When the last biodiversity audit was conducted on the state forest and what action Forestry Commission Scotland is taking to address the ne…

The biodiversity work undertaken on Scotland’s national forest estate has recently been subjected to three types of audit procedure. The first is the annual external audit undertaken to satisfy the requirements of the United Kingdom Woodland Assurance Standard. The other two were Forestry Commission Scotland’s internal audits of their Forest Design Planning process; which is an annual rolling programme, and a Forest Operations Environment audit in 2003.
In addition, Forestry Commission Scotland set up an external biodiversity peer review group in 2005. This group was formed to consider Forestry Commission Scotland’s delivery of the Scottish Forestry Strategy's environmental agenda on the national forest estate; to examine the effectiveness of past and current action and to make recommendations on what additional or more ambitious steps Forestry Commission Scotland should be taking.
The review group’s recently completed final report is currently being carefully considered by Forestry Commission Scotland and a response to the 74 recommendations is expected by the summer. Addressing the needs of priority species found on the national forest estate, as identified in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, forms part of the overall consideration being given to the peer review group’s report.