Scotland's forestry strategy 2019-2029: SEA post adoption statement

Ways in which the findings of the initial strategic environmental assessment (SEA) and the views expressed by consultees have been taken into account within Scotland's Forestry Strategy 2019-2029.


2 The Strategic Environmental Assessment Process

2.1.1 The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 (the '2005 Act') requires public bodies in Scotland to carry out SEA on their plans, programmes and strategies. SEA is a way of examining plans, programmes and strategies as they develop, to identify any significant effects they may have on the environment. It ensures that environmental considerations are taken into account. SEA also aims to build in mitigation measures, to avoid or minimise any potentially significant adverse effects on the environment, and look for opportunities to enhance a strategy's environmental performance.

2.1.2 This SEA process began with the production of a Scoping Report which was submitted to the SEA Gateway in June 2018. Representations received from the SEA Consultation Authorities (Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and Historic Environment Scotland (HES)) to the scoping stage, helped to inform the content of the draft strategy and the following stages of the SEA process. All SEA topic areas were scoped into the assessment. The assessment focused on the 10 priorities in the consultation draft Forestry Strategy.

2.1.3 The assessment and the production of the SEA Environmental Report progressed during August and September 2018, in parallel with the preparation of the draft strategy.

2.1.4 Following consultation on the draft strategy and associated Environmental Report, an independent analysis of consultation responses received was carried out and is available online at:

https://consult.gov.scot/forestry/scotlands-forestry-strategy-2019-29/results/scotlandsforestrystrategy2019-2029-consultationanalysisreport.pdf

2.1.5 Using this analysis, the Scottish Government produced a report that outlines how the views expressed in the consultation helped to inform the content and structure of Scotland's Forestry Strategy 2019-2029. It is available at:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-forestry-strategy-20192029-report-consultation-process-undertaken/

2.1.6 This Post Adoption Statement concludes the SEA process and sets out those ways in which the findings of the SEA Environmental Report, and the views expressed by consultees have been taken into account.

2.1.7 Section 18(3) of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 sets out the information that should be included in the Post Adoption Statement. This can be summarised as:

  • how the environmental considerations have been integrated into the plan, programme, or strategy;
  • how the Environmental Report has been taken into account;
  • how the opinions of consultees have been taken into account;
  • the reasons for choosing the strategy as adopted, in light of the other reasonable alternatives considered; and
  • the measures to be taken to monitor the significant environmental effects of the implementation of the plan, programme or strategy.

Contact

Email: Bob Frost

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