Forestry plans met with widespread opposition, drop it now

Dumfries Liberal Democrats <tom@therussells.org.uk>

Forestry plans met with widespread opposition, drop it now - Hume

January 29, 2009 3:02 PM
Originally published by Scottish Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson Jim Hume MSP has urged the Scottish Government to scrap plans to offer 75 year leases on some of Scotland's most valuable forestry land to private investment companies.

Commenting as the Scottish Parliament debated the proposals, Mr Hume, who has led the campaign against the plans, said:

"The effective sell off of the most commercial public forestry estate will not benefit Scotland. It will not solve the many issues of climate change. It is naïve at best and reckless at worst.

"An historic alliance of environmentalists, timber companies, trade unions and leisure and tourism businesses has united in opposition against the proposals.

"Only the Tories seem content to allow Ministers off the hook.

"One of the thousands of people who returned the Liberal Democrat petition against the plans summed it up when they said they would never vote for the SNP again. The effective sell off of Scotland's forests is an unforgivable act. This plan should be scrapped immediately."