Camilty Wind Farm - Partnerships for Renewables

Camilty Wind Farm
Land Use
15.3.19 The proposed wind farm is located within the Camilty Forest, a commercial forestry plantation
which is currently managed by Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) as part of the National
Forest Estate on behalf of Scottish Ministers. Camilty Forest lies within the Scottish
Lowlands Forest District.
15.3.20 Forestry and wood processing contributes some £650 million per year to the Scottish
economy, and the wood chain sustains some 20,000 jobs (FCS, 2006, 2008a). Woodlands
are also important for tourism. Overall, it is estimated that forest-related tourism contributes
some £165 million to the economy (FCS, 2008b). However, woodlands can also provide a
wide range of non-market benefits to society, for example opportunities for healthy exercise
and habitats for plants and animals.
15.3.21 The Scottish Forestry Strategy (SFS) (Scottish Executive, 2006) sets out the Scottish
Government’s vision for Scottish woodlands 1 and identifies seven key themes that will help
achieve the vision:
• Using forestry to mitigate the effects of climate change;
• Maximising the benefits of the timber resource;
• Supporting sustainable economic growth through the business development of the
Scottish woodland sector;
• Supporting community development to improve quality of life and wellbeing;
• Improving access to woodlands, to help improve the health of Scotland;
• Protecting environmental and scenic quality; and
• Helping to conserve and enhance Scotland’s biodiversity.
15.3.22 The vision set out in the SFS includes the ambition to increase woodland cover to 25 % of
land area by the second half of the century and emphasises the need to integrate woodland
with other land uses. It identifies that expansion of well managed woodlands can help ensure
that Scotland is:
• Wealthier & Fairer – by, for example, underpinning a sustainable forest products
industry, reducing the reliance of the UK on wood imports, and supporting the
development of the rural economy;
• Healthier – by providing a setting for informal recreation that encourages regular
exercise and improves physical and mental wellbeing;
• Smarter – by providing a focal point for outdoor education activity, an inspiring
environment in which to learn for those who find formal education difficult, and
opportunities for people to volunteer, improve their skills and enhance their
employability;
• Safer & Stronger – by improving the quality of the environment in deprived and
regeneration areas, contributing to the development of green networks and natural
1
‘Woodland’ is defined by the FCS as all areas of land, larger than 0.25 hectares, where trees are growing. ‘Forestry’ is used by
FCS to refer to the science, art and practice of managing woodland.
March 2013 15-8 ES Chapter 15
Socio-Economics, Tourism, Land-Use and Recreation
Copyright Partnerships for Renewables Development Co. Ltd 2013 ©