Chamber and committees

RSPB submission of 2 March 2022

PE1812/AA - Protect Scotland's remaining ancient, native and semi-native woodlands and woodland floors

Introduction

The RSPB is writing to support the main call in this petition to provide better protection for Scotland’s remaining Ancient Woodlands. This protection should comprise:

• a new survey and register to identify all remaining Ancient Woodlands and their status,
• legislation to protect all Ancient Woodland in Scotland,
• regulations and grants to improve the condition of those designated as Ancient Semi- Natural Woodlands,
• regulations and grants to increase the rate of restoration of Plantations on Ancient Woodland sites, so that they return to appropriate condition to be redesignated with Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland status,
• grants to support the establishment of buffer zones around Ancient Woodlands where natural colonisation is facilitated. This is the best way to expand native woodland cover. However, ecological restoration requires careful management including deer and other herbivore control, the removal of invasive species, including Rhododendron ponticum, and non-native trees, as well as the patience to allow much longer time for establishment.

Background

A 2021 report on Biodiversity Loss from the Natural History Museum, in collaboration with the RSPB, shows that Scotland has retained more biodiversity intactness (56%) than any of the UK’s other devolved nations. However, there is no room for complacency. The report ranks the countries and territories assessed from 240 (the country/territory with the most biodiversity intact) to 1 (least biodiversity intact) and Scotland is among the lowest 25%. If the Scottish Government acts now, restoration from a baseline in which more than half of its biodiversity remains is still possible. Delaying will mean the trend for loss of biodiversity will continue, risking Scotland becoming one of the nations in which more than 50% of its native biodiversity has been lost.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals’ Life on Land recognises that forests are home to 80% of global terrestrial biodiversity although they comprise only 31% of the total land area. Therefore, one of the most efficient ways of reversing biodiversity loss is by increasing forest and woodland protection, improvement and enhancement. In Scotland, this must include the remaining fragments of our Ancient Woodlands. However, the Woodland Trust’s inaugural State of the UK’s Forests and Woodlands 2021 report provides unequivocal evidence that Ancient Woodlands have continued to be lost in recent years, and many still remain under threat.

Table 3.2.1 from this report (overleaf) shows that when Scotland’s Ancient Woodlands are threatened, they are much more likely to be lost (73%) than saved (27%). This is disproportionate in comparison to the other devolved nations where more are saved than lost. Clearly, the level of protection in Scotland is not yet adequate and this does not bode well for the 274 Ancient Woodlands still under threat.

International Context

2021-2030 has been declared the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration in which the aim is ‘to prevent, halt and restore the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean.’

One outcome of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), held in Glasgow in November 2021, was the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use. This call to strengthen shared efforts began with, ‘Conserve forests and other terrestrial ecosystems and accelerate their restoration.’

The UK has the COP presidency until the November 2022 handover at COP27. Although Scotland was not the official host, its largest city welcomed the world and is forever linked to this important meeting and Declaration, like Kyoto and its Protocol in 1997. The Declaration has been signed by 141 nations, representing more than 90% of the world’s forests. Both forestry and biodiversity are devolved matters, and this gives Scotland an opportunity to demonstrate leadership at the global scale by strengthening its own efforts to conserve forests by providing full statutory protection to our remnant Ancient Woodlands.

National Action

On 14th December 2020 the Scottish Government issued a Statement of Intent on Biodiversity announcing at least 30% of Scotland’s land to be protected for nature by 2030 (’30 x 30’). Around 18% of Scotland’s land is protected for nature, but not all of this is currently effectively managed, we therefore need a robust and ambitious strategy for delivery on 30 x 30 in a way that will lead to genuine improvements in biodiversity. About 50% of Scotland’s Ancient Woodlands are outside of current protected areas, so, as part of its forthcoming strategy for 30x30, the Scottish Government should consider the need and benefits of providing statutory protection for all of Scotland’s Ancient Woodlands, how this might be achieved and the contribution that this could make to achieving the 30% target by 2030.

RSPB Scotland will be responding to the current consultation on the Fourth National Planning Framework Draft (NPF4), which closes on 31 March 2022. Draft policy 34 seeks to protect woodland from loss due to development and encourages enhancement and expansion. We generally welcome the strengthened policy wording in Policy 34, including part b) which states, ‘Development proposals should not be supported where they would result in: • any loss of ancient woodlands, ancient and veteran trees, or adverse impact on their ecological condition’. However, this does not guarantee that there will be no loss as a result of development and the wording could be strengthened further, for instance, ‘Development proposals will not be supported where they would result in: • any loss of ancient woodlands, ancient and veteran trees, or adverse impact on their ecological condition’.

RSPB Scotland is calling for a Scottish Nature Network to be included in NPF4 as a National Development. This would help to identify and protect the native woodland we have and direct resources to the best places for enhancement, supporting woodland expansion, for instance, identifying buffer zones around woodlands to allow for natural regeneration.

Although stronger policy wording in NPF4 and local plans will be a positive change, there are other threats to native woodland which the planning system cannot address, therefore further protection is needed.

Summary

The RSPB believes that the time is now for the Scottish Government to demonstrate global leadership by providing full statutory protection for our precious and iconic Ancient Woodlands, including fragments of Caledonian pinewoods and Scotland’s rainforest. This action would contribute to measures to address the nature and climate emergency.