Proposed cuts to the woodland grant budget have been condemned by the commercial and conservation sectors- a decision the Woodland Trust says “makes no sense”.

Confor and Woodland Trust have joined together to voice their collective disagreement on proposals for a 41% cut in the funding available to support woodland creation and management through the Forestry Grant Scheme.

Stuart Goodall, CEO of Confor says: “this proposed cut will only serve to make the gap between targets and delivery ever wider,” referring to the falling number of woodlands created in the last five years, despite the Scottish government’s pledge to increase woodland creation as part of its commitment to be net zero by 2045.

A modern-day record of over 13k-hectares of planting has been approved for 2023/24, the reduced funding in the budget for 2024/25 will support only around 9k-hectares.

Last month’s budget announcement by finance secretary Rhona Robinson MSP revealed Scottish Forestry is facing a cut of over £32m.

The timber industry body and woodland conservation charity fears a cut of the scale proposed will lead to job losses in already struggling rural areas, the destruction of millions of young trees and a “blow to sector confidence that will take a long time to recover.”

Alastair Seaman, director of Woodland Trust Scotland, says: “The Scottish Government must remember that warm words won’t stop climate change or restore nature.

“We need investment in new woodland – and fast – if we are to have any hope of a strong economy and a healthy landscape in the years to come.

“Creating new woodland and protecting what we’ve already got is one of the simplest and most effective responses we have to the climate and nature crises. It makes no sense to pull the rug out from under the sector in this way.”