without an approved environmental impact assessment (Environmental Statement).

Forest Enterprise Scotland, an agency of Forestry Commission Scotland, manages Scotland’s National Forest Estate (NFE) on behalf of Scottish Ministers. FES uses - at a national level - the National Strategic Directions publication, which sets out how the conservation of biodiversity is delivered across the NFE in line with the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act (2004). In prioritising biodiversity related work programmes, Forest Enterprise Scotland is guided by the Scottish Forestry Strategy, as well as the biodiversity guidelines contained within the UK Forestry Standard. The actions taken, and progress achieved, are reported annually in the published Forest Commission Scotland Annual Review, as required by the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011). In addition, the independent certification of the NFE under the UK Woodland Assurance Standard provides assurance that the management of biodiversity on the estate follows industry best practice.

The delivery of Scottish Biodiversity Strategy objectives on the NFE also contributes to the international biodiversity targets set out in the EU Biodiversity Strategy and in the Convention on Biological Diversity's Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 (Aichi targets). To ensure that the EU Habitats and Birds Directives are met, all nature conservation features of special interest on designated sites on the NFE are also monitored in collaboration with Scottish Natural Heritage under the national Site Condition Monitoring programme.

Forestry Commission Scotland provides internal guidance to staff in the form of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Code, which contains information on all of the steps in the Environment Impact Assessment process and on policy and legislation. Within this document, guidance is provided on assessing sensitivity, magnitude and significance. Forestry Commission Scotland also provides a training course to staff using this guidance.

Forestry Commission Scotland Internal Audit services are used to test for compliance with procedures under the Environmental Impact Assessment legislation. The last audit was carried out in 2014 and this gave substantial assurance that guidance was being complied with and that objectives were being achieved.

The cumulative impact of projects is taken into account during the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) determination screening phase. Information on existing woodland creation projects is recorded and is available to Forestry Commission Scotland staff and the public through the publically available web browsers at the following: http://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/supporting/communication-consultation/map-viewer-guidance

Forestry Commission Scotland does not require staff involved in determining screening applications under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (Scotland) Regulations 1999 to hold chartered forester status.

Forestry Commission Scotland staff are appointed on merit through fair and open competition. They are assessed against the essential criteria for a specific job. For woodland officers, this includes a forestry or equivalent environmental qualification. In addition, Environment Impact Assessment determinations are reviewed and countersigned by a senior member of the Conservancy team to ensure consistency, and to ensure that expert advice has been used where needed.