Confor Industry Update Stirling Thank you Jamie Farquhar

Confor Industry Update Stirling Thank you Jamie Farquhar Thursday 27 th October 2016

Lobbying Cabinet Secretary Fergus Ewing MSPs briefing = PQs on wood supplies Mackinnon review you Thank Presumption in favour of forestry that meets UKFS • Timber Transport funding • •

Thank you

Brexit • A thriving post-Brexit future forestry and timber – How to ensure planting in the short, medium and long-term Thank you – The future shape of rural policy and funding – Legislation and better regulation – Timber standards, trade and migrant labour – Plant health

Brexit • New planting and restocking – Simplify the application process & reduce lead-in times by cutting administration – Move towards a presumption in favour of new Thank you planting – Consider innovative ways to encourage more tree planting, e. g. linking woodland creation to house building

Brexit • Rural policy and funding – Develop an integrated rural land management policy – Simplify rural support mechanisms to focus on Thank you outcomes of land management – Use accepted measurement and valuation methods to support transparent decision making

Brexit • Environmental legislation – Carry out risk-based revision of Environmental Impact Assessment thresholds – Make interpretation and implementation of Thank you regulations consistent across all rural industries – Review EU Environmental Directives and their impact on sawmills & timber processors

Brexit • Timber standards, trade regulations and migrant labour – Revise the Construction Products Regulation – Ensure a post-Brexit immigration system Thank you recognizes the need for seasonal labour & temporary employment of foreign nationals – Adopt a timber-first policy in procurement contracts, with a preference for domestic production

Brexit • Plant health – Phytosanitory certificates should be required for all imported material – Restrict importation of firewood Thank you – Achieve consistent levels of new planting to enable nurseries to plan effectively

Forestry Grant Scheme • 600 applications approved to date • 4, 400 ha new woodland creation and 6, 500 restock Thank you • Further 4, 000 ha NWC being worked on • 12, 000 ha NWC in pipeline

Tree Canopy report (NFI) • • • 2006 – 15 for Britain 90 pages, 27 tables & 18 figures Complicated! Can’t assess whether woodland is actually until 10 yrs old Thank you Significant area presently “in transition” 36 k on Scotland’s NFE • 8. 2% of the conifer woodland = 1 in 12 Ha

Update on wood fibre supply and demand report • 2013 – 2035 comparison of demand from 140 UK production plants vs. 50 -year biological wood fibre availability • Supply /demand very squeezed in some regions Thank you • Sawlogs could be used in normal SRW markets • How to maximise supplies from the existing resource • Thinnings? • Short rotation forestry?

Diary dates • • • 3 November 28/29 Nov 8 March 15 March 22 March Scotsman conference Woodheat conference North-east SFTT meeting South SFTT meeting Thank you Central SFTT meeting

Thank you