Angus Forestry and Woodland Strategy 2024 to 2034

As we face the twin climate and biodiversity crises, it is more important than ever that our landscapes are resilient. Forestry and woodland can be part of the solution.

In Angus, forest and woodland cover is currently around 10.7%. Native woodland covers only 2.3% of the area of Angus. According to the Native Woodland Survey of Scotland around half of this is in poor condition and importantly it is often severely fragmented. The Angus Forestry and Woodland Strategy includes policies to protect woodland of high nature conservation value and encourage their management and expansion.

There is substantial scope to increase productive forestry within Angus to help contribute towards the ambitious Scottish Government target of 18,000ha per year by 2024/2025.

Scottish Forestry administer the Forestry Grant Scheme in Scotland which offers financial support for the creation of new woodland and the sustainable management of existing woodland. Applications to the scheme can attract a higher level of funding if proposals help deliver priorities of the Angus Forestry and Woodland Strategy.

Opportunities for forest and woodland expansion

There is substantial scope for increasing forest and woodland cover in Angus in a range of areas which deliver multiple benefits for people and Nature. Contributing towards Scottish Government targets they include the following:

On flood plains or along river corridors to increase biodiversity, enhance woodland habitat networks and the resilience of landscapes to absorb natural flood events.
On fertile lowland areas to grow quality timber, provide shelter, create landscape structure and reduce wind-blown soil erosion with associated impacts on air quality within our settlements.
On upland farmland to provide livestock shelter and to diversify farming; produce timber; increase biodiversity and contribute towards natural flood management by slow watering flows through river catchments to reduce downstream flooding.
On moorlands (excluding peat soils) to create a natural tree line with montane scrub; increase biodiversity; potentially produce timber with native trees; and slow water flows through river catchments to reduce downstream flooding.
Close to towns and villages to increasing opportunities for woodland recreation, link to urban nature networks, produce quality timber and strengthen the landscape setting of settlements.
To connect native woodland fragments to create woodland habitat networks and landscape structure within which farming and productive forestry can take place.

Angus Council’s Forestry and Woodland Strategy was approved by the Communities Committee on 11 June 2024. The strategy can be found below, together with the Strategic Environmental Assessment and the Habitat Regulations Appraisal. The Post Adoption Statement for the Strategic Environmental Assessment will be published in Spring 2025.