Environment Manager

FLS is the Scottish Government Agency that manages Scotland’s national forests and land - 640,000 hectares or 9% of Scotland’s land area. We deliver commercially sustainable forestry, conserve and enhance the environment and deliver benefits for people and nature. Our mission is ‘to look after Scotland’s forests and land, for the benefit of all, now and for the future’ with a vision of ‘forests and land that Scotland can be proud of’.

We produce c.40% of Scotland’s timber, partner in producing 1300Mw of renewable energy, welcome 10 million visitors per annum and are home to over 1,000 species. Our commercial income of c.£120 million p.a. is supplemented by grants from the Scottish Government for peatland restoration, rainforest restoration, woodland creation and recreational services. The income we receive from commercial activities such as sustainable timber production, leasing parts of the land for renewable energy developments, and venison sales, help offset the costs of looking after such a vast natural asset.

We sustainably manage more than 300,000 hectares of productive forestry comprised of varying tree species, age and structure. The structural diversity in Scotland’s national forests provides innumerable niches for biodiversity, from the forest canopy above to the deadwood and needle litter on the forest floor and the soils beneath. A further 40,612 ha is a mix of Ancient Semi-Natural Woodlands (ASNW) and other semi-natural woodland types of varying tree species, age and structure. Across Scotland, this mosaic of very different woodlands contains a huge range of richly biodiverse habitats.

Some 14% of the national forests and land is designated for nature conservation. These designations include native and semi-natural woodland, rainforest and open habitats. Several significant habitat restoration programmes are underway, including rainforest restoration and peatland restoration.